Review of Revenge of the Nerds (1984) by Nick O — 07 Mar 2013

When best friends and nerds Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert Lowe (Anthony Edwards) embark on their freshman year at Adams College, little do they realize the perils that await them. The Alpha Betas, a fraternity to which many members of the school's football team belong, carelessly burn down their own house and seize the freshmen dorm for themselves. The college allows the displaced freshmen, living in the gymnasium, to join fraternities or move to other housing. Lewis, Gilbert, and other outcasts who cannot join a fraternity renovate a dilapidated home to serve as their own fraternity house. The Alpha Betas and their associated sorority, the Pi Delta Pis, harass the nerds. The nerds appeal to the Greek Council, but its president Stan Gable (Ted McGinley), the leader of the Alpha Betas, rejects their complaints as the nerds are not a part of any fraternity. The nerds attempt to join a national fraternity, but all but one reject them. They meet U.N. Jefferson (Bernie Casey), the head of the black fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda (Tri-Lambs). Although Jefferson notes that the applicants are nerds, he eventually gives them a probationary membership. However the harassment continues and to make matters more problematic, Lewis develops a crush on the pretty Betty Childs, a popular sorority sister and Stan Gable´s girlfriend. Soon the tables are turned as the nerds employ high-tech warfare against the jocks. But, can they really win and make a difference?...

"Revenge Of The Nerds" is a classic campy college campus comedy in the tradition of "Animal House". Yes, it contains nudeness, pantieraids, parties, drugs, nerds, jocks, pretty cheerleaders. The recipe for an 80´s college comedy. But, it works and it´s a pretty ok ensemble piece resulting in several laughs. Robert Carradine and Anthony Edwards are good as Lewis and Gilbert (gotta love Lewis horselaughter) and the idea of the nerds winning in the end is still valid 30 years later.