Dove stanno i ragazzi

Though far from an intelligent production, this 1984 reworking of the 1960 film is nevertheless a fun time capsule of early-to-mid 1980's culture. Forget about plot. This movie is just a mindless and pleasant romp on the beach at Fort Lauderdale before spring breakers were driven out and the monster condos took over the skyline. It features far more location shooting than the original (that one was mostly Hollywood sets) and some interesting 80's music. I am biased; I'm nostalgic for the 80's and I love Fort Lauderdale and Florida, so I may enjoy it more than the average viewer.

Not every film should be a literary gem as life is more than that. "Where the Boys Are" is an honest look at what was going on with the college kids of the time. There is some brief nudity and sexual content that may be mildly distasteful, but that is what was happening in Fort Lauderdale until the late 80's and 90's saw the city powers-that-be effectively sweep the spring break crowd north to Daytona.

Don't build up great expectations and you will probably enjoy this otherwise forgettable flick.

I saw the original in 1960 and it was a piece of fluff even for back then. What I can't understand is who would want to remake a bad movie, except, perhaps, if your goal was to end the collective careers of everyone in the cast. All the actors were a little long in the tooth for the roles they played. Lisa Hartman Black looked like she may have been a professor at Heidi Fleiss University but a 21 - 22 year old co-ed? I don't think so. This movie was so awful, I felt embarrassed for the actors. Come to think of it, it did effectively serve as a career-ender for several of them. On the whole, I think it's only marginally better than the "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," which is generally believed to be THE worst movie of all time.

The real charm of these 80's beach movies like "Where the Boys Are '84" is that it brings back the memories of days long gone...especially for us 40-somethings! As for you movie critics that slam this is as a bad flick, get over it! I get as much of a laugh at watching these movies as I do reading the in-depth, serious critiques that condemn the acting and the plot. OK, so this is not academy award material. But so what? It was never meant to be. Its a lot of fun to watch these films and see how Spring Break was represented by these movies makers during the legendary Ft. Lauderdale Spring Break days. That glory will never be again. Today, Ft. Lauderdale has been taken over by convention centers and up-scale hotels. Boring! Almost all of the famous landmarks that made Spring Break in the 80's worth remembering are gone. "The Button", "The Candy Store", and "Cunningham's" to name a few, are all history. "Where The Boys Are '84" and "Spring Break" are the ultimate in nostalgia for anyone that has spent a drunken, crazy night down there during that one week in March when we all went nuts! This film (and "Spring Break") should be forever immortalized in DVD and put in the "80's Hall of Fame" as representative of an era that was a little more innocent (and a lot more brainless) than the sagging, HIV scared, terrorist terrorized, politically-too-correct life we live in now. I say its time for another re-make! "Where The Boy's Are '07" and "Spring Break...Again"! Long live "The Oberlin Student"! Wasn't he in both movies?

This is one of my top spring/summer movies to watch every year. The movie emits a signature 80's aura to it that has me longing for the year it was released - 1984! A time when college student revelry during spring break was a must! I love each character and the Florida scenery, even with all the cheesy scenes, like the bouncy dance competition. It's still nostalgic and that's right up my alley. You could even see hints of homosexuality where muscle men are riding on each other's shoulders, lol! To me, it's just good amusement. There is also something about road trips and checking into sleazy, run-down beach motels that I love. Probably because I remember staying in those places where the beds had loud flower covers and the vending machines only produced warm soda. Sure it was hard time, but plenty of us still have fine memories surrounding these little misfortunes. 1984 was perhaps the best year of my life (I wore a pair of checkerboard VANS!) and this movie brings it all back so well. People who never experienced being a young adult in the 80's will never understand how much of a blast the decade was. Louise Sorel and Wendy Schaal are two 80's actresses I admire for their class and talents, both have a history of comedy/drama roles and are definitely underrated, not to mention gorgeous. The producers also did a great job of actually making wealthy characters likable. You even felt sympathy for them, especially when Camden performs his heart out to Jenny on piano, competing with Scott. Giving a hoot about "snooty" characters like these is a rarity in flicks now. No one will ever change my opinion about this movie because it's so well rooted into my past and, of course, it makes me wanna go back to 1984 every time I watch it, even if all I do is grab a warm DrPepper from a vending machine at the beach RAID house. I'm packed.

I have never felt the need to post here before, although I do frequently read the reviews of other members. I am doing so purely out of dismay at some of the negatives this movie (in my humble opinion) has been given. Obviously, I am far from a film snob and my reasons for enjoying any movie, no doubt come from a very different place than some reviewers, but I consider myself pretty well educated and I have seen many truly dreadful films in my time. This however, is not one of them. I appreciate that it's pretty cheesy fare - just as it was in the 80's when I first saw it - but to me that's part of its charm. It's a lighthearted, feel good and fun way to spend a couple of hours, while reminiscing what was for me, a very special time. It's true that certain scenes (1 in particular for me) do and always have, make me cringe a little but for this movie, that is a positive. There are also many laughs to be had and for me, any film that can entertain throughout and leave me smiling as this one does, has earned its rightful place in my collection and deserves a little more respect for those reasons. I only wish I could find it on DVD, as my well viewed VHS version has definitely seen better days.