Revenge of the Nerds

1984
R
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

60K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer1:32

Slapstick Teen Comedy Comedy

At Adams College, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self-respect.At Adams College, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self-respect.At Adams College, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self-respect.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

60K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,690

139

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The other actors were protective of Andrew Cassese, who played Wormser, and along with director Jeff Kanew made sure that the young actor did not witness or play a main role in the many scenes that earned the film its R rating. Cassese, however, was allowed to see the film when he was still below 17 years old and was very surprised by what he'd missed in filming.

Goofs
As was listed in another goof, there were some inconsistencies with the scores during the Greek Games portion of the Homecoming Carnival. Part of this is because one of the events, a Chariot Race, was cut from the final version of the movie (the Chariot Race can be seen on the "panty raid edition" DVD under Deleted Scenes.)

Quotes
Stan Gable: [to Booger] What are you looking at, nerd?
Booger: [to himself] I thought I was looking at my mother's old douche-bag, but that's in Ohio.

Crazy credits
The title appears on screen immediately following the 20th Century Fox logo, before the Fox Fanfare concludes.

Alternate versions
UK cinema and video versions were complete. The 2003 TCF DVD featured a re-edited print which was changed for legal reasons to remove a genuine telephone number on the "For Rent" sign.

Connections
Edited into Revenge of the Nerds (1991)

Soundtracks
Revenge of the Nerds
Performed by The Rubinoos

User reviews158

Review

Featured review

The only worthy successor to Animal House this is a oasis in a desert of rubbish frat movies

When Louis and Gilbert head to college they think it'll all be different from high school. However they are branded nerds and, when the jocks burn their own dorm down, the nerds find themselves kicked out and forced to sleep in the gym. When the nerds form their own chapter of the Tri-Lam fraternity. When they are bullied continually they decide to take matters into their own hands and fight back with the Jock's own games.

If there's one genre in the world that I hate it's the American college jock/nerd comedy. Whether it be the Animal House or Porky's or more modern ones I hate almost all of them! So when I watched this I watched it with a certain fear. However the plot makes redresses the balance by having us support the nerds! It's well plotted so that it isn't just them becoming just like the jocks but instead learning their own lessons. Of course it is rude at times and does fall into being just silly and slapstick, but it's mixed nicely with some good sentiment and more gentle laugh.

The cast is great (in retrospect). Anthony Edwards is a real surprise in this post-ER time. Likewise Busfield is strange after 30-something and West Wing. Less so but Moonlighting's Curtis Armstrong is funny to see. And lets not forget James Cromwell (or Jamie as he was called then!), John Goodman and black 1970's star Bernie Casey! The nerds are all good rising above their caricatures to start to bring out characters.

Overall this is a spin on the frat-comedy so it is a little juvenile and silly but the fact that it is spun towards the nerds makes it that little bit refreshing to watch compared to so many where our `heroes' are arrogant, annoying jock-types who sponge off mummy and daddy just to get drunk at college. Not a great movie but much better than anything else post-Animal House - I'm with the nerds!