The ultimate "Misfits Revenge" movie, REVENGE OF THE NERDS became an instant classic in 1984, with some of the most memorable scenes and quotable dialogue since YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. This raunchy comedy follows a group of oddball college students who are thrown together by circumstance and exposed to constant humiliation and ridicule by the jock fraternity on campus and how they get their ultimate pay back. Yes, the film is predictable as they come as we've seen this formula a million times, but it's watchable thanks to some wonderful set pieces, outrageous dialogue and on target performances by Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong (memorable as Booger), John Goodman, Ted McGinley (no that is not a misprint), Larry B. Scott, and Timothy Busfield. Standout scenes include the "Wonder Joint" Party and the Lamda's musical performance during the big Olympic competition. A hilarious comedy that demands repeated viewings.
157 Reviews
My brief review of the film
sol-28 May 2005
Although it may be all a bit silly and quite clichéd, this is nevertheless a good film of its type, with main characters that are appealing and a great title song, scored by Thomas Newman, who would later compose the scores of movies such as 'American Beauty'. The film does not really go anywhere much at all, the jokes work only about half the time, and it is all a bit short on its content, but despite all of this, the film has a pleasant and rather enjoyable nature not common to the average college comedy, and this makes it a rather uniquely likable film overall. It may not be a great piece of cinema, but it is quite good entertainment.
Revenge of the 80's: The franchise film series.
Captain_Couth8 July 2004
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) was a surprise hit. The film follows the adventures of two "nerds" as they go to college and try to join a fraternity. Oh the trials and tribulations they go through. Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards are the two "nerds"who do everything they can to try and fit in with the rest of the college crowd.
This one is the first and best of the series. They should have left well enough alone. But since this was made during the 80's, a mandatory sequel was made. I recommend this movie. It's entertaining and worth watching. But like all 80's movies
it has to have a message. That's my only real complaint about the movie. A funny film none the less. Just avoid the rest of the series.
Worth a view.
This one is the first and best of the series. They should have left well enough alone. But since this was made during the 80's, a mandatory sequel was made. I recommend this movie. It's entertaining and worth watching. But like all 80's movies
it has to have a message. That's my only real complaint about the movie. A funny film none the less. Just avoid the rest of the series.
Worth a view.
The only worthy successor to Animal House this is a oasis in a desert of rubbish frat movies
bob the moo6 July 2002
When Louis and Gilbert head to college they think it'll all be different from high school. However they are branded nerds and, when the jocks burn their own dorm down, the nerds find themselves kicked out and forced to sleep in the gym. When the nerds form their own chapter of the Tri-Lam fraternity. When they are bullied continually they decide to take matters into their own hands and fight back with the Jock's own games.
If there's one genre in the world that I hate it's the American college jock/nerd comedy. Whether it be the Animal House or Porky's or more modern ones I hate almost all of them! So when I watched this I watched it with a certain fear. However the plot makes redresses the balance by having us support the nerds! It's well plotted so that it isn't just them becoming just like the jocks but instead learning their own lessons. Of course it is rude at times and does fall into being just silly and slapstick, but it's mixed nicely with some good sentiment and more gentle laugh.
The cast is great (in retrospect). Anthony Edwards is a real surprise in this post-ER time. Likewise Busfield is strange after 30-something and West Wing. Less so but Moonlighting's Curtis Armstrong is funny to see. And lets not forget James Cromwell (or Jamie as he was called then!), John Goodman and black 1970's star Bernie Casey! The nerds are all good rising above their caricatures to start to bring out characters.
Overall this is a spin on the frat-comedy so it is a little juvenile and silly but the fact that it is spun towards the nerds makes it that little bit refreshing to watch compared to so many where our `heroes' are arrogant, annoying jock-types who sponge off mummy and daddy just to get drunk at college. Not a great movie but much better than anything else post-Animal House - I'm with the nerds!
If there's one genre in the world that I hate it's the American college jock/nerd comedy. Whether it be the Animal House or Porky's or more modern ones I hate almost all of them! So when I watched this I watched it with a certain fear. However the plot makes redresses the balance by having us support the nerds! It's well plotted so that it isn't just them becoming just like the jocks but instead learning their own lessons. Of course it is rude at times and does fall into being just silly and slapstick, but it's mixed nicely with some good sentiment and more gentle laugh.
The cast is great (in retrospect). Anthony Edwards is a real surprise in this post-ER time. Likewise Busfield is strange after 30-something and West Wing. Less so but Moonlighting's Curtis Armstrong is funny to see. And lets not forget James Cromwell (or Jamie as he was called then!), John Goodman and black 1970's star Bernie Casey! The nerds are all good rising above their caricatures to start to bring out characters.
Overall this is a spin on the frat-comedy so it is a little juvenile and silly but the fact that it is spun towards the nerds makes it that little bit refreshing to watch compared to so many where our `heroes' are arrogant, annoying jock-types who sponge off mummy and daddy just to get drunk at college. Not a great movie but much better than anything else post-Animal House - I'm with the nerds!
A definite time capsule to quite a different area.
mark.waltz4 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's easy to criticize some comedies from different eras for having dated attitudes, and certainly there are elements of this film today that make me uncomfortable. But having seen it when it came out during my own college days (not doing any of the things that young man do here), I had fond memories of a good majority of it outside of a scene late in the film involving the snooty cheerleader character played by Julie Montgomery. That scene didn't belong in any film in any era, and with films like "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", "Porky's", "Ferris Bueller", "Lucas", "Once Bitten" and "Teen Wolf", each of these films had at least one scene that could be eliminated today, but censorship is never the answer.
Two longtime buddies, Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, go to college together, and are immediately considered losers because they are the stereotypical nerds that has been ridiculed as far back as they can remember. Carradine and Edwards become involved with a group of other as cast which includes a flamboyant gay black man, a high IQ Asian who is socially awkward, bashful Jewish boy and a classless pig who is basically the equivalent of John Belushi in "National Lampoon's Animal House".
