3:15

Plot synopsis:
The Cobras are the toughest gang around, led by Jeff Hanna (Adam Baldwin) and Cinco (Danny De La Paz). The film opens with the Cobras attacking a rival gang for hanging out on their turf. The rival gang flees and the Cobras turn their attention to a wounded member and proceed to beat him. Jeff tries to intervene but Cinco kills the member. Disgusted, Jeff leaves the gang. Cinco shouts after Jeff, calling him a traitor.One year later at Lincoln High. Jeff has cleaned up his act (with the help of the faculty clearing his record) and now plays basketball and dates fellow student Sherry Hallivand (Deborah Foreman). The Cobras practically rule the school, intimidating the students whilst selling drugs to them. Each morning, the Cobras take money from the students then put drugs in their lockers during third period.That particular morning, Principal Horner (Rene Auberjonois) has had enough of being unable to control the students and calls Detective Moran (Ed Lauter) to organize a drug bust. During third period, the Cobras begin to distribute drugs when the police arrive and chase them around the school. Several of the gang members get away while others are arrested. Cinco and another member are cornered in the mens' locker room where Jeff happens to be. Cinco tries to hand off the drugs to Jeff but he refuses and Cinco is immediately arrested. Cinco says the drugs are Jeff's and is dragged out, swearing revenge.Rumors begin flying around school, ranging from Jeff narcing on the Cobras to Jeff attacking Cinco. Jeff is unfazed, believing this whole mess to be stupid and simply wants to live his life. In jail, Cinco is furious that Jeff turned him, now his pride is ruined.After basketball practice, Jeff spends the night at Sherry's house. Sherry begs Jeff not to get involved with the Cobras again. Jeff assures her he's not fighting anyone.The next day, Jeff is hailed as a hero amongst some students and as a pariah amongst others, particularly the Corbettes, the girlfriends of the Cobras. A few of the Cobras have been released from jail, much to Horner's dismay. Moran explains that the Cobras won't be given a heavy sentence and will soon be released. Horner wants them out of the school, in order to set example. Jeff is called down to the office. The two men try to convince Jeff to testify against Cinco but Jeff refuses. Horner reminds Jeff he cleaned up his record so he could play basketball, so Jeff owes him. Jeff angrily says he doesn't want to be involved and storms out. Horner is determined to get the Cobras out of the school, even if it means they kill Jeff.In the hallway, Ponch (Jeb Ellis-Brown), one of the Cobras, calls Jeff a narc and shoots him with a water pistol. Jeff pulls Sherry out of class and tells her that he has a bad feeling about what's going to happen and that he feels unlucky. Sherry assures him he's not. Later, Sherry is intimitated by the Corbettes but is saved by Lora (Wendy Barry), Cinco's girlfriend and Jeff's ex. Lora tells Sherry that she needs to meet with Jeff at a local club to tell him something important about Cinco.Jim (John Scott Clough) and Chris (Scott McGinnis), Jeff's best friends, tell Jeff that the Cobras are planning something. Chris thinks they should attack first but Jim is reluctant. Jeff assures them that the Cobras are all talk.Later in the gym, Jeff is harassed by Smiley (Jesse Aarogon) and two other members. Despite their taunts, Jeff doesn't fight back.At lunch, Chris still argues that they should fight back. Norman (Joseph Brutsman), a student who was bullied by the Cobras earlier, agrees. Sherry becomes disgusted and walks away. When Whitey (Bradford Bancroft) harasses her, she slaps him and he grabs her. Suddenly, Jeff leaps onto him and begins to beat him up until Coach Draper (Wayne Crawford) separates them. Sherry runs off and when Jeff catches up to her, she tells him about Lora and that he enjoys this gang stuff. Jeff tries to convince her he never lied to her but she is adament and tells him she never wants to see him again.In the bathroom, Jeff confronts Ponch and tells him to give Cinco a message: Is he ready to go to war? In the gym, Coach Draper tells Jeff that Horner has told the D.A. to expect a murder charge and Jeff might be the victim. Despite Draper's assurances, Jeff says he's alone in this matter.At the club, Jeff meets up with Lora. Lora offers sex but Jeff refuses. Cinco has gotten Jeff's message and he's going to kill him, along with Sherry. Jeff is disgusted that Cinco wants