This movie has several scenes that are very funny to watch interspersed with a lot of chaff. The director attempted to juggle far too many subplots, many of which are given short shrift in the mixed-up editing. In the end, it looks like one person directed about two films' worth of footage which was then thrown in a blender by another person to create the finished work. Names change from one scene to another, subplots are forgotten, characters are introduced only to be left by the wayside. All that aside, however, there are a few very funny scenes; the two main characters, both of whom spend the entire film trying to get laid (you'll never guess what happens at the end) are appealing.
18 Reviews
One thing on mind.
lost-in-limbo27 February 2010
No surprises
typical bubblegum teenage sex comedy of the times by the director (Martha Coolidge) who gave us the romantic teen flick "Valley Girl" the year before. "Joy of Sex" must have slipped by, as I've never even heard of it but it amusingly delivers in what makes these films work. Raunchy (without really going all the way), crude and randomly madcap with its slim story cobbled together by running gags and visual humour aplenty
namely sexually orientated and being a virgin lusting for one thing. While not always funny, it remains engagingly bouncy. Thanks to some memorable support roles. A boisterous Christopher Lloyd is fun as the school's coach, Colleen Camp goes oddball, but with a feisty edge as the new student, Joanne Baron is simply eccentric as an uptight teacher and Ernie Hudson frowns his brows as the stern principal. Cameron Dye and Michelle Meyrink are likable enough as the leads
looking to fulfil their urging hormones. Also the lovely Lisa Langlois appears.
Leslie Helenberg has just entered senior year, but going to the doctors to get a moll checked out she mistakenly believes she hasn't got too long to live and goes about trying to lose her virginity. However it's quite hard when her father is the school's PE coach. While on the other side of the coin is Alan Holt whose pals brag about their sexual encounters, which leaves him rather frustrated as he can't stop thinking about sex as he goes about trying to loose his virginity anyway possible.
Quite juvenile with a stereotypical script, however some serious issues are brought up (teen pregnancy), but the focus never stems away from the upfront humour. Undemanding teen fodder.
Leslie Helenberg has just entered senior year, but going to the doctors to get a moll checked out she mistakenly believes she hasn't got too long to live and goes about trying to lose her virginity. However it's quite hard when her father is the school's PE coach. While on the other side of the coin is Alan Holt whose pals brag about their sexual encounters, which leaves him rather frustrated as he can't stop thinking about sex as he goes about trying to loose his virginity anyway possible.
Quite juvenile with a stereotypical script, however some serious issues are brought up (teen pregnancy), but the focus never stems away from the upfront humour. Undemanding teen fodder.
No joy at all
ericstevenson11 June 2018
Most people would probably say that the "National Lampoon" franchise jumped the shark in later years, but it was bad as early as this time. They just happened to be making better movies featuring the Griswold family. This isn't quite one of the worst comedies I've ever seen. That's probably only because modern bad comedies are worse and constantly use fart and poop jokes. Much of the humor in this film comes from making jokes about animal genitalia. The funniest bit is when the teacher says she wishes she could teach in kindergarten where sex was a word no one understood.
The basic plot is that a girl thinks she's going to die soon and tries to lose her virginity. They use the old out of context eavesdropping trope. The fact that there's a bunch of misbehaving young adults makes it seem like they were trying to cash in on the success of "Animal House". Then again, this was based on a book...loosely apparently. It's weird how this could even be considered a National Lampoon movie if it was based on something else. The story is mostly pointless and the characters are bland. *1/2
The basic plot is that a girl thinks she's going to die soon and tries to lose her virginity. They use the old out of context eavesdropping trope. The fact that there's a bunch of misbehaving young adults makes it seem like they were trying to cash in on the success of "Animal House". Then again, this was based on a book...loosely apparently. It's weird how this could even be considered a National Lampoon movie if it was based on something else. The story is mostly pointless and the characters are bland. *1/2
A typical teen sex flick that is shallow on laughs and devoid of sex.
joseppi-212 November 2001
If one sat down to watch a movie called "The Joy of Sex", you'd at least think there were some steamy sex sequences therein. Surprisingly, that is the main thing that's missing from the film. Look quick and you may catch one topless girl in a mob running by toward the end of the picture, the film's sole nude sequence. The sex scenes we do see are obscured from view half the time and most of which is left up to imagination. And surprisingly the film still bares an "R" rating, primarily for language and content. But what would be considered as the naughty sexual content in this film is no more risque that what I've seen in other PG and PG-13 rated films currently in the theater and in new release at the video store. Boy the times have changed. Suddenly in the late 90's and the new millennium we can almost get away with just about any innuendos these days.
