187

MPAA Rating: R

Entertainment: +1/2

Content: -3

Trevor Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson) teaches high school in Brooklyn with passion and dedication. When he refuses to pass a failing and sociopathic pupil, the student repeatedly stabs him. One year later, Trevor returns to teaching in East Los Angeles. Despite his hope to leave behind all the violence, he finds himself once again faced with dangerous teens amidst the predominantly Chicano culture. He faces off against one teen in particular who's especially disruptive, and who makes it impossible for Trevor to fulfill his calling as a teacher. The suspense and disgust build as events begin to reveal a chilling secret behind the death of one student and the dismemberment of another. 187 (pronounced one-eight-seven) is one of those rare, dark films which seek not to entertain, but to sicken viewers by recreating the evil and hopelessness of inner-city society. The title itself is the California state penal code for murder which has become a popular catchphrase for gangs nationwide for killing someone.

By all appearances, Trevor is a devout man of faith. He prays to God for strength and wisdom. He speaks about righteousness. All this sounds good until we realize he?s a killer - a teacher who?s trying to recapture his sense of safety by secretly killing the dangerous students. In addition to this appalling depiction of Christianity, the movie is filled with obscene language and disturbing violence. Teens and teachers alike spew f-words and s-words in a continual stream. Graphic closeups of dead and mutilated bodies are used for shock effect. Viewers should be aware that the film also contains full female frontal nudity as a girl takes off her clothes, inviting Trevor to have sex with her. The movie ends with Trevor and a student sitting at his kitchen table, in a psychotic showdown of Russian roulette. People need this movie as much as they need an extra hole in their head.

Preview Reviewer: Jason Shepherd
Distributor: Warner Brothers, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522

Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.

Crude Language: Many (42) times - Mild 6, Moderate 36

Obscene Language: Many (86) times - s- 34, f- 52

Profanity: Several (7) times - All regular (J 2, JC 2, for C?s sake, swear to G, swear to C)

Violence: Many times - Moderate to Severe (teacher repeatedly stabbed, teen repeatedly shot, closeup of rat impaled with scissors, strangled dog shown, closeup of severed ginger, closeup of decomposing dead body, teen slaps and hits girl)

Sex: : Implied several times (girl hastily arranges clothes when teacher walks in on her)

Nudity: Twice (female student strips for teacher, near nudity -- cadavers in morgue shown with only genitals covered)

Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Few times (teacher talks about having sex with students, teens proposition female students)

Drugs: Many times (teens and teachers drink beer and hard liquor; students smoke drugs)

Other: Teens often make obscene hand gestures; Teacher prays devoutly to God, yet kills dangerous students to regain his sense of safety.

Running Time: 121 minutes
Intended Audience: 16 and older

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