Wounds Of Love: Ten Reasons I’ve Seen Tuff Turf Over 100 Times
Posted in Films, Retrovirus, Top Ten Lists |By Less Lee Moore
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If you’ve never seen Tuff Turf, the 1985 film starring James Spader and Kim Richards, then this list of reasons I’ve watched the movie over 100 times might pique your curiosity and prompt you to watch it. Maybe not over 100 times, but at least once. If you have seen the movie, this list will probably be at best, comical, and at worst, puzzling. Hopefully, however, this list will explain why I was thrilled when this movie was released on a (markedly bare bones) DVD a few years back. It meant that my original, recorded-from-HBO VHS tape could finally get a break.
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10. The Setting
Tuff Turf takes place in some unnamed suburb of Southern California. IMDB lists the filming locations as Culver City and Los Angeles, but from the looks of things, it was at least partially filmed in Reseda (if you’ve never been to Reseda, think about where Daniel lived in The Karate Kid and allow your imagination to run wild). When I first saw Tuff Turf, I was at my grandma’s friend’s house. She was babysitting my sister and me and took us along with her to play cards. The friend put HBO on and voila! There was Tuff Turf, which had come out in theaters the year before. Little did I know that within about a year, I would move to the equally-boring Southern California suburb of Simi Valley. There is a sign in the background of one scene that mentions Canoga Park, another So Cal suburb. Canoga Park High School is famous for being one film location used in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Poor Tuff Turf got stuck with Reseda instead.
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9. The Story
I had just recently seen Rebel Without A Cause, so the idea of a hot young WASP moving to a new town and causing trouble with the local high school troublemakers was vastly appealing to me. (Plus, James Dean was dead, while James Spader was still very much alive and likely to appear in more movies.) As banal as it might seem, teenagers like that storyline. This is why it gets used over and over again. Granted, Tuff Turf isn’t as high quality as Rebel Without A Cause, but in 1985, I took what I could get. In addition, Spader’s character, Morgan Hiller, was well-read and smart, something which was not really explored in Rebel, but which was hugely appealing to me, the well-read, smart, yet woefully geeky and boyfriend-less 15-year-old.
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8. The Fashion
James Spader’s wardrobe looks like what a rebellious rich kid would wear, while Frankie (Kim Richards) and her girlfriends apparently all shopped at Wet Seal, Contempo Casuals, or Stuart’s (before it got “classed up” a few years later). In Tuff Turf, it’s all about ankle socks with pumps, chains, braided headbands, fishnets, and roach clips. There is a scene where Frankie is trying to find the least-slutty outfit in her closet while simultaneously attempting to create a sophisticated-yet-innocent makeup look to impress Morgan’s parents. She’s got pages from a magazine tacked to her bedroom mirror, pages which I recognized from an issue of Teen Magazine I actually owned at one point in time.
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17 Responses to “Wounds Of Love: Ten Reasons I’ve Seen Tuff Turf Over 100 Times”
December 5th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
James Spader looks like Evil Dave Foley.
December 5th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Haha, I never noticed that before! You know who I think really looks like James Spader? Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. If they ever make a James Spader biopic he should play him. It’s uncanny.
LLM
December 8th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I’m not sure who is more obsessed with this movie…you or I. It’s a good thing it’s not a competition….most people I know aren’t familiar with it, but they always love it when I show it to them.
I also have a WELL WORN vhs version from the 80s, taped off some network…and a few years ago I wrote a song based on the movie called SPADER VS. EVERYONE EXCEPT DOWNEY JR.
You can host an MP3 of it here, if you like. Let me know!
December 8th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Wow, not being in contact with you for a few years means I really missed out! Of course, I want to hear/host an MP3 of this song; are you kidding?
LLM
December 9th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
thanks for the link. and yes, come download “We Walk The Night” or any other crap i have available.
December 11th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
LOVELOVELOVELOVE all of this. Your top two reasons are big places in my heart. I love RDJ and since Iron Man, I love seeing how everything is FINALLY coming together for him. That, and how Spader is FINALLY getting recognition, too. He doesn’t command a big screen blockbuster as well as he does just “movies” and just “television”. He’s a great actor, even if he’s no Blockbuster Will Smith or Keanu Reeves (how in the hell does that work–a robot actor is better than Spader?)
April 5th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Other film location is the Highland Park. The Highland Park Liquor is located at 5900 N Figueroa St and it was used as Frankie’s house in the movie. I’d like to go to LA to see this place and take a picture there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11073967@N00/218183006
Richard
April 6th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Wow! That’s a great photo, Richard. Thanks for sharing!
LLM
April 11th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I loved your countdown to #1. This is a movie that is so bad that it is fun. Thank goodness the music and the talent of James Spader and Robert Downey Jr were able to carry the very heavy baggage that was the rest of the film. These two actors have such wonderful charisma and charm, even when playing unlikeable characters. It is just fun seeing them at the very beginning of their long careers. HAIL…HAIL, to Spader and Downey…now and forever!!!
April 11th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Thanks onekey and Kataomoi for your praise! I’m glad we can share in the Tuff Turf love!
LLM
June 16th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I love watching this movie and guessing the filming locations. I found the burger joint (photo above) its in the 6200 block of Lankershim in North Hollywood. It was closed up the last time I saw it, a year ago or so, but the BURGERS sign was still up. I also know where the alley chase scene was filmed where Morgan thinks Nick is chasing him, but it’s Jimmy – that was in Culver City around Sawtelle & Hannum, near the Blanco Park mall. I have been wondering where that high school was filmed. Pleeease post it if anyone knows. Also, Morgan’s house would be interesting to see.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:20 am
Sharon this is amazing! I was looking for that burger joint during a long time. Thanks for sharing this information with us.
I also love guessing the Tuff Turf filming locations.
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:32 am
The “Hiller” residence is located at 12951 panama street Los Angeles, ca. (right off Culver city blvd.)
October 13th, 2009 at 11:55 am
The high WAS located at 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd. in Redondo Beach, Ca. It was formerly known as the Redondo Beach “Aviation High School”. Sorry Tuff Turf fans, it was torn down and is now the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, Finding this location just about killed me.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Photos of the high school being torn down are available at: http://www.barrsam.com/AHS.HTM
October 13th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Wow, that is a real bummer. Thanks for the info and that link!
LLM
January 30th, 2011 at 11:04 pm
[...] deserving fare, such as Back to School, Basket Case, The Last American Virgin, Savage Streets, and my favorite cult movie of all time, Tuff Turf. They have a genuine love of and appreciation for fringe films and it shows. Hell, [...]