Colors (1988)

[Scott]

COLORS (1988) - Never had the desire to see this film when it came out, but I caught a edited version on AMC. I started watching it and liked the performances of Sean Penn and Robert Duvall. It's about gang violence in Los Angeles.

[Ash]

If I'm not mistaken....Robert Duvall directed it.

I thought it was a pretty good flick.

[Eirik]

"If I'm not mistaken....Robert Duvall directed it."

Actually, Dennis Hopper directed it.  It was a good one, but sadly when I saw it, the audience seemed more thrilled than repulsed by the violence.  Kind of like when I saw Boyz in the Hood and everyone cheered when Ice Cube got revenge on the guys that killed his brother.  They just missed the point entirely.

[Neville]

Pretty good movie, probably the best Hopper has ever directed.

[Chopper2]

People often miss the point of gang movies. They always get a macho kick out of the violence but are blind to the "you live by the sword, you die by the sword" message in the stories.

[The Burgomaster]

I thought it was okay, but nothing special.  I haven't seen it since its original video release, so maybe I'll watch it again and see if I like it any better now.

[raj]

Didn't they have to stop showing it in certain locales, because gangs used it as an excuse to act violently (like with The Warriors)?

[Eirik]

"Didn't they have to stop showing it in certain locales, because gangs used it as an excuse to act violently (like with The Warriors)?"

That's true, raj.  Because they used real gangs in the movie (crips and bloods), the real life crips and bloods were going to the movie for target practice.  They'd literally sit in the theater and shoot the screen, aiming at actors playing  rival gang members and police.

I just sat back and read what I wrote.  God, I wish I was making it up.