LITTLE RASCALS

US, 1994, 72 minutes, Colour.
Travis Tedford, Bug Hall and guest cameos.
Directed by Penelope Spheeris.

Little Rascals is part of a trend of the '90s, the remaking of popular old films, comic strips and television series. In the '40s, Hal Roach produced a number of short features with Our Gang. They proved very popular with children's audiences. In the '90s they have been updated to time, language, but the issues and their style belong to the past.

The whole gang is here again, led by Spanky and Alfalfa. The child actors doing the roles seem very knowing (although, for the final credits, there are indications that they had to be strongly directed for their performances). As well as the children, there are a number of guest roles including George Wendt, a funny turn from Mel Brooks in a bank, Whoopi Goldberg, Lea Thompson, Darryl Hannah - and even millionaire Donald Trump as the millionaire father of the obnoxious Waldo.

The screenplay is strong, offering a lot of verbal humour, especially for the adults as the children parody adult behaviour, especially the dislike between the sexes and falling in love. There are goodies and villains, races, auditions and performances for singing, a whole lot of action crammed into about 80 minutes. The direction is by Penelope Spheeris, who made documentaries about rock music and heavy metal in the '80s as well as features like Hollywood Vice Squad, Dudes. However, in the '80s she made such comedies as Wayne's World and The Beverly Hillbillies.

1.The popularity of Our Gang short features in the past? The decision to bring them into the '90s, update them? How effectively?

2.The Los Angeles location, the city skyline, the outskirts, school, club, popular venues, the go-kart race in the streets?

3.The musical score, the range of songs - especially the romantic song sung by the children?

4.The performances of the children, their screen presence, their age (their verbal dexterity - and the scenes of the director coaching them at the end of the film)? The enjoyment of the star turns?

5.The title, the tone? Our Gang? Memories of the past, popularity - and the tone of Rascals?

6.The relationships between the children and their parodying adult behaviour? The club and the hating of women? The conduct of the meeting and the oath? Eliminating the girls? Spying on the girls, spoiling Alfalfa and Dala's date? The aping of adult behaviour, the strong verbal wit and vocabulary? The children and their genuine feelings and relationships?

7.The opening with Spanky, writing the note, sending it with the dog, the introduction to each of the members of the gang, the two boys fishing with their hooks caught, those not able to read? Rushing to the meeting, the anti-woman tone of the club? The votes, the minutes, the pledge? The draw for Alfalfa to drive the go-kart? Finding Alfalfa and Dala in the boat, listening through the cans, the plan to upset their picnic?

8.The characters: Spanky and his large father, Uh'huh and his lack of vocabulary until the end? Buckwheat and the little boy? The strong-minded black boy? The variety in the group? The portrayal of the villains, their tone, bossiness, stealing the kart, the race, their comeuppance? The contrast with the girls?

9.Waldo and his rich family, the limousine, the home, the swimming pool (and Alfalfa swimming, chased by the dog, losing his pants)? The singing to Dala, the bubbles for Alfalfa's song? The race and his entrance, cheating - like Ben Hur?

10.Alfalfa as nice, his love for Dala, talking with her in the boat, going to the clubhouse, the picnic, the drink and the sandwich, setting fire to the club? The hiding with Spanky in the ballet, the ruining of the Nutcracker Suite? Racing through the streets, pursued by everybody? The reconciliation with Spanky? In the race, the wrong road, Waldo trying to cheat, Dala's handkerchief and his being a knight - and winning by a head, literally? The background of the boys at the carnival getting the money - and its being given as prize money for the race?

11.The fire in the club? The guarding of the car? The duck with the dollar? The carnival and getting the money? The stealing of the go-kart? The race?

12.The guest spots - George Wendt and the buying of the wood, Mel Brooks and the loan and the children's disguise as rabbis, Lea Thompson and the ballet and its being ruined, Darryl Hannah as the sympathetic teacher, Whoopi Goldberg as the mother, Reba McIntyre? and her being the champion driver, Donald Trump as the millionaire?

13.The happy ending - and the perennial jokes and humour - the old-fashioned values of the past transferred to the '90s?