Big Man on Campus

Plot synopsis:
The film opens with a news broadcast on the apparent sighting of a "mysterious creature" on the UCLA campus. Among those interviewed are underachieving student Alex Kominski (Corey Parker) and his girlfriend Cathy Adams (Melora Hardin). Although neither claim to believe in the creature's existence, a hunchbacked figure (Allan Katz) is shown looking down from the bell tower, spying on Cathy through a telescope.
While attending a renaissance-themed carnival on campus, Alex gets involved in a scuffle after insulting another student's girlfriend. When Cathy interjects herself into the fight, the creature suddenly comes to her defense. He motions affectionately toward Cathy, but is chased away by campus security and eventually captured. After a cursory examination, the creature is brought to trial where psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Fisk (Jessica Harper) is quick to label him as a menace to society. Cathy refutes the doctor's opinion, stating that the creature was only trying to protect her. Another witness, Dr. Richard Webster (Tom Skerritt), the head of the university's Psychology department, suggests it might be possible to rehabilitate the creature.
Finally the hunchback himself is called to the stand, where Dr. Fisk asks him who he believes is better qualified to determine his fate, Dr. Webster or herself. Demonstrating that the primitive creature can only repeat the last thing he hears spoken, he predictably answers, "Dr. Fisk". She then further humiliates him by prompting him to describe himself as a "complete and total fool". Given the evidence, Judge Ferguson (John Finnegan) orders that the hunchback be confined in a mental facility. When Cathy protests, the creature stands and acknowledges both her and the judge by name, leading the judge to overturn his ruling and award temporary custody to the university under the supervision of Dr. Webster, with the condition that should the creature exhibit any violent behavior, he will be institutionalized.
Upon being escorted back to the university, the creature shows Alex, Cathy, and Dr. Webster his home in the bell tower, cluttered with various objects scavenged from around campus. Reluctant to leave him alone in the tower, Cathy encourages Alex to stay and watch over him, with Dr. Webster offering to get him special consideration for the task from his instructors at the university. Left with little choice in the matter, Alex agrees.
Over the next several days, the hunchback undergoes a series of observational tests, including speech therapy with Dr. Diane Girard (Cindy Williams). Despite his unusual behavior, he learns quickly, and with time he and Alex eventually become friends. During a session with Dr. Webster, the creature is asked to choose his own name. After settling on "Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga", he explains that after his father deserted them and his mother died from illness, a group of people came and locked him away. He then managed to escape custody and take up residency in the bell tower.
Despite all his progress, Bob remains infatuated with Cathy. While Alex struggles to catch up on his studies in order to pass his finals, Bob strives to better himself in order to win Cathy's affections. But when he suddenly presents her with an engagement ring, Cathy has no choice but to turn him down. Heartbroken, Bob returns to the bell tower where he receives a phone call from Dr. Fisk. Desperate to prove her theory that Bob is a danger to others, she falsely tells him that Cathy was injured in an accident. Bob immediately races across campus to the girls' dormitories, but is confused to find Cathy alive and well. With campus security closing in on him, Bob flees into the streets of Los Angeles.
Alex and Cathy and the rest of Bob's supporters then appear on a controversial talk show hosted by Stanley Hoyle (Gerrit Graham), who attempts to demonize Bob in every way possible. When Hoyle states that Alex and the others are "in big trouble" for supporting the hunchback, Bob, who has been watching the program on television, is prompted to come to his friends' aid. After taking a taxi to the studio, he makes his way in through the roof and swings down from the catwalk to snatch up Dr. Fisk. Forced to confess her lie in front of everyone, the live audience quickly turns to Bob's side, chanting his name. Stanley Hoyle then apologizes to Bob for his slanderous remarks, and Dr. Webster suggests looking into a scholarship for Bob at the university. When asked by Hoyle if he would have done anything different up to this point, Bob takes Dr. Girard into his arms and kisses her at "two speeds", a reference to an intimate experience Bob once had with a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Bob then smiles sheepishly into the camera as the film ends.