Not too many highlights in the film. The laughs are few and far between. The film features the attractive Colleen Camp who is squandered in this opportunity. She receives far little film time as an undercover cop masquerading as the new hot girl in class at the high school where the film is based. Robert Prescott ("Bachelor Party" and "Real Genius") has a few humorous moments as a class clown, but not enough. The only real bright spot of the film is Christopher Lloyd as Coach Hindenberg. Lloyd's deadpan delivery never fails to win a laugh or two, but Lloyd can't support what is an unremarkable cast and a less than average teen sex comedy. The film is also known as "National Lampoon's: The Joy of Sex." Save you money and time. Rent "Animal House" instead.
Not too many highlights in the film. The laughs are few and far between. The film features the attractive Colleen Camp who is squandered in this opportunity. She receives far little film time as an undercover cop masquerading as the new hot girl in class at the high school where the film is based. Robert Prescott ("Bachelor Party" and "Real Genius") has a few humorous moments as a class clown, but not enough. The only real bright spot of the film is Christopher Lloyd as Coach Hindenberg. Lloyd's deadpan delivery never fails to win a laugh or two, but Lloyd can't support what is an unremarkable cast and a less than average teen sex comedy. The film is also known as "National Lampoon's: The Joy of Sex." Save you money and time. Rent "Animal House" instead.
Big swing, no ding
Chase_Witherspoon2 March 2013
Pretty tame and in spite of the random humour of site gags, a few wacky characterisations and the very occasional one-liner, it's also mostly bereft of comedy. What's left is a coming-of-age story concerning high school senior (Meyrink), who mistakenly believing she only has weeks to live, tries to "seal the deal" and lose her virginity. Lisa Langlois plays her bestie, as the two manufacture a series of oddball situations in which the deed can be done.
There's a couple of funny moments (e.g. Paul Tully's self-absorbed anchorman trying to cajole Meyrink into a sleazy motel shag), but mostly the capable cast is just wasted in embarrassing, undignified characterisations. An exception to this is Joanne Baron's bookish school mistress characterisation, humiliated by her adolescent tormentors at every opportunity; sexualised pranks are the order of the day for the ill-disciplined students of this particular school establishment, much to the frustration of hard-line principal Ernie Hudson.
Interesting to see Hudson and Lloyd just ahead of their career-defining moments in "Ghostbusters" and "Back to the Future" respectively, while I could have sworn it was Jeff Daniels playing the sleaze-bag reporter, alas, it was Paul Tully (no disrespect intended). Hastily concluded the plot holes have been papered over and the film leaves you to presume more than it resolves. It's quirky but ultimately not among the best of its eighties' breed.
There's a couple of funny moments (e.g. Paul Tully's self-absorbed anchorman trying to cajole Meyrink into a sleazy motel shag), but mostly the capable cast is just wasted in embarrassing, undignified characterisations. An exception to this is Joanne Baron's bookish school mistress characterisation, humiliated by her adolescent tormentors at every opportunity; sexualised pranks are the order of the day for the ill-disciplined students of this particular school establishment, much to the frustration of hard-line principal Ernie Hudson.
Interesting to see Hudson and Lloyd just ahead of their career-defining moments in "Ghostbusters" and "Back to the Future" respectively, while I could have sworn it was Jeff Daniels playing the sleaze-bag reporter, alas, it was Paul Tully (no disrespect intended). Hastily concluded the plot holes have been papered over and the film leaves you to presume more than it resolves. It's quirky but ultimately not among the best of its eighties' breed.
