Rent Porky's (1981)

Bawdy American Comedy - Puerile But Great Fun - Porky's review by GI

Lambasted by film critics this Canadian film went onto to be a huge hit. It's probably the best of the teen sex comedies that came out in the late seventies and early eighties and whilst it might, on the surface, be controversial today it is in fact a riotous comedy and has deeper themes than at first realised. With it's roots in American Graffiti (1973) and National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) this bawdy coming of age story is set in 1954 in South Florida where a bunch of High School boys think of nothing but sports and sex. They love to play pranks on each other and dream of getting laid to the extent that they cross the county border to a brothel run by the redneck Porky who tricks them out of their money and humiliates them. They eventually decide to get revenge and this gives the film its plot. But within the narrative are themes of racism, gender politics and American post-war freedom. Some may find the film puerile and the jokes are occasionally a little old today but there are some really hilarious scenes which will make you laugh out loud and long. The cast were and still are mostly unknowns and you won't recognise many except Kim Cattrall from the Sex In The City series. Director Bob Clark developed the film over many years and scripted many incidents from his own teenage years, embellishing some but the essence of a lost youth are here to enjoy. A great comedy and one to just go with because it's marvellous fun.