Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Jeff Kanew

Writers:

Jeff Buhai (writer)
Tim Metcalfe (story)
(more)

Release Date:

20 July 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

It's time for the odd to get even

Plot:

At a big campus, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self respect.

Plot Keywords:

Nerd | Jock | Fraternity | College | Sorority

Cast

Robert Carradine	...	Louis Skolnick
Anthony Edwards	...	Gilbert Lowell
Timothy Busfield	...	Arnold Poindexter
Andrew Cassese	...	Harold Wormser
Curtis Armstrong	...	Dudley 'Booger' Dawson
Larry B. Scott	...	Lamar Latrell
Brian Tochi	...	Toshiro Takashi
Julia Montgomery	...	Betty Childs (as Julie Montgomery)
Michelle Meyrink	...	Judy
Ted McGinley	...	Stan Gable
Matt Salinger	...	Danny Burke
Donald Gibb	...	Fred "The Ogre" Palowakski, Alpha Beta
James Cromwell	...	Mr. Skolnick (as Jamie Cromwell)
David Wohl	...	Dean Ulich
John Goodman	...	Coach Harris
Bernie Casey	...	U.N. Jefferson
Alice Hirson	...	Mrs. Florence 'Flo' Lowe
F. William Parker	...	Sergeant
Roger Carter	...	U.N. Assistant
Kres Mersky	...	Mrs. Wormser
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Woman
Lisa Welch	...	Suzy
Suzanne B. Hayes	...	Michelle
Shawn Siqueiros	...	Joanne
Sandra Katzel	...	Connie
Fumio Kodama	...	Japanese Man
Lance Lombardo	...	Lamar's Date
William B. Wilson	...	Tough-Looking Guy
Carl Cherry	...	Tri-Lam
Adam Frank	...	Blond Nerd
Taylor Samuels	...	Plaid Brother
Brad Grunberg	...	Plaid Brother (as Bradley Grunberg)
James Anklam	...	Hooded Alpha Beta
Matthew M. Haugh	...	Hooded Alpha Beta
William C. Horning	...	Hooded Alpha Beta
Angela C. Gardaphe	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Lisa Kolasa	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Kristen Kinderman	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Kay Strunk	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Gamble Baffert	...	Rho-Rho
Brian Lover	...	Rho-Rho
Jerry Kurinsky	...	Rho-Rho
Tonja Sue Philbee	...	Rho-Rho
Monique Sorenson	...	Rho-Rho
Calon Blackledge	...	Rho-Rho
Scott Bird	...	Nerd
David Moskowitz	...	Nerd
Steven Duran	...	Nerd
Thomas Obeid	...	Nerd
Theodore Kerpez	...	Nerd
Michael Urena	...	Nerd
Vincent Lindsley	...	Nerd
Laura Bell	...	Omega Mu
Linda Felker	...	Omega Mu
Deborah Bernstein	...	Omega Mu
Renee Mintz	...	Omega Mu
Donna Costello	...	Omega Mu
Lillie Nusz	...	Omega Mu
Romy Dushoff	...	Omega Mu
Rhonda Tinsley	...	Omega Mu
Felicia Fagan	...	Omega Mu
Jennifer Wilcox	...	Omega Mu
John Almon	...	Jock
Brian Nelson	...	Jock
Daniel Egan	...	Jock
Thomas Repp	...	Jock
Jay Galland	...	Jock
Jay Halland	...	Jock
Andrew Salan	...	Jock
Dean Heindel	...	Jock
Scott Spangler	...	Jock
Robert Melton	...	Jock
Steve Yeatras	...	Jock
Madaline Blinder	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Colleen Madden	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Lucy Craig	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Susan Myers	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Jennie Gaio	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Kristi Nelson	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Carolyn Hoover	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Melissa Perlman	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Karen Knutzen	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Lori Stock	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Chris Stravolo	...	Pi-Delta-Pi
Kelly Reed	...	Lap Girl
Malcolm Gregor	...	Mail Slot Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Kendrick	...	Trainer
Clint Austin	...	Alpha Beta (uncredited)
Greg Berg	...	Larry Fine robot (voice) (uncredited)
Kris Levario	...	TV Aerobic Instructor (uncredited)
Michael L. White	...	Jock (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeff Kanew

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jeff Buhai		writer
Tim Metcalfe		story
Miguel Tejada-Flores		writer
Steve Zacharias		writer

Produced by
Ted Field	....	producer
Peter Macgregor-Scott	....	co-producer
Peter Samuelson	....	producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
King Baggot