They are treated horribly by the college A groups, led by 80's TV star Ted McGinley (who seem to have been playing characters like this for nearly a decade at this point) and mean girl Montgomery. But together, the group perseveres and manages to create their own fraternity, and along the way, a lot of things happen, some gross and out of line. But there are highlights too, and for me the performance of Larry B. Scott as the gay Lamar is the heart and soul of the film as he looks out for each of his friends, and they certainly don't judge him for his sexuality. Definitely far from a perfect film, and the sequels just get weaker to the point where they are unwatchable, but lots to like about this one outside one major cringeworthy moment.
Two longtime buddies, Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, go to college together, and are immediately considered losers because they are the stereotypical nerds that has been ridiculed as far back as they can remember. Carradine and Edwards become involved with a group of other as cast which includes a flamboyant gay black man, a high IQ Asian who is socially awkward, bashful Jewish boy and a classless pig who is basically the equivalent of John Belushi in "National Lampoon's Animal House".
They are treated horribly by the college A groups, led by 80's TV star Ted McGinley (who seem to have been playing characters like this for nearly a decade at this point) and mean girl Montgomery. But together, the group perseveres and manages to create their own fraternity, and along the way, a lot of things happen, some gross and out of line. But there are highlights too, and for me the performance of Larry B. Scott as the gay Lamar is the heart and soul of the film as he looks out for each of his friends, and they certainly don't judge him for his sexuality. Definitely far from a perfect film, and the sequels just get weaker to the point where they are unwatchable, but lots to like about this one outside one major cringeworthy moment.
Troubling.
BandSAboutMovies22 November 2017
Best friends and nerds Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine, son of "skinny Dracula" John Carradine and brother of David Carradine) and Gilbert Lowe (Anthony Edwards) are excited to attend Adams College, but are instantly kicked out of their dorm by the Alpha Betas, who have burned their house down. Sleeping on cots in the gym, they find other like-minded misfits and decide to create their own fraternity.
The film follows the 80's comedy blueprint: a simple premise is stated, then hijinks ensue. Here, it is: "Nerds go to school and fight jocks, then hijinks ensue."
Battling Alpha Betas Stan (Ted McGinley, he who has caused many a TV show to "Jump the Shark"), Burke (Matt Salinger, son of J.D. and star of 1990's Captain America) and Ogre (Donald Gibb, Ray Jackson from Bloodsport), our Nerds overcome adversity and become a probationary Tri-Lamb fraternity. Ironically, Lambda Lambda Lambda has always been an all-black frat. And the boys only have one black member, the stereotypically gay Lamar.
That means that Tri-Lamb president U.N. Jefferson (Bernie Casey from Gargoyles!) has to come visit the boys. They throw a party that is boring until Booger's (Curtis Armstrong) drugs get involved — welcome to the 80's — and everyone loses their inhibitions. However, the jocks disrupt their party, leading to Jefferson coming around to the guys as he senses discrimination.
The Nerds take their titular revenge by conducting a panty raid and putting liquid heat into the jock straps of the football team, leading to Jefferson making them a real frat. However, the harassment can never stop while Stan is the President of the Greek Council. So the Nerds need to win the Greek Games during homecoming so that they get a vote — which they do so via a combination of their intelligence, more drugs and some questionable decisions (more on those in a bit). Oh yeah — and there's also an 80's synth music number.
The jocks trash the Nerds house, but Gilbert decides to speak up at a pep rally. The dean, U.N. Jefferson and a group of big black Tri-Lambs stand up for him and the Nerds ask all the disenfranchised in the audience to join them. The dean tells the jocks that they have to give up their house until the damage to the Tri-Lambs house is fixed, saying, "You're jocks, go live in the gym." Everyone celebrates. The end.
Except, well, there are some troubling moments.
What bonds the Nerds and brings them together? A panty raid, as the boys descend on the Pi Delta Pi sorority house, stealing panties, chasing women and placing video cameras, through which the boys watch the women while they go about their daily lives. In the 80's, this was considered a prank. Today, we'd call it rape. But it gets worse. Much worse.
In the Greek Games, a pie-selling contest determines much of the final score. The Nerds win by using nude photos of Betty (Julia Montgomery, The Kindred) under the crust of their pies. Again, this is abhorrent behavior. But it gets worse.
There's also a kissing booth, where Lewis attempts to make his move on Betty. She is replaced with a large, unattractive woman, showing that even the Nerds place an emphasis on physical versus internal beauty, no matter what hardships that very same prejudice has put them through. Then, Lewis steals Stan's costume and tricks Betty into having sex with him. Yes, the hero of this movie knowingly ignores consent to have sex. This is pure and simple rape. This isn't a snowflake looking back on a fun remnant of our pop culture past. This scene has bothered me since I first watching this film on VHS. Even worse, Betty falls instantly in love with her rapist, asking him if all Nerds are this good in bed.
I haven't even gotten into the racism of the film, which posits all Japanese as horny photograph taking morons through the Takashi character. That said, Brian Tochi, the actor who played Takashi, is credited "for breaking the barriers and opening doors for East Asian people in entertainment in the U.S., and advancing the perception that Oriental actors have the ability to portray more mainstream roles." Those mainstream roles also include Cadet Tomoko "Elvis" Nogata in the Police Academy films, who acts just as ridiculous as Takashi (but doesn't have his own corny Asian theme song). Or just how stereotypically gay Lamar is.
But to me, the worst sin of the film is that when the Nerds win, instead of treating their opponents with the care that they never received and teaching everyone an important lesson, they instead relegate the jocks back to the fate they had once suffered. No one learns anything. The cycle repeats and now the jocks become the Nerds who have become the jocks. This reminds me of how insular societies — wrestling fans, comic book lovers — can be more hate-filled and clique obsessed than their worst perceived enemies.
