Fraternity Vacation

This is definitely one of them guilty pleasure kind of movies. It's one of them movies that I watched very often when I was just a little kid and it was first debuting on HBO. Most kids didn't get to watch this kind of stuff when they were just six-years-old, so I was fortunate. Of course, I didn't really understand a lot of humor and mostly what I took from it was seeing naked girls for the first time.

I recently found the movie on video from back in the day, so I just finished watching it for the first time in years. I'm now 22, and it makes a lot more sense than it did when I first saw it about 14 years ago, especially the line that Wendell uses to win over Nicole. The one nude scene early in the movie gave me a whole new kind of feeling as well. :)

After seeing Tim Robbins in movies such as Bull Durham, The Shawshank Redepmtion, and the Hudsucker Proxy; it's amusing to see him play the role of a college party animal named Mother. Some of the actors do seem a little old and overdressed for spring break, but it's still pretty funny and worth watching if you have some free time and feel like reflecting on the '80s. The movie has too much sentimental value for me to down it, so I give it two big thumbs up.

Well, plenty of film producers during the 1980s, eager to capitalize on the success of Animal House, released hilarious movies that all had the same basic formula: good natured but mischievous college kids, naked coeds, a minimal plot, and plenty of gut bursting comedy scenes. Fraternity Vacation, like its predecessors (Porky's, Caddyshack, Revenge of the Nerds) has all of this and more, this time in opulent Palm Springs. It's such a shame that film critics turn their noses up at these fine flics and instead praise inferior "dramatic comedies" for their alleged intellectual complexity, when in reality it is political opinions and pressure which shape their faulty viewpoints. I would much rather watch a good natured comedy like this than something like Kramer vs Kramer, Mrs Doubtfire, or Scent of a Woman, all of which are excessively hyped because of their issue based themes. Fraternity Vacation has everything that's fun: love, friendship, light sex, beer drinking, jokes, music, and no violence or heavy mood dampeners (of which all true comedies are devoid). The actors are all talented and pleasing to watch. Fraternity Vacation is often shown on network tv, premium cable and basic cable, although on tv it is heavily edited (I recommend the unedited version). I urge anyone who hasn't seen it but loves good comedy to watch Fraternity Vacation, it's definitely a fun, witty film.

Wow, what an impression this movie and other movies like this made on me as a kid. I had thought, "Wow, I can't wait to go to college!" Upon a more recent viewing of this film, it had lost its luster. There are some great moments, for example the arrival to Palm Springs in traffic, which is pretty much dead on accurate, at least compared to Myrtle Beach spring break, even to this day. Unfortunately after that, very little could be considered realistic. The biggest issues I have with this movie are the 35 year old college frat guys, particularly the rich guys who were nothing but a 80's "Biff" device that are not believable in the slightest. These guys not only look 35, they act and dress as if they were 45, even while on spring break?

Also, the fun of the movie turns purely mediocre once the whole tired "bet" sequence begins (haven't we seen this before verbatim?).

Luckily, the ending turns out pretty solid however. One note to mention, the "nerd getting his day", another overused 80's device, is actually done better than average in this movie. One "neat factor" in this movie is seeing Tim Robbins in a role that most people would never believe he was in, but keep in mind that this was before his breakout success in Bull Duram. Heck, if someone offers me a role in a B level spring break movie, I wouldn't turn it down either! The only problem is that I am not 35 yet, and these days you have to be near 30 just to play a high schooler on TV shows (like Smallville) so maybe when I am 40? Overall, this is a fun movie that is best watched with a few beers and some friends, but don't even try to watch this one dead sober!!!

When I found this movie at a local pawn shop for a buck, I was really surprised I had never heard of an 80's sex comedy that had the likes of Tim Robbins, Stephen Geoffreys, Amanda Bearse, Barbara Crampton, Kathleen Kinmont and John Vernon in it.

While it has a great cast, I found the film to be mediocre in general. I got a few good laughs out of it, but I have seen many other sex comedies from this era which were way funnier and memorable. Though I will say the shared topless scene between Kinmont and Crampton is worth the price of admission alone.

If you're a fan of dumb 80's comedies loaded with beers and babes, you could do much worse than this, but you could also do a little better.

I wouldn't say this was the best movie ever made, but it is highly watchable. Basic plot: Tim Robbins ("Shawshank Redemption") and Cameron Dye (...don't really know) go on a free-ride vacation to Palm Springs with nerdy frat pledge Stephen Geoffreys ("Evil Ed from "Fright Night") in the hopes of partying and getting laid. Meet Hot Chick, check. Meet rival frat boys, check. The 'bet' about who gets to nail Hot Chick first, check. Boobs and beer, check. Feel-good ending where everyone becomes friends, check. Typical 80's Sex Comedy Formula.

Good points: Seeing Tim Robbins before he made it big was interesting. The Hot Chick wasn't the stereotypical dumb bimbo, also refreshing. Lastly, Stephen Geoffreys was adorable as the good-hearted nerd Wendell. Always had a soft spot for that actor; he plays downtrodden nerds/geeks/dorks with such verve. All the more surreal when you think about his future career in, erm, adult cinema...not that there's anything wrong with it! (couldn't help the "Seinfeld" reference there!)

Bad points: the MUSIC! I know 80's cheese is 80's cheese, but this was particularly bad. Shocking that it was Brad Fiedel that did the music for this movie, when you compare to his later work in "Fright Night" and the first 2(or 3?) "Terminator" movies. Truly iconic scores in those flicks...