Tags: romantic

Review:
10 out of 10 doesn't go far enough to tell you how good this film is.
i can't believe you didn't get a laugh a minute out of this film.
we, my friends and family found, it hilarious,we have all watched it several times.
it's laugh out loud, belly clutching, plain funny.
long live the hairball.....you must judge for yourselves, try it and listen out for bob's sex aids, watch him roll off the coach,when he wants to eat chocolate and for future reference it's bob alga-looga-looga-looga-looga.bob alga and 4 looga's.watch the film,and listen to that script.we are all surprised it wasn't more famous all those people missing out on those laughs written and loved by madeline tansey.
this film is full of catchy/witty humor, and is a joy to watch.
b.m.o.c. may not be for everyone because some people just can`t relate to a hunchback that has lived in a room that overlooks a college campus for most of his life.
but if you give this movie a chance you will like it!
to be honest their really isn`t much to say about this film except that it`s about a hunchback that falls for a college co-ed and has some funny mis-adventures throughout the movie.
it`s not a film that could win academy awards but it is a film that will win your heart, it`s one of those "feel good" movies that will end up having some kind of cult following for many years to come.
Cute Movie.....
....but definitely belongs on Comedy Central's "Mastercheese Theater", which is where I always seem to catch this movie every time it's on.
:-)I think the movie is cute, although I don't know if it deserves the star rating it had when I looked up this movie.
Bob is funny, I will give him credit for.
I think Cory Parker was trying a little too hard to be Woody Allen with a lot of his lines in this film.
Big Man On Campus is one of the funniest movies ever made in the 80's.
Big Man On Campus is one of the funniest movies ever made in the 80's.
I remember when I first saw it along with my family in 1992 that I loved it.
Now when I talked with a couple of my friends at school about it, they've seen it too.
Now, after years of not watching it and going crazy, I finally got a chance to watch it again with my church youth.
Some thought it was funny while others thought that it was crude, and I have to agree on some parts especially when Tom Skerrit talks about Cathy being Bob's way of masturbating or something like that.
Plus, my church youth and I will never (at least me and a couple of others) forget the part when Bob was naming body parts to Diane Gerard and asked what part was his private and she said "oh, boy."  Well, Bob thought "Oh, boy," was the name and started saying "oh, boy," over.
If you haven't seen this movie, then you don't know what you are missing..
This is one of those films that's so stupid, it's funny.
It's a little slow going at first, but once you get into it, you realize that Allan Katz is a master at subtle physical schtick.
This is the sort of film where you'll come away reciting lines for years to come.
Unfortunately, almost no one else will know what you're talking about, because hardly anyone has seen this film.
Big Man on Campus is a forgettable but pleasant little retelling of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
It's pleasant because it's witty and silly and no one could get mad at Bob Maloogaloogaloogalooga (How many "loogas" are there supposed to be, anyway?).
It's forgettable because other than some of the goofy stuff that the hunchperson says, there's not a single situation or person that really sticks to your memory.BMOC was recommended to me by a good friend some ten years ago.
She thought it was hilarious, and it is for someone in the mood for, well, this movie.
Bob once made love to hoover vacuum 2speeds rrrrrrrRRRRR.
This movie was awesome , never got the credit it deserved .
If anyone can ever find and get me a good quality DVD of this movie i will be forever grateful and i will pay for it of course ..
great movie.
i found this movie to be a slapstick comedy that surpassed all my expectations.i would recommend this film to anyone who loves to watch a moviejust so they can laugh.when my good woman first told me about this movie,i thought no not for me.It didn't help that while trying to tell me about the film,she constantly laughed,so i didn't really find out anything of substance of the storyline.i eventually sat down and watched the film and laughed from start to finish.the storyline isn't important,as this film is just a good movie to make you laugh:).
First, this is a favorite movie of mine.
I do love watching it, but NOT for any cerebral reason whatsoever.
So many of the lines in the movie just seem to be repeated for a week or so afterwards, as my son and I amuse ourselves.While I don't recommend beer for the younger ones, watching the opening credits to this movie with the first beer almost completely in is a great start.
This is NOT "Saving Private Ryan".The sad thing about this movie, is that aside from the writer/star, Allan Katz, all other performances are completely forgettable.
This is a movie written by, and for, the star to perform in.
Everyone is a straight man for Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga.
If you don't take yourself too seriously, you too may be able to simply laugh your butt off watching this.
And if you also have a "stupid movie" collaborator like I do with my 16 year old son, why then you can double your fun!.
This is one of the greatest films I remember from my childhood.
Its a film which you can do impressions of with your friends for years to come.
Its humor is slightly repetative with the same jokes used a few times, but still, it works.
Definately see this movie.
It wasnt made to win any Oscars, but it does its trick to give you a laugh with your friends and make you feel good for a few hours :).