Read more at http://bit.ly/2A4SBqO
The film follows the 80's comedy blueprint: a simple premise is stated, then hijinks ensue. Here, it is: "Nerds go to school and fight jocks, then hijinks ensue."
Battling Alpha Betas Stan (Ted McGinley, he who has caused many a TV show to "Jump the Shark"), Burke (Matt Salinger, son of J.D. and star of 1990's Captain America) and Ogre (Donald Gibb, Ray Jackson from Bloodsport), our Nerds overcome adversity and become a probationary Tri-Lamb fraternity. Ironically, Lambda Lambda Lambda has always been an all-black frat. And the boys only have one black member, the stereotypically gay Lamar.
That means that Tri-Lamb president U.N. Jefferson (Bernie Casey from Gargoyles!) has to come visit the boys. They throw a party that is boring until Booger's (Curtis Armstrong) drugs get involved — welcome to the 80's — and everyone loses their inhibitions. However, the jocks disrupt their party, leading to Jefferson coming around to the guys as he senses discrimination.
The Nerds take their titular revenge by conducting a panty raid and putting liquid heat into the jock straps of the football team, leading to Jefferson making them a real frat. However, the harassment can never stop while Stan is the President of the Greek Council. So the Nerds need to win the Greek Games during homecoming so that they get a vote — which they do so via a combination of their intelligence, more drugs and some questionable decisions (more on those in a bit). Oh yeah — and there's also an 80's synth music number.
The jocks trash the Nerds house, but Gilbert decides to speak up at a pep rally. The dean, U.N. Jefferson and a group of big black Tri-Lambs stand up for him and the Nerds ask all the disenfranchised in the audience to join them. The dean tells the jocks that they have to give up their house until the damage to the Tri-Lambs house is fixed, saying, "You're jocks, go live in the gym." Everyone celebrates. The end.
Except, well, there are some troubling moments.
What bonds the Nerds and brings them together? A panty raid, as the boys descend on the Pi Delta Pi sorority house, stealing panties, chasing women and placing video cameras, through which the boys watch the women while they go about their daily lives. In the 80's, this was considered a prank. Today, we'd call it rape. But it gets worse. Much worse.
In the Greek Games, a pie-selling contest determines much of the final score. The Nerds win by using nude photos of Betty (Julia Montgomery, The Kindred) under the crust of their pies. Again, this is abhorrent behavior. But it gets worse.
There's also a kissing booth, where Lewis attempts to make his move on Betty. She is replaced with a large, unattractive woman, showing that even the Nerds place an emphasis on physical versus internal beauty, no matter what hardships that very same prejudice has put them through. Then, Lewis steals Stan's costume and tricks Betty into having sex with him. Yes, the hero of this movie knowingly ignores consent to have sex. This is pure and simple rape. This isn't a snowflake looking back on a fun remnant of our pop culture past. This scene has bothered me since I first watching this film on VHS. Even worse, Betty falls instantly in love with her rapist, asking him if all Nerds are this good in bed.
I haven't even gotten into the racism of the film, which posits all Japanese as horny photograph taking morons through the Takashi character. That said, Brian Tochi, the actor who played Takashi, is credited "for breaking the barriers and opening doors for East Asian people in entertainment in the U.S., and advancing the perception that Oriental actors have the ability to portray more mainstream roles." Those mainstream roles also include Cadet Tomoko "Elvis" Nogata in the Police Academy films, who acts just as ridiculous as Takashi (but doesn't have his own corny Asian theme song). Or just how stereotypically gay Lamar is.
But to me, the worst sin of the film is that when the Nerds win, instead of treating their opponents with the care that they never received and teaching everyone an important lesson, they instead relegate the jocks back to the fate they had once suffered. No one learns anything. The cycle repeats and now the jocks become the Nerds who have become the jocks. This reminds me of how insular societies — wrestling fans, comic book lovers — can be more hate-filled and clique obsessed than their worst perceived enemies.
Read more at http://bit.ly/2A4SBqO
Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds! Fireball! Fireball! Fireball! Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!
tbills224 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
(oh Lord, take me back to college, right now, oh please God, make me 20 again, I beg you, do it, I'll just close my eyes, and when I open them, right now, I'll be there, ty, I owe you one)
I love Revenge of the Nerds!! I'm a super nerd! I'm a bit of a jock, well, not really a jock just a real, real, incredibly really good athlete, ok, a jock, but, being a nerd, is 700 BILLION times better than being a jock, trust me, aside from the whole 'getting laid' aspects of jocking vs. the whole 'not getting laid' qualifications of nerding. Lol!!!
Revenge of the Nerds starts off slow, but once the Nerds move into their Tri-Lamb Frat house it is nonstop uncontrollable hilariousness...'til the end! A great group of misfits makes up the Nerds with a terrifically well cast cast.
Revenge of the Nerds is a Beautiful!, inspirational and HILARIOUS comedy that's a really good movie too! It's all about sex!!!....and college life and love.
The Nerds' big party with all the sweet nerdy girls and the Lambdas is by far the best part of RotN. Lol!!....those party scenes are so funny omg hahahaha especially when Thriller kicks in!!! lol! The robot is classic!! The Nerds are great. I love what's her face from Valley Girl, Michelle Meyrink! I knew that, see, I told you I was. I really love how the nerds all get laid at the party. I really do.
The Nerds infiltrating the popular girls Sorority house is funny, but way more so, it really makes me super horny thanks to what's her face, Julia Montgomery. I didn't know her name, I do now. Julia is so epically gorgeous in this, and so super hot! (Uhh wow awesome) Private School, this, & Animal house = Sorority girl house heaven/I love how the Nerds stay up and watch their surveillance video of the Pies all night long! Lol!
This is one of my favorite comedies, easily. It is not sub-par material. The end's good & the characters are great! (esp. Booger and Ogre!!!!)
"It's close to miiidnight...."
