Blu Release – 4/5
Special Features for Disc 1
Commentary with Richard Gabai and Michelle Bauer
Production Still Slideshow
Behind The Scenes Bloopers
Trailer
B- Movie Awards /w Rhonda Shear, Gilbert Gottfried, and Richard Gabai
Richard Gabai and the Checks Music Videos
Subtitles
Special Features for Disc 2
Introduction w/ Rhonda Shear
Commentary with Richard Gabai and Michelle Bauer
Production Still Slideshow
Behind The Scenes w/ Linnea Quigley
USA Up All Night appearance w/ Rhonda Shear and Richard Gabai
Burt Ward Interview
Linnea Quigley Interview
Michelle Bauer Interview
Richard Gabai Interview
Subtitles
Disc 3 Soundtrack from The Checks
Tracking Listing
1.Double Life
2.Dreams Do Come True
3.She’s Gotta Shake
4.Drivin’ all Night
5.One Shot
6.She’s Not My Girl
7.I’m Back
8.First Impressions
9.Ode to a Frog
10.The Night is Young
11.Tear up the Town
12.Thicker Than Blood
13.Touch Me Tender
14.Sparks From a Flame
15.Make You Mine
16.Why’d You Have to Go?
17.Those Days are Gone
18.Big Black Cadillac
* Bonus Track featuring Tane’ McClure -My Boyfriend is a Party Nerd *
Assault of the Party Nerds
Director – Richard Gabai (Blood Nasty, Virgin High)
Starring – Richard Gabai, Richard Rifkin (Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Lords of Magick), and Joe Whyte (Night Visitors, Hotel Translyvania 3: Summer Vacation)
Release Date – 1989
Tagline – “When the nerds get crazy it’s the frat bash of the century”
Rating – 3/5
I love the era from which I grew up. I was born in the 80s and grew up in the 90s. The video store and late night television were my homes away from home. I’ve always been a fan of cinema in some form or another and I remember spending a lot of my time, especially on the weekend and summer breaks, watching movies on tape or checking stuff out on cable. When I was little I remember staying up late to watch shows like MonsterVision and USA Up All Night. I will occasionally watch episodes of both of these on YouTube just to get that nostalgic feeling.
A few months back I saw that Terror Vision was releasing Late Night Classics Vol. 2: Assault of the Party Nerds 1 and 2 on blu for Culture Shock Releasing. I had never heard of these two films before but when I saw that the bonus features an Up All Night appearance with director and star Richard Gabai it reminded me how much I loved the show. I snagged a copy and worked it into my review list.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows the last remaining four members of their frat and are about to graduate. They have just a few months to recruit new members and decide to throw the biggest party campus has ever seen. However, they don’t have the funds and decide to trick their frat’s main office in order to make some quick money. With the money in hand, they plan on throwing the party while dodging another frat that they tricked into failing their mid-terms. **Spoiler Alert**
I watched several movies as they aired on Up All Night but I don’t recall seeing Assault of the Party Nerds. I have a pretty good memory, especially of films that I’ve seen, so I’m almost positive I never watched it when it was on television. I wish I had watched during it’s airing but I’m sure if I did a little looking I could find a VHS rip on YouTube if I really wanted to. As for the film itself, I really liked it. I could see myself watching it over and over again if I would have discovered it when I was young. It was a lot of fun especially when you consider it was at the tail end of the raunchy sex comedies of the 80s.
The acting in this one is enjoyable for a low budget comedy that went straight to video. The cast had solid careers up to this point and several would continue to act or provide voice for film until now. This is my introduction to Richard Gabai and I have to admit that I do like his style of comedy. His character is not the most original even by 80s standards. The raunchy sex comedies became a staple of cinemas and video stores long before 1989 so by this point it’s a bit difficult to create something a bit more original. With that being said, he does a solid job but anyone could have portrayed this paint by numbers character.
The film also introduced me to Richard Rifkin who would find success in other films and voice acting but nothing I had really seen before now. I really liked his character here even though it was rather cliched as well. He is a mix between Booger from Revenge of the Nerds and Bluto from National Lampoon’s Animal House. One of the main reasons I snagged this was for Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer. It was cool to see them in another 80s flick but their characters were also rather cliched and unoriginal.
The story for this one is a melting pot of so many different college comedies from the late 70s through the 80s. The nerdy frat plans a party as one big bang before graduating. A rival frat tries to stop them and college girls love to show their breasts. Honestly, it’s not original but it’s still fun for a late night flick. The humor works at times and when it doesn’t we have the nudity to fall back on it.
Finally, no blood in this one. However, is college girls in the nude, along with Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer are your thing then this one is for you. Overall, Assault of the Party Nerds
Assault of the Party Nerds 2: The Heavy Petting Detective
Director – Richard Gabai (The Bike Squad, In the Dark)
Starring – Richard Gabai, Christopher Dempsey (Breaking Bad, Virtual Girl), and Michelle Bauer (Scream Queen Hot Tub Party, Hellroller)
Release Date – 1995
Tagline – “The party nerds are back!”
I went into Assault of the Party Nerds not knowing what to expect and I found myself actually enjoying it. To be honest, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. It’s not very original and it feels like a combination of several raunchy comedies from the early 80s but it works. I doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it knows what it wants to be and runs with it. It’s fun, especially for a first time watch, but I can see myself spinning it again from time to time. When I bought the blu I didn’t realize it included the 1995 sequel but I’m glad it did. It was just as fun as the first film.
**Spoiler Alert** The film, once again, follows Ritchie (Gabai) who is now married to Muffin (Bauer) and is a private investigator. Ritchie is tasked with getting dirt on a wealthy businessman’s soon to be son-in-law who just happens to be Muffin’s ex-boyfriend Bud. This comes as he is getting ready for the 5 year celebration of the big party from part one. However, they are on the brink of losing their frat house forcing Ritchie to help them as well before the party. **Spoiler Alert**
Assault of the Party Nerds 2 isn’t the funniest or raunchiest film I had seen but it did make me laugh a few times while exploiting the beauty that is Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer. I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as the first film but it was still a solid sequel that tried to feel like an 80s sex comedy but was really a straight to video mid-90s comedy.
The acting in this one is exactly as the first film. The characters are very cliched and unoriginal but they fit the film so well. The cast does a solid job in their roles with Bauer and Quigley giving viewers what they want.
The story for this one doesn’t follow in the college sex comedy approach. Instead, it feels like a crime comedy with nudity and a plot that you would find in a kids movie from the same era. A private investigator searching for dirt on someone while saving his frat house is not the most thrilling of stories. Hell, if you took out the nudity and replaced Gabai with a teenager then you would have a film that would feel like it was made by Full Moon’s sister company, Moonbeam. I liked the story but it’s a huge departure from the previous film.
Finally, don’t expect to see any blood and gore. Instead, we get some nudity and humor. Overall, Assault of the Party Nerds 2 is a decent enough sequel that fans of Michelle Bauer and Linnea Quigley should really check out. Some of the humor works and while it doesn’t have the replay value of the first film it still delivers. Check it out.
