Revenge of the Nerds

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with best friends Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine), and Gilbert Lowell (Anthony Edwards), being driven by Lewis's Dad (James Cromwell) to their chosen college, Adams. Both Lewis and his father have the same nerdy laugh. There are some sight gags as Lewis and Gilbert carry a heavy chest across campus to their dorm. They get only a day to enjoy their room as that evening the Alpha-Betas accidentally burn down their frat house by breathing fireballs with 180 proof alcohol.Football coach Harris (John Goodman) a ruthless bully who thinks might makes right, gives his team permission to literally throw the freshmen out in the street while their house is being rebuilt. The dispossessed are set-up on cots in the school gym, but the ranks of gymnasium dwellers are rapidly pruned because they are allowed to apply for fraternities, and the presumably popular ones get in and move to their new houses. Our heroes Lewis and Gilbert ask some sorority girls (The "Pi's", female equivalents of the Alpha Betas) what frat to join, and they are told to join Alpha Beta by Betty Childs (Julia Montgomery). Alpha Beta is told they are coming, and are coerced into having sex with a sheep, and they are sent back to the gym all the worse for wear.After a few days only the nerdiest of the nerdy are left in the gym and they go scouting the town for a place to live. The apartment hunt gives an opportunity for more gags. Eventually, Lewis locates a classic beat-up antebellum-style house with busted balcony, hanging front door and weed-filled yard. There follows a fast-forward sequence in which they make their abode a passable place and life begins to become good for the nerds.The next shot is fired by the Alpha-Betas who throw a rock through the window. The nerds (as they generally are referred to in the movie as a group) report the Alpha-Betas to the local police, who for some reason cannot do anything about this minor crime. The police recommend the "Greek Council". The President of the Greek Council is Stan Gable (Ted McGinley) the football captain and preppy "beautiful person" who is the chief villain in the film. The nerds are told they cannot file a complaint because they are not affiliated with a national fraternity, which motivates them of course to seek a national fraternity. After 29 rejection letters, they are given an audience by the one house to which they forgot to send a picture, Lambda, Lambda, Lambda (the "Tri-Lambs"). Mr. U.N. Jefferson, president of the national TriLams (Bernie Casey) wants to turn them down, because "you're nerds", but Arnold Poindexter (Timothy Busfield) reads him his own bylaws which say that ANY group that applies gets a 60-day trial period. During this period the Tri-Lams work hard to be cool, culminating in a party, to which Mr. Jefferson is invited.While the Tri-Lams generally have poor luck with women, Gilbert rapidly finds a girlfriend in the computer lab. In the computer lab we are treated to some vintage orange plasma-display terminals running BASIC, on which Gilbert somehow manages to conjure up some vector-graphic sketches of himself and his (about to be) girlfriend Judy (Michelle Meyrink), thus winning her heart.As the big party approaches, only Gilbert has a date. The Pis try to torture the TriLams by promising to be their dates. They do a lovely little number with candles and matching flouncy dresses in which they serenade their potential beaus. Of course they do not show up at the party. Judy saves the day by inviting her sorority girls, the Omega Mu (the "Moo's" -- yes, more lowbrow humor. The girls are just chunky enough for that bit of cruelty to be understandable). The party looks grim, and we are shown a ticking clock as uncomfortable moment after moment passes.