Casting by
Susan Arnold
Paula Herold

Production Design by
James L. Schoppe

Set Decoration by
Frank Lombardo

Makeup Department
Frank Griffin	....	makeup artist
Yolanda Toussieng	....	hair stylist
Mark Wittenberg	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Henry Kline	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terence A. Donnelly	....	first assistant director (as Terry Donnelly)
James M. Freitag	....	second assistant director
Gary Law	....	additional second assistant director
Byron MacDonald	....	assistant director intern

Art Department
Craig B. Ayers Sr.	....	greens foreman
Jo Brown	....	painter
Michael Casey	....	set dresser
William 'W' Gilpin	....	construction foreman
Art Lipschultz	....	property master
Lance Lombardo	....	lead man
Everett Olson	....	construction coordinator
Michael Friedman	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mike O. Corrigan	....	supervising sound editor
Bob Daniels	....	adr editor
Pieter Hubbard	....	sound editor
William Jacobs	....	sound editor
John Paul Jones	....	sound editor
Ed Osborne	....	sound editor (as Edward Osborne)
Al Overton Jr.	....	sound mixer
Richard Overton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Theodore Soderberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Wells	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Joseph A. Unsinn	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
Edward Adams	....	stunts
Steve Blalock	....	stunts (as Stephen Andrew Blalock)
Bing Blenman	....	stunts
John Cade	....	stunts
Corey Michael Eubanks	....	stunts (as Corey Eubanks)
Joe Gilbride	....	stunts (as Joseph C. Gilbride)
Terry James	....	stunt coordinator
Terry James	....	stunts
Danny Rogers	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Ron Batzdorff	....	still photographer
Stephen E. Bridge	....	camera operator
Joseph Cosko Jr.	....	second assistant camera
Roger Gebhard	....	assistant camera
Marlin Hall	....	key grip
George Holmes	....	chief lighting technician
Louis Niemeyer	....	assistant camera
Dennis Smith	....	camera operator
Ronald Vidor	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Susan Johnson	....	casting intern

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Hopper	....	costumer: women
Eddie Marks	....	costume supervisor
Radford Polinsky	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Amy E. Duddleston	....	post-production assistant
Nancy Forner	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John R. Harris	....	music editor
Martin Schwartz	....	music supervisor
Armin Steiner	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Michael Connolly	....	transportation coordinator (as Mike Connolly)

Other crew
Brad Dechter	....	source arrangements
Pete Emmet	....	unit publicist
Dorain Grusman	....	choreographer
Kisuna Jacobsen	....	script supervisor
Robert Maharis	....	location manager
Giedra Rackauskas	....	auditor
Pinki Ragan	....	production coordinator
Jay Roberts	....	assistant accountant
Lydia Telo	....	assistant auditor

Production Companies

• Interscope Communications

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment España S.A. (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1985) (USA) (video)
• CBS/Fox Video (1986) (Belgium) (video)
• Home Box Office (HBO) (1985) (USA) (TV) (cable television)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1984) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Doster, Keigley & Rhodes  location casting

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:L | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2004) | Canada:14A (Ontario - 2006) | Australia:M | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (original rating) | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity House - 638 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Interscope Communications

Trivia:

Larry B. Scott, who plays the homosexual Lamar, claims on the DVD Documentary that he had to over-compensate for his masculinity because people really thought he was gay. Indeed, many of his post-Nerds film roles are either dramas or action Movies (Like Extreme Prejudice (1987) or Iron Eagle (1986)).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the beginning scene in Gilbert's bedroom, Gilbert's mother has her arms around Louis. When the camera cuts to Gilbert in bed, the mother and Louis are standing apart.

Quotes:

Gibert: I just wanted to say that I'm a nerd, and I'm here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds. I mean uh, all our lives we've been laughed at and made to feel inferior. And tonight, those bastards, they trashed our house. Why? Cause we're smart? Cause we look different? Well, we're not. I'm a nerd, and uh, I'm pretty proud of it.
Lewis: Hi, Gilbert. I'm a nerd too. I just found that out tonight. We have news for the beautiful people. There's a lot more of us then there are of you. I know there's alumni here tonight. When you went to Adams you might've been called a spazz, or a dork, or a geek. Any of you that have ever felt stepped on, left out, picked on, put down, whether you think you're a nerd or not, why don't you just come down here and join us. Okay? Come on.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Don't Make Me Over (#4.4)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

MANHATTAN

My brief review of the film

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 film does not really go anywhere much at all, the jokes work only about half the time, and it is all a bit short on its content, but despite all of this, the film has a pleasant and rather enjoyable nature not common to the average college comedy, and this makes it a rather uniquely likable film overall. It may not be a great piece of cinema, but it is quite good entertainment.