I haven't seen a worse movie in quite some time.
sapienza26 December 1998
This movie pulled out none of the stops. 80s High School movies aren't usually this painful to watch. The story had potential to be a fun High School movie, but fell far short of the mark. If it weren't for the fact that I couldn't sleep and it's the only thing on TV, I wouldn't have seen it -- and right now I wish I could have gone with my first impulse and given those sleeping pills a shot.
Forgettable 80's comedy will not bring joy to some
videorama-759-85939110 November 2015
This is the worst film Martha Coolidge has done, as only having seen a few of em. Hey, I like this movie, as it only gets funny in the latter part of movie, with consistency, thanks to two characters, who are classics: a geeky teacher, who's the butt of the student's jokes, the tall one with the glasses, an absolute extroverted world class d..khead. The other is a t.v host gigolo, who doesn't mind making out with young girls. Yes we see a few familiar faces from other around the time Coolidge movies. Cute Meynick, who's very good, is convinced she's gonna die, thanks to this mole she has, as overhearing a conversation with her doctor. Hardly the case. Meanwhile a narc is one of among the students at Lincoln High. Meynick desperately wants to lose her virginity. She's not the only one. And yes, what are the chances these two make out. Joy Of Sex, is a disappointment, as in the fact, it's been adapted from a novel, so you expect to be quite good, but it just joins all the other cheesy 80 sex comedies, which painfully, I knew it would be, as not really being anything special. It's entertaining though, and that's thanks to a lot of good actors wasted in a movie that's dreadful. Christopher Lyodd is a classic, as a highly strung P.E. teacher and Meynick's Dad, while Camp as the narc (god, why did she do this) flashing her goodies is funny and really good. Langois is cute as Meynick's best friend, while exchange student, Abdul, bringing a very familiar Sixteen candles scenario, as the enigmatic stud, was fun. Dye as the student, who's missing out is typecast, and brings a good attracting performance. The short, frizzy haired "all woman", seen in sleazy prison films, was another fun character. On the whole, Joy Of Sex is worth watching, yes, too for 80's fan, a VHS rental, even hard, to acquire at the time, but like I said, it's simply dreadful and wastes so many good actors, some of them we don't see on the screen, anymore, and boy, do we miss em' too. Wipe this one under the carpet, Martha.
None of it is funny
SnoopyStyle14 February 2015
It's Leslie Hindenberg (Michelle Meyrink)'s senior year. Melanie (Lisa Langlois) is her best friend. Her dad (Christopher Lloyd) is a coach at school and he threatens anyone who touches his daughter. Liz Sampson (Colleen Camp) is the weird new girl. Mr. Porter (Ernie Hudson) is the new principal. Alan Holt (Cameron Dye) is obsessed with sex and Liz seems to be obsessed with him. Leslie is afraid her mole is cancerous and mistakes her doctor's overheard comment. She thinks she has 3 months to live and vows to try sex.
There are no laughs. It's high on the cheese factor. This is weak work from director Martha Coolidge. The production is bad and this suffers when compared to the start of a string of great John Hughes teen movies. I love Meyrink but her character doesn't have much to offer. The boys are even worst with Cameron Dye offering even less. I'm willing to live with twentysomethings passing themselves off as teenagers but they are horrible at it. It's 'Animal House' transfered to high school. It's almost bad enough to be camp. It's possible to watch this in that way.
There are no laughs. It's high on the cheese factor. This is weak work from director Martha Coolidge. The production is bad and this suffers when compared to the start of a string of great John Hughes teen movies. I love Meyrink but her character doesn't have much to offer. The boys are even worst with Cameron Dye offering even less. I'm willing to live with twentysomethings passing themselves off as teenagers but they are horrible at it. It's 'Animal House' transfered to high school. It's almost bad enough to be camp. It's possible to watch this in that way.
There were issues
BandSAboutMovies8 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Did everybody's parents have a copy of Dr. Alex Comfort's The Joy of Sex? What a frightening book that was, what with its Chris Foss (Flash Gordon, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jodorowsky's Dune) illustrations of incredibly hairy flower children engaging in all manner of marital congress.
