Porky's - Questi pazzi pazzi porcelloni!

All of us have certain films, not well liked by either critics or public, which nonetheless really strike a chord within us. They're our guilty pleasures, movies that we never tire of, but don't brag about. "Porky's" is one of mine. It's insipid, inane, and amateurish. The plot doesn't make much sense, and the characters don't behave rationally. But I don't care. "Porky's" is fun, transporting me back to a mythical time in America when it was great to be a teenager. Life was a lark, issues were black and white, and all endings are happy. In this regards "Porky's" resembles many of Disney's movies like "Pollyanna", a haunt of other guilty pleasures. Sheer fantasy, sheer entertainment. I dig this movie, but that's just my opinion.

Porky's is the original teen sex comedy.

I had the great pleasure of seeing Porky's in a late night showing on opening day in March 1982 in a theater packed to the gills with 18-25 year olds (although I was 30). I hurt for 3 days from laughing so hard.

There is a portion of the movie, beginning close to the 1 hour mark that is the absolute funniest 14 minutes ever put on film. This includes these three hilarious scenes: Coach and Lassie in the boys locker room (Coach Brackett finds out why they call Miss Honeywell Lassie), then it segues to the guys peeping through the holes into the girls shower room, where Beulah Balbricker gets a 'handle' on Tommy's situation, immediately followed by the scene with Coach Brackett, Coach Warren and Head Coach Goodenough in Principal Carter's office with Beulah describing the "incriminating mole". There were people out of their seats, laying on the floor of the theater screaming with laughter. I have yet to see another motion picture invoke this kind of hilarity in a movie theater. I saw it in the theater 2 or 3 times in it's original theatrical run with the same response. When it became available, I bought the VHS copy, then the laser disc copy and when I got the DVD a few month's ago, I watched it for the zillionth time and I still laugh my butt off when I see those scenes. The acting is great for a bunch of no-names, there are actually great multiple plot-lines (in addition to the typical "get laid at any cost" plot) and the cinematography, editing and sound is above average. They made this movie in 90 days for less than $4 million and it grossed $7 million opening weekend and has grossed over $100 million in theaters to date, most of that in 1982 dollars. The only thing I can say bad about Porky's is that they should have stopped after the first one. The first pathetic sequel (The Next Day) lacked humor, the second sequel (Porky's Revenge) had 30-year-olds playing teenagers and they had long-since lost their youthful charm.

I looked at the first two pages (here on the IMDB website) of other comments and am not at all surprised to find comments ranging from very good to very bad; this is that kind of movie.

If you haven't seen it, here's my take on it. People who are stuffy, proper, sophisticated, and politically correct in a social sense are not going to care for this movie. On the other hand, if you are laid back, easy going, don't have to have an uplifting and moral story line, and appreciate comedy (often sexy and somewhat raw), you are going to love this movie. The producer and director very obviously made this movie for the simple purpose of providing the audience with a lot of very funny comedy. And they succeeded immensely (if you are laid back, easy going, etc.) The scenes range from funny to hilarious.

Buy or rent the video. I've seen this on network TV and it is very "sanitized".

No one goes into a movie like "Porky's" expecting greatness. But if you get at least one good laugh, that's good enough.

Two laughs, even better.

Three, great.

Four, fantastic.

I got more laughs than this out of "Porky's", but since I went in expecting them to reach the lowest common denominator, I got just what I came in looking for.

Who doesn't know the story, o connoisseurs of lowbrow humor? What you want to know is if it's funny. Of course it is, but this isn't the best movie for family video night (then again, it depends on the family).

I won't spoil any of the gags for you but I can tell you the biggest ones depend, separately, on eggs, oversized condoms, holes in the girls' showers and a prank call to the local diner. And where, in one instance, you'd keep a driver's license.

Sorry, you'll just have to see the thing.

Eight stars, and beware of moral turpitude.

I think it was Crash that surpassed it decades later. Can't recall for sure to be honest. Look it up if you care. Anyway, it's a funny teen sex comedy if you're into that sort of forbidden fruit. I really only have two words for this review...

Mike Hunt

Okay, maybe a few more...

Has anyone seen Mike Hunt?