3:15 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

Happy 40th anniversary to the best movie that no one is talking about.
3:15 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

The year is 1986. The place is Lincoln High School. The most viscous street gang in the city are the Cobras – a switchblade-wielding bunch of shit-bums who rule the school with a reign of terror. Routine violent crime and organized drug trading has become the norm of a typical school day. Each member of the Cobras wears a single-dangly-dagger earring and a cheap, vending machine-looking snake tattoo. They have names like Cinco, Whitey, Smiley, Chooch and…Jeff.

Jeff Hanna was once the most feared member of the Cobras, but now Jeff is sick of fighting so he leaves the gang for good. Fast forward a year later and Jeff has new friends, he’s on the basketball team and he’s turning up the heat with the most righteous babe in school. But suddenly after a drug raid at the school, his old gangbanger compadres are threatening to kill him. They even brutalize his new girlfriend via support from their sister gang ladies who look like Mötley Crüe “Looks That Kill” MTV video rejects. Jeff has had enough and now it’s time for one more fight. At 3:15.

This is one of those movies that remains somewhat underground and I never hear people talking about, which is headscratching because of how good it is. It’s up there with all the great high school exploitation movies that all seem to take place in Southern California’s valley towns. I’ll admit this movie is my #1 even next to classics like Tuff Turf and Class of 1984. Beyond all the clichés and hilarious stereotypes including the Asian high school gang practicing karate at recess, the strength of 3:15 is the fast-paced, no-nonsense energy in this movie that grabs you by the throat in the first ten minutes of the film and doesn’t let go.

I love movies that waste no time. Once Jeff abandons the Cobras, there’s a nervous, pulsating energy that kicks immediately into gear. It’s the dreadful fear of what’s going to happen to Jeff (Adam Baldwin, My Bodyguard) and his girlfriend Sherry (Deborah Foreman, Valley Girl) and just how far Jeff will go when he retaliates. The two young lovers are believable and cool, instead of their characters being so over the top on a cartoonish level which can be a common trope in teensploitation films. This isn’t West Side Story, Grease or even Stand and Deliver. Jeff is just a regular dude who just happens to be one tough son of a bitch. You get the impression that he can beat up both the punks and the jocks. Sherry on the other hand is a hot little number but they didn’t paint her to be the most popular girl in school or a goody two-shoes cheerleader.

3:15 is also filled with fun little moments that if you blink you might miss. Below are some of Uncle T’s favorites.

Gina Gershon! – Expect quite a few brief cameos like the always spicy Gina Gershon who plays one of the ‘Cobrettes’.

Black militant high schoolers! – Here’s a character who sadly they didn’t explain anything about and he’s played by Mario Van Peebles. His gang is called “The M-16’s”. I would really like to know what sort of high school experience this dude was having.

BMX Bandit! – With all the gangland activity happening at virtually all minutes of the hour, it’s cool that a kid doing tricks on his bike like he’s Cru Jones is completely unfazed. No tattoos, cigarettes or weapons. Just a neon-pink shirt and his bike.

Familiar dirtbags! – Yes, if this kid looks familiar it’s because he played the same character in the high school terror classic Tuff Turf just one year earlier. Looks the same, acts the same…it’s the same character.

Karate kids! – Of course all the Asian boys in school naturally have to be ninjas and practice karate at recess. Their gang is called “The Tams”.

Innocence of youth! – In the middle of all this warfare and drug dealing, these two random kids are seen playing “hot hands” (or is it “Pat A Cake”?) while smoking cigarettes. Good, clean fun.

Contraband weapons! – One thing I miss about high school is all the trickery and innovative ways to be a scumbag. Take for instance coming up with weapons like a lipstick knife or a metal hair braid. The ‘Cobrette’ on the left swings her braid around to knock people in the face during a fight!

Unreleased soundtrack! – Going into this movie I had a feeling the soundtrack was going to be a ripper and my prediction was right. There are a bunch of tracks by soundtrack regular Chris Farren (Night of the Comet, Girls Just Want to Have Fun) that need to be unearthed and cleaned up for future TNUC mixtapes! The only song that appeared somewhere else was Shriekback’s “Lined Up” which also appeared on the group’s 1983 album, Care. The song plays during the drug raid at school, right before all hell breaks loose!

It’s time for one more showdown after the school day ends. It’s time for someone to die. It’s 3:15 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

40 years after this movie came out and it definitely deserves more attention. TNUC highly recommends you find it!