5.8/10
37,066
77 user 31 critic

Encino Man (1992)

G | | Comedy | 22 May 1992 (USA)
Trailer
0:31 | Trailer
When they find a frozen caveman in their back yard, two high school outcasts thaw him and introduce him to modern life while he in turn gets them to actually enjoy life.

Director:

Les Mayfield

Writers:

George Zaloom (story), Shawn Schepps (story) | 1 more credit »
Reviews
Popularity
4,238 ( 1,390)
1 win & 1 nomination. See more awards »

Videos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Astin ... Dave
Brendan Fraser ... Link
Pauly Shore ... Stoney Brown
Megan Ward ... Robyn Sweeney
Robin Tunney ... Ella
Michael DeLuise ... Matt Wilson
Patrick Van Horn ... Phil, Matt's Thug #1
Dalton James ... Will, Matt's Thug #2
Rick Ducommun ... Mr. Brush
Ke Huy Quan ... Kim (as Jonathan Quan)
Mariette Hartley ... Mrs. Morgan
Richard Masur ... Mr. Morgan
Ellen Blain Ellen Blain ... Teena Morgan
Esther Scott ... Mrs. Mackey
Steven Elkins Steven Elkins ... Mr. Beady
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Storyline

Stoney and Dave find a caveman (Link) trapped in ice, thaw him out, and show him around town. Although Link is slow to catch on to basic concepts of 20th century life, he has no trouble impressing all the girls and helping Stoney and Dave find the coolness they've been searching for. Written by Michael Silva <silvamd@cleo.bc.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Where The Stone Age Meets The Rock Age! See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

G | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Partially unused score by Jonathan Sheffer. See more »

Goofs

When David climbs up the pool ladder, his mother bends over to talk to him. The crew and camera equipment form a clear shadow on her back. See more »

Quotes

Stoney: [a car horn is heard] Your parents!
Dave: My parents!
Link: AHH!
See more »

Crazy Credits

Before the end credits, the screen shows "THE END" ... and then "BUD-DY" See more »

Alternate Versions

TV version adds a scene that occurs right before Dave and Stoney find Link in his pool. It's a conversation between Dave and his mother about her plans of opening up a "Homeless Home" in their house and using Dave's room as a place for them to stay. See more »


Soundtracks

Leave My Curl Alone
Words and Music by Hi-C (as C. Wilkerson) and T. Alvarez
Performed by Hi-C
Courtesy of Skanless Records
Sample of "Dusic"
Written by Ray Ransom (as R. Ransom), Reginald Hargis (as R. Hargis) and Jimmy Brown (as J. Brown)
Performed by Brick
Courtesy of Sony Music Licensing
See more »

User Reviews

 
Homo Encino
9 October 2008 | by Karl SelfSee all my reviews

I expected the usual stoner-gross-out-high-school-comedy and had also heard that Pauly Shore was a comedic one-trick-pony (I'd read about all those Razzies he had been awarded). Also, the premise of high-school kids finding a thawed-up "cro-magnon" man and becoming friends with him didn't bide well, so I kind of watched this out of completism and deep-rooted cinematic masochism. Turns out I was way off the mark. "Encino Man" is thoroughly enjoyable, and one of the best movies of its genre. And Pauly Shore is my god now, he really made this movie. Well, he may be a one-trick-comedian, but at least at he's the godfather of this one trick. The stoner-surfer-dude has been done ad nauseam in high-school comedies, but Pauly Shore is the stoner-surfer-dude to rule all other stoner-surfer-dudes. His figure is not just funny and dude-ish, but also eccentric and frail (almost a bit camp). When I read that he comes from a family of comedians, I wasn't surprised. I see a lot of comedic and dramatic talent in him, and it's a shame that he seems to have fallen out of favour recently.

Anyway, the movie. Luckily, the pretty goofy plot doesn't put it in harm's way. Two likable social dropouts find a stone age survivor in their back yard, and decide to smuggle him into their school in order to heighten their own peer standing. This goes terribly awry when the hunky pre-human becomes a hit with the ladies. Man seems to be set in atavistic struggle against pre-human (and stoner dude), but luckily they eventually find their moral bearings: the humans learn the benefits of sticking together from their thawed-out friend, and the cro-magnon learns to go "halfies" on his microwave burrito.

Like I said, I really enjoyed Pauly Shore here. He made this movie. The other actors are also good, there's great dialogue, and the babes are babe-alicious. I also enjoyed the fact that the underdogs were the protagonists here.

To give you a ballpark comparison, it's au pair with Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Yes, it's that good, buuuh-dy.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1992 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

L'homme d'Encino See more »

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,866,120, 25 May 1992

Gross USA:

$40,693,477

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$40,693,477
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1
See full technical specs »

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