Militari su con la vita

I appreciate how very low-budget this is; if moments rolling past this or that landmark aren't stock footage, then they may as well have been. And why not pause the image for a few seconds on such scenery, or recycle some shots, just to help pad out the length that tiniest bit? Factor in a rudimentary plot with thin sketches of characters, both serving merely as an excuse for innuendo, sex jokes, gratuitous nudity, and sex scenes - hey, that's a movie! The set dressing and wardrobe are just enough to get the job done, as are the acting, the direction, and for that matter the writing... Look, this is no must-see. I wonder if anyone ever needs to see it ever, unless you're a huge fan of someone involved. But if you're looking for something silly and light that you don't need to actively engage with, or if you're just bored or curious, I suppose there are worse things than 'Basic training' that you could watch.

If you enjoy "sex comedies" as a genre, this is probably right up your alley. I guess my point of concern is that it takes the cheap and easy road at almost all times. There are bits of cleverness here or there, a gag or a line that come off well, and I suppose writer Bernie Kahn deserves credit for finding ways to insert innuendo anywhere and everywhere. I appreciate the tongue-in-cheek core concept of idealistic Melinda being forced to change her tune to get anywhere with those ideals. At the same time, it's very easy to imagine how this could have been smarter, and more fun. For one thing, in some measure this is definitely intended as a parody or maybe a satire of the United States government, and specifically of its military management (think 'Canadian bacon,' or 'Stripes'). Such facets are pretty much only a vehicle for that very same sex comedy, however, so the intelligence that could have gone into witty mockery of the halls of power doesn't really go anywhere. Alternatively, the writing and even the set design - almost uniformly geared strictly toward those same raunchy ends - are so outrageous that the picture is a half-step away from being a parody of the sex comedy. I'm distinctly reminded to some extent of John Waters' imperfect yet underrated 2004 romp 'A dirty shame,' that embraced every most farcical notion and ran with it. 'Basic training,' however, earnestly wants to be that cheesy, sleazy sex comedy, and it never especially aims higher. Ah, what this could have been.

It's not outright bad. Even as someone who doesn't broadly care for sex comedies, I think this is entertaining on some baseline level, the sort of thing you put on when you just want to space out. I'll even go so far as to say that in the narrative and scene writing alike there are parts of this I genuinely like; were Kahn of a mind to approach his screenplay with more sincerity, well, there would probably be more praise in my words now. Andrew Sugerman seems like a perfectly capable director. As it stands, of course, the feature prioritizes All Things Sexual over anything else, so whatever other value one may discern basically ends up being an incidental bonus. This includes, for example, Walter Gotell playing a cheeky variation on General Gogol, the Soviet official he revisited multiple times in Eon Productions' James Bond franchise; on the other hand, the climax where we see Gotell the most is paired with a concurrent scene that just lingers too long, as is true of some others. All told I think 'Basic training' is a good time; only, one way or another, it's nothing super special, and not essential by any means. Save it for a lazy day, and let's just leave it at that.

Something you would find on up late night TV, "Up the Military" is amusingly straight-forward, madcap 80s sexploitation comedy produced by none other than Playboy enterprises. The wonderfully attractive Ann Dusenberry plays Melinda -- a headstrong lady who moves to Washington with big ambitions to make some sort of difference. There she moves in with her friend Debbie and her ditsy flatmate Cheryl. Debbie manages to get Melinda a job at her work… the Pentagon. She starts off as an administrative sectary, but her boss Lt. Cranston seems more interested in getting to know her intimately than doing his work. However this isn't just her own boss, as all the military officers seem to have nothing more than sex and women on mind. This makes her uncomfortable, but she comes to the realization that she could use it to her favour to get what she wants and move up the ranks.

A capable Dusenberry is the film's backbone in a straight-laced performance, which transforms into seductive empowerment. Where she goes on to sensationally manipulate the sexual advancements to her own advantage. As she dominates and teases her way to the top, as she knows what makes these men weak at the knees. She played a very similar role three years earlier in "National Lampoon's Movie Madness", but this one is a lot better. The playful cast features some salty beauties in the shape of Rhonda Shear and Angela Aames who played the raunchy, free and easy characters Debbie and Cheryl. Will Nye is enjoyable as the patriotic, but sex craved Lt. Cranston. Director Andrew Sugarman's basic point and shoot handling keeps it quirky and smutty by upping the sleazy nudity and steamy sex quota with an interesting backdrop to set-up in. The military defence really does become the butt of the jokes. Some instances borderline on embarrassing, especially when the mushy music broke out to accompany the scenes of Melinda actually falling in love with a guy she met on a plane. But even with certain lame moments, it stayed watchable.

Typical staples and clumsy execution can't knock that it remains a fun digestible low-budget sex comedy.

A young virginal graduate goes to work at the Pentagon as a typist, where she is promptly hit upon by anything with a pulse. Meanwhile, the two female nymphomaniacs she shares a house with show her what she's missing. Completely dire in every aspect, this low budget sex comedy doesn't even feature very attractive women.. which is the least that should be expected by its genre. The jokes here wouldn't pass muster in a Confessions film with Robin Askwith, and half the cast seem to have been dragged off the streets. In fact, this film is so inconsequential and pointless, it isn't worth writing anything else about it. So I won't. 1/10

The best thing I can say about this is that it was marginally better than Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid. But that's like saying I would prefer a kick in the testicles to a punch to the throat. This one is a sex comedy based around the Pentagon. There were literally no laughs whatsoever. Imagine Police Academy without George Gaynes or the man who made the funny noises? How is it possible to write a comedy script and not come up with any funny lines/ideas at all?! It's a disgrace! And you do end up asking yourself how does a screenplay this diabolical make it to the screen? And where the hell is Steve Guttenberg when you need him!? Next!

You probably would of painted this off as just a T and A adult comedy, which it is, but one with style and laughs, and of course, Dusenberry, such a hot lass, if in reality, I'm pretty sure you would give up your military secrets. She arrives in Washington in search of a job. Her hot friend and roommate, sets her up with a job in military personnel in the, yes.... Whitehouse, only this is not your ordinary Whitehouse where not much filing, folding, typing gets down. Soon Duseberry becomes her own boss, and the strip scene in front of our horny old Russian colonel, is enough to get any hormone racing and blood pumping. I just didn't expect this to be as higher quality, this pic. We have lots of naughty sex, nudity, some horny young oversexed men, a nympho, and a Romeo Dusenberry falls i love with, providing a nice little montage music score. I really like the sharp comedy too. AKA Up The Military isn't a bad T and A pic, but I didn't say good. The movie just has a bad of heart, and of course, not much sense. Sexually melting Dusenberry makes up for all of that, and her friend's not that bad either. The old Colonel's a bit of a laughful asset as well.