I love Revenge of the Nerds!! I'm a super nerd! I'm a bit of a jock, well, not really a jock just a real, real, incredibly really good athlete, ok, a jock, but, being a nerd, is 700 BILLION times better than being a jock, trust me, aside from the whole 'getting laid' aspects of jocking vs. the whole 'not getting laid' qualifications of nerding. Lol!!!
Revenge of the Nerds starts off slow, but once the Nerds move into their Tri-Lamb Frat house it is nonstop uncontrollable hilariousness...'til the end! A great group of misfits makes up the Nerds with a terrifically well cast cast.
Revenge of the Nerds is a Beautiful!, inspirational and HILARIOUS comedy that's a really good movie too! It's all about sex!!!....and college life and love.
The Nerds' big party with all the sweet nerdy girls and the Lambdas is by far the best part of RotN. Lol!!....those party scenes are so funny omg hahahaha especially when Thriller kicks in!!! lol! The robot is classic!! The Nerds are great. I love what's her face from Valley Girl, Michelle Meyrink! I knew that, see, I told you I was. I really love how the nerds all get laid at the party. I really do.
The Nerds infiltrating the popular girls Sorority house is funny, but way more so, it really makes me super horny thanks to what's her face, Julia Montgomery. I didn't know her name, I do now. Julia is so epically gorgeous in this, and so super hot! (Uhh wow awesome) Private School, this, & Animal house = Sorority girl house heaven/I love how the Nerds stay up and watch their surveillance video of the Pies all night long! Lol!
This is one of my favorite comedies, easily. It is not sub-par material. The end's good & the characters are great! (esp. Booger and Ogre!!!!)
"It's close to miiidnight...."
Revenge Of The Nerds: One of the best of it's kind
Platypuschow14 March 2017
I was late to the party, though I grew up on films like this I never got round to watching the Revenge Of The Nerds movies but I'm really glad I finally did.
I expected Porkys (1981), I expected a semi-brainless raunchy 1980's comedy but what I found was SO much more.
With an immensely talented varied cast ranging from those who became huge stars like John Goodman to underrated talents like Curtis Armstrong this near perfectly crafted comedy benefits from an outstanding cast who make the film that much more special.
Side splittingly funny, well written, excellent 80's soundtrack, feel good vibe and without excess T&A the Revenge Of The Nerds ticks every box twice and entertained me in a way I never expected and haven't experienced from a comedy like this in recent memory.
I personally cannot wait to get around to the sequels and find out what our Nerd friends get up to next.
I expected Porkys (1981), I expected a semi-brainless raunchy 1980's comedy but what I found was SO much more.
With an immensely talented varied cast ranging from those who became huge stars like John Goodman to underrated talents like Curtis Armstrong this near perfectly crafted comedy benefits from an outstanding cast who make the film that much more special.
Side splittingly funny, well written, excellent 80's soundtrack, feel good vibe and without excess T&A the Revenge Of The Nerds ticks every box twice and entertained me in a way I never expected and haven't experienced from a comedy like this in recent memory.
I personally cannot wait to get around to the sequels and find out what our Nerd friends get up to next.
Nerds Looking for a Place to Call Their Own
Uriah4312 November 2021
This film begins with two high school students by the names of "Lewis Skolnick" and "Gilbert Lowe" on their way to become freshmen at Adams College. However, when a nearby fraternity comprised of football athletes known as the Alpha Betas carelessly burn down their own house their head coach demands the same building where Skolnick and Lowe are currently residing. And because the dean is easily intimidated, he does exactly what the coach says and orders everyone currently living there to be temporarily housed in the local gym until they can find a fraternity of their own. Some are taken in but all of those identified as nerds are left on their own. Unfortunately, it doesn't end there because once Skolnick, Lowe and the rest find a dilapidated house and fix it up, the Alpha Betas continue to harass them and continue to make life as difficult as possible. So, realizing that they are defenseless without a fraternity of their own, they petition every national one available-but they are subsequently turned down because they are nerds. Then one day they finally come across one that cannot refuse them-a national black fraternity known as Lambda Lambda Lambda-and things become quite interesting after that. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I enjoyed this film when it first came out and--even though it isn't quite as funny as I remembered--it still has some good laughs here and there and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
An 80s American Classic that makes me glad I grew up elsewhere.
KoalaPig1 February 2014
Before anybody gets offended by the above summary, I just want to say that I like many things about America and its culture, conversely there are things I dislike. A lot of the latter were highlighted in the film "Revenge of the Nerds". Also, just to avoid the wrath of the blindly patriotic, I am by no means saying that other countries and cultures don't have their share of downfalls too.
So, to back to the film Due to its age, (30 years), one can possibly, (yet begrudgingly), forgive some of the casual racism and homophobia used to gain cheap laughs. However the film really hits rock bottom with its multiple scenes/sub-plots that show sexual abuse in an entirely positive light.
There is a highly unlikely, yet possible, chance that the above could be overlooked if the film's humour compensated for the offensiveness, or if the rapey/homophobic/racist plot elements were done tongue in cheek – BUT THEY WEREN'T – in spite of what people might claim.
Now-a-days I watch certain things, which I enjoy to various degrees, but make me yearn for my stoner days as I know my amusement would be amplified. ROTN does not even offer me this. I watched it as it is regarded as a "classic" and is referenced to in many other shows. In summation: I wish I hadn't bothered – 2/10.
So, to back to the film Due to its age, (30 years), one can possibly, (yet begrudgingly), forgive some of the casual racism and homophobia used to gain cheap laughs. However the film really hits rock bottom with its multiple scenes/sub-plots that show sexual abuse in an entirely positive light.
There is a highly unlikely, yet possible, chance that the above could be overlooked if the film's humour compensated for the offensiveness, or if the rapey/homophobic/racist plot elements were done tongue in cheek – BUT THEY WEREN'T – in spite of what people might claim.
Now-a-days I watch certain things, which I enjoy to various degrees, but make me yearn for my stoner days as I know my amusement would be amplified. ROTN does not even offer me this. I watched it as it is regarded as a "classic" and is referenced to in many other shows. In summation: I wish I hadn't bothered – 2/10.