Paramount Pictures thought that with the name of the book, they'd have a big movie, too. They spent all kinds of money to get the right and then paid Charles Grodin - who was told the movie could be about anything - to write the script. So he wrote a script about writing the script. That movie was eventually made as Movers & Shakers.
Next, John Hughes was to write a script that Penny Marshall would have directed and John Belushi would have starred in, but then Belushi died. That would have been a National Lampoon movie and the studio tried to keep their name on the film before the publisher, Matty Simmons, made a huge deal of the Lampoon having nothing to do with the film.
Finally, Paramount was running out of time and had just four months left on their option. They went to TV producer Frank Konigsberg, who said "They knew that in television you do things quickly. We threw together a script. They wanted me to use director Martha Coolidge, who'd just made Valley Girl. It was a job. We just had to get it done. I didn't think it was a successful movie at all. It was awful. Martha hated it. I hated it."
As for Coolidge, she would say, "Paramount insisted on topless girls running down the hall because they thought the formula demanded it and it was totally gratuitous. I hated putting them in for no reason and argued against it. But when the film was previewed the audience, particularly young women and girls, hated the nudity so Paramount then asked me to cut as much of it out as I could!"
She described that experience as miserable, telling her official site, "We were under constant pressure and scrutiny to do the impossible, we had eight days of prep, 20 days to shoot and my A. D. quit because he was so angry."
By the end, she applied for an Alan Smithee credit for her directing. However, her name stayed on. She'd follow it up with Real Genius, which I hope was a more rewarding experience (It was - despite turning it down twice, once it was rewritten, she came around to the film and really got into it after producer Brian Grazer told her, "Making a movie should be fun!" She said that he ended up being "supportive, great to be around and knowledgeable about comedy and film production.").
As for the movie, it's all about high school senior Leslie Hindenberg (Judy from Revenge of the Nerds, who left acting to practice Zen Buddhism), who gets a mole looked at and learns that she only has six months to live. That leaves her with one goal in life: to lose her virginity.
There's a good cast with Cameron Dye (Valley Girl, Out of the Dark) as the love interest and Christopher Lloyd as Leslie's gym teacher dad, plus Colleen Camp, Ernie Hudson, Darren Dalton and Canadian scream queen Lisa Langlois (Happy Birthday to Me, Deadly Eyes).
But otherwise, if you were expecting something better, this isn't it. I don't blame Coolidge for the failure of this film.
Paramount Pictures thought that with the name of the book, they'd have a big movie, too. They spent all kinds of money to get the right and then paid Charles Grodin - who was told the movie could be about anything - to write the script. So he wrote a script about writing the script. That movie was eventually made as Movers & Shakers.
Next, John Hughes was to write a script that Penny Marshall would have directed and John Belushi would have starred in, but then Belushi died. That would have been a National Lampoon movie and the studio tried to keep their name on the film before the publisher, Matty Simmons, made a huge deal of the Lampoon having nothing to do with the film.
Finally, Paramount was running out of time and had just four months left on their option. They went to TV producer Frank Konigsberg, who said "They knew that in television you do things quickly. We threw together a script. They wanted me to use director Martha Coolidge, who'd just made Valley Girl. It was a job. We just had to get it done. I didn't think it was a successful movie at all. It was awful. Martha hated it. I hated it."
As for Coolidge, she would say, "Paramount insisted on topless girls running down the hall because they thought the formula demanded it and it was totally gratuitous. I hated putting them in for no reason and argued against it. But when the film was previewed the audience, particularly young women and girls, hated the nudity so Paramount then asked me to cut as much of it out as I could!"
She described that experience as miserable, telling her official site, "We were under constant pressure and scrutiny to do the impossible, we had eight days of prep, 20 days to shoot and my A. D. quit because he was so angry."
By the end, she applied for an Alan Smithee credit for her directing. However, her name stayed on. She'd follow it up with Real Genius, which I hope was a more rewarding experience (It was - despite turning it down twice, once it was rewritten, she came around to the film and really got into it after producer Brian Grazer told her, "Making a movie should be fun!" She said that he ended up being "supportive, great to be around and knowledgeable about comedy and film production.").
