Sweet Sixteen (1983)

> A serial killer on the loose in a small town.

This is not a popular title, but I find it an interesting thriller-mystery. I don't know the cast, but I liked them all decently. It is a murder mystery that takes place in a small town where a sheriff investigates the recent brutal knife attacks with all the possibility angle. All the victims were teenage boys, who are associated with the new girl in the town. Definitely you will begin to predict the suspect, that much the film evolves a bridge between you and the contents.

It was a great story, I was stunned for its underrated status and for going unnoticed, but then it ended very cheaply. To me the conclusion ruined the rhythm, otherwise the rest of the film was amazing and worth a watch. I hope somebody would remake it with some changes, especially in the final act and its twist. Overall surely it was a fine film, a mix of the teen theme and the cop story, obviously excluding the bad ending.

6/10

Whodunit slasher in a Southwestern town with a likable cast

RELEASED IN 1983 and directed by Jim Sotos, "Sweet 16” chronicles events in a West Texas town when a new family moves into town and there are a series of murders revolving around the 16 year-old daughter (Aleisa Shirley). The sheriff (Bo Hopkins) and deputy (Michael Cutt) try to track down the killer. Dana Kimmell and Steve Antin play the Sheriff’s kids while Patrick Macnee and Susan Strasberg play the parents of the new girl.

While this is a slasher, it’s not overly gory and could be categorized as a whodunit mystery. The story kicks off with a quality bar confrontation, which reveals the racial tension in the town between whites and Natives. Despite all the gushing over the new girl (Aleisa Shirley), she’s not all that, i.e. no curves. Dana Kimmell is the real beauty here.

The cast is likable, particularly Hopkins as the main protagonist, and the early 80’s ambiance is to die for. Don Shanks is notable as a kick axx Native. I liked the movie and enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was amidst the red herrings, but found the wrap up a little eye-rolling and unsatisfying.

THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour, 30 minutes and was shot on the outskirts of Los Angeles. WRITER: Erwin Goldman. ADDITIONAL CAST: Don Stroud is on hand as a troublemaking cowboy.

GRADE: B-