Porky's/Porky's 2 - The Next Day (Box Set) (DVD)

I'd never heard of Porky's. I'm 19, so these films are from a whole different generation to me. My father loved them, so when I found an offer on a website for them, he asked me to buy them for him.

And I am so glad he did. I love these films - they're two of my favourites. I've been desperately searching for the third film, which seems somewhat unknown in the UK - my only option seems to be buying from Australia/US.

...
...in my room - if theres nothing on TV of an evening, I can just watch my favourite parts! Okay.. Perhaps that is a little bit sad!

But anyway, back on topic. Here we go!

PORKYS
There's quite a big cast of main characters, and if you havent seen it before, you'll probably find yourself finding it hard to follow exactly who is who. Watch it a second time and it gets easier - but it stays just as funny.

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I'd never heard of Porky's. I'm 19, so these films are from a whole different generation to me. My father loved them, so when I found an offer on a website for them, he asked me to buy them for him.

And I am so glad he did. I love these films - they're two of my favourites. I've been desperately searching for the third film, which seems somewhat unknown in the UK - my only option seems to be buying from Australia/US.

I keep one of these DVDs in my DVD player in my room - if theres nothing on TV of an evening, I can just watch my favourite parts! Okay.. Perhaps that is a little bit sad!

But anyway, back on topic. Here we go!

PORKYS
There's quite a big cast of main characters, and if you havent seen it before, you'll probably find yourself finding it hard to follow exactly who is who. Watch it a second time and it gets easier - but it stays just as funny.

The main plot is that of Porkys - desperate to get laid, a group of 5 of the guys (PeeWee, of course, Mickey, Tommy, Timmy and Meat) go to the local nightclub with a reputation of a whorehouse. This is Mickey's idea, and they pay $100 to get some girls in Porkys Pen for half an hour of fun - but it doesn't go according to plan. Mickey takes it personally, and throughout the film you'll see his attempts to avenge himself on Porky - which, naturally, fail. After the worst fail yet, the gang (or rather, Brian) devise a plan to get the best revenge on Porky, and his redneck brother (the sheriff nearby just to harass anyone that gives Porky problems) they could possibly get.

Now, if you havent seen that, some of it may not make sense to you. I'll give you a run down of the characters.
In the first scene we meet PeeWee (real name Edward Morris), a virgin desperate to get laid, and the subject of many jokes. Next we see Tommy and Billy - Tommy is the shorter of the two, with the wicked streak in his humour. Billy is his taller friend. Then we are introduced to Mickey, as something of a redneck - this is the blonde chap. Later we also get to meet Wendy Williams, who has a reputation for being easy - who PeeWee struck out with. Wendy has more of a role in the second film (see below). Also we have Timmy, who has problems with his dad which cause him to dislike Brian for the simple fact he is a jew - this gives a more serious theme to parts of the film. Brian has only been at Angel Beach High for a couple of months. Then, we cannot forget Meat - his actual name is Anthony, but is nicknamed Meat for reasons I'm sure you can imagine in a teenage group.

So, we have the main character list:
Tommy, Billy, Mickey, Timmy, Meat, PeeWee, Brian and Wendy.

However, if we are to include all main characters, I must mention some of the adults. Theres the cop, Mickeys brother, who helps them out, for a start. Now I should go to the school, and introduce you to the teaching staff there.
The head female coach is Bula Balbricker, who Tommy constantly wages a war against, and her two younger coaches are Miss Walker, who PeeWee fancies something rotten, and Miss Honeywell - or should I say, Lassie.
Then we have the head male coach, who doesn't have that bigger role in this film, and his two coaches - we have Coach Goodenough and Coach Roy Brakket; Coach Roy has a thing for Miss Honeywell, and is determined to find out why Coach Goodenough calls her Lassie.
And last but certainly not least, we have the headteacher who stars in both films - Mr. Carter.

I hope this helps you get to grips with the crew a bit better if you haven't seen it - that was the only thing that ruined my enjoyment. I'll get to the actual cast in a minute, but I think first we need more information about the plot, and what makes it so funny!

I've mentioned the main plot of Porkys, but towards the start its focused on a different get laid attempt - or at least, thats what they think. Tommy, Mickey and Billy are setting their friends up in an elaborate prank - they've convinced them they're taking them to a place where they can all get laid by a stripper, Cherry Forever, who loves to screw, but they have to be careful of her black boyfriend. Of course, this is a total set-up, and the 'black boyfriend' is actually Tommys fathers work mate, and naturally all the guys have to be naked before they can get scared. I shall say no more.. those of you who have seen it will be chuckling to yourselves, whilst those of you who haven't will grinning at the possibilities.

Then theres the second sub-plot. Lassie. This is hilarious, and a reason that many remember the film - Lassie is played by Kim Catrall, who many of you will know from her fame in Sex and the City. Why do they call her Lassie? The scene where you discover the reason (as if you hadn't already guessed it, I know what you're thinking!) is one of the best in the entire film!

Now I really should tell you the cast.. PeeWee is played by Dan Monahan, with Mark Herrier and Wyatt Knight joining him as Billy and Tommy respectively. Wyatt Knight's best friend, Cyril O'Reilly, plays Timmy, with Roger Wilson, who once sued Leonardo Di'Caprio in a $40 million lawsuit, as Mickey. And of course, Tony Ganios is Meat, with Kaki Hunter as Wendy, Nancy Parsons as Balbricker and Scott Colomby, whos had success on both the small and big screen, as Brian Schwarz. Doug McGrath is Coach Warren, Boyd Gaines is Coach Brakett and Susan Clark as Cherry Forever. There are of course many more, but I'll leave that as enough!

