78. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #9: The Children of Times Square (1986)
We’re off to the bright lights of the big apple for Curtis Hanson’s return to writing and directing with The Children of Times Square, a made for television movie of the week dealing with teenage runaways getting caught up in a life of crime in a grimy 1980’s (pre-Disney) Times Square. Though we found no background information about this movie, it's clear that Hanson took this opportunity to make his own version of Oliver Twist. For being a typical parental nightmare/scared straight story, this turns out to be a surprisingly engaging and compelling movie, thanks in large part to a very talented cast. Bryan and A.J. talk about the cast, some of the hokey elements (a band named the Raybops and a gang named The Leopards), memories of being a kid in the 80’s and early 90’s, and how this fits in with the Reagan-era fear of crime. We are also delighted to see Joe Spinell in his third Curtis Hanson movie. This episode’s themed drink was: The Algonquin