It's a MUST have for my movie collection....
Comedy Central [cable channel] played this several times one year, and everytime i saw it i liked it MORE....
The story and the charactors flow well and pretty soon you like the hunchback so much your tempted to name your first born "Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga ".....
It might seem a pat campus movie, but there's a lot more here.
The gags and jokes are really funny, and catch you by their Understatement.
It has become one of our ravenous movie watcher household's "watch again" classics, a fate which few films enjoy..We have one 35 yr old filmwriter and fanatic, one theater/film educated person of the next [old] generation, and one newby with discrimination.
We stumbled upon "Big Man on Campus," and immediately determined that we had laid our eyes upon the single most retarded movie in the history of film.
All the characters deliver their lines badly and the dialogue is campy, and Bob MaloogaLooga-LoogaLoogaLooga was pretty funny but I wanted to hit him in the face.We couldn't, however, seem to stop watching.
Every scene got more ridiculous than the one before it, and we found ourselves rolling on the floor laughing by the time the inevitable happened: Bob MaloogaLooga-LoogaLoogaLooga starts making dirty jokes and trys to get laid.
"Big Man on Campus" is now a favorite of ours and we regularly quote lines from it.Highly recommended.
Why watch a dumb movie like "Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo" when you can watch a REALLY dumb movie like "Big Man On Campus" ?.
I have been bumping into this movie late nite for awhile now and it's grown on me.
Bob is a really winning character, and probably deserves his own teevee show.I give this movie One Malooga and Four Loogas!.
Big Man on Campus is a funny movie.
Big Man on campus is a clever, witty movie that will definitely make you laugh!
You grow to love Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga and I found myself keeping my fingers crossed for him!
It is a movie for everyone and I recommend it.
LOVE THIS MOVIE.
this movie is hilarious.
anyone who does not think this movie is great, i would not want to be friends with.
it just keeps getting better and better with each time you watch it..
Talked to Bob!.
I've started a website devoted to this movie at www.malooga.com.
Yes, Allan Katz emailed me to say thanks for keeping the dream alive.
He explained why the movie has not been released on DVD.
I've emailed them asking to have it released on DVD, but have had no response yet.We all know how great the movie is and maybe if lots of us email Lions Gate, they'll consider a DVD.
It's a longshot, but hey, this is a cult film and it's going to take a lot of pressure to get what we want.Please stop by the site and have a look and let me know what you think.
Allan sent me the original script along with a never before seen photo of Bob and I've posted these on the site.
This film has some funny and touching moments, but it's only sporadically truly inspired.
Allan Katz gives a very good performance as the title character, and it's a role that must have been more difficult and demanding that it appears at first.
An OK film to watch, but the story just seems to go on and on and on...long after you're ready for it to end.
We have been searching for this movie on DVD for a few years and were very excited to actually find it.
We first saw this movie in the late 80's and even recorded it on VHS.
It was always a go to movie when there was nothing else to watch.
We still quote different lines from this movie today and I am sure being able to watch it again will just renew the fun of that.
Ranking it right up there with Scavenger Hunt.(another hard to find movie)One of our favorites!!!.
can anyone tell me where i can get this movie.
i have seen this movie years ago and i would like my family to see it now, does anyone know where i can get it i have tried for some time i would be very grateful thank you.
i think this was a brilliant film the first time i watched it a laughed so much i missed some of it and had to watch it again nd again its really good, i had a copy of it as it wasknown as hunchback hairbal of la, then i lost it nd some timelater i found a copy in th library and it was called big man on campus it is a really funny film, i would really like my sons to see it now as i have told them so much about it but i cant get a copy anywhere i would be very grateul if anyone can tell me where to get it or if it will be on DVD soon thank you..
A great film for the entire family.
I saw this movie with my kids in 1990 while we were vacationing.
ll of us really enjoyed the film.
I was able to acquire a VHS copy a couple of years later and in fact, I haven't run across a person that I have shown it to that didn't like it.
Of course Alan Katz is really fantastic as Bob Malooga Looga Looga Looga Looga.
but I would really like to see Lions Gate release it on DVD.
Lions Gate owns all of Vestrons film library apparently.
