I just finished watching "The Last American Virgin" on MGMHD and now I know why I seldom watch this flick. I will say that the soundtrack is a classic and was booming with tunes like "Whip It", "Shake It Up", "Since You're Gone", "I Know What Boys Like", "Open Arms", and "Just Once" to name a few.
But that ending is just painful to watch. Don't get me wrong, Gary almost came off as a stalker in regard to his love for Karen, but nobody deserves that ending. Of course, many will say that is what makes the movie so good, the end wasn't sugar coated and welcome to real life Gary!
Every time I watch this movie, I come away feeling dirty in some regards. I really don't like the characters and the raunchy sex scenes were too raw and uncomfortable. Just as the director planned I'm sure.
Overall, "The Last American Virgin" is a very good movie, but not on my 80's feel good list by any means.
Oh and it was cool to see Kimmy Robertson who I enjoyed in "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead" who was ironically named 'Rose' in "The Last American Virgin".
"I'm on top of that Rose."
[ 02. January 2010, 18:17: Message edited by: Valley ]
Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
that ending is what made me fall in love with this movie. and the soundtrack didn't hurt either.
*****kinda sorta spoilers if you have never watched this movie before********
back when my parents were "borrowing" pay cable, only the movie channel showed r rated flicks all day long. during the summer of '83 or '84, i happened to come across this gem while sitting at home during summer vacation. i only watched it because it was rated r and i was hoping for some gratuitous nudity. i had never heard of this movie before watching it here. so i'm watching this movie and loving it, pulling for gary the whole time. then the great scene during the party at the end of the movie happened. so i'm watching this and i see gary leave and get in the car and drive off tearfully. i'm eagerly waiting to see what happens next, then, much to my amazement, the credits start rolling. and i literally sat there with my mouth open, stunned. i thought this had to be a joke. i had never really up to that point in my life watched a movie end that way. at least not a t-n-a flick. i could not believe the credits were rolling. in all the t-n-a movies i'd watched before, there was always a happy ending. the good guy always won at the end. but this one didn't. and not only did he not get the girl, he ran off crying and that's how they ended the movie. and i could not get this movie out of my mind all day long. and because this movie dared to be different like that, i always considered it one of the great teen movies of the 80's.
i rate this movie up there with fast times, raunchy sex scenes and all.
i need this movie on dvd asap.
Posted by ISIS (Member # 1780) on :
I watched this movie alot back in the 80s, because it was always on late at night...either paired up with Valley Girl or Fast Times...and I love the soundtrack.
The song "Teen Angel Eyes" by Tommy Tutone is such a great song.
But...the sex stuff was so gross....when they went to the prostitute, and Gary threw up afterwards-I thought how sad that was, that they would do "that" with someone like that. That is just totally gross to the max. She was so nasty.
I can't believe what Karen did to him either. After he hocked all his stereo equiptment and everything. I was shocked how they ended it too.
I have this movie on DVD, but it's one that I find hard to watch now too.
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
I remember how valuable the VHS of this was at some point, before it became easily available on DVD. I found some scenes in the movie fun, but like others, the ending was such a downer. It was pretty raunchy too, it had hard lessons, but it didn't have that silver lining like Fast Times did. Wow, there needs to be a special edition DVD of this, if there ever a movie besides Pretty in Pink or Night of the Creeps that had an alternative ending, this would have to be it.
Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
quote:Originally posted by Riptide: I remember how valuable the VHS of this was at some point, before it became easily available on DVD. I found some scenes in the movie fun, but like others, the ending was such a downer. It was pretty raunchy too, it had hard lessons, but it didn't have that silver lining like Fast Times did. Wow, there needs to be a special edition DVD of this, if there ever a movie besides Pretty in Pink or Night of the Creeps that had an alternative ending, this would have to be it.
i couldn't disagree more. if they changed the ending, the entire feel of the movie would change. the ending is what seperated this movie from other t-n-a flicks.
i really can't believe you guys didn't like the ending.
sometimes life sucks, no matter how good you are, and that's what this movie showed you. plus, we're talking teenage love here, not puppies and bunnies getting killed.
isis, the point of the scene with the prostitute was to be gross. they didn't want to have a whore who looked like phoebe cates. what would be the point in that? same with that spanish lady. they weren't supposed to be lookers, these were just young teenage boys trying to get laid. diane franklin was the looker in this flick.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
xchazx, I never said I didn't like the ending, but just that it was painful to watch. Also, the abrupt ending with the credits rolling was kind of shocking....it left you wanting to know more. Like is that really the end....they didn't just do that!
