NCJ Number
155513
Date Published
1995
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This cartoon video tells the story of a brother and sister ("Karate" and "Nina") who are drawn under the influence of a drug pusher and pimp named Goldtooth, a story that ends tragically for Nina but hopeful for Karate.
Abstract
The video opens as Karate as a young man is stopped by some street kids and offered drugs. He refuses and begins telling the kids about his life as a young kid on the streets. His story opens as he is sniffing a solvent out of a jar to get high. Nina confronts him and encourages him to come with her to work in a bakery for the Bakers. Karate follows her advice and works hard doing chores around the bakery, which includes taking care of the Bakers' caged birds in back of their building. One day, however, as Karate is bringing a sack of flour back to the bakery from the store, he sees some kids playing football; he sets the flour sack down and begins playing with them. Some other kids take the flour sack, empty it, and begin playing in the flour. Karate knows he is in trouble, and Goldtooth appears to entice him into an escape from his troubles. He offers him a jar of solvent to sniff, and Karate cannot resist. After getting high, he spends the night under a bridge; the next day Goldtooth introduces him to some bad street kids, who lead him into drugs, crime, and general mischief. Karate is eventually caught by the police and held in detention for months. Meanwhile, Nina has been recruited into prostitution by Goldtooth with the promise that he will help her find Karate. After his release from jail, Karate spots Nina on the street and takes her back to the bakery, where they make a stand against Goldtooth. In the violent struggle, a fire starts in the bakery and Nina is killed. Although saddened by Nina's death, Karate rebuilds his life with the help of the bakers. The story concludes as Karate confronts Goldtooth with all the evil things he has done, and Goldtooth literally turns into a cockroach. Karate steps on him. Discussion questions accompany the video.