The Last American Virgin

Summary

“Come to me my little burrito.”

Let’s go back in time to an era prior to the internet – the Reagan era – America in the 1980s. Thanks to the loosening of censorship laws and the sexual revolution of the Sixties, the Seventies saw a proliferation of adult films hit the cinemas and drive-ins. It was suddenly en vogue to have sexually explicit material on the big screen. The proliferation of smut of course caused a big blowback, but it also led film distributors to recognizing a new audience for films with sexual material – teenagers. The teenage sex comedies became increasingly popular in the latter part of the Seventies, but their peak in popularity occurred in the Eighties. The resulting films ranged from intelligent looks at teen sex lives (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles) to ski resort sex comedies (Hot Dog: The Movie,) to voyeuristic high school comedies (Porky’s, a ton of imitators.) The plethora of sex comedies to choose from in the Eighties was fueled by the relative low cost of the films and the good revenue made off the pictures. The lowered cost of purchasing VCRs soon made these films extremely popular at video stores as well when viewers could watch them from the privacy of their home. The MVD Rewind label has recently released Boaz Davidson’s film The Last American Virgin. Produced by Cannon Films, The Last American Virgin is one of the better efforts in the genre. Written and directed by Boaz Davidson, the film was an update of Boaz Davidson’s Israeli film Lemon Popsicle. It’s an uncommonly thoughtful teenage sex comedy, even though it still has numerous elements that would probably discount it from being considered “serious cinema.” The film has a great soundtrack featuring Blondie, The Cars, The Police, Devo, REO Speedwagon, U2, and more. The film was previously released by Olive Films, but that edition lacked all of the supplemental features that were present on the UK-only Arrow Video release. Thankfully, MVD Rewind has given the film a proper release with all of the Arrow Video supplements.

In Ventura, California, pizza delivery boy Gary (Lawrence Monoson) hangs out with his two friends – heavyset David (Joe Rubbo) and good looking Rick (Steve Antin) – pining for girls’ attention. All three are trying to get lucky, but Gary in particular is looking to lose his virginity. As the movie begins they coerce a few girls back to Gary’s place with the promise of drugs. Gary’s parents are out of town and Rick talks him into using their place. They don’t have any drugs, so they cut up some sweet and low and, after snorting it, they coerce the girls into making out with them. While they are en flagrante, Gary’s parents come home. The film follows the boys’ adventures as they try to get women. Along the way, Gary begins to get romantically attached to a pretty girl named Karen (Diane Franklin.) Things become complicated when she becomes interested in Rick.

The Last American Virgin is easily one of the best teenage sex comedies. While the film certainly supplies a good amount of soporific humor (for example, a sequence where all the boys in a PE class competitively measure their penises stands out,) the film’s latter half doesn’t strike a false note in its exploration of teenage love – specifically the crushing heartache one feels when a love interest prefers someone else. The writing by director Boaz Davidson is taken from his Israeli film Lemon Popsicle which was based largely on real events in his life in the Fifties. Updated for the Eighties, the themes of the film are universal. The film manages to balance the sexcapade humor of the first two thirds of the film with the well thought out dramatic last third of the film. The movie has the effect of sticking with you far more than you might expect. While the film may not be “high art,” it definitely nails a certain type of longing that teenagers experience.

The film is aided by a truly incredible soundtrack. The soundtrack is just as good as Fast Times and rivals The Breakfast Club. I was continuously impressed by the talented musicians that lent their songs to the fairly low budget film. The performances by the main cast are all enjoyable. Lawrence Monoson plays the lovelorn Gary with an earnestness that works well. I have definitely been in Gary’s awkward adolescent shoes before, and he plays the role to perfection. Diane Franklin is suitably lovely as Karen. Steve Antin plays the freewheeling and selfish Rick role well. We have all known a Rick or two in our life, and Antin is well cast. Joe Rubbo is suitably goofy as David. I liked the way that the film subverted the typical “fat guy” role and showed David as surprisingly effective with women. Kimmy Robertson (of Twin Peaks) also has a small role.

Boaz Davidson does not aim to show off behind the camera, but the cinematography by Adam Greenberg brings back a time when neon signs lit every window. Greenberg was an incredible cinematographer and went on to work with James Cameron on his Terminator films. I liked the way the film looked.

Overall – I really enjoyed The Last American Virgin. It is not a perfect film, but it is a surprisingly affecting one. It ranks as one of the best teenage sex comedies that I have seen.

Video

MVD Rewind have provided a pretty good-looking transfer of the film using an MPEG-4 AVC codec in 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p. From what I have read, this transfer is sourced from the same transfer that Arrow Video used on their release of the film a number of years back. The master shows some age, and skin colors are slightly anemic. I did not really mind the minor imperfections of the transfer, because the film simply looks of its time (especially considering the fairly slight budget.) Fans of the film should be pleased to see the film in high definition.

Audio

MVD Rewind has provided an English LPCM 2.0 track for the film. The prior Olive Films release featured a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. The film has an amazing soundtrack that includes songs by Blondie, The Cars, The Police, Devo, REO Speedwagon, U2, and more. This is one of the best soundtracks of the Eighties (which is saying a lot.) The track features clear dialogue and sounded pretty good to me.

Supplements:

• The First American Remake – an interview with writer and director Boaz Davidson. 
• Memories of a Pizza Boy – an interview with Lawrence Monoson who played Gary in the film.
• Babe of the Eighties – Diane Franklin, who played Karen, is interviewed in this piece
• In Praise of Smaller Movies – features cinematographer Adam Greenberg. His accent is pretty thick, and some may wish this piece offered optional subtitles.
• Photo Gallery
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Trailers

Overall Scores:

Video – 3.75/5

Audio – 4/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4.25/5

The Last American Virgin is not a perfect film, but it is certainly one of the best teenage sex comedies. The film aims a little higher than pictures like Porky’s, with a really well written third act. There is plenty of soporific humor – some of which works, and some of which doesn’t – but the film is remembered for its affecting finale. The film taps into something a little more real than the majority of teenage sex comedies. I was reminded of some of the more difficult and awkward moments of my teenage years in a way that very few other films captured. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. MVD Rewind has given the film a standalone release with an attractive slipcover and a mini-poster. Prior to this release, The Last American Virgin was only available in a featureless release from Olive Films. MVD Rewind has essentially ported over the Arrow Video release with all its features, and they deserve kudos for their efforts. For fans of the film, this is the best release available of the film stateside. Recommended!