Fraternity Vacation (1985)

User Rating:

3.4/10   

Director:

James Frawley

Writer:

Lindsay Harrison (writer)

Release Date:

12 April 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Astronomy major Wendell Tvedt has studied galaxies, charted planets and pondered the universe. But in Palm Springs, he'll encounter his first full moon.

Plot:

A nerd gains the friendship of two of his frat brothers when his dad offers them his condo for the week in Palm Springs...

Plot Keywords:

Fraternity | Rival | Nerd | Bet | Friendship

Cast

Stephen Geoffreys	...	Wendell Tvedt
Sheree J. Wilson	...	Ashley Taylor
Cameron Dye	...	Joe Gillespie
Leigh McCloskey	...	Charles 'Chas' Lawlor III
Tim Robbins	...	Larry "Mother" Tucker
Matt McCoy	...	J.C. Springer
Amanda Bearse	...	Nicole Ferret
John Vernon	...	Chief Ferret
Nita Talbot	...	Mrs. Ferret
Barbara Crampton	...	Chrissie
Kathleen Kinmont	...	Marianne
Max Wright	...	Millard Tvedt
Julie Payne	...	Naomi Tvedt
Franklyn Ajaye	...	Harry
Charles Rocket	...	Madman Mac

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-3 (1988) (video release) | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Palm Springs, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Brotherhood (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

DOCTOR LOVE

A good bargain bin buy...

One of my favorite pastimes is scanning old pawn shops and video stores for movies that are long out of print and fit firmly in cheezy genres like campy horror or teen sex romps. Thankfully, cheap DVD pressings of these movies are starting to surface more and more often. I picked up this title at Walmart for $2.88 Canadian.

It's neat to see Tim Robbins in one of his earlier roles. The movie itself is quite watchable, but far from a masterpiece of comedy. The acting is not as bad as some I have seen and there are a few laughs. Pick this one up if you get the chance. It's got a pretty good soundtrack (if you like 80's cheese)and a no brainer plot whose twists you can spot from 20 miles away. The DVD is a really clean print and is not filled with digital artifacts like so many of these cheaper releases. The audio (music and dialogue) is crisp and well mastered. COnsidering this film is nearly 20 years old, I was surprised that I hadn't heard of it sooner. It dosen't quite have the potential for a cult classic, being inferior to Animal House and Ski School, but it would be fun at a party. Tim Robbins is really great and gets quite a bit of screen time. The women are quite attractive and there is some gratuitous nudity (classic 80's formula).