Night of the Wilding

My review was written in June 1990 after watching the movie on MCEG/Virgin Video cassette.

This topical video presents an interesting examination of the issues of random youth violence , but it cops out with an inconclusive ending. Title and theme should attract interest.

Story line mentions explicitly the famous Central park incident in New York (currnely in the courts) last year in which a jogger was raped and beaten, allegedly by a group of youngsters. In "Night of the Wilding", two sisters in L. A. are rpaed by a young trio of rich kids who get fabulously successful mob lawyer Erik Estrada to defend them.

Film becomes a war of wills between Estrada, who's in the midst of a crisis of conscience because he constantly defends guilty clients, and the prosecutor, lovely Kathrin Lautner. To make the B picture overly melodramatic, Lautner is Estrada's ex-wife and she's won every case she's worked on.

Prolific action helmer Joseph Merhi takes a more subdued approach this time out, covering many details of court procedure and maneuverings effectively. Payoff is unfortunatgely unconvincing as the ringleade of the young thugs, Isaac Allan, kills his comatriot and tires to muder his rape victims and even the d.a., ending predictably in his demise at Estrada's hands.