I've sent an email I urge others who liked the film to do so as well.
you have to have a sense of humor and see the humor in the movie.
i laughed till i cried while watching this movie.
i have it on VHS and watch it when i need a laugh.
i have had my friends watch it as well and some of the lines are great.
it makes people laugh.
and then they ask where did i hear that line and i tell them big man on campus.
laughter is a great way to let the stress of the day evaporate.i think when william katz wrote the movie it was done with tongue in cheek humor and as he plays the hunch back he would have to have one.a sense of humor i mean.
Big Man on Campus.
I first saw this film when my teenagers were small, we all loved it and to this day we still quote from it, people think we are mad as no-one has seen it!
I have searched everywhere for this film, I thought that good old Sky TV would repeat it again but no and the video we had was recorded over so I was over the moon when I found a copy of the video on EBay, I am awaiting delivery as we speak!Thank God for the internet, now I can surprise my kids and show my little one (she is 7) and introduce her to Bob Maloogalooga etc.I even went so far as to have a pet cat called mooka and a rat called camoula.
The funniest and yes daftest film I have ever seen, but I LOVE IT!.
I saw this movie years ago, by accident, on Sky movies and taped it the next time it was shown.
Nobody I had ever asked about it had heard of it and soon my videotape was doing the rounds and not one person who had borrowed it didn't agree that it was extremely funny.Alan Katz is hilarious as Bob the hunchback and all the other actors do an adequate job in supporting his character.There are some classic lines in there that you will find yourself reciting to the other members of your family & friends who have seen it.I'm not going to write a synopsis of the movie because there are already plenty of them on here, I just want to say that if you EVER get a chance to see this movie, then jump at it, and if the studios have any sense at all and release this on DVD one day, then buy it.
Love this film!
I was only 1 when it came out but we have it on video and me and my mum think it is one of the funniest films I have ever seen!
my favourite parts are: 'you can have any piece of chicken you like, a leg, wing?' '2 faces!'/ (singing)'Caaathy Malooga, Malooga Caaaaathy' at the top of his tower/when he stuffed his face with chocolate cake and it all gets stuck in his beard/when he is in the Psychiatrists sat on the bed thing and he can't lay backwards because of his hump and he just rolls off onto the floor!/camoola the rat 'mooka camoola'/ :oD i could go on forever!
Classic Film!.
Allan Katz is great, Corey Parker is horrible.
I love this movie simply because of Allan Katz's portrayal of hunchback Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga ("one malooga, four loogas").
He is very quotable ("Why is my face leaking?"), and the physical comedy is great too.However, Corey Parker is horrendous.
Melora Hardin (girlfriend Cathy) has an average and forgettable performance, but it's an accomplishment that she was even able to laugh at Parker on screen.
So bad, you'll be embarrassed FOR him.Cindy Williams and Tom Skerritt play professors, and are both very good in their "straight man" roles opposite Katz.
But watching Katz is really the only reason to watch this movie, and it is well worth the time.
This is a great "bad" movie!
This is a great "bad" movie!
I love Bob Maloogaloogaloogalooga....looga.
It is very silly, and sometimes cheesy, but Bob rocks.
Bob has become a cult classic in my house, my roommate introduced me to this movie, and it became a classic in my heart, at first, it seemed really stupid, but after sticking to it, it is really funny..
The Best Movie Ever!.
If you've never met Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga, you've missed one of the great experiences of life.
This little known, out-of-print film, is a masterpiece that can only be appreciated with repeated viewing.
This is possibly one of the funniest movies ever!
That was it - hooked!You've just got to watch it to check out the look on Bob's face when he's been goaded into eating all of the chocolate cake.A classic !.
The first time I watched this movie, I nearly turned it off after a few minutes - it seemed too ridiculous to bother with.
Allan Katz has made a film destined to become a cult classic (at least around my house).
Mocha!" right along with Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga..
This 1989 comedy stars Allan Katz, Corey Parker, Melora Hardin, Tom Skerritt, Jessica Harper and Cindy Williams.
This is basically a send-up of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" where we meet Bob (Katz), a semi-deformed, wild-man who dwells in an old bell/clock tower on a college campus.
Parker (How I Got Into College) plays Alex, a college student who becomes his friend & roommate, Hardin (The Office) plays Alex's girlfriend, Cathy who is the object of Bob's Affection, Skerritt (Top Gun) plays psychologist, Webster, Harper (Suspiria) plays psychiatrist, Fisk who thinks Bob is a danger to society and Williams (Laverne & Shirley) plays professor, Girard who falls for Bob. I grew up watching this and always enjoyed it.
This is an amusing late 80's comedy with humor and heart I recommend.