Hunk

I just adore this movie. It is in my category of 'Poundshop Classics' because it was discovered by an ex in a poundshop about 10 years ago. It is my second favourite movie in that category (after 'The Independent').

I've never really understood why this film is not more of a well known 80's cult classic as it has everything a good 80's film should have: the costumes, the music, the effects and the self-referencing humour. The characters and casting are all ace - Hunk Golden surely has to be one of the best character names of all time!

It is a silly, silly film and there's always time in my life for silly films.

The only thing good about this film is that it holds up a very good looking man as the object of voyeurism (refreshing, since typically in films, women are the exhibitionists and men are the voyeurs). John Allen Nelson certainly lives up to the title.

Other than this, the acting is atrocious. Of course, the script probably didn't leave the actors much to work with. The dialogue seems very stilted and uninspired.

The film is enjoyable in the "it's so bad it's good" vein, though. This is definitely a film for those who like bad movies or just like to see a cute guy in a small swimsuit. Not much else to offer.

We all get our start somewhere and if you look sharp you can spot Brad Pitt as an extra in a scene in Hunk on the beach at Sea Spray California where there is a beautiful beach for beautiful people. Fortunately he would go on to better things.

Hunk is another retelling of the Faust legend a real silly one at that. Nerdy Steve Levitt who is a computer programmer is up against it and says he'll make a deal with old Scratch for a good program. His computer itself writes one for him and as a reward he gets to spend the summer off at Sea Spray beach while he tries to come up with another program winner. Hanging around all these beautiful people and being treated like something stuck to your shoe, Levitt dreams he was one of them.

Now old Scratch himself sends an emissary in Deborah Shelton and she offers him a chance to try out hunkdom. Sure enough over night he's transformed into the drop dead gorgeous John Allen Nelson. Perfection in the male body. itself.

The whole thing really gets downright dumb as Nelson becomes a celebrity after saving the life of Robin Leach wannabe Robert Morse. Will he take the offer? I know I would find it hard to refuse.

James Coco has some good moments as a most epicene devil, but the rest of this is just juvenile and stupid.

But if you like ogling beautiful bodies, you can't go wrong with Hunk.

A computer nerd makes a deal with a sexy she-devil to become a muscle-bound beach hunk.

Hunk shares quite a similar idea to the one later used (copied?) in Bedazzled (2000), where we have a hopeless nerd given the chance to become cool by a super-sexy she-devil, with the result that he realises that it is more important to be yourself than superficially good-looking. In that later film we had Elizabeth Hurley turn in a mind-bogglingly seductive performance, in Hunk its Deborah Shelton who is somewhat convincing as a rather hot seductress. The leading ladies certainly are very important to the success of these films but they both also feature other decent performances. In this case it is John Allen Nelson who most impresses in a role that has him play a stereotypical hunky guy while remaining nerdish at heart. It's a good comical performance that works well alongside Shelton's glamorous seductress.

While I wouldn't describe this as an especially funny film, it is definitely a likable one. It is much less moronic than quite a few of the teen comedies of its day and I think it stands up fairly well. It naturally has oodles of 80's cheese as well but that is pretty much a positive detail as far as I am concerned. All-in-all, a very fun film.

Hunk is a retelling of the proverbial Ugly Duckling tale, only with humans, rather than ducks, epitomizing 80's trends. The makers of Hunk certainly had their work cut out for them whilst making this groundbreaking film, since the affliction of insecurity usually only strikes females with glasses on film.

The story: Bradley invents a successful computer program about yuppies, goes to live in a dilapidated beach house in the California yuppie colony Sea Spray, and discovers that he is quite different from the others because he is a nerd. He has already sold his soul to the devil in order to make the successful computer program, and so, once he wishes to be a hunk, his wish is satisfied by the devil's handmaiden, O'Brien, on whom Bradley develops a crush. Bradley, now Hunk Golden, is unleashed on the unassuming folks of Sea Spray to cause an uproar with his utter hunkiness, which he plays up by wearing a sleeveless, unbuttoned button-up shirt accented by a tie. Nice.

Despite finding love with his psychologist, Sunny, Hunk Golden soon discovers that being a Hunk isn't all he dreamed it would be and so he embarks on a metaphysical battle with the devil, a.k.a. Dr. D. (played by the one and only, James Coco) for his soul. Will Hunk Golden remain a hunk in exchange for his mortal soul, or will he give up his status as a Hunk and live as Bradley Brinkman?

What a relief to finally see a funny, smart, yet insecure male nerd wish to be a brawny, tanned hunk, and to be ironically reminded that the inner beauty of the male can also be obscured by a repulsively unattractive exterior. And Bradley Brinkman didn't even have to wear glasses to represent a nerd, because they just had a different actor portray Hunk Golden.

If you are an insecure nerd, this movie will undoubtedly boost your self-esteem. If not, you'll get lots of laffs from the endless cheese. Highlights: O'Brien dancing at the nightclub, and Hunk's trendsetting style. And, if WWIII ever breaks out, I guess those of us who have watched Hunk will know who's REALLY responsible.