revenge over something petty. When Lora heads back to the club, she is cornered by the Corbettes who proceed to violently beat her. Jeff calls Sherry and warns her that the Cobras are targeting her and she should stay home from school tomorrow. Sherry ignores his warning and reminds Jeff about his promise.The next day, Cinco and the rest of the gang are released from jail. The school announces a half day, saying the grounds will be closed around 3. Jeff is horrified to see that Sherry has come to school. Meanwhile, Chris is antagonized by Smiley who tells him that Cinco wants the fight at school and Jeff will find out the time later. Jeff begs Horner to get Sherry off the grounds but Horner argues that Sherry will be safe in class. His opinion changes however when he recieves a call that Lora has been beaten up and in the hospital. He sends another student to fetch Sherry.Sherry is ambushed in the hallways by the Corbettes and is dragged to the bathroom where she is beaten. Jeff arrives and saves her. As he consoles her, he sees '3:15' spraypainted on the mirror. Sherry is rushed to the hospital and Jeff realizes he has no choice but to face Cinco. Jim and Chris promise to stand by him. Coach Draper tries to convince Horner to remove Jeff from school but Horner ignores him. At the hospital, Jeff reconciles with Sherry.Jeff and the Cobras prepare for the fight. Unbeknownst to Jeff, Cinco has a gun on him. Jeff arrives at the school and discovers Jim and Chris have bailed on him. He tries to get the other cliques to join in but no luck. Seeing he's alone, Jeff goes inside the school while the Cobras break in. Sherry steals her mother's car keys and leaves the hospital. Chooch (Panchito Gómez) attacks Jeff in the weight room but Jeff easily overpowers him.The Cobras corner Jeff in the locker room and incapacitate him. Cinco angrily tells Jeff he betrayed him and now he's going to pay. Suddenly Norman arrives, armed with a baseball bat. When Cinco tries to intimidate him, Norman hits him. Cinco retaliates by shooting him. Jeff quickly disarms the other members as Cinco and Ponch escape into the school. Norman is wounded but still alive. Jeff promises to return with help.Cinco hands Ponch a switchblade and orders him to kill Jeff. Ponch refuses (just like Jeff did last year) and is promptly killed by Cinco. Jeff and Cinco reach a stand off that ends with Cinco shooting Jeff. The cops arrive and Cinco yells from the window that he's won. Jeff slowly crawls up the stairs as Cinco stands over him, gun ready.Sherry appears and pushes Cinco down the stairs. The two former friends wrestle for the gun. Jeff unleashes everything onto Cinco and gets the gun but tosses it aside. When Cinco tries to attack again, he knocks him out. Jeff sighs that it's finally over.Jeff, Sherry and Norman exit the school where Norman is promptly taken to the hospital. Horner pulls Jeff aside and tells him he's glad he won and asks if they can bury the hatchet. Jeff slugs him in response. The film ends with an exhausted Jeff embracing Sherry.

Tags: violence

Review:
"Nothing is more important than pride".
Violence.
Drugs.
Crumbling turf.
Vicious gangs; Charles Bronson ala in Paul Kersey mode would have a field day, but hey this isn't a "Death Wish" film.
"3:15" easily ranks up there with the likes of "Class of 1984", "Savage Streets" and "The New Kids" of this 80s wave of violent school gang outings with no-bars hold revenge at its core.
Bestowing an outstanding cast; Adam Baldwin (in a perfectly pitched performance) leads the way as Jeff Hanna who use to be in the ruthless street gang "The Cobras", but then he decides to go straight after a confrontation with the leader Cinco (a venomous Danny De La Paz).
A year has past, but there's still ill-feeling there.
This finally erupts when Cinco blames Hanna for a drug raid at the school which was orchestrated by the principal (a scheming Rene Auberjonois) and led by detective Moran (a neatly sardonic Ed Lauter).
Despite the threats Hanna is happy to look the other way, until they threaten to assault his girlfriend (the delightful Deborah Foreman).
Then he knows he must take up the offer to finally settle the score.The plot plays out like a urban western as you have one man finding himself stuck in the middle of something there's no way out of, while without choice taking on the unbelievable odds by standing up, as everyone else just watches on.
Standard mechanisms, but on this occasion its very well done, right down to its classic final showdown.
