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Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 American comedy film starring Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb. The film was directed by Jeff Kanew. It chronicles the story of a group of nerds trying to stop harassment by the persecuting jock fraternity, the Alpha Betas. Exterior scenes such as the arrival of the nerds at college and the fraternity houses were filmed at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. The original Nerds residence, from which they were ousted, was in fact Cochise Hall.
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Quotations
category:1980s films
Category:Comedy films
Dean Ulich: Frankly, I'm not too wild about this next event, but it has become a tradition here at Adams: The Belching Contest.
Enough of the social bullshit, grab a cot. Move it or lose it!
Mr. Skolnick: You college guys are all alike, all you really care about is getting laid. I wish I was going with you.
They've been laughed at, picked on and put down. But now it's time for the odd to get even! Their time has come!
Mixing a pile of jock straps with tongs Like salad!
Encyclopedia
Revenge of the Nerds is a 1984 American comedy film starring Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards, with Curtis Armstrong, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, Brian Tochi, Larry B. Scott, John Goodman, and Donald Gibb. The film was directed by Jeff Kanew. It chronicles the story of a group of nerds trying to stop harassment by the persecuting jock fraternity, the Alpha Betas. Exterior scenes such as the arrival of the nerds at college and the fraternity houses were filmed at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. The original Nerds residence, from which they were ousted, was in fact Cochise Hall. Their subsequent residence was Bear Down Gymnasium. One scene was filmed at Kyle Field on the campus of Texas A&M University. The original Alpha Beta fraternity house that gets burned down was shot at the Beta Theta Pi house on University Avenue and the Pi house was the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house.
This film is number 91 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".
Plot summary
Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert Lowe (Anthony Edwards) are nerds, and best friends who have just graduated from high school. Gilbert is comfortable with his reputation as a nerd, though Lewis hates being thought of as such. They enroll in fictitious Adams College on the strength of its acclaimed computer science department. Unfortunately for Lewis and Gilbert, the college also displays unethical favoritism toward its football team, the Atoms. This gives a disproportionately large share of campus clout to the coach (John Goodman), an arrogant bully, and his team, staffed mainly by the equally obnoxious jocks of the Alpha Beta fraternity. The Administrative Dean (David Wohl) allows himself to be intimidated by the football coach into complicity in this favoritism.
The Alpha Betas carelessly burn down their fraternity house during a party and pressure the dean to let them take over the freshman dorm while their house is being rebuilt. The freshmen are forced to bunk in the gym until they can find new housing or join fraternities. The nerds and many other social outcasts, including Lewis and Gilbert, are rejected, and their attempts to approach the fraternities on their own lead to them being publicly humiliated and harassed. The nerds eventually find a rundown house that they renovate. However, the Alpha Betas and their associated sorority, the Pi Delta Pis, harass them, including throwing a rock that reads "NERDS GET OUT" through one of the new house's windows.
When the nerds approach the campus police, they are referred to the Greek Council, which oversees fraternity affairs, only to find that Stan Gable (Ted McGinley) (the head of the Alpha Betas) is the president. He overrules their complaint because they are not a fraternity. The nerds realize the only way they can gain representation on the Greek Council is to start an Adams College chapter of a national fraternity. However, all of the fraternal organizations reject them, with the exception of Lambda Lambda Lambda, the only one to which they did not send a group picture. It is, however, a predominantly black organization and only one of the nerds is black (he is also openly homosexual). The head of the national organization, U.N. Jefferson (Bernie Casey), is uninterested in having them join. However, the nerds hold the Lambdas accountable to their own fraternity code that, as a petitioning group, they have the right to join with probationary status pending ultimate approval by the president.
The nerds attempt to organize a party to impress the fraternity officials. However, they are tricked by the Pis, who falsely offer to be their dates only to completely snub them on party night. Another sorority, Omega Mu (known as the Mus, which sounds like "Moos"), come in their place, but they consist of social rejects themselves and the resulting awkwardness deadens the atmosphere. In desperation, Booger (Curtis Armstrong) resorts to lighting large marijuana joints to liven up the affair, which proves successful, but the party is spoiled when the Alphas let greased pigs loose in the frat house. Ironically, however, this attack backfires somewhat because it causes U.N. Jefferson and many other Lambda officials to begin to change their attitudes after seeing firsthand the discrimination the nerds deal with (undoubtedly because they empathize with being abused and discriminated against), and they start to inwardly sympathize with them.
The nerds, led by Lewis, decide to retaliate. They first execute a panty raid on the Pis, which is actually a diversion during which Lamar and Wormser install hidden cameras in the sorority's attic. The nerds also saturate the Alpha's jock straps in liquid heat (a liniment that produces sensations of heat) to create an agonizing and embarrassing experience at football practice. U.N. Jefferson is pleased with the nerds' creativity, and a charter is granted for the chapter, officially making the nerds members of Lambda Lambda Lambda (Tri-Lambs). However, the harassment by the Alphas only worsens, and the obviously biased Greek Council refuses to respond. Deciding that they must take power themselves, the nerds compete in Adams College's homecoming carnival, the winner of which will lead the council. The events are a series of athletic contests, a fund-raiser at the carnival, and a final skit.