About an hour in Booger (Curtis Armstrong) breaks out some very fat joints, and suddenly everyone relaxes. The drug humor is what one would expect. Many of the nerds and Mu's are first timers, but they take to it with enthusiasm. Mr. Jefferson and his assistant also partake of the herb, and start to appreciate their new applicants. Things are winding down after a fine party when the Pi's execute their plan. They do not show up, but they send pigs in their stead. They and the Alpha Betas then taunt the nerds from a large flat-bed truck (full of hay and pigs). Gilbert says the deed must be avenged.Stage one is a panty raid on the Pi's,
in which several are caught dressing or showering. Also, 14-year-old whiz kid Harold Wormser (Andrew Cassese) plants a number
of remote controlled cameras around the girl's dorm, and the nerds stay up all night
observing girls in various stages of undress.Stage two is shorter, the jockstraps of the Alpha-Betas are all treated with an oil which causes serious burning sensations on the parts it touches. We see the entire football team out on the field doing a little dance.The nerds continue to be persecuted, a sign is burned on their lawn. Now they are a fraternity, but they still can get no justice because Stan, the President of the Greek Council, is their enemy. Conveniently, the President of the Greek council is chosen by the winner of the previous years Greek Homecoming Festival.The festival consists of some athletic events, a charity fund-raiser, and a skit competition. The Tri-Lams win the first athletic event, a 20 lap race on tricycles which requires the drinking of 20 cans of beer (one per lap). They win because Wormser comes up with Trimethylene? another bit of science nonsense which is said to "completely neutralize the affects of alcohol". The driver for the nerds is Toshiro Takashi (Brian Tochi). He is the only person not to pass out before the finish line. The Tri-Lams lose some other athletic events, as you would expect, to the Alpha-Betas. Black, gay, nerd and aerobics enthusiast Lamar Latrell (Larry B. Scott) does win the Javelin toss owing to some mystery aerodynamics by Wormser.When it comes to the carnival fundraisers, the Betas and the Pis sell kisses, but the TriLams raise more money than they by selling pies. The secret ingredient turns out to be a nice picture of Betty's boobs at the bottom of every dish, presumably taken with the clandestine videocams. Betty gets hot and bothered by all the kissing and propositions her boyfriend Stan, who rebuffs her. Conveniently, the kissing was being done in costume, so Lewis takes Stan's costume and finds Betty in the Moon Room, a dark room full of air mattresses. Thinking it's Stan, she has sex with Lewis, who keeps the mask on. When Lewis unmasks himself after doing the deed, Betty is surprised by his prowess, and decides to make him his girlfriend.The final event is the skit show. The TriLams win again by doing a fairly cool punk-ish number. Another imDB member pointed out that if you listen to Billy Idols "Flesh for Fantasy" (1983) the beginning guitar part out of that song is the same as the music the nerds played on stage, the hand actions clapping and guitar solo is exactly the same from Idols video of the same time period.The TriLams win! Gilbert becomes next Greek Council President and ... the Alpha Beta's burn down their house. After a brief "Oh woe is nerds" moment, Gilbert has the stones to take on the Alpha Betas at the homecoming pep rally. He is at first beaten up, but then the national Lambda's show up -- many fit, tall, black, men, looking kind of super-fly and they command he be unhanded. He gets to take the microphone and say he is proud to be a nerd and ask other nerds to join him. Lewis, then Betty, then hundreds of alums and others join in. Emboldened, Dean Ulich orders the Alphas to rebuild the Lambda house. The Lambdas will sleep in the Alpha house, while the Alphas can sleep in the gym.

Tags: revenge, cult, prank

Review:
It is easy to point out films like Porky's, Animal House and Fasttimes, but somewhere forgotten in all this is Jeff Kanew's hilarious flick REVENGE OF THE NERDS.
Besides being extremely funny, this film touched on something that we all can relate to.Revenge of the Nerds is another of the teen films that was hilarious and it ended up spawning a slew of sequels.
The ultimate "Misfits Revenge" movie, REVENGE OF THE NERDS became an instant classic in 1984, with some of the most memorable scenes and quotable dialogue since YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.
Yes, the film is predictable as they come as we've seen this formula a million times, but it's watchable thanks to some wonderful set pieces, outrageous dialogue and on target performances by Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong (memorable as Booger), John Goodman, Ted McGinley (no that is not a misprint), Larry B.
I was late to the party, though I grew up on films like this I never got round to watching the Revenge Of The Nerds movies but I'm really glad I finally did.I expected Porkys (1981), I expected a semi-brainless raunchy 1980's comedy but what I found was SO much more.With an immensely talented varied cast ranging from those who became huge stars like John Goodman to underrated talents like Curtis Armstrong this near perfectly crafted comedy benefits from an outstanding cast who make the film that much more special.Side splittingly funny, well written, excellent 80's soundtrack, feel good vibe and without excess T&A the Revenge Of The Nerds ticks every box twice and entertained me in a way I never expected and haven't experienced from a comedy like this in recent memory.I personally cannot wait to get around to the sequels and find out what our Nerd friends get up to next..
Although it may be all a bit silly and quite clichéd, this is nevertheless a good film of its type, with main characters that are appealing and a great title song, scored by Thomas Newman, who would later compose the scores of movies such as 'American Beauty'.
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.