As for the movie, it's all about high school senior Leslie Hindenberg (Judy from Revenge of the Nerds, who left acting to practice Zen Buddhism), who gets a mole looked at and learns that she only has six months to live. That leaves her with one goal in life: to lose her virginity.
There's a good cast with Cameron Dye (Valley Girl, Out of the Dark) as the love interest and Christopher Lloyd as Leslie's gym teacher dad, plus Colleen Camp, Ernie Hudson, Darren Dalton and Canadian scream queen Lisa Langlois (Happy Birthday to Me, Deadly Eyes).
But otherwise, if you were expecting something better, this isn't it. I don't blame Coolidge for the failure of this film.
The painful pursue of the joy of sex
tomilipin10 September 2021
I really don't know why this title was in my watchlist. Shows no joy of sex, instead we learn that getting laid is extremely hard and requires a lot of work. Also, everybody wants to have sex, including adults, but basically nobody does it. Perhaps it would have been appealing to the 80s teenagers watching this 30 years ago, but nowadays it just seems awkward. Not worth your time.
Alan, would you light my Bunsen burner?
bigbeat_6628 July 2009
This film's low rating is not surprising, exactly, but it deserves better. Granted, it has suffered on several levels, from being tied to a title of a book that it had nothing to do with, to John Belushi's death prior to filming. All of this is unfortunate, as a lot of people go into this film expecting something that it was never meant to be. Plus, as someone noted, the poor editing certainly doesn't help.
All that aside, what we're left with is a pretty decent 80's teen comedy along the lines of Better Off Dead, Weird Science and The Last American Virgin. Though not as classic as the above titles, it shares a lot of the same elements, and has plenty to offer to fans of the genre: some great lines, some genuinely funny scenes, a flashback to that 80's American high school experience that's embarrassingly perceptive enough to still ring true, and the great underrated Michelle Meyrink.
It is seriously overdue for DVD release.
All that aside, what we're left with is a pretty decent 80's teen comedy along the lines of Better Off Dead, Weird Science and The Last American Virgin. Though not as classic as the above titles, it shares a lot of the same elements, and has plenty to offer to fans of the genre: some great lines, some genuinely funny scenes, a flashback to that 80's American high school experience that's embarrassingly perceptive enough to still ring true, and the great underrated Michelle Meyrink.
It is seriously overdue for DVD release.
A coming of age movie about being a teenage virgin.
vallgirl15 June 1999
Great teenage 80's flick. Very funny!! The title of the movie doesn't describe the movie. The movie has nothing to do with the book "The Joy Of Sex". I love those teenage 80's movies. I hadn't ever heard of this movie for the longest time. Before I saw it I wasn't expecting it to be that good. Once I saw it I thought it was fabulous and wondered why it was so underrated. It is now one of my most favorite 80's movies. I highly recommend that you see it!!
Enjoyable.
Peach-228 December 1998
Virginal seniors strikes out
Totallyrad8013 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I remember checking out this movie because I remember Martha Coolidge's first film ("Valley Girl") and the recruits that she brought in for this film and this time having Cameron Dye and Michelle Meyrink (who were supporting players in "Valley Girl") really worked out well as leads (post "Valley Girl"). But the one that was really great was Colleen Camp in her role going undercover as a narc. I was glad Martha had casted Heidi Holicker (as you really couldn't say she was a spoiler as Candy as she was as Stacey in "Valley Girl") but I wish her role was bigger as well as the girl who played her best friend (Allison played by future ER star Connie Marie Brazelton). But it was cool for the 80's dealing with Reaganomics and something I liked as a teen back then.
this movie was based on the book.
mayhew71-13 March 2005
this movie was based on the book, "the joy of sex." who were the geniuses that came up with this one? how did this movie even get the go ahead? have you read "the joy of sex"? there's no plot. no. plot. what? it's not like it's a story. i mean, trying to turn "one flew over the cuckoos nest" was a horrid idea. that movie was pretty lame. but at least there was a story there, in both the book and the film. but, that's not the movie in question. i forgot what i was talking about. i didn't much like that movie "phone booth" either. that had a lot of plot holes. good burger is a great film, though. maybe i'll go and talk about that one for a while.. this movie was actually pretty good.