Strangely is had me thinking of a very similar film that came out a year later "The Principal", which in the film's climatic showdown between the principal (an excellent James Belushi) and some punks drummed up some striking similarities in how things turn out.You might call it b-grade, trashy exploitation with a decent looking budget and you might be right.
However its context it isn't trying to simply exploit despite its harsh, brutal details (although it might lie in the shadows to the previously mentioned films' mean-spirited vibe).
The pulpy story is a little more thoughtful in its actions and depictions, where the characters have more weight which makes it all the more harrowing and gripping when it unfolds.
These are characters trying to prove something (as image becomes an important factor) and just what lengths would they go to do so.
Like the frightening expression on Foreman's character's face when she sees Hanna aggressively implode on one of the gang members.
That's not saying it doesn't go over-the-top, but these dramatics only enhance the intensity.
Director Larry Gross workably keeps the adrenaline levels high, even when it's not trying to be bitingly rough and gusty.
It's gritty, edgy but competently staged with a pounding soundtrack to back it up.
There are some other interesting faces showing up in the likes of Mario Van Peebles, Wayne Crawford, Scott McGinnis, Gina Gershon and Wings Hauser (who gets even less screen time than the visible boom mike)..
Nice piece of crime ridden school exploitation!.
This is a great school outta control flick from the glorious 80's that's right along the lines of SAVAGE STREETS and CLASS OF 1984.
it's got all the necessary goods that those type of flicks require to kick ass: plenty of violence, criminal punks, and even some nudity.
i'd much rather see a gang movie with the gangsters rockin studs and chains than todays b-rated fake ass rapper bling bling movies.
being a punk rocker myself i was stoked to see one of the kids had the Misfits skull on the back of his jacket.
one of the girlies has a Motorhead shirt too!
Anyway it's got the typical plot (kinda like CLASS OF 1999 minus the killer cyborgs) where gangs and crime rule the streets and the schools and one of the gang members wants out causing a war with his gang.
sure it's way cheesy but that's whats so fun about it.
Highly recommended along with CLASS OF 1984, SAVAGE STREETS, CLASS OF 1999, and maybe even SUBURBIA(the one from 1983 of course).
Revenge of the 80's: "Teenage" school violence and street gangs films..
3:15 (1986) was one of the many 80's "teenage" gangster/ school violence films (the teenagers are usually in there mid to late 20's).
Like most of them they're highly entertaining and are filled with the mandatory hardcore violence and the IL' T & A.
This one promises an all out mano y mano, hand to hand combat film and guess what?
It delivers.
No lame cop out story or phony situations that would later destroy this genre.
They promise and the filmmakers deliver.
Fun stuff, not to be taken serious.
Watch out for Adam Baldwin, Mario Van Peebles and Gina Gershon.Highly recommended (if you can find a copy).8 ( as a film)10 (for it's genre).
Terrific Gang Picture.
This title was banned in Queensland, so it must be good!
3:15 (rated R in Australia) is a tense little pot-boiler set at a typical American high-school.
The characters and acting help to pull the cliched story line together, which is also true of its cinematic cousin SAVAGE STREETS (cut heavily in this country).
There are also some unintentionally funny 1980s dialogue, fashions and attitudes as well.
The violence is not as brutal as I expected, but it fits with the tone of the piece.
Try to spot Dean Devlin and Gina Gershon.
Definitely worth a rental.
I wish there was a DVD release..
School's Out  Gang War's On!.
People complain about the lack of politeness and respect of today's youth, but then what to say about those darned 80's kids?
If you believe those early 80's exploitation movies, all American high schools were breeding grounds for bloody gang wars, drug-dealing, senseless violence, sleaze and mindless vandalism.
Of course, they made cheap and grisly exploitation movies about pretty much everything during the early 80's, so I'm not quite sure if they qualify as socially relevant and accurate.
These films are, however, guaranteed adrenalin-rushing entertainment!
There are the modest cult classics like "Class of 1984" and "Savage Streets", but there definitely also are a couple of well-hidden gems like for example "The New Kids", "Massacre at Central High" and this "3:15".
These movies can all be described as much cooler and darker variations on dull stuff like "Stand and Deliver" or "Dangerous Minds".
So what if these kids have great intellectual potential?
They're scum and only good to destroy each other, yeah!
