Tuff Turf

"Meet Morgan Hiller. He's a rebel about to become a hero."

1985 1h 52m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 138

DramaActionRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The new guy in a Los Angeles high school, Morgan, does some singing and fights hotshot Nick over disco dancer Frankie.

“Meet Morgan Hiller. He's a rebel about to become a hero.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

James Spader
Morgan Hiller
Kim Richards
Frankie Croyden
Paul Mones
Nick Hauser
Matt Clark
Stuart Hiller
Claudette Nevins
Page Hiller
Olivia Barash
Ronnie
Robert Downey Jr.
Jimmy Parker
Panchito Gómez
Mickey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Fritz Kiersch
Writers: Jette Rinck, Murray Michaels, Greg Collins O'Neill
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Fritz Kiersch, shot by Willy Kurant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jonathan Elias. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marc Grossman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

James Spader and Kim Richards and Paul Mones carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Meet Morgan Hiller. He's a rebel about to become a hero.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0090213 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fritz Kiersch directs. Willy Kurant behind the camera. Jonathan Elias scores. Marc Grossman cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

141 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Fritz Kiersch, shot by Willy Kurant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jonathan Elias. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Marc Grossman shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Spader and Kim Richards and Paul Mones carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Meet Morgan Hiller. He's a rebel about to become a hero.".
7IMDB entry: tt0090213 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Willy Kurant
Original score: Jonathan Elias
Editing: Marc Grossman
Costume design: Kathie Clark
Makeup / hair: Kathy Webright
Sound: Neil Brody
Stunt coordinator: Vince Deadrick Jr.
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Tuff Turf (1985)

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Fritz Kiersch

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Community reviews

What people are saying

dennyjt2022-07-08
★ 5/10
1980s were a great time for young actors in Hollywood. So many performers were given vehicles to launch their careers, even if not always of top material, it got them visibility. This was the first lead for James Spader, as the moody new kid in school, in a situation striaght out of "Rebel Without A Cause". The rought boys pick on him, although he is instantly smitten by temptress Kim Richards, who has the longest hair in film history. Another misfit, Robert Downey Jr. befriends him, showing with a comic charm that would become a trait in later years. The movie has a feel that these are kids play acting as adults, but "Rebel" did that that as well. The fashions are on-trend, the frequent music interludes are new wave cool. This is a fun watch, if unremarkable.
Wuchak2023-02-27
★ 6/10
A troubled new kid on the block has to dance and fight for a girl, not to mention respect A prep from Connecticut (James Spader) starts his senior year at a public school in Los Angeles after his father loses his company and scales down in SoCal. He sets his eyes on the beautiful girlfriend (Kim Richards) of a gang leader (Paul Mones) and all hell breaks loose. "Tuff Turf" (1985) is similar plot-wise to “The Karate Kid” from the year prior, but isn’t as effective because it tries to be too many things. It’s a musical, a coming-of-age drama, a teen comedy, a romance, an art film and a bloody gang flick all rolled into one. The first half is an amusing musical with pizazz while the second half turns dramatic and violent. In short, it’s a mishmash of “Grease” (1978), “The Warriors” (1979), “Valley Girl” (1983), “Rumble Fish” (1983) and “The Karate Kid.” I like it, but the finale in the warehouse devolves into larger-than-life surrealness. Still, the music’s great, Spader carries the movie, Robert Downey Jr. is entertaining in an early role and Kim Richards (child actress from the 70s) is jaw-dropping with her stunning hair. The film runs 1 hour, 51 minutes, and was shot in the Los Angeles area. GRADE: B-