The Tri-Lambs and Mus team up, and have a difficult time in a couple of events, but manage to win a few others using their superior ingenuity. Some of the skills come naturally, such as Booger's being able to belch the loudest. They design an ergonomically advanced javelin for Lamar to win the javelin throw (to cater for his 'limp-wristed throwing style'), and during a tricycle race/binge drinking contest they give Takashi a chemical that will neutralize the effects of alcohol, allowing him to win the race as he stays sober. They even make the best of hopeless situations such as when they are assigned to a tug of war match against the Alpha Betas by doing the classic prank of suddenly letting go of their end of the rope to concede the win while embarrassing them. They gain ground in fund-raising by selling plates with nude photos of the Pis, to include Gable's Pi girlfriend Betty Childs (Julia Montgomery) which not only allows them to beat the Alpha Betas, but also humiliate their female counterparts.
During the carnival, Stan spurns an offer from Betty to have sex with her in the Fun House. Seizing an opportunity, Lewis pilfers parts of Stan's Darth Vader costume and tricks Betty into thinking he is Stan. Lewis and Betty have sex, after which Betty proclaims, "That was wonderful. You did things to me you never did before." Lewis reveals his identity to Betty but she is not upset; in fact she is in awe of his love-making skills and wonders how he is so good. She asks him to meet her after the pep rally later that evening and he accepts; they kiss for the first time after Betty knows his true identity. The nerds seal their victory in the talent show with a spectacular song and dance routine using computers and sound effects, which far outshines the Alphas' crossdressing skit. Lambda Lambda Lambda is declared the official winner and will come to power on the Greek Council next year, to which the nerds announce they nominate Gilbert to succeed Stan as council president. Adding insult to injury, Betty officially dumps Stan for Lewis after the Tri-Lambs' victory.
Following a jingoistic speech by their coach, the Alphas retaliate by wrecking the Lambda house, and the nerds are again disheartened. Lewis is depressed and comes to grips with the fact he is a nerd and social outsider. At that point, Gilbert tells Lewis and the other nerds that Lambda Lambda Lambda was the first time he was part of an accepted social group and that he is not going to let this good thing go to pot. Gilbert then personally confronts the Alphas at the homecoming rally. When the Alphas are about to beat up Gilbert, the otherwise timid Dean, himself a nerd, finally stands up to the coach and orders the Alpha Betas to release Gilbert. Dean is about to be beaten up himself when U.N. Jefferson arrives with a group of large, intimidating Lambdas from other colleges to confront the Alpha Betas while Gilbert is given a chance to speak his mind to the audience. He poignantly speaks about how he and his friends were harassed, but in spite of this, he re-affirms that he is a nerd and proud of it. Lewis also appears, and is finally proud to be a nerd as well. Their friends gather around in support and call on any of the audience who have ever felt left out or picked on to join them. Betty is the first to rush to Lewis' side followed by Judy, Gilbert's girlfriend and finally the entire audience does so, and the Alphas find themselves hopelessly outnumbered.
The film ends with the Dean taking charge of the campus and ejecting the Alphas from their building for the Lambdas' use until the Alphas repair the damage they caused to the Lambdas' house. When the coach complains about the players having nowhere to live, Dean Ulich points out that they are jocks, so they should be right at home sleeping in the gym.
Cast
Notable bit parts
DVD release
On January 3, 2007 Revenge of the Nerds was released as a special edition DVD entitled "Panty Raid Edition" (The special edition name was changed from "The 'We've Got Bush' Edition", with preliminary artwork shown on websites such as The Digital Bits). Special features included : Audio Commentary, Making of Documentary, Deleted Scenes, Television Pilot, and two theatrical trailers.
Shelved remake
A remake of the original Revenge of the Nerds 1984 film was slated for release in 2007; however, the project was canceled in 2006.
The cast included Adam Brody (who also co-produced), Dan Byrd, Katie Cassidy, Kristin Cavallari, Jenna Dewan, Chris Marquette, Ryan Pinkston, Efren Ramirez, and Nick Zano. It was to be directed by Kyle Newman and executive produced by McG. The script was written by Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah, Adam Jay Epstein & Andrew Jacobson and Adam F. Goldberg. Filming took place in Atlanta, Georgia at Agnes Scott College, the Georgia State Capitol, and Inman Park. Filming was originally scheduled to take place at Emory College but university officials changed their minds after reading the script.
In November 2006, the film was shelved by Fox Atomic. Producers found it difficult to shoot on the smaller Agnes Scott campus and studio head Peter Rice was disappointed with the dailies.
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