The Last American Virgin, 1982.
Directed by Boaz Davidson.
Starring Lawrence Monoson, Steve Antin, Diane Franklin, Joe Rubbo, Kimmy Robertson and Louise Moritz.
SYNOPSIS:
Three Californian high school boys find their friendship tested by relationships, sexual desires and growing up…
More intriguing and far stranger than one would expect from first inspection, producer, writer and director Boaz Davidson’s The Last American Virgin is something of a amalgam of a sex comedy and a social issue film.
The movie follows Gary (Lawrence Monoson), Rick (Steve Antin) and David (Joe Rubbo), three teenagers struggling to come to terms with growing up, school life, part time work, and more than anything else, the need to get laid. Sharing lewd cues from Porky’s (released in the same year) – or, to a more British perspective, something of the sauciness and speeded up action montages of the Carry On films – the film’s first half delivers amoral adventure loud and clear. Whiskey and beer is imbibed, Sweet’N Low masquerading as Cocaine is snorted up, awkward parties ensue and some of the lads get lucky.
The lads go from one urban sex adventure to another, taking in a variety of sexy high jinks, including a nymphomaniac Latina dance from the energetic Carmella (Louise Moritz) and the ultra cynical red headed hooker, whose professionalism is so intense Gary vomits soon after bring pulled onto her grim warehouse mattress.
Without spoiling the general oddness of the film, there is a major change of tone around half way through, which sets it apart from just another bawdy romp. The film becomes wholly more serious, as the consequences of teenage abandon begin to show up.
A remake of an Israeli coming of age film, Eskimo Limon, Davidson chose to update the story to the 1980s, with the music, fashion and hair cuts that that implies. Probably with a lot more sex too.
To go along with the fashions and dress sense, there is a great soundtrack of 80’s classics from Blondie, Devo, U2, The Police and The Cars. Occasionally, certain songs get repeated more than once too often – as is certainly the case with Lionel Ritchie and The Commodores’ Oh No…
This repetition of songs and slightly strange editing adds rather than detracts to the slightly unsettling atmosphere. This could all be something of a Lynchian nightmare as Gary comes to terms with his repulsion at feeling sexual desire. Add to this the almost preternatural dumbness of his paramour and you are left wondering just what vision of California this is adhering to.
Speaking of David Lynch, fans of the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks will be more than interested to know that this movie marks the first screen appearance of Kimmy Robertson, the Sheriff office’s dizzy and delightful secretary Lucy Moran. Sorry, just had to mention that…
Back to The Last American Virgin, it is a something of an oddity that begs for attention like a lovesick puppy and then crawls behind a bin to do something dirty. In short, it represents the light and dark of the 80’s.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.
