I saw River’s Edge in the theater and distinctly remember Crispin Glover (although not Keanu).
This one hit a little too close to home after growing up in Cupertino in the 70’s/80’s. The movie was inspired by events that took place in Milpitas, about 10 miles away. A block from my house, the body of a 15 yo girl was found in a shallow grave in a backyard bordering Cupertino High School a few years earlier. And, a few years before that, a girl was kidnapped in Cupertino and got free, but not before the sicko chopped her arms off. She was found running down a road in the Santa Cruz Mountains naked and bloody. Talk about a cinematic image! Lots of serial killers in the greater Bay Area, too!
That was a bleak time for so many reasons. I was just commenting to my wife that we seem to have reentered those times, based on the series of movie previews we saw recently.
Let’s just hope times get better like they ultimately did back then! (Actually, about the time River’s Edge came out.)
A girl running with her arms chopped off? HOLY SHIT! That’s an image that’s hard to shake. Thanks for the added context about that region at that time. Fascinating stuff. And thanks for reading!
Thanks! That post got way darker than I wanted it to, but those were the times (and the place). I think every one of the characters from the Rivers Edge went to my high school.
Wow. Frozen. That’s quite a benevolent, charitable, and interesting read. I haven’t seen this film yet—will do so.
Great write up!
I saw River’s Edge in the theater and distinctly remember Crispin Glover (although not Keanu).
This one hit a little too close to home after growing up in Cupertino in the 70’s/80’s. The movie was inspired by events that took place in Milpitas, about 10 miles away. A block from my house, the body of a 15 yo girl was found in a shallow grave in a backyard bordering Cupertino High School a few years earlier. And, a few years before that, a girl was kidnapped in Cupertino and got free, but not before the sicko chopped her arms off. She was found running down a road in the Santa Cruz Mountains naked and bloody. Talk about a cinematic image! Lots of serial killers in the greater Bay Area, too!
That was a bleak time for so many reasons. I was just commenting to my wife that we seem to have reentered those times, based on the series of movie previews we saw recently.
Let’s just hope times get better like they ultimately did back then! (Actually, about the time River’s Edge came out.)
A girl running with her arms chopped off? HOLY SHIT! That’s an image that’s hard to shake. Thanks for the added context about that region at that time. Fascinating stuff. And thanks for reading!
Thanks! That post got way darker than I wanted it to, but those were the times (and the place). I think every one of the characters from the Rivers Edge went to my high school.
It really is a singular piece of work, especially for something that was a modest hit (relative to budget) at the box office.