Each week, I look forward to Thursday when I can drop some movie suggestions on you thanks to the wonderful weekly meme Thursday Movie Picks hosted by Wanderer at Wandering Through the Shelves. This week is certainly no exception. Often, it's a challenge to come up with three movies that fit the given theme. Oh, in case you didn't know, you have to stick to the theme that Wanderer has chosen. Just click on the link to get all the details. Other weeks, the challenge is in narrowing down to three. This was one of those weeks. I was practically raised on them...between slasher flicks and action movies, of course. The three I've chosen stand out to me if, for no other reason, I've seen them all at least a dozen times each. More importantly, I came into them when I myself was a teen. So here are my picks, chronologically, as usual.
Porky's
(1982)
Our hero Pee Wee is hell-bent on losing his virginity. If you can't tell by the pic, he's got things a bit backwards. While many guys say they read Playboy for the articles, he reads National Geographic for the pictures. Why? You figure it out. There are also all sorts of other hijinks and shenanigans going at their high school. And just about all of it is raunchy. As far as I'm concerned, this is the funniest teen comedy of all time. Sure, Fast Times at Ridgemont High is an overall better movie, as are a number of others. In terms of the amount of laughs, though, this one reigns supreme. Look for a young Kim Cattrall as the subject of one of the movie's most hilarious bits.
Zapped!
(1982)
Over the last two weeks, Carrie has gotten a lot of run in this meme. I picked it as a YA adaptation. Lots of you then picked it as a movie about Mother-Daughter relationships. I'm already of the opinion that it is really a dark comedy and not a horror flick, but what if it were a straight-up screwball sex comedy? And Carrie was a boy? That's pretty much what we get with Zapped!, the original, not whatever Disney did to it. Scott Baio plays Barney, our Carrie. He's a science nerd who stumbles upon a way to give himself telekinesis. Just like the Brian DePalma classic, this movie's most memorable scene is the prom scene. They actually play out similarly, except here only a top or two gets ripped off and no one dies.
House Party
(1990)
Rappers Kid 'n Play take an old teen movie trope and put a hip hop spin on it. Play's parents are away for the weekend so he announces to the whole school that he's throwing a party. His bestest buddy Kid will be there, but it takes some doing as he spends much of the movie dodging both the school bullies and his strict father, played by legendary comedian Robin Harris. And of course, there's a girl. This one played by a young Tisha Campbell. Oh, a young Martin Lawrence is DJing this little affair so you know there's lots of dancing...and a rap battle. And it all cracks me up.
I haven't seen House Party but your other two are fantastic choices. Not great movies but fantastic choices. Porky's is such a mess while still being funny, it's hard to believe that the same guy who directed this directed A Christmas Story too.
ReplyDeleteZapped is just ridiculous but that's a great tie in with Carrie. There was a big dustup when the film was released because Heather Thomas had made it clear she would do no nudity when she signed for the film and they used a double to make it appear that she was topless. It was decided by SAG that it wasn't a violation of her contract so she very vocally took to print and talk shows to denounce the producers repeatedly calling them sleazeballs. She was a regular on The Fall Guy at the time so it didn't hurt her career much at the time.
I love House Party. Hope to get you see it. The other two, great fun, not necessarily great, especially Zapped! I remember the story surrounding Thomas. At that age, to be honest, I was just disappointed it wasn't really her I was seeing.
DeleteI haven't seen any of your picks but they all sound great. Porky's has been on my watch list, should get to it some time.
ReplyDeleteThey are all big fun. Love to hear what you think of Porky's.
Delete'They actually play out similarly, except here only a top or two gets ripped off and no one dies.'
ReplyDeleteoh, slightly less fun, haha, but the premise does sound quite interesting. I don't know much about this genre, which perhaps explains why I haven't even heard of your choices. Good work though, introduces me to new films.
It is fun, if silly. Glad to help broaden your horizons.
DeleteI think most of your picks are not picked by other bloggers. But I think it's good.
ReplyDeleteZapped is on my watchlist.
I try to be unique. Hope you enjoy Zapped!
DeleteGreat picks! I've never seen Zapped, but I enjoyed the other two. Porky's could make for a good drinking game. Take a drink when someone on screen laughs....which is every 3 minutes, essentially.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a great drinking game! How about taking a drink every time someone says "Pee Wee?"
DeleteLOL, I had no idea that that Disney thing was a remake of some screwball sex comedy! BAHAHAHAHA!
ReplyDeleteI remember sneaking to watch Porky's when I was like 10...I vaguely remember a lot of nudity...and didn't a like a bunch of naked teenage boys run down a street for some reason? It was also the film that inspired me to measure my penis. You can file that under 'facts about Fisti I didn't care to know'.
I really need to see House Party.
Strange, ain't it?
DeleteYup, lots of nudity. One boy does take off running down the street buck nekkid because he's scared shitless. And yeah, didn't care to know that.
Would love to hear your thoughts on House Party.
I'm thrilled to see House Party here - can't believe it didn't occur to me. So awesome.
ReplyDeleteAnd a Scott Baio shout-out? I think you have my vote for best list, even if you included Porky's, which I only just watched, and groaned the whole way through!
Glad to hear from a fan of House Party. I'm probably biased toward Porky's because of when I saw it...in 1982 or '83 as an 11 or 12 year old. Still, I've watched it at least a dozen times over the years and I still laugh all the way through.
DeleteHow have I never heard of Zapped?!? That sounds INCREDIBLE, in a very 80s way.
ReplyDeleteIncredible in a very 80s way is a great way to describe Zapped! Couldn't have said it better myself.
DeleteI've never heard of Zapped, but it sounds so fucking ridiculous. I have to see it!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to watch House Party for a really long time now. Every time it's on TV I always catch it toward the end.
That's a great reason to see Zapped! It is just what you say it is. Oh, I hope you see House Party soon. Love to hear what you think of it.
DeleteOh Lord! I'd forgotten about Porky's. I saw that in the theater with a friend when we were in high school. It's one of those movies that is so truly awful it's awesome. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd I love it with all my heart!!!
DeleteAhh...haven't seen any of them.
ReplyDeleteWandering through the Shelves
Hope you check at least one of them out. If you don't enjoy it, consider yourself more mature than I. I won't take it personal.
DeleteAh... Porky's. That is a great fucking movie. You can't make those kind of movies anymore because of political correctness. House Party is awesome. Who couldn't love Kid N' Play? Yet, I preferred Class Act. Zapped! I don't think I ever saw. It's one of those 80s teen comedies that I only saw bits of. Isn't Phoebe Cates on that one as well but doesn't do any nude scenes?
ReplyDeleteYay!!! A Porky's fan!!! I liked Class Act okay, but I'm all about some House Party. Zapped is fun, but no Phoebe Cates. The nude controversy surrounded Heather Thomas. See Joel's comment above.
DeleteHahahaha! House Party! Yes! Haven't seen that one in years. Love Porky's too but it's been awhile.
ReplyDeleteEvery now and again, I have to get my fix of both!
DeleteAh, Porky's, I completely forgot about that one! For what it's worth, I think I'd choose it over any American Pie movie :)
ReplyDeleteMike's Cinema
Wise choice, my friend. Wise choice.
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