I think this movie is still one of the funniest movies of the 1980's and today.Robert Carradine as Lewis Skonick and Anthony Edwards as Gilbert Lowell are awesome.The movie really shows that being a nerd is a great thing,I believe that if you have intelligence, don't be ashamed of yourself, this movie deals with being bullied cause of not being beautiful.
Ted McGinley (Happy Days, Love Boat, and Married With Children) as Alpha Beta leader Stan Gable, Donald Gibb (Jocks and Amazon Women On The Moon) as Ogre, David Wohl as Dean Ulich, Bernie Casey as U.N. Jefferson, Julia Montgomery (Up The Creek)a s Betty Childs, Michelle Meyrink (Real Genius and The Outsiders) as Judy, they all give great performances in the film.
I loved all the Revenge of the Nerds movies, I think they're excellent comedies for anyone who's been labelled a nerd to sit down and have a giggle over...
Best friends and nerds Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine, son of "skinny Dracula" John Carradine and brother of David Carradine) and Gilbert Lowe (Anthony Edwards) are excited to attend Adams College, but are instantly kicked out of their dorm by the Alpha Betas, who have burned their house down.
Here, it is: "Nerds go to school and fight jocks, then hijinks ensue."Battling Alpha Betas Stan (Ted McGinley, he who has caused many a TV show to "Jump the Shark"), Burke (Matt Salinger, son of J.D. and star of 1990's Captain America) and Ogre (Donald Gibb, Ray Jackson from Bloodsport), our Nerds overcome adversity and become a probationary Tri-Lamb fraternity.
Even worse, Betty falls instantly in love with her rapist, asking him if all Nerds are this good in bed.I haven't even gotten into the racism of the film, which posits all Japanese as horny photograph taking morons through the Takashi character.
I like "Revenge of the nerds " not only because in some way this movie is about me , but also because of the message it's sending to the world – don't be ashamed of who you are .
For all of the beautiful people out there - time has come for revenge of the nerds !The movie is full of colorful , memorable and likable characters : THE NERDS - Robert Carradine as the mild mannered Lewis Skonick , Anthony Edwards as brave Gilbert Lowell Curtis Armstrong as the disgusting Booger , Larry B.
"The jokes in 'Revenge of the Nerds' sometimes fall flat (the burping contest rings to mind) but the film manages to mainly stay on course with what it tries to do: have some fun, and entertain the audi.
So, with that in mind, `Revenge of the Nerds,' is, to me, the best college-geeks/misfits comedy around  - perhaps even better than `Stripes' (though that is pushing it, a bit).
The jocks of the college ridicule them publicly, causing them to retreat to their college dorms.But now, they've had it up to here, and they are making a strike against the oppression.Robert Carradine leads a low-star cast full of geek-comedy stereotypes: the loveable slob, the token black guy with `riddim,' the full-of-himself jock, the snobby (and busty) cheerleader, etc Fortunately, the characters are almost a pun on those of comedies like `Animal House'  they don't take themselves too seriously.
If John Landis was somehow offered to direct the film and rejected it, I can see why.The only good things about it were John Goodman and Bernie Casey, they played their roles and made the best out of the script they were given.And the choice of music is pretty good, the theme song is pretty catchy, a bit annoying but catchy.I'm sorry to the Nerds fanbase but this film just isn't very good, bash me and flame me all you like but it won't change my opinion.Overall, 3/10 from me.
Extremely predictable and full of stereotypical characters and tired jokes, "Revenge Of The Nerds" can be best viewed today as a time capsule.
The plight of the nerd has taken many forms in film and television over the years, but none so genuine as "Revenge of the Nerds." Amidst all the sex and party-obsessed college stereotyping and seemingly unrealistic projection of the high school nerds vs.
jocks concept onto the college scene, these nerds are pretty likable characters and their pranks make for the most classic college movie scenes outside of "Animal House."Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards play high school best friends (and bonafide nerds equipped with ridiculous inhaling laughs) who struggle to fit in to the college scene.
Once you get over the hump that there's no feasible way for "Revenge of the Nerds" to ever take place and that jocks and nerds would never have a rivalry going in a college setting, this movie becomes classic.
Revenge of the Nerds may turn out to be one of those comedy classics similar to Caddy Shack, Animal House, and Porky's.
