"3:15 - The Moment of Truth"

Jeff Hanna didn't ask for trouble, but when they challenged him and attacked his girl, he took them all on. On their terms. On their turf!

In the spirit of “The Substitute” and “The Principal”, comes “3:15 The Moment of Truth”, starring Adam Baldwin (NOT a Baldwin brother), Mario Van Peebles, Gina Gershon, and the Latin King that lives down the road from my house. I first saw this film in 7th grade, and I was convinced that ALL inner city schools were this bad. I still am, actually.

The plot of the movie is simplistic. An over age teenager leaves the gang life to make something of himself. The gang does not like this, so they start to fuck with him at school. There are four gangs: The Asians, who practice martial arts in the basketball court (I can't make this shit up), The Blacks, who look like Marines - side arms and all, The Girls, who are groupies, and The Cobras, for all the other ethnicities. Our hero, Jeff, was a Cobra, and the most feared one at that. He would kill a man for looking twice at his rape wagon of a van.

After he leaves his gang, he joins the school basketball team, gets straight A's and a nice girlfriend. Everything seems to look good for Jeff, until his girl is maliciously attacked and he swears revenge. Knowing that all these gang members are a superstitious and cowardly lot, he lets his TRUE COLORS out and becomes The Batman... er... “Batman Begins”  FUCKING RULES!!!

Where was I?

Anyway, Jeff swears revenge and goes out to kick ass and chew bubble gum, with the help of his nerd friend, Q, who does nothing but root for Jeff as he does mundane things for revenge. Like talk to the Latin King that lives down the road from my house, and play some Basketball. Then the Cobras get pissed and challenge Jeff to a fight at 3:15 (hence the title, jackass).

It is my opinion that this movie must be a parody, as I can't really describe what is going on. For example, a Cobra is busted at school in his van dealing drugs, but he says they are not his, so they let him go. Another scene has Gina Gershon making a battle mace by braiding a knife into her hair. Shit, even in the opening credits, the Latin King that lives down the road from my house throws a switchblade with perfect accuracy into a kid's back.

The funny thing about this film is playing “place the face”, and spotting over-acting. Who ever knew that a fucking hand could over-act, but it does when it dramatically checks the time (it's 3:15) during the climactic ending. Also seeing Mario Van Peebles playing a high school kid, and Animal Mother trying to look all "Golly Shucks" and shit, makes this film a hidden treasure among the high school gang movies.

I, being the nerd that I am, made a back story: After Animal Mother got back from 'Nam, he utilized the G.I. bill to finish his education. In school he met Stitch Jones, Mario Van Peebles, and convinced him to join the Marines. Meanwhile, after breaking up with a Gang Member, Gina Gershon swears off men forever,meets Violet and takes up a life of crime.

Seriously, I want everyone to see this movie. It is either the worst film ever made, or the best parody of gang dramas ever made. Either way, check it out.