JOYSTICKS

US, 1983, 88 minutes, Colour.
Joe Don Baker, Lief Green, Jim Greenleaf.
Directed by Greydon Clark.

Joysticks is an inconsequential youth feature. It is no worse, certainly no better than very many of its kind in the late '70s and early '80s. It focuses on the younger generation, making them glamorous and free - as well as permissive. This particular group frequents a video game parlour - so the film is topical because of interest in video games (Tron, Tilt, The Last Starfighter) at the time.

Needless to say there are hypocritical adults, especially in the form (very large by the early '80s) of Joe Don Baker. The tactic of course is to expose him as a hypocrite and so keep open the video game parlour that he is keen on closing down, allegedly for the protection of youth morals.

This film, as with so many of the others, pokes fun at adults, praises the younger generation - who are eventually going to turn into the older generation they are mocking in films. like this. It is not,. untypical of a genre thought popular for young audiences in the early '80s.