We all know that the Cannon Group was never known for making intelligent, thought-provoking movies – Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus would have rather turned out “American Ninja 5” than “Rashomon.” Still, every once in a while some quality shined through the exploitation — or sometimes along with it — and that happy combination occurred in 1982 with the release of “Lemon Popsicle” auteur Boaz Davidson’s THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN (93 mins., R), which is back on Blu-Ray this month from MVD as part of their fan-favorite “Rewind Collection.”
This cable TV staple has become something of a cult classic over the years not so much because it offers silly, ridiculous high school fun (which it does to a degree), but rather because of its painful, realistic ending that punches the unsuspecting viewer right in the gut. It could have easily been an Afterschool Special titled “Look What Happens When You Fall in Love With the Pretty Girl.”
Lawrence Monoson plays Gary, a high schooler who — like pals Rick and David — wants to “score” with the opposite sex. While the trio’s attempts at sexual conquest include run-ins with willing classmates, a burned-out hooker, and a lonely housewife, Gary really just wants to find one particular girl to settle down with. And, this being 1982, Gary only cares about the most gorgeous girl in his class (Diane Franklin, who played high schoolers for years following this film), neglecting clear and obvious obstacles like she doesn’t care about him whatsoever. Still, that doesn’t stop our hero from falling for the mysterious Karen, even going so far as to help her out once she gets pregnant.
Yes, it is heavy stuff for a brainless teen comedy, but it’s what makes “The Last American Virgin” such an audience favorite. Here’s a movie that offers the requisite sex jokes and dumb fun of “Porky’s” but takes a sharp, unexpected turn towards the dramatic in its final 30 minutes. If you’ve never seen the movie before, I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the movie’s painful conclusion – backed by the strains of the James Ingram/Quincy Jones classic “Just Once” – which initially seems to come out of left field but works so well that you’ll be remembering it for days afterwards. In fact, a book on high school movies went so far as to compare it to the end of “Seven.” (I have to admit that it might be even more jolting!).
MVD’s Blu-Ray (1.85, 2.0 LPCM stereo) preserves the same older MGM HD master as seen on respective Olive and Arrow Blu-Rays. However, the higher bit-rate and superior compression give this disc a slight edge in the tech department, while an amazing slipcover is a virtual reproduction of the movie’s original MGM/UA VHS release (kudos to whoever at MVD designed it!). Even better are the extras by Robert Fischer’s Fiction Factory, which have been carried over from the 2013 Arrow disc and debut in the U.S. for the first time. These include long interviews with Lawrence Monoson, Diane Franklin, Boaz Davidson and cinematographer Adam Greenberg, plus the original trailer and TV spots.