Although this film is probably geared more towards being a teen flick, it certainly can have a much broader audience appeal.Robert Carradine's performance of Lewis, the head geek, is so on target, I think he may have type cast himself into that character.
This movie will most likely be enjoyed by people who have had these real life experiences(being a "nerd" or a "jock"), as well as people that want to enjoy a good fun comedy.
Rated R for Language and Sexual Content including Nudity Revenge Of The Nerds is a comedy film from 1984 which stars Robert Carradine(David Carradine's son and the person who plays Lizzie McGuire's father in the show Lizzie McGuire).I have seen this film 3 times though not recently.The film is basically about a bunch of nerds who are at college.They get picked on by the jocks and the cheerleaders don't want anything to do with them.So the nerds start their own fraternity and pull pranks on the jocks.Revenge Of The Nerds has a cast of funny characters and is a fairly funny movie..
Two friends Gilbert(Edwards) and Poindexter(Carradine) go to college expecting that things will have changed since High School, however what they find is different when the jocks (led by Married...With Children's Ted McGinley and Bloodsport's Donald Gibb) decide to pull mean pranks on our lovable nerds, of course this is college and the nerds band together to start a fraternity and in the process wage war on the jocks, in which many pranks ensue in this ultimately hilarious comedy which has aged fairly well.
OK, let me make one thing clear: If you didn't like Revenge Of The Nerds, Mr. Alpha-Beta Beautiful Person, beware.
Revenge of the Nerds is a sweet little classic for my generation; it is the movie that showed you that everybody could have his day, even if he was a nerd, in a big way.And so, 17 years after watching it, I look around all my friends, my girlfriend, and even some ex-jocks, and I finally figured it out.
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) *** (out of 4)Nerds Lewis (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) head off to college where they hope their lives will pick up some steam but upon arrival they're laughed at, picked on and thrown out of their house by the jocks.
Lastly, I feel bad for those people who sat through the rest of the films about the `Nerds'.The 1st movie was the best among the four.
By the way, look for Lamar Latrell in the movie Fear of a Black Hat.The total OPPOSITE of his character in `Nerds.'On a side note, if you're looking for a Halloween costume and you have a few other friends who are interested, the cast from "Revenge of the Nerds" is worth your while.5 out of 5 Stars!.
For a supremely crass comedy, the film does boast a strong cast that includes Robert "Django" Carradine, Anthony "Top Gun" Edwards, Timothy "The West Wing" Busfield, Curtis "Moonlighting" Armstrong, James "Babe" Cromwell, John "Monsters, Inc." Goodman, Bernie "Hit Man" Casey, and Ted "Love Boat" McGinley (okay, McGinley doesn't count as strong casting, but he is funny).
Dirty, raunchy, and completely unsuitable for teenage viewing, this movie makes it fun to remember what it was like when comedies actually contained full frontal female nudity!
A collection of exaggerated antics ensue, and it all makes for a wacky good time.Like I said, Revenge of the Nerds has everything you could expect from an 80's comedy.
A Comedy Classic For The Nerd In All Of Us. I first saw Revenge Of The Nerds ten years ago when I bought it on VHS it was a well made college comedy without too much nudity like most of today's films.
Robert Carradine & Anthony Edwards lead a cast of all stars in this very funny and intelligent movie about a group of misfits who use their intelligence to fight back against a group of football players in a fraternityI myself was a nerd too and got bullied and picked on a lot so in a way i understood how the characters felt about being treated differently because of my appearance and the fact that I'm smart.Besides Lewis one of my other favourite characters in the movie is Gilbert his best friend, he takes a stand against nerd prosecution by helping his friends fight for their rights.When best friends Lewis Skolnick (Carradine) & Gilbert Lowe (Edwards) begin their freshman year at Adams College they are unaware of the trouble that's ahead for them.
Aiding the Alpha Betas is their neighbouring sorority The Pi Delta Pis. Further complicating the situation is Lewis's developing crush on Betty Childs (Montgomery)a popular cheerleader, sorority sister and Gable's girlfriend.Two of my favourite scenes in the film include Lewis disguising himself so he can have sex with Betty in the fun house and the most surprising part is when she falls in love with him and dumps Stan then she declares "I'm in love with a nerd".The other scene takes place after the Lambdas win the homecoming games and return to find their house totally trashed and almost destroyed and Gilbert finally decides he's not gonna take the abuse anymore and goes to confront the enemy.The ending was pretty awesome because this group of ordinary young men fought for their rights and won against the beautiful people, seeing everyone including Gilbert's girlfriend Judy (Meyrink) joining the crowd was entertaining.
