One of the things that happens to us all is that the movies we watch as kids strike us differently than they do as adults. Often, its for the worse because we realize how bad the stuff we used love really is. Other times, it's for the better as we now "get" all the stuff that once flew over our heads. Then there are those times when our enjoyment remains the same, but why we like (or dislike) it is changes drastically. This is where I am with one particular scene from a movie I've loved since I first saw it over 30 years ago. It's been getting a lot of run around here lately, and I've repeatedly hailed it as one of the all time greatest scenes of its kind. I'm sticking by that statement, but how I view this moment has changed a bit with age. I'm talking about the shower scene in Porky's.
The scene actually plays out not in a regular shower, but that of a high school girls' lockerroom. After PE class, the boys wait for the girls to head down to the shower because they know there is a place where they could watch the girls get themselves clean. Naturally, they all journey to the sacred spot to get their peek on. Due to frustration caused by an unforseen blockage, one of the guys shouts out and the ruse is up. Most of the girls hastily exit the shower, but a few remain and start talking to the boy's voice emanating from behind the wall, trying to figure out who it is.
As a young, horny boy I just knew that this was the absolute pinnacle of movie-making. The scene start with a visual representation every straight boy's fantasy. If you doubt this statement, please understand how many teen sex comedies have scenes of boys spying on girls in the shower. There is a reason for it. The middle of the scene gave me lots of humor even as things were going south for the guys. Then it ended with an awesome dick joke. It was a painful one, but a dick joke nonetheless. I was still in puberty and it was a dick joke. I laughed. The heinous treatment of male genitalia aside, it was something I wished I could be part of. Sure, its not something I'd be proud of today had I actually went and peeped the girl's shower, but back then it was rebellious. There's always something romantic about being a rebel, especially to a teenage boy.
Times changed.
Shit got real.
In other words, I grew up, got married, and had something that instantly alters your vision - daughters. I still enjoy the shower scene. It's still hilarious to me. However, it's the end that brings me the most satisfaction these days. The person who used to be the villain is now the hero, at least to me. The scene finale features the "evil" female gym teacher, Ms. Balbricker (certainly meant to be similar to "ball breaker"), coming into the area to see what all the racket is. It just so happens that this is precisely when one of our curious lads has stuck his pecker through the hole they were looking through. She comes over grabs it and tries to pull the poor boy through that very tiny hole. This was once frightening stuff. Hilarious, but frightening. As a dad, I imagine some punk trying to get an eyeful of my little girls. At that crucial moment, I used to cringe even as laughter spilled from my mouth. I still laugh at his, but now I'm cheering, talking to the screen, hoping she can hear me as I say "Go on Ms. Balbricker, yank that shit off!"
Traveled around the blogosphere, as usual, and found some good stuff this week...
John at Hitchcock's World announced his Summer Cast-a-Thon.
Cindy Bruchman wrote about Nunneries in Film
m. brown at Two Dollar Cinema gave us a hilarious two-part entry into Andrew's A Fistful of Moments Blogathon. Click here for part I and here for part II.
For her series Ten Years Later, Norma at The Flick Chick takes a not so fond look back at Sin City.
Nice write up. It's funny how our point of views change like that sometimes. I used to watch A Clockwork Orange with my sister when I was a kid because it was her favorite movie. She'd make me cover my eyes during the nude scenes, but I never comprehended the film. Then I watched it when I was older and was like "what. the. fuck?"
ReplyDeleteA Clockwork Orange is a great example. I could see that flying completely over a kids head.
DeleteLOL, there are so many scenes that, as a teenager, a looked at with a rousing lusting that now, that I have 2 daughters, I look at VERY differently.
ReplyDeleteNot my daughter you don't!
LOL
Exactly. The world is a very different place now that I'm on the other side.
DeleteI've certainly had that sort of thing happen from time to time. When I was younger Captain Kidd was one of my favorite movies, and certainly a good introduction to Hollywood and an amazing actor of the time (Charles Laughton) but when I went back and saw it again for my 200th article I found it felt more like watching a b-movie. There were a few instances of that kind of thing last year, usually involving me watching something I hadn't seen in full since I was a kid. I remember enjoying E.T. the first time I saw it, but then seeing it again as an adult I found it really wasn't that good a film, with some good effects but a load of plot holes, wasted story opportunities, and in general a fairly mediocre narrative. I was like "really, THIS was the film responsible for the box office failures of The Thing and Blade Runner" (both far better movies if you ask me). Same with Ghostbusters, a film I hadn't seen since grade 3, but even disregarding all my concerns about its treatment of gender I ultimately found it to be just okay. I think could see why some people enjoyed it as a fun movie, but I wasn't sure it totally warranted the huge fanbase and cosplaying communities that it obtained. On the other hand, the reverse happened with a film like Mystery Men, where I saw it once as a kid and enjoyed it even more as an adult. Part of the fun with these milestone articles is looking back at those specific movies that shaped me and seeing how they hold up now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning me by the way. I've already started on my own entry for the blogathon, though I haven't got everybody yet (I'm still looking for a Pyro and Engineer... it'll make sense). It'll certainly be exciting to see everyone else's entries.
I've still never seen Captain Kidd, lol. But yeah, there have been a number of movies where that's happened to me as well. Haven't quite started on my entry in your Blogathon just yet, but it shouldn't take too long once I get cranking.
Delete