Another funny teen film from the 80's
baumer23 May 2000
With the resurgence of the raunchy teen comedy, now seems like as good a time as ever to go back and study its roots. What kinds of films influenced American Pie and Road Trip? It is easy to point out films like Porky's, Animal House and Fasttimes, but somewhere forgotten in all this is Jeff Kanew's hilarious flick REVENGE OF THE NERDS. This is not only entertaining and funny, but it contains what has to be considered a blue print for success in campus comedy. Take lots of people getting drunk, jocks ostracizing nerds from there way of life, the weak rising up to take back what is just as much a right as it is to others, and of course lots of nudity featuring an abundance of gorgeous women. What you have here is a great recipe for success.
What made Revenge work is that it didn't try to pretend to be something that it wasn't. This was an exploitive sex-fest and it worked well. What it also had was a funny script and one that we could all relate to. I mean, who hasn't felt left out or relegated to the side lines while someone else gets all the glory? Besides being extremely funny, this film touched on something that we all can relate to.
Revenge of the Nerds is another of the teen films that was hilarious and it ended up spawning a slew of sequels. Avoid them and see this one again. It's worth it, especially if you were a teen when it came out. And if you are a teen now, this is a treat to watch. This is one of the films that writers study when they are thinking what they can put into their film to make it crude, rude and raunchy. This should be a must see!
9 out of 10
What made Revenge work is that it didn't try to pretend to be something that it wasn't. This was an exploitive sex-fest and it worked well. What it also had was a funny script and one that we could all relate to. I mean, who hasn't felt left out or relegated to the side lines while someone else gets all the glory? Besides being extremely funny, this film touched on something that we all can relate to.
Revenge of the Nerds is another of the teen films that was hilarious and it ended up spawning a slew of sequels. Avoid them and see this one again. It's worth it, especially if you were a teen when it came out. And if you are a teen now, this is a treat to watch. This is one of the films that writers study when they are thinking what they can put into their film to make it crude, rude and raunchy. This should be a must see!
9 out of 10
Time capsule.
gridoon12 April 2002
Extremely predictable and full of stereotypical characters and tired jokes, "Revenge Of The Nerds" can be best viewed today as a time capsule. Definitely an 80's film that shows its age. A few funny moments and some (brief) nudity provide a measure of fun. (**)
Rape anyone...?
kat-888826 June 2021
Look. I loved this movie as a kid. I still know every word of the song at the end. But I was a kid and I didn't know any better. While the joy in the underdog story is still here, the fact that there's a rape in this film overrides the narrative. Overall the treatment of women dates this significantly.
A decent feel-good film with an all-star cast.
BlackJack_B16 December 2003
Revenge Of The Nerds came out during the 1980-86 R-rated teen flick bonanza that was coming out of Hollywood. While this one is much milder than some of the others, it does have it's moments of raunchiness.
The story is simple: two young men are attending Adams University; but find out quickly that their type (the gawky, glasses wearing, intellectuals) are treated like nobodies. In fact, any male who isn't a jock or a WASP isn't even allowed to live in the dorms. A group of "misfits" including the two main characters Lewis and Gilbert are forced to live in the gym. They do find accommodations but they continue to suffer humiliation and embarrassment from the Alpha Betas. And so, like in the title of the movie, they get REVENGE.
This is a movie that certainly can't be made today. Affirmative Action certainly would be in place to disallow discrimination on college campuses. The "villains" make fun of anyone who isn't like them. Still, when it's all said and done the film sends out a message that you should be proud of yourself and how you look and not let anybody tell you otherwise.
Yes, as an 80's film you'll see every requisite of the decade, but you'll also see something that's a portent of the future. The Nerds raid the women's dorm so they can cause a distraction so others can install cameras in the bedrooms and showers so they can be spied on. That has become very popular on the 'Net.
As for the cast: Oh my! You'll never see this intriguing mix too often. Like in Freaky Friday, you'll see a lot of actors who made it big on T.V.
Ted McGinley - The leader of the Alpha Betas. He's been on a zillion T.V. shows. I always thought he was more of a nerd than jock.
John Goodman - Head coach of the football team. He looked so lean. Along with Roseanne; he's a superb supporting actor in major motion pictures but a weak lead actor.
Anthony Edwards - Gilbert Lowell. Dr. Mark Greene on ER. Considered a heartthrob during those years.
Robert Carradine - Lewis Skolnick. Member of the Carradine acting family.
Timothy Busfield - Poindexter. Elliot Weston on "thitysomething".
Matt Salinger - Danny Burke. The son of "The Catcher In The Rye" writer J.D. Salinger.
Curtis Armstrong - Booger. Remember him from Moonlighting?
Even James Cromwell makes a brief appearance as Lewis' father.
As for the comments of Julie Montgomery's beauty; sure she's beautiful. Especially if you like the Kate Moss, Calista Flockhart, J. Cynthia Brooks, Paris Hilton, Samia Ghattas, etc. skin and bones body. I don't, myself.
All in all, this is still a good film that does its job. Just avoid the sequels. None of them are good and lack the bite of the first film.
The story is simple: two young men are attending Adams University; but find out quickly that their type (the gawky, glasses wearing, intellectuals) are treated like nobodies. In fact, any male who isn't a jock or a WASP isn't even allowed to live in the dorms. A group of "misfits" including the two main characters Lewis and Gilbert are forced to live in the gym. They do find accommodations but they continue to suffer humiliation and embarrassment from the Alpha Betas. And so, like in the title of the movie, they get REVENGE.
This is a movie that certainly can't be made today. Affirmative Action certainly would be in place to disallow discrimination on college campuses. The "villains" make fun of anyone who isn't like them. Still, when it's all said and done the film sends out a message that you should be proud of yourself and how you look and not let anybody tell you otherwise.