"3:15" – that title alone I find tremendous – has a pretty solid plot and a downright fantastic opening half hour.
The police (led by the marvelously skeptical Lt. Moran) and Principal Horner of the Lincoln High School team up for a large-scaled anti-drug operation, with as a main intention to arrest the members of the feared Cobra gang.
The success of the bust is minimal, but the aggressive Cobra leader Cinco wants revenge nevertheless and picks out Jeff Hannah as a scapegoat.
Jeff is a former Cobra member who turned his back on drugs and violence, but now Cinco spreads the word throughout the entire school that he turned into a police informant and that he has to pay for that.
The ultimate confrontation between Jeff and the Cobras will take place at – you guessed it – 3:15.
The film can rely on good casting choices and an effectively sinister ambiance.
The Cobra gang members are convincingly menacing and creepy.
They're scum who harass everybody in school and beat up the weaklings.
The school surrounding itself is a nicely grim and uncanny location as well.
The walls are full of graffiti (a LOT of graffiti), the teachers are corrupt and there are rotten apples left, right and center.
The set- up is truly atmospheric and plausible, but "3:15" inevitably also suffers from quite a bit of shortcomings.
There are a couple of typically 80's and clichéd redundant interludes, like the romance elaboration and the song with the deeper meaning lyrics illustrating the tension between 3pm and 3:15pm.
Some things in the screenplay also don't make 100% sense.
For example, you would think that Jeff receives a little help from all his friends and school admirers, like the Afro- American guys in their GI Joe outfits, the Oriental dudes with their martial arts tricks, but in the end nobody moves a muscle.
So, yes, admittedly the finale is a bit disappointing in case you are expecting a gigantic high school massacre as well.
In spite of not really being known, "3:15" has quite a bit of good and familiar faces in the cast.
Adam Baldwin is quite impressive in the lead role, but especially the smaller supportive roles are worth mentioning here in this case.
Ed Lauter is terrific as the cynical police captain and Rene Auberjonois is even better as the sleazy school principal.
Cult fanatics with a sharp eye will definitely recognize the ravishing Gina Gershon in one of her very first roles (as one of the docile Cobra members' girlfriends) and maybe even notice the small cameo appearance of Wings Hauser as the father of Jeff's goody-two-shoes girlfriend Sherry..
A very cool and enjoyable 80's teen gang romp.
"Class of 1984" meets "High Noon" and subsequently gets transposed to the blighted, crime-ridden East Los Angeles ghetto area in this really solid and effective teen gang opus.
A vicious street gang called the Cobras holds a reign of terror over Lincoln High School.
Stand-up, no-nonsense tough guy Jeff Hanna (a commanding and believable performance by "My Bodyguard" 's hulking Adam Baldwin) quits the Cobras and decides he wants to live a normal, peaceful life.
Alas, Jeff incurs the formidable wrath of savage, vengeful Cobra leader Cinco (a perfectly vile Danny De La Paz) when he refuses to take a dive for Cinco during a surprise police drug bust.
So Cinco vows that he's gonna clean Jeff's clock but good come 3:15 after school, clinching the odds that Jeff will definitely show up for this lethal rumble by beating up Jeff's sweet newfound girlfriend Sherry (an endearing turn by the lovely, cuddly Deborah Foreman).
Granted, the plot provided by Sam Bernard and Michael Jacobs' blunt, no-frills, just cover all the necessary bases and nothing more script doesn't offer any fresh insights or novel twists on a timeworn Western-style big showdown premise.
However, Larry Gross' precise, straightforward direction, Gary Chang's neatly percolating score, Misha Suslov's slick, smoothly gliding cinematography, a refreshing lack of pretense, and a thrilling finale with Jeff opening up a king-sized dose of raw, bloody hurting on the Cobras more than compensates for the dearth of originality.
Plus, the supporting cast is totally up to snuff: "Benson" 's Rene Auberjonois as the school's manipulative Machiavellian principal, Ed Lauter as a cynical, world-weary cop, Wings Hauser as Sherry's overprotective jerk dad, Mario Van Peebles as a black gang leader, 80's horny teen regular Scott McGinnis in one of his standard smart-mouthed wiseguy roles, Joseph Brutsman as Jeff's loyal nerdy pal Marvin, and future "Showgirls" hottie Gina Gershon as a snarly Cobra gang moll.
