Die letzte amerikanische Jungfrau

Often overlooked overshadowed by well known classics of the era. It didn't help that the ads (which I can still remember oddly enough) made it look slapstick. Instead halfway through it veers in a far more serious direction. One of the main protagonists helps a girl he's in love with through a crisis (pregnancy). Whereas other teen movies of the era offered generally feel good but not terribly realistic endings, this one offers a punch to the gut. Maybe that's not what people were looking for. I won't say much more than that but to most guys the ending is eminently relatable. Considering the prevailing atmosphere in Hollywood I'm amazed the people who made the movie went with such a gritty ending. For that reason alone, I give it a 7.

Nobody who has seen "The Last American Virgin" has ever forgotten its ending. This is not just because of the emotional punch it provides, but also because it's surprising that a movie like this went for pathos, when they were usually content with lame jokes and the occasional bare breast.

"The Last American Virgin" does have those things, don't get me wrong. It is the usual escapades of teens trying to lose their virginity and being foiled in a variety of ways, such as the insane husband of a seductress coming home unexpectedly and the lads having to beat a fast retreat. I'm surprised they didn't go for the girl-turns-out-to-be-a-guy thing.

It's the typical teenage silliness, and then the ending hits. That, along with the performance of the main actor, who for once generates some kind of sympathy, and the presence of the beautiful Diane Franklin, all put "The Last American Virgin" a cut above the average '80s teen sex flick.

This is a very unusual teen sex comedy. One part of of it is the expected T & A laff riot, but the other half is a surprising sensitive and dead-on portrayal of teenage life. The movie keeps switching from one of these viewpoints to the other throughout the movie. In another movie, it would end up making the movie to be quite a mess. Yet somehow it works.

True, some of the comedy scenes go to the lowest denominator, but there are some wittier scenes here and there. Take the first scene, when the boys invite the girls over to Gary's house. The nervousness and awkwardness between Gary and the fat girl has me in stiches each time - because it's not only funny, but true. Though all the cast members are first-rate, it's Monoson who really steals the movie. As a shy teen looking for true love, his anguish will really break your heart.

I can't leave out the soundtrack. The songs picked for the soundtrack are excellent in so many ways. They are timeless, so they are very listenable even two decades later. Plus, they actually manage to comment on the action going onscreen at the time. I will never forget when the Commodores' "Oh No" plays during that certain sequence.

And I can't leave out the ending - when I first saw the movie, I was simply stunned at what happened at the end. I couldn't believe it at first, then I realized that hey, this kind of thing does happen.

With all the fans this movie has, I am very surprised it has not been re-released on video or DVD. MGM, you now have the rights - what are you waiting for? Though since they are rereleasing a lot of older movies on video and DVD now, maybe - just maybe - we'll be able to get a new copy in each of our hands.

For the most part, "The Last American Virgin" is your run-of-the-mill teen sex comedy (a genre for which I've apparently lost taste over the years), albeit with a pretty remarkable soundtrack. There were a couple of comedic bits that were amusing, certainly enough to keep me hooked in.

But at a certain point (somewhat late in the game) the movie takes a real turn, and one of these three horndogs becomes the film's romantic, doomed to a sex life full of frustration and misery. Eventually, the songs become emotional music cues as the movie adopts a mature tone (possibly sexist, but deeply cynical). And that ending (I won't give it away, but I could sense it coming with dread) is what makes this film resonate. And it's a jaw-dropper.

7/10

I am so glad to see this come out on DVD. I have thought for many years that this is truly an underrated film. It goes beyond the typical teen chasing sex flick and packs an emotional punch. The emotions of the actors seem real and raw and each time I see it, I am transported back 20 years in time to the memories of what the teen years can be like.