Yes, as an 80's film you'll see every requisite of the decade, but you'll also see something that's a portent of the future. The Nerds raid the women's dorm so they can cause a distraction so others can install cameras in the bedrooms and showers so they can be spied on. That has become very popular on the 'Net.
As for the cast: Oh my! You'll never see this intriguing mix too often. Like in Freaky Friday, you'll see a lot of actors who made it big on T.V.
Ted McGinley - The leader of the Alpha Betas. He's been on a zillion T.V. shows. I always thought he was more of a nerd than jock.
John Goodman - Head coach of the football team. He looked so lean. Along with Roseanne; he's a superb supporting actor in major motion pictures but a weak lead actor.
Anthony Edwards - Gilbert Lowell. Dr. Mark Greene on ER. Considered a heartthrob during those years.
Robert Carradine - Lewis Skolnick. Member of the Carradine acting family.
Timothy Busfield - Poindexter. Elliot Weston on "thitysomething".
Matt Salinger - Danny Burke. The son of "The Catcher In The Rye" writer J.D. Salinger.
Curtis Armstrong - Booger. Remember him from Moonlighting?
Even James Cromwell makes a brief appearance as Lewis' father.
As for the comments of Julie Montgomery's beauty; sure she's beautiful. Especially if you like the Kate Moss, Calista Flockhart, J. Cynthia Brooks, Paris Hilton, Samia Ghattas, etc. skin and bones body. I don't, myself.
All in all, this is still a good film that does its job. Just avoid the sequels. None of them are good and lack the bite of the first film.
Nothing special but pretty fun
KnightsofNi1128 May 2012
There's a laundry list of things that one comes to expect when they prepare to watch an 80's comedy. Cheesy music full of synthesizers, high school stereotypes, breasts, outdated technology that is unintentionally hilarious, the list goes on. Lo and behold, Revenge of the Nerds has all of that. Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards star as two college bound nerds who find that college life isn't what they expected. It's nothing more than a continuation of high school as they get picked on my jocks and laughed at by the pretty girls. But now they've finally had enough and they decide to stand up for themselves and fight back against the jocks and to wipe away the nerd stereotype for good. A collection of exaggerated antics ensue, and it all makes for a wacky good time.
Like I said, Revenge of the Nerds has everything you could expect from an 80's comedy. It fits the formula almost too well, which might be why it has achieved an underground cult status. For me, I think the 80's comedy formula just doesn't work and it doesn't entice me as much as a more offbeat or alternative comedy film might. Revenge of the Nerds is just silly, crude, and over the top, but it's certainly not trying to be anything it's not. So for this I can enjoy this nutty little film for what it is. I didn't find it particularly hilarious, but it has its moments and it's certainly a nonstop ride of entertainment. It's not exactly my thing, but it's plenty fun for what it is.
It's unfair to judge Revenge of the Nerds as anything other than a very straightforward comedy, so I won't look at it as anything other than that. It's not something I'll watch again and I won't consider it an overtly memorable comedy, but it kept me entertained for an hour and a half and with certain movies that's all you can ask for. If you're a huge fan of 80's comedy you'll probably love this, if not, just watch it if you're bored.
Like I said, Revenge of the Nerds has everything you could expect from an 80's comedy. It fits the formula almost too well, which might be why it has achieved an underground cult status. For me, I think the 80's comedy formula just doesn't work and it doesn't entice me as much as a more offbeat or alternative comedy film might. Revenge of the Nerds is just silly, crude, and over the top, but it's certainly not trying to be anything it's not. So for this I can enjoy this nutty little film for what it is. I didn't find it particularly hilarious, but it has its moments and it's certainly a nonstop ride of entertainment. It's not exactly my thing, but it's plenty fun for what it is.
It's unfair to judge Revenge of the Nerds as anything other than a very straightforward comedy, so I won't look at it as anything other than that. It's not something I'll watch again and I won't consider it an overtly memorable comedy, but it kept me entertained for an hour and a half and with certain movies that's all you can ask for. If you're a huge fan of 80's comedy you'll probably love this, if not, just watch it if you're bored.
Sing: "Revenge of the Nerds Revenge of the Nerds uh uh yeah...."
stephen_thanabalan_fans19 September 2005
Get out your robotic electronic dance moves and synthesizers before delving into this one. What a memorable film, I still hum the ROTN tune from the show...Say what you want, but the misfits fight back and kick arse is a format that will never lose vogue for as long as popularity and marginalization exists amongst youth culture. This one is part of the motley crew of films of this genre emerging in the early 80s, not unlike the early 2000s where we have teenage party films like American Pie, Road Trip, etc. Back then it was, ROTN, Stripes, Police Academy...the list goes on. I'm just enjoying the underdog victory as I always have!
It's just okay
ericstevenson22 February 2018
This movie is about a bunch of nerds attending college who try to outdo the popular jocks. The thing is, there really isn't anything that good or bad about this movie for me. It's just an alright movie. I mean, there's nothing at all wrong about it. There's just nothing too particularly good either. It's gotten to the point where I've seen so many movies I'm always looking for something really unique.
This just didn't have it. I was told that most popular 80's movies had topless women in it and that was even true was this! I guess it was a thing back then. The characters/actors are nice and likeable enough. I've seen a lot better and a lot worse. I haven't seen that many college frat boys movies. I guess I was glad to be introduced to them. **1/2
This just didn't have it. I was told that most popular 80's movies had topless women in it and that was even true was this! I guess it was a thing back then. The characters/actors are nice and likeable enough. I've seen a lot better and a lot worse. I haven't seen that many college frat boys movies. I guess I was glad to be introduced to them. **1/2
Yes, fun
Horror-yo14 March 2017
'Revenge of the Nerds', 1984. Okay, so you don't need a descriptive review or opinion here, you know exactly what this is going to be. A couple of nerd protagonists in a new college, the jock group, the chicks, racial stereotypes, Weird Al Yankovic and an 80's then-modern computerized soundtrack... you get it already.
