Monday, February 11, 2013

SUMMER SCHOOL (1987)

Carefree gym instructor Mark Harmon is ready for some summer vacation!  He's got tickets to Hawaii for him and his hot girlfriend, he's got his Hawaiian shirt, he's got his sunglasses, he's got his leis around his neck and right as the bell rings...he's blackmailed into teaching summer school.  On top of that, his girlfriend dumps him.  Resigned to his fate, he meets his students and they're a bunch of losers, but at least they're entertaining losers.

Maybe it's because I first saw SUMMER SCHOOL when I was still a kid and I actually visualized high school would be like this, but for whatever reason I love this movie.  The school setting (I'm almost positive it's the same high school from THE KARATE KID) is bright and sunny, Shawnee Smith, the beach scenes are pretty, the character development are entertaining, two of the students love THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE series (one even has images and a button from THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 on his bedroom wall, plus a number of other awesome horror posters!), 80's music, a MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL reference, an Iron Maiden "Life After Death" shirt, the rivalry between Harmon and the vice principal isn't overly mean-spirited and seems pretty realistic, they go on field trips, plenty of hot babes.  Even after dozens of viewings this summer school is still fun!  SUMMER SCHOOL is one of those movies that I can just watch over and over and always enjoy it.

If you're a fan of light-hearted 80's comedies then you'll probably enjoy SUMMER SCHOOL.  Only sad note: no nudity.

[Updated 2022: If you love this movie, then check out the audio commentary on the blu-ray. Trust me.]
 

Saturday, February 9, 2013

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER (1984)

As you remember, Jason got an axe to the dome at the end of Part 3, so now the paramedics pick him up and take him to the morgue.  But what they don't realize is: he's not dead, he's actually just catching up on some lost zzzzzzzzz's he missed in the previous installment due to the bikers disturbing his post-workout nap.  But wouldn't you know it?!  He's woken up again by a horny nurse and a doctor trying to get busy.  Even worse, he's lost some mass (mainly in the traps area) due to not getting proper rest.  Why won't these fuckers let him sleep?!  So now Jason is all pissed off that he's not as flexed as he was before, so he gets mad.  Damned mad.  Grrr!!!  And you know what that means...MDK.  Murder, death, kill.

So after killing the nerds at the hospital that ruined his beauty sleep, Jason makes his way back to his old stomping grounds for a good workout...but oh, goddamn it!  Now there's a new batch of party animals hanging around!  Fuck.  When is he ever gonna get a chance to beef it?!  Oh well, might as well get in some cardio and kill these buttholes.  He does and it's awesome. 

Crispin Glover, Corey Feldman, badass kills, brief nudity, Zaxxon, quick pace, The Last American Virgin getting a knife to the back of the head, impressive violence, Crispin Glover dancing, some weird aerobics show on TV, two BACK TO THE FUTURE actors.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE FINAL CHAPTER is awesome and definitely one of the best of the series.

Part 1 - Friday the 13th (1980)
Part 2 - Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Part 3 - Friday the 13th Part III (1982)
Part 5 - Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)
Part 6 - Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986)
Part 7 - Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Part 8 - Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Part 9 - The Final Friday: Jason Goes to Hell (1993)
Part 10 - Jason X (2001)
Freddy vs Jason (2003)
Remake - Friday the 13th (2009)