Screwballs (1983)

I have to say that I never saw the seminal (in every sense of the word) teen sex comedy Screwballs back in the 80s, and it was one heck of an oversight. Screwballs is to teen sex comedies what Last House on the Left is to horror. There are more naked girls, goofy horny guys, and inappropriate jokes than in most other 80s films combined. In fact the raunch reaches a level of slapstick that is more on par with the feel of a crazy 30s era gag-a-second Fleischer cartoon than an 80s comedy. The flick was also produced under Roger Corman, which might have something to do with its level of debauchery (but in the best sense of the word.)

If you haven't seen it, the basic gist of the film revolves around a pact made by five senior guys who all have a beef with one girl, the ultimately virginal Purity Busch. She's either gotten them in trouble or lead them on and the guys decide that by the end of the school year they'll either get to see her "goods" and score, or die trying. Though the film should be qualified as terrible, where plot is really secondary to the mass amount of gags in the film, the set dressing keeps bouncing between the 50, 60s, 70s, and the 80s, and with acting that for the most part is insanely bad, it's still pretty great. It's almost like watching a live action adaptation of a much dirtier version of MAD magazine that still manages to be funny. Between sessions of strip bowling, insane make-out sessions a the drive-in, freshman breast exams, trips to the strip club (with a guest appearance by Russ Meyer star Raven DeLaCroix), ornate brainwashing attempts involving an giant fake hot dog, insanely inappropriate cheerleading practice in bikinis, and a milf mom who is playing the cougar to the point of being overdubbed with animal growls, you'll never be bored.

I can honestly say that I was blown away by this long-overdue-on-DVD gem, for however contrived and cliché a statement like that can be. I have to give a hand to Severin Films for taking the time and effort to restore this film (as well as stuff like the original Inglorious Bastards.) The DVD looks pretty good for a lowbudget early 80s film like this, and has a nice set of special features including a commentary track as well as surprisingly insightful interviews with the director Rafal Zielinski and cast. If you're a fan of goofy 80s comedies and boobs, than this is highly recommended...

I saw this movie when it was originally released in April 1983. As a horny 15-year-old movie geek, I had to wait outside the theater until I found an adult (also seeing the movie) to get my ticket and take me into the theater past the suspicious glance of the manager. It was totally worth it! I also had to catch the last few minutes of the other movie playing there in case the paerental units started asking questions. (it was the PG-rated Disney flick Something Wicked This Way Comes). Released by New World Pictures, there are no known actors in it.

Screwballs (1983, New World, D: Rafal Zielinski)-Yeah, it's the usual teenage shenanigans, vulgar jokes, half-naked girls and very low-brow humor. But I enjoy this flick because it doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. I'm not exactly sure why I like this sleazy teen trash movie the best, everything about it reeks of a quickie, low-budget rush job intended to capitalize on the success of Porky's. For some reason, I find this movie hilarious. The plot (such as it is) is simplicity itself, five high school boys (circa early 60s) who meet in detention make a pact to deflower the school homecoming queen Purity Busch (Lynda Speciale) who's responsible for them being there. It's the usual collection of guys, the stud, the rich kid, the new guy, the fat slob and a spastic nerd. The characters even have funny names, for example, the fat guy is named Melvin Jerkovski (he's a chronic masturbater) and one of the girls (Linda Shayne, Humanoids From The Deep) is Bootsie Goodhead. The other nemesis in this flick is Principal Stuckoff (what does that rhyme with?), the uptight idiot who's always out to spoil somebody's fun (he even cuts the string on somebody's yo-yo!). There's a lot of outrageous stuff going on in this movie, including a game of strip bowling where somebody ends up getting a certain appendage stuck in a bowling ball. You know what you're getting when you put on the movie. I loved that one of the characters is named Melvin Jerkofsky (get it?). I can't wait to buy it, I will put it on the shelf next to Joy Sticks. It's not exactly the highest level of comedy, in fact, it's very low-brow and sleazy. Still, I laugh myself silly each time I watch it!

Written by George Rother

Buy Screwballs (1983) Now

I'm going to make this review short and sweet:

Before Superbad (which is excellent), there was this film from the 1980s...over-the-top, silly sex gags, totally immature, college guy-needs-to-sleep-with-hot-girls plot, and pure funny stuff...but it's got some DAMN clever writing...some that will make you laugh out loud...I've loved this film my entire life...If you liked the first "Revenge of the Nerds", or "Porky's", it's very similar...

Is it brain food? No...

Is it really funny? Hell yeah.

best,

JONATHAN MANKUTA

TV/Film actor, producer, VO artist, comic book geek

Read Best Reviews of Screwballs (1983) Here

Okay, I've seen almost all of the 80s teen sex comedies, and for THAT type of movie, this is one of the best. In the top 5, for sure. Trust me, most of those movies are just beyond bad.

Some of the reviews I've read here are just mind boggling. Childish jokes? Sure. This is a TEEN comedy. He-LLOOOOOOO!!!! A tad better than VHS? That's just silly, incorrect and frankly, stupid. The blu-ray looks like a blu-ray. Film grain is present, as it should be. Blu-ray is meant to represent the FILM, not some de-grained, "let's make the skin look like wax computer generated puppets and lose some details" that some people expect with blu-ray. The blu-ray looks like an 80s movie, not a 2010 TV show on blu-ray. Some people can appreciate that...others...obviously not. The blu-ray far surpasses any VHS I've seen. And, trust me, I've seen a LOT of VHS.

I must say again, this is an EIGHTIES TEEN SEX COMEDY. This is not a 90s teen sex comedy; this is not a 00s teen sex comedy. To compare those three just doesn't do any of them justice. The film is mildy funny, with not-bad nudity, and more entertaining than 97% of its type.

Want Screwballs (1983) Discount?

Fun! Stupid! Cliche! Satirical! Juvenile! These words would appear in a long review. Watch it and enjoy it! The bowling ball scene is priceless. So is the drive-in scene. EVERY scene really.

Save 33% Off