Porkys won a Golden Reel Award in 1983, with Harold Greenberg and Melvin Simon as the recipients - Doug McGrath was also nominated for a Genie for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. I'm surprised it didnt win more - but perhaps I am bias, due to my deep love for this film.

Now, its rated an 18 in the UK, or R in USA/Canada, and there are reasons for this - complete nudity, both male and female, a sex scene (Lassie & Coach Roy), and the general references/theme of the film.

So why do I love it so much? I admit I do enjoy the American Pie films, but somehow I prefer this - perhaps because its older, and the world its set in seems funnier. I'm not sure, its highly possible that made no sense, but whilst its set in a High School (Angel Beach), it seems like a fun place - somewhere you wouldn't have minded going to school to! It was certainly a popular film when it was released - it was the highest grossing film in Canada until 2006, when Bon Cop, Bad Cop knocked it off the top spot. It was the 3rd highest grossing movie of its year (1982), with a gross of over £1 million in Ireland, the first movie to do so. Of course, it was initially banned and only released after an appeal!

I'm trying to think of ways to convince you to see it - whilst of course you are entitled to dislike it, for fans of teenage humour I feel it is a must-see, and will not disappoint! The budget I believe for the film was somewhat low, so dont expect too high on the special effects - its the characters and storylines that make it what it is! Perhaps thats part of its appeal - the tricks and pranks are simple, but require creativity and planning, rather than just a webcam being left on as in American Pie. The music in the film isnt too bad either - I enjoy several of the songs on it. I'm not sure what else I can say - its a hysterical teen humour film (perhaps thats why I like it so much - I am a teenager after all). Some sex humour is always entertaining, and since this was the first film of its kind, the humour is thusly more original. You can probably link it in to some jokes made in your own time in High School, which helps on the enjoyability front of the film overall.

I've forgotten to mention another scene, that perhaps rivals Lassie's for the funniest - after spying through the showers and getting caught by the girls, Billy and PeeWee let Balbricker get her hands on Tommy - literally! Her request for a police line-up.. of tallywackers (as Mr. Carter asks for them to be called) provides an hilarious scene in the Principals office, with the male coaches present.

Sadly, there are no Special Features in this film or the next. You simply get the options of Language Selection, Chapter Selection, Theatrical Trailer & Play Film.

But to summarise, we have a fun raunchy film, with pranks, some memorable characters and even serious themes of domestic violence (Tim and his father) and the condemnation of anti-semetism, but these moments dont drag or take away from the overall humour of the film.

PORKYS 2: THE NEXT DAY
The gang are back! The name is misleading in this film, as Porky does not star in it at all - the school is putting on a Shakespearean production, but Reverend Bubba Flavel and his 'flock' of followers protest and say its too dirty to be shown! In this film, you've also got the KKK objecting to an indian (or 'Seminole') kissing a white girl as Romeo to her Juliet, and corrupt politicians concerned only for their votes, not the gang and their show!

In this film, we see the return of all the old gang, though of course the only coaches you will recognise are the head ones. And, as with the first film, you get raunchy behaviour. This time, its PeeWee attempting to avenge the Cherry Forever incident. PeeWee is smug after getting laid, and claims he has girls at his disposal everywhere - so naturally, the guys ask him to share. With a bit of help from Wendy and Brian, he sets up 'Graveyard Gloria' - a woman who dances at the local fair, they've convinced to pretend to get really turned on at the idea of a Graveyard. But of course, Tommy & co are one step ahead of him, and it doesn't turn out how PeeWee planned - theres a repeat of a certain scene involving a certain road!

I find this film equally funny, if not better - and whilst you dont have the fun that was Lassie, you do have Tommys latest revenge on Balbricker, Wendys revenge on a corrupt politician and the gangs revenge on the KKK. I dont want to reveal too much, but its well worth seeing. Certainly, it continues to prove how fun teenage adolescence in the 50's was! As it says on the case, prepare for more 'outrageous antics that never enter the realm of good taste'. This film runs at approx 93 minutes, a minute less than its predecessor.

You get your standard run of jokes in this one - for example, one of the characters Billy plays in Oberon, King of the Fairies. Theres an amusing scene where Tommy gets Meat and Tim to enquire into what parts he plays, and get him to admit hes playing the King Fairy. A quote that springs to mind is:
Tommy: So. You're playing a big fairy.
Billy: Yeah.
Tommy: Well, thats good casting.

The humour throughout is every bit as good as in the original, as are the pranks. The serious parts - the KKK, are dealt with in the same style as in the first film; they're renounced, but done so in a way that is funny, rather than making the film into something that it so clearly should not be - serious. Perhaps the first film is more memorable than this, but it is still well worth a watch.

I think I have run out of things to say, though no doubt I will update this once more at one point - I hope I've given you enough information and opinion for you to form an opinion! If you like humour in bad taste, and teenage films, these are so perfect for you I cannot express it in words! If you are perhaps looking for a serious, intellectual film, then this is not for you - they're fun, recess period style films.

Thanks for reading!

Also, as I forgot before - there is a third Porkys! Its called Porkys Revenge, and whilst it isnt directly related to this view, I'll give you the brief run-down - the guys coach owes Porky money, and Meat falls in love with Porkys daughter, who has a gorgeous body - but not so nice face! I havent seen this [yet], but I do hear its nowhere near as good as its predecessors.  

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