Over the Edge

Over the Edge is a film directed by Jonathan Kaplan released in 1979. Due to the negative publicity surrounding a wave of recent youth gang films, Over the Edge had a limited theatrical release. It stars Matt Dillon in his feature film debut. Because of its depiction of teenage rebellion, drug and alcohol use by junior high school students, a sensational depiction of suburban life in the late 1970s, and a rock music soundtrack featuring such band... more

Over the Edge is a film directed by Jonathan Kaplan released in 1979. Due to the negative publicity surrounding a wave of recent youth gang films, Over the Edge had a limited theatrical release. It stars Matt Dillon in his feature film debut. Because of its depiction of teenage rebellion, drug and alcohol use by junior high school students, a sensational depiction of suburban life in the late 1970s, and a rock music soundtrack featuring such bands as Cheap Trick and The Cars, Over the Edge has achieved cult film status, and was an inspiration for the music video for the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana. . According to the director's and writer's commentary on the DVD, Over the Edge was inspired by actual events that took place in Foster City, California in the early 1970s. Those events were chronicled in a 1974 article titled "Mouse Packs: Kids on a Crime Spree" from the San Francisco Examiner. The writer of the article, Charles S. Haas, went on to co-write the screenplay. In... less