All in all, this flick's certainly punchy and violent enough to make the grade as a satisfying item..
Hitting below the belt.
(minor spoilers).
As one viewer had already pointed out in their comments, there were a large number of the almost laughable teenage street gang-centered action and dramas, especially of the early and mid 1980s, probably following the successes of cult films like 'The Warriors.' They were low budget, b- and c-grade films that usually centered on some gang in a west coast town (and especially, a dilapidated school) in which school officials are inexplicably helpless to the violence and destruction and some brave student must often take charge to alleviate.
There have been so many of these that they are a genre in and of themselves and quite often, they have not only been cheaply made or poorly produced (the gangs usually don't seem dangerous, but more like obnoxious fashion victims) and the stories just blend together as unmemorable narratives that continue to tell the same story.
'Class of 1984', 'Tuff Turff,' 'Savage Streets', 'Knights of the City', and even '3:15' are the more laughable ones.
'The New Kids' (mostly because of its familiar cast) and 'Children of the Night' are the better productions.
And Troma's 'Class of Nuke 'Em High' series and the low-visibility Spielberg-produced project, 'Three O'Clock High' are the amusing parodies of an out-of-whack perception of urban teenagers gone wild.With little feeling and little suspense, '3:15' offers the cookie cutter story of a young high school student (Adam Baldwin) who, although credited as a dangerous gang leader, suddenly drops the gang when one his fellow Cobras kills a young guy during a parking lot rumble.
His sudden decision to ditch the gang not only contradicts his reputation, but is left unexplained and more so unconvincing.
The guy seeking to be the new leader to fill this power vacuum vows revenge on the traitor.
When the dumb principal orders a police raid to rid the school of the gang members and their bad behavior, the rival Cobra runs into our fearless leader, hoping he can help him hide some drugs (in the presence of cops of course...oh, this is one unshakable alibi) and when the guy refuses and the new Cobra leader is sent to jail, he promises to punish the dude severely.
With the help of his minions, he plots to terrorize pretty much our hero, his friends, and his wimpy girlfriend.
But, of course he won't go down without a fight, despite all the odds against him and the psychotic tendencies of his rivals.
Of course, the tale ends just as swift and numbly as the rest of the film, making it one who's accolades by other IMDb reviews has puzzled me.
Why, of so many in this genre, is this one to be remembered so fondly?
I would guess the familiarity of its cast (especially Scott McGinnis and Deborah Foreman who are b-movie 80s regulars by this point).A more suitable substitute for this film?
'Three O'Clock High.' I mean, if something as bad as '3:15' is going to make you laugh (unintentionally) anyways, then why not just go for straight up comedy with a better knack for storytelling?.
Another 80's teenage gang movie.
Another 80's teenage gang movie.
The formulated cliches are there.
Eye candy women a stud of a guy with the Gary Cooper High Noon ending where the lone rugged individual stands up when on one else does.
Lot's of teased hair, macho guys, with an 80's new wave track.
The guy with a checkered past must face his old gangs members.
There is a love story.
Back ground characters with low character arches.
Nothing much here but 80's memories.
Fun to watch when I was 16.
3 stars..
A boring 80's high school gang movie.
A guy (Baldwin) quits his gang, The Cobras after they get a bit too violent for him.
Later when they get busted and he could've helped them and didn't, they want revenge..at high school at 3:15...ok there's the movie for you you don't need to watch it now, I have saved you the trouble.OK so I have seen worse, but there was a lot of these movies in the 80's and some were realistic and some were just exploitation films and this was the latter.Larry Gross directed his first film here and I have never seen more boom mics visible on screen in my life, horrible director, and nothing cool or outstanding to see here.The acting was pretty good, and the characters were okay too.
Adam Baldwin always was a terrific actor to me, he shouldve been bigger and more famous, but I don't make the rules.The movie was cheesy.
You spend the whole movie thinking that The Cobras are the biggest baddest gang ever and by the movies end you realize they are small in number and weak and pathetic.What was the point of this movie...I would like to know.
Its worth watching one time if you're one of those people who will give any thing a try, but if you are wanting a good movie stay away from this, if you like high school gang movies I recommend Class of Nuke Em High - completely different type of movie but its just bloody great.