But is it any good ? Yeah. It's funny. From the most annoying donkey-like geek laughs, to the deadpan presence of Bernie Casey in some of the most ridiculous scenes of the film, the stupid weird dancing and uptight nerds going wild, the gay black kid character at a time when one could just laugh at funny things without moral taboos... the movie-makers really did some work for this one and it isn't the gratuitous unsubtle incarnation of the project you may imagine.
Whether it's a cult classic changes nothing for you if you're a new viewer, but there's more to this film than just the narratives. Oh and a nice, and believable moral at the end.
Discover it if you're tempted to in the first place, it's pretty fun.
But is it any good ? Yeah. It's funny. From the most annoying donkey-like geek laughs, to the deadpan presence of Bernie Casey in some of the most ridiculous scenes of the film, the stupid weird dancing and uptight nerds going wild, the gay black kid character at a time when one could just laugh at funny things without moral taboos... the movie-makers really did some work for this one and it isn't the gratuitous unsubtle incarnation of the project you may imagine.
Whether it's a cult classic changes nothing for you if you're a new viewer, but there's more to this film than just the narratives. Oh and a nice, and believable moral at the end.
Discover it if you're tempted to in the first place, it's pretty fun.
I'm PROUD to be a nerd
lee_eisenberg9 May 2005
I first saw "Revenge of the Nerds" when I was ten (that's right, ten). Some people at school had been making fun of me, calling me a nerd. After I saw "ROTF", I was finally proud to call myself a nerd (albeit not one who wears glasses, has buck teeth, and has his pant legs halfway up his calves).
It's especially great that the nerds were such a diverse group of people (Booger may have been gross, but he clearly had a brain).
And there's also an interesting thing about the cast. Robert Carradine must be the only person who has co-starred with both Jane Fonda (he played the brother in "Coming Home") and with the guy who played Booger. And I never realized that Stan was played by the same guy who played Roger on "Happy Days".
So, if you're any kind of individual who has spent his/her life getting bullied, this is the movie for you!
It's especially great that the nerds were such a diverse group of people (Booger may have been gross, but he clearly had a brain).
And there's also an interesting thing about the cast. Robert Carradine must be the only person who has co-starred with both Jane Fonda (he played the brother in "Coming Home") and with the guy who played Booger. And I never realized that Stan was played by the same guy who played Roger on "Happy Days".
So, if you're any kind of individual who has spent his/her life getting bullied, this is the movie for you!
Of the many college campus comedy films made... this has to be one of the very best.
Meredith-719 May 1999
This film is, in my opinion, an absolute riot. Back in the early eighties nerds were people who were smart, knew about computers and were- well a little different. While in the 90's you don't have to be a nerd to be computer literate or smart there are elements in this film which are highly amusing. Who can really go past the belching scene for laughs. While the laughs of the two main nerds cracks me up every time, because yes some people really do laugh like that!. The plot is a little predictable but that's half the fun. Of the many college campus comedy films made in the 80s and into the 90s this has to be one of the very best. An eighties classic by any stretch of the imagination.
Horrifying treatment of women
melvx1 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I thought I'd enjoy seeing nerds get revenge on jocks, until it turned out that revenge included spying on naked women via hidden cameras, handing out a picture of a non-consenting naked woman, and then pretending to be someone else to have sex with that same women. Worst of all, the woman who was essentially raped then falls head over heels over her rapist, because the sex was so good. WHAT. By comparison, the pranks against the men are much more benign and don't seem to happen nearly as often (even though the conflicts primarily occur between the men, it's the women who seem to pay for it.) I get that times have changed, but no man or woman should be enjoying this movie in this decade. It's appalling.
Still a very funny movie.
jeffman5200119 September 2004
I think this movie is still one of the funniest movies of the 1980's and today.Robert Carradine as Lewis Skonick and Anthony Edwards as Gilbert Lowell are awesome.
The movie really shows that being a nerd is a great thing,I believe that if you have intelligence, don't be ashamed of yourself, this movie deals with being bullied cause of not being beautiful. The nerds who join together,form their fraternity, Lambda Lambda Lambda, fight back against the Alpha Betas, the jock fraternity, and come out on top.
The other cast members Curtis Armstrong (Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer) as Booger is so awesome, Brian Tochi as Toshiro Takashi, Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething) as Arnold Poindexter, Larry B. Scott (SuperForce)as Lamar Latrell, the gay nerd, Andrew Casesse as Harold Wormser, the youngest nerd of them all. Ted McGinley (Happy Days, Love Boat, and Married With Children) as Alpha Beta leader Stan Gable, Donald Gibb (Jocks and Amazon Women On The Moon) as Ogre, David Wohl as Dean Ulich, Bernie Casey as U.N. Jefferson, Julia Montgomery (Up The Creek)a s Betty Childs, Michelle Meyrink (Real Genius and The Outsiders) as Judy, they all give great performances in the film. John Goodman of Roseanne plays the mean Coach Harris, he is awesome in the movie too. James Cromwell( Babe, Star Trek First Contact, and L.A. Confidential) as Mr. Skolnick, Lewis's nerdy father is funny.
The nerds fought for themselves and won the Nerd Revolution against the beautiful people, they gained control of The Greek Council. For all of the beautiful people out there, time has come for "Revenge Of The Nerds". I give this movie 2 thumbs up and a 10/10 stars.
I have the soundtrack to this movie, I recommend getting the soundtrack, it is awesome.
The movie really shows that being a nerd is a great thing,I believe that if you have intelligence, don't be ashamed of yourself, this movie deals with being bullied cause of not being beautiful. The nerds who join together,form their fraternity, Lambda Lambda Lambda, fight back against the Alpha Betas, the jock fraternity, and come out on top.
