Movies
Revenge of the Nerds (1984, Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards)
The first of series of ‘nerd’ movies that were outstandingly successful in the US; after this there followed one more big screen sequel and two more TV versions. The story is relatively simple, Gilbert Lowell (ANTHONY EDWARDS) (Dr Mark Greene from ER) and Louis Skolnick (ROBERT CARRADINE) are two first year students at Adams College (filmed on location at the University of Arizona at Tucson), who meet up with other misfits.
Weedy, with no fashion sense, rather disgusting personal habits and terminally unhip, they face constant harassment from the Adonis-like ‘jocks’ led by Stan Gable (TED McGINLEY). Their dormitory is burnt down and they are forced to sleep in the gym where they are treated with extreme disrespect by the college authorities. Deciding that enough is enough, the nerds determine to set up their own fraternity house, and set up a chapter of the all-black Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity, despite the fact that only one of their number is black. The Lambda fraternity, headed by U N Jefferson (BERNIE CASEY), agree because they want to have fraternity houses on every university campus and appreciate the nerds plea that they are a minority.
Like Animal House, Kanew’s film contains some gross-out scenes (the belching contest springs to mind) but unlike most other frat-comedies, there is a delightful subversive streak as the normally revered jocks are cut down to size and the very authority of the college rocked by the disreputable bunch who also happen to be nicer, more rounded people.
production details
USA | 90 minutes | 1984
Director: Jeff Kanew
Writers: Jeff Buhai, Miguel Tedja-Flores, Steve Zacharias, based on a story by Tim Metcalfe.
cast
Robert Carradine as Lewis Skolnick
Anthony Edwards as Gilbert Lowell
Timothy Busfield as Arnold Poindexter
Andrew Cassese as Harold Wormser
Curtis Armstrong as ‘Booger’ Dawson
Larry B. Scott as Lamar Latrell
Brian Tochi as Toshiro Takashi
Julia Montgomery as Betty Childs
Michelle Meyrink as Judy
Ted McGinley as Stan Gable
Matt Salinger as Danny Burke
Donald Gibb as Fred “The Ogre” Palowakski
James Cromwell as Mr. Skolnick
David Wohl as Dean Ulich
John Goodman as Coach Harris
Bernie Casey as U.N. Jefferson