Surprisedly funny
salhy-4088225 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Alright, after a little 80's movies marathon in the sex comedy genre, I derived from the horrendous Private School one to this, thanks to a review recommended it... and I'd never thank the enough the good soul for it.
Finally a movie looking real, as real as a movie can get, and mostly an 80's one hence even more props to it.
First the school and its students look real. Most of the characters aren't reduced at simply cliché to themselves and behave as regular teenagers when it comes to sex education and the pressure they impose themselves on exploring it the sooner the better, sometimes at any coast. The poor Alan is unfortunately the one having to cope with the highest misadventures tab to pay up. Between the hooker he almost threw himself at, then the excellent plot twist about Liz turning to be a police officer... and 30, as a grown ass woman hell willing to groom a 17-year-old. Said like that it sounds murky and clearly it is but damn, the movie delivered it so funnily, hugely helped by the actress who played her, with that hilarious line "Liz, that's your name right?" "Is Cathy, Reagan. No relation"; just hilarious. Plus the all got delivered more than stealthily. I mean, there were some hints that might have alerted me way before on been a potentiality, nonetheless the announce of it was really good. Anyway, the poor boy is not helped and his exhausting journey on trying to get laid can only make you sympathize with him, mostly with his unexpected last one, making you wonder if he's not a grown ass women magnet, seriously what a gross scene to see him almost getting raped by that loony. And so, seeing him bumping on Leslie after both got groomed/almost raped by two puky adults, I was just like please kids walk together out of that murky place definitely not safe for teenagers and just grab yourself a burger and a milkshake over a movie.
The Leslie/Max misadventure was quite entertaining as well and made me sympathize over both of them to be honest. Seeing Max with his family, kind on forcing him to connect with Farouk to the point on imposing him on his date (Max mom, like what the h*) that was something anyone could have related if having had the experience to have an exchange student at his home once. Anyway, with that storyline, Leslie turned more sympathetic to me. The poor thing is quite desperate because of the repression imposed by his dad aka the boys PE. And her misadventure with Richard was not bad as well "Leslie, I'm involved with somebody else right now" "I don't care if you're married Richard, I just want to have you once" "*boy hidden on the car aside theirs* get her". I don't know, the comedy pacing just works, and the revelation on why he couldn't go beyond 2nd base with Leslie is a good example of it. But her last misadventure ot murkier, just as Alan's one. Just let's teenagers explore their sexuality with each other because as soon as an adult enter the ball without invitation, it turns all disgusting and nauseous to watch, to say the least.
And for Max, he seemed chiller than what he tried to make him passed like at the start of the movie, more layered and therefore interesting and appealing to watch for me, I really laugh in compassion to see him been killed of exhaustion by Leslie dad at the next class.
I absolutely adored the biology teacher, hands down she's my favorite. She looked so genuinely passionate and exciting to convey her passion for her subject and make her classes as ludique and lively as possible. I don't know, I just love her and wish I had one just like her back in school.
To finish, I liked the fact of the movie not only putting all the focus on the main characters to have the entire limelight but also giving the characters in the background consistency and personality. I really had the impression to follow a real class, with some having more screen time than others but at least the ones not having much were not condemned to be quiet shadows, giving the impression to not have a single clue about what was going on around them. The all looked and felt really real and friendly atmosphere like, such as a real highschool and I liked it.
Overall, a really funny movie with great pacing and entertaining acting from all the actors. The school dance was really funny to watch mostly when everyone turned out crazy. Frankly the actors might have had a blast shooting it. And our unlucky birds ended on converging together after such a journey at looking for a sexual experience, rewarded with even better in the end, good ending. The only thing that bothered me though, to the point on making me cringe at times, was the sound editing which sounds quite cheap for the first half of the movie, until out of sync at times. But then, I recall myself that's an 80's movie, but it did a disservice to the quality of the movie, a lot which made me give it a solid 8, so good rate but still not higher possible. By the way, I really wonder why the movie is rated so low here, I think it's undeserved but that's my simple opinion.