Given the unexpectedly high rating for this movie I can't help thinking that a lot of thirty-somethings must have re-watched it through a nostalgic haze, transported back to their own youth by the antics of the typical array of nerds and jocks at Adams College.
The 1980's poor man's Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds is the story of Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards as two total nerds at college.
Tormented by the brothers of Alpha Beta house, the nerds exact their revenge and the movie culminates in a puerile panty raid of the Pi Delta Pi sorority and the nerds' high-techno performance in the contest for best musical revue on campus.
Revenge of the Nerds is a juvenile comedy where the little guy gets his and the jocks and sorority bimbos get what's coming to them..
The classic battle of nerds and jocks featuring an all-star cast:  Anthony Edwards, Robert Carradine, Curtis Armstrong, Larry Scott, Timothy Busfield, Julie Montgomery, Michelle Meyrink, Donald Gibb, and Ted McGinley.
These are the type of movies I love 80's teen comedy's (fast times, reveng of the nerds, porky's ect).
Animal House is of course the best college comedy, but this film would come in at a close second.
From the most annoying donkey-like geek laughs, to the deadpan presence of Bernie Casey in some of the most ridiculous scenes of the film, the stupid weird dancing and uptight nerds going wild, the gay black kid character at a time when one could just laugh at funny things without moral taboos...
A follow up to a scene from Animal House where everyone who was not a white, good looking jock were not deemed to be the right sort to join the frat house.Louis and Gilbert are high school friends who are heading for college but are soon branded nerds and hence outsiders.
When the football jocks burn their own building down the nerds are kicked out from their own dormitory and and forced to live in the gymnasium.After constant bullying and humiliation from the jocks they form their own fraternity and ally themselves with an accredited, mainly black college who accepts them and are able to renovate a rundown campus houseThis means they can take their grievance to the their own college council but are again stonewalled by the jocks who run it and then challenge them at the Greek Games where the nerds use their cunning and brain power to get one up on the jocks.Like a lot of 1980s comedies of this type, it has bimbos, tits and arse, 80s music, stereotypes but its heart is in the right place as the geeks fight back against the bullies.It is not a great film but a fun, silly film with a lot of actors who went on to become familiar faces such as James Cromwell, John Goodman and Anthony Green..
When you're in the mood to watch a bad movie filled with bad acting, Revenge of the Nerds is worth considering.
Two computer nerds--Lewis (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert (Anthony Edwards)--have trouble in college because of a fraternity of sadistic jocks.
I think, though, that the movie can be summed up in its title song: "So go ahead, put us down, One of these days we'll turn it around; Won't be long, mark my words The time has come for _Revenge of the Nerds_!".
Oh man, Revenge Of The Nerds is one of my favorite 80's comedies and as such this holds up well and is still funny many years later.
Revenge Of The Nerds would become a franchise with one more feature film and a few made for television movies, the sequel ROTN 2 Nerds In Paradise is classic as well and the made for tv sequels are entertaining, but none of them are as good as the 1st film.
Classic 80's comedy, Revenge Of The Nerds rock!.
Revenge of the Nerds is a decent movie with a fairly well developed storyline and a good comedic cast.
It's quite funny at times, but I don't think Revenge of the Nerds deserves to be considered one of the great comedy movies of the eighties, but it is certainly worth the watch if you ever see it on television.
Overall Revenge of the Nerds isn't a bad movie but it also isn't this fantastic comedy full of laughs.
It's been years since I've seen this movie all the way through, but it was worth it to see it on TV Land only a few nights ago.Being neither a nerd or jock myself back in the day, I still understand the idea of taking down tormentors like the Alpha Betas.The jokes are absolutely timeless, considering that 80's comedies never really go out of style.Everyone can identify with this movie and that is one of the reasons why it's so memorable and so quotable.
The movie is basically the nerds against the jocks/princesses and almost everyone can relate to this film.
Great acting from the underrestemated Carradine and Tony Edwards including all the other fantastic nerds!Revenge of the Nerds is a film that always will stand close to my passion for movies since it's one of the few comedys i actually like.