Spring Time for Cunningham

spring_break“Spring Break” is one of the best beach flicks ever made during the heyday of the ‘80s new wave of films geared toward a younger market. Seldom does a film deliver exactly what is stated in the title. Not only that, but it is such an enjoyable little treat that it is bound to put a big goofy smile on your face.

For starters, it is directed by slasher pioneer Sean S. Cunningham (“Friday the 13th”), and it is safe to say that this is exactly what a slasher film with no murders would be like for anyone that ever pondered over that question. With that being said, Cunningham does show some talent because it is one of the best in the sexploitation genre and inspired a batch of films that were far inferior in every way (“South Beach Academy,” “Hot Moves”).

The plot, while simple, is the perfect springboard for the hilarity that will ensue.  Nelson (David Knell) and Adam (Perry Lang of “1941,” “Alligator”) are slightly nerdy and in desperate need of a break from the college workload, so they head to Ft. Lauderdale.

Once there, their crappy motel is overbooked, and they are forced to share the room with two guys (Paul Land and Steve Bassett) that know how to have a good time and to score with beautiful women (one happens to be from Brooklyn). So the scene is set for fun in the sun with beautiful beach babes and even a romance for young Nelson.

Well, not quite.

Nelson’s stepfather is a politician/greedy land developer that wants to close down the motel there and for Nelson to come home to work on his campaign. This is a classic ‘80s villain, which ultimately leaves one wondering why so many films of that decade used the “greedy land developer” subplot, but that doesn’t hinder the fun.

Knell and Lang are perfectly cast as the loveable nerds with whom most viewers can identify. They are enduring and honest in their pursuits and it’s fun to spend 100 minutes with them. Land and Bassett are equally likeable as the beach studs that help our hapless stars.

One hysterical scene involves Nelson’s first sexual encounter, where he briefly leaves the hotel room for a Coke and can’t remember the room number – a nightmare for any guy. While laughing, you can’t help but feel sorry for him.

It also has a few more points of interest: A wet T-shirt contest, some of the best onscreen camel toe and still manages to not rank to high on the Sleaze-O-Meter. That, in itself, is quite an accomplishment.

Blink. and you may miss a brief appearance by “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Jeff Garlin as a belly-flop contestant.

Anchor Bay’s DVD presentation is excellent and a reminder that maybe they haven’t completely sold out to Starz. But that quickly vanishes when one is forced to watch the trailers for “Virgin Territory” and some other upcoming titles, which will leave you thinking: “Why, oh why, Tim Roth?”

The only other extra is the grainy Columbia trailer for “Spring Break.”

For $14.99, “Spring Break” is a welcome addition for genre enthusiasts, which will leave one hoping Anchor Bay unearths some more of these classics soon and skips making new direct-to-video garbage.

About Anthony Benedetto 153 Articles
I have always had a tremendous passion for the cinema. For me, movies provide a great escape. When done right, the characters and stories are something that I am instantly drawn into. Over the years, I’ve unintentionally become a movie encyclopedia that I often find myself the recipient of late night phone calls from my friends while at Blockbuster [One such conversation between the Editor of this site and the film “Redbelt” immediately comes to mind.] As far as my preferences go however, I love both the cult cinema and the classics. My love of film ranges from features such as “Amadeus” to “Sorority Babes in the Slime Ball Bowl-A- Rama.” I have a long range of film heroes as well that include, Michael J. Fox, Lloyd Kaufman, Robby Benson, Michael Caine and Jeff Bridges. On this site, I hope to teach people about cult cinema and have them rent films that they normally would not, turning you into the monster that I have become. Someday, I hope to be the star and director of my cult film, employing the old stop motion techniques used in films like “Flesh Gordon.”

1 Comment

  1. A fine review, although I wanted to point out that this DVD release seems to be another victim of 1980s movie-DVD matting/cropping (Tomboy, Fraternity Vacation, and others have fallen victim to this). Instead of giving us the “entire” widescreen image, the top & bottom of the fullscreen image (which we’ve all gotten used to from Cable and VHS viewing) are shaved off, leaving us with LESS picture.

    This would normally be a small nitpick, but with vintage T&A movies it’s nearly sacrilege. Why? Because Key Pieces of Nudity are GONE, which were there in the “fullscreen” edition! Gone is the brief glimpse at a VERY young Nikki Fritz’s lower half, as well as other details.

    I really wish the DVD transfer people would fix this– at LEAST offer us a “fullscreen” option on the same DVD.

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