Finally a movie looking real, as real as a movie can get, and mostly an 80's one hence even more props to it.
First the school and its students look real. Most of the characters aren't reduced at simply cliché to themselves and behave as regular teenagers when it comes to sex education and the pressure they impose themselves on exploring it the sooner the better, sometimes at any coast. The poor Alan is unfortunately the one having to cope with the highest misadventures tab to pay up. Between the hooker he almost threw himself at, then the excellent plot twist about Liz turning to be a police officer... and 30, as a grown ass woman hell willing to groom a 17-year-old. Said like that it sounds murky and clearly it is but damn, the movie delivered it so funnily, hugely helped by the actress who played her, with that hilarious line "Liz, that's your name right?" "Is Cathy, Reagan. No relation"; just hilarious. Plus the all got delivered more than stealthily. I mean, there were some hints that might have alerted me way before on been a potentiality, nonetheless the announce of it was really good. Anyway, the poor boy is not helped and his exhausting journey on trying to get laid can only make you sympathize with him, mostly with his unexpected last one, making you wonder if he's not a grown ass women magnet, seriously what a gross scene to see him almost getting raped by that loony. And so, seeing him bumping on Leslie after both got groomed/almost raped by two puky adults, I was just like please kids walk together out of that murky place definitely not safe for teenagers and just grab yourself a burger and a milkshake over a movie.
The Leslie/Max misadventure was quite entertaining as well and made me sympathize over both of them to be honest. Seeing Max with his family, kind on forcing him to connect with Farouk to the point on imposing him on his date (Max mom, like what the h*) that was something anyone could have related if having had the experience to have an exchange student at his home once. Anyway, with that storyline, Leslie turned more sympathetic to me. The poor thing is quite desperate because of the repression imposed by his dad aka the boys PE. And her misadventure with Richard was not bad as well "Leslie, I'm involved with somebody else right now" "I don't care if you're married Richard, I just want to have you once" "*boy hidden on the car aside theirs* get her". I don't know, the comedy pacing just works, and the revelation on why he couldn't go beyond 2nd base with Leslie is a good example of it. But her last misadventure ot murkier, just as Alan's one. Just let's teenagers explore their sexuality with each other because as soon as an adult enter the ball without invitation, it turns all disgusting and nauseous to watch, to say the least.
And for Max, he seemed chiller than what he tried to make him passed like at the start of the movie, more layered and therefore interesting and appealing to watch for me, I really laugh in compassion to see him been killed of exhaustion by Leslie dad at the next class.
I absolutely adored the biology teacher, hands down she's my favorite. She looked so genuinely passionate and exciting to convey her passion for her subject and make her classes as ludique and lively as possible. I don't know, I just love her and wish I had one just like her back in school.
To finish, I liked the fact of the movie not only putting all the focus on the main characters to have the entire limelight but also giving the characters in the background consistency and personality. I really had the impression to follow a real class, with some having more screen time than others but at least the ones not having much were not condemned to be quiet shadows, giving the impression to not have a single clue about what was going on around them. The all looked and felt really real and friendly atmosphere like, such as a real highschool and I liked it.
Overall, a really funny movie with great pacing and entertaining acting from all the actors. The school dance was really funny to watch mostly when everyone turned out crazy. Frankly the actors might have had a blast shooting it. And our unlucky birds ended on converging together after such a journey at looking for a sexual experience, rewarded with even better in the end, good ending. The only thing that bothered me though, to the point on making me cringe at times, was the sound editing which sounds quite cheap for the first half of the movie, until out of sync at times. But then, I recall myself that's an 80's movie, but it did a disservice to the quality of the movie, a lot which made me give it a solid 8, so good rate but still not higher possible. By the way, I really wonder why the movie is rated so low here, I think it's undeserved but that's my simple opinion.
Surprised of all the negative reviews
Horror_Junkie_60720 January 2022
I love finding 80s teen comedies that I haven't seen before. This was one of them and it has some really funny moments. It might not be as good as other main ones like animal house or porkeys but still deserves a higher rating.
This is one example why I take reviews for movies with a grain of salt.
This is one example why I take reviews for movies with a grain of salt.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
