Although officially called simply 3:15, this fairly little known title also goes around with numerous additional titles: The Moment of Truth, A Time to Die, Class 89 and Showdown at Lincoln High. In addition to having sort of a problematic, non sticky name (just try Googling it) the number of different titles could be due to the publishing issues the movie faced, having being shot already in 1984 but getting its limited release only two years later, on 1986.

Mohawks and chains were a big thing in late 70s and early 80s cinema, thanks to the gang violence that was spiralling out of hand. New York was on its way to become an urban war zone and on numerous other cities the violent gangs were getting a strong foothold. 3:15 joins the likes of Assault on precinct 13, The Warriors, Class of 1984, Death Wish series and Savage Streets as exploitative dystopian depiction of dealing with these juvenile gangs.

3:15 is basically a high noon -style showdown between two friends, and a depiction of the unfortunate events leading to it. Most of the movie’s running time is spend on the clichéd troubled high school portrayal that fails to bring anything really fresh to the table. The real meat of the movie is the showdown that manages to be palm-sweating intensive, thanks to its fast-paced and savage portrayal of violence. I’ve always liked Adam Baldwin’s screen presence and his subtle acting work here also is pleasant – if a little passionless – to watch.

80s-o-meter: 76%

Total: 70%