Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

At a big campus, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self respect.

Director:

Jeff Kanew

Writers:

Tim Metcalfe (story), Miguel Tejada-Flores (story),

Stars:

Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Timothy Busfield

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Carradine	...	Lewis Skolnick
Anthony Edwards	...	Gilbert Lowell
Timothy Busfield	...	Arnold Poindexter
Andrew Cassese	...	Harold Wormser
Curtis Armstrong	...	Dudley 'Booger' Dawson
Larry B. Scott	...	Lamar Latrell
Brian Tochi	...	Toshiro Takashi
Julia Montgomery	...	Betty Childs (as Julie Montgomery)
Michelle Meyrink	...	Judy
Ted McGinley	...	Stan Gable
Matt Salinger	...	Danny Burke
Donald Gibb	...	Fred "The Ogre" Palowakski, Alpha Beta
James Cromwell	...	Mr. Skolnick (as Jamie Cromwell)
David Wohl	...	Dean Ulich
John Goodman	...	Coach Harris

Storyline

When lovable nerds Gilbert and Lewis embark on their freshman year at Adams College, little do they realize the perils that await them. They're beset with taunting by the jocks of Alpha Beta fraternity, which only worsens when the jocks accidentally burn down their house and are forced toss the freshmen out of the freshmen dorm. To make matters more problematic, Lewis develops a crush on pretty Betty Childs, popular sorority sister and quarterback's girlfriend. Joined by the aptly named Booger and the violin-playing Pointdexter, the nerds soon realize they must form their own fraternity in self-defense. Soon the tables are turned as the nerds employ high-tech warfare against the jocks.... but can they really win and make a difference?

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Plot Keywords:

jock | nerd | fraternity | college | sorority | 

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Taglines:

Let the battle begin!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 July 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

La venganza de los nerds

Filming Locations:

Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity House - 638 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$40,900,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Interscope Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Carradine says that when he read the script, Lewis' laugh was described as a "goose honk" he wasn't sure how to do it. But by chance, the first scenes shot were of his father dropping Lewis and Gilbert off at college. When actor James Cromwell did the laugh, Carradine mimicked it.

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Goofs

Following the belching contest, the score board shows the Alpha Betas with 40 points, and the Lambdas with 25. In the background of the first javelin throw in the next scene, the score board shows the Alpha Betas with 25 points, and the Lambdas with 10 points.

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Quotes

Coach Harris: You know, when you were a baby in your crib, your father looked down at you, he had but one hope - some day my son will grow to be a man. Well look at you now. You just got your asses whipped by a bunch of goddamn nerds.
[shouts]
Coach Harris: *Nerds*! Well, if I was you, I'd do something about it. I would get up and redeem myself in the eyes of my father, my maker, and my *coach*!

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Crazy Credits

The title appears on screen immediately following the 20th Century Fox logo, before the Fox Fanfare concludes.

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Connections

Remade as Revenge of the Nerds (1991)

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Soundtracks

"ALL NIGHT PARTY"
Performed by Gleaming Spires

User Reviews

The only worthy successor to Animal House – this is a oasis in a desert of rubbish frat movies

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!