The other cast members Curtis Armstrong (Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer) as Booger is so awesome, Brian Tochi as Toshiro Takashi, Timothy Busfield (Thirtysomething) as Arnold Poindexter, Larry B. Scott (SuperForce)as Lamar Latrell, the gay nerd, Andrew Casesse as Harold Wormser, the youngest nerd of them all. Ted McGinley (Happy Days, Love Boat, and Married With Children) as Alpha Beta leader Stan Gable, Donald Gibb (Jocks and Amazon Women On The Moon) as Ogre, David Wohl as Dean Ulich, Bernie Casey as U.N. Jefferson, Julia Montgomery (Up The Creek)a s Betty Childs, Michelle Meyrink (Real Genius and The Outsiders) as Judy, they all give great performances in the film. John Goodman of Roseanne plays the mean Coach Harris, he is awesome in the movie too. James Cromwell( Babe, Star Trek First Contact, and L.A. Confidential) as Mr. Skolnick, Lewis's nerdy father is funny.
The nerds fought for themselves and won the Nerd Revolution against the beautiful people, they gained control of The Greek Council. For all of the beautiful people out there, time has come for "Revenge Of The Nerds". I give this movie 2 thumbs up and a 10/10 stars.
I have the soundtrack to this movie, I recommend getting the soundtrack, it is awesome.
What can I say: Revenge of the 80's?
Smells_Like_Cheese21 September 2005
This was a funny teen-sex comedy. Obviously it is dated and very stereotypical. But you let go and have a lot of fun with it. Finally, after everything I heard about this movie, I got to see it. I have to say it's a little over rated, but you get your laughs. I did like the scene where the girl has had the kinks with the nerd, but she thought it was her boyfriend in costume, and she was so amazed, even when she found out, and he said "All jocks think about is sports, but nerds always think about sex". That's probably true, LOL. The ending is more heart warming then funny. But like I said, it's a decent comedy. And it is considered a classic among many. So, give it a shot. You'll get a funny cast, a few laughs, and maybe even learn a few things from the nerds. :D
7/10
7/10
A Classic T&A Movie about the college underclass
The-Sarkologist9 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
This was one of those films that I fondly remember from my younger years however these days it seemed to have lost all of its charm. I was keen on watching it again though because it was one of those films (in fact it was the first T&A movie that I ever saw) that I had watched numerous times when I was young. I guess I related to the main characters in these films, being somewhat of an outcast, though unlike these guys, never having a friend, or a group of friends, that I could fall back on (that is until I met the Dungeons and Dragons dorks at the State Library).
It is interesting to look at some of the perspectives of this film, in a way the suggestion that the nerds of this film tend to (if they manage to survive high school and college) end up being much more successful than the jocks in this film. There is a lot of subtle imagery in it though, with the jocks being a part of a fraternity known as the Alpha-Betas, suggesting that they are the premier people on the campus.
There are things that differ between my experience of university though because, being an Australian, campus life here is much different. Firstly we do not have fraternities or sororities. They simply do not exist. Secondly there is no faculty of sport in Australian universities, so you will not actually encounter anybody like the Alpha-Betas here.
The other interesting thing about the characters in this film is that while it is reflective of campus life in the United States, it also brings to mind how many of the Alpha-Betas, being the sporting heroes, are unlikely to live out their days in luxury. Sporting heroes (and others in the entertainment industry) become millionaires, however it is the nerds and the geeks who become billionaires. However, the future is generally not at the forefront of people's mind when they are undergoing persecution. Granted, Gilbert does speak of Nerd Persecution at the end of the film, and I guess in a way it does exist, however in this film they use their brains to fight back, and they win. It is also interesting to note that the Alpha-Betas use fear to rule the campus, and it is only when that fear is broken (by everybody coming to understand that anybody who is not an Alpha-Beta, is by definition, a nerd) that the power of the Alpha-Betas is broken.
However, while this film may have some place in my heart, it is still a T&A movie, and to be honest with you, I really don't find it all that funny anyway.
It is interesting to look at some of the perspectives of this film, in a way the suggestion that the nerds of this film tend to (if they manage to survive high school and college) end up being much more successful than the jocks in this film. There is a lot of subtle imagery in it though, with the jocks being a part of a fraternity known as the Alpha-Betas, suggesting that they are the premier people on the campus.
There are things that differ between my experience of university though because, being an Australian, campus life here is much different. Firstly we do not have fraternities or sororities. They simply do not exist. Secondly there is no faculty of sport in Australian universities, so you will not actually encounter anybody like the Alpha-Betas here.
The other interesting thing about the characters in this film is that while it is reflective of campus life in the United States, it also brings to mind how many of the Alpha-Betas, being the sporting heroes, are unlikely to live out their days in luxury. Sporting heroes (and others in the entertainment industry) become millionaires, however it is the nerds and the geeks who become billionaires. However, the future is generally not at the forefront of people's mind when they are undergoing persecution. Granted, Gilbert does speak of Nerd Persecution at the end of the film, and I guess in a way it does exist, however in this film they use their brains to fight back, and they win. It is also interesting to note that the Alpha-Betas use fear to rule the campus, and it is only when that fear is broken (by everybody coming to understand that anybody who is not an Alpha-Beta, is by definition, a nerd) that the power of the Alpha-Betas is broken.
However, while this film may have some place in my heart, it is still a T&A movie, and to be honest with you, I really don't find it all that funny anyway.
It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times
tfrizzell20 August 2001
Typical 1980s teen comedy that is near the top of its unspectacular genre. The title says it all as college freshmen led by Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine learn that university life is even worse than high school life as they are bullied by a fraternity of football players led by Ted McGinley. Revenge does take place as a civil war of students ensues and is fueled by gross-out jokes, sexual situations, and all sorts of other crazed perversions. When all is said and done the film is a curious over-achiever in the end. The main reason is the cast is so likeable. Donald Gibbs steals the show as one of the crazed football players and established actors like James Cromwell, John Goodman, and David Wohl also leave lasting impressions. Former NFL star Bernie Casey is also great as the nerds' fraternal sponsor. Far from excellent, but still an enjoyable little film. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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