Posted by NiceGuy Sammy Hain (Member # 3150) on :
I always loved the ending because it seemed se realistic to me. Life doesn't always have that fairy-tale ending. I agree with Valley that Gary was pretty much a stalker but what really got me was he was all worked up over Karen who always seemed like a B to me.
Posted by ISIS (Member # 1780) on :
I agree about the alternative ending too.
I understand why they did the sex stuff the way that they did....but that's what is so gross...not caring what or who you "do it" with...not caring how many cooties they have. I don't know what it is about that whole deal and men...because you never see movies with women running around on the street corners looking for a nasty dude for $20-unless they are a hooker.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
I think the real question is.....who is the girl on the cover of the dvd and where's her deleted scenes or alternate ending. ha
Posted by ISIS (Member # 1780) on :
She is the sister of the girl on the cover of Valley Girl.
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
i've always thought the ending was appropriate. the guy doesn't get the girl. the dumb girl turns around and goes back to the guy who treated her like crap. it happens in life. same thing with pretty in pink.. i thought that ending was right. duckie wasn't the one she loved...at least, not in that way. she gets her dream guy in the end. he was an idiot at first but then realized what he did.
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Great analysis Ronnie. Of course, the "Pretty In Pink" ending was extremely debatable to the point that they reshot the ending and Hughes was so anguished that he made Paul's favorite movie to make up for it.
But xchazx and you are absolutely correct that the ending to "The Last American Virgin" has more parallels to real life situations than most of my "he went from totally geek to totally chic" endings.
One difference between "Pretty In Pink" and this movie is the fact that Hughes gave the appliance named Blaine's character some form of redemption for his mistake, but "The Last American Virgin" leaves us thinking Rick is jerk that went off on a ski trip with another girl while Karen and Gary dealt with an unpleasant situation.
Posted by 80'sRocked (Member # 6979) on :
quote:Originally posted by Valley: Of course, the "Pretty In Pink" ending was extremely debatable to the point that they reshot the ending and Hughes was so anguished that he made Paul's favorite movie to make up for it.
Is that right Valley? He made Some Kind of Wonderful because of that? I never heard that story before. Or are you just joking around?
Posted by mamamiasweetpeaches (Member # 1715) on :
I think thats true - the SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL story. itw as a way of paying back everyone who had wanted to see Ducky win in PIP.
I agree that if LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN had a HAPPY ending we wouldntr emember it as well as we do (although it IS a funny movie, much funnier than most T N A flicks).
has anyone seen LEMON POPSICAL, the Foreign film LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN was based on?
Posted by 80'sRocked (Member # 6979) on :
quote:Originally posted by mamamiasweetpeaches: [QBhas anyone seen LEMON POPSICAL, the Foreign film LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN was based on? [/QB]
I have never seen either one, yet.
Posted by Kash (Member # 297) on :
Neither have I, I've just realised that though I've seen a lot of 80s films, I tend to watch the same ones a few times over. May have to rent this one, sounds like 'American Pie' on prozac made a few years too late (the serious ending would've been ideal 70s fare).
Posted by jdocster (Member # 5752) on :
I've always thought the ending was crap. I had something like this happen to me when I was 16 and it really stayed with me for a while. I agree with Ronnie though:
"i've always thought the ending was appropriate. the guy doesn't get the girl. the dumb girl turns around and goes back to the guy who treated her like crap. it happens in life."
Very true! Posted by Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
I was quite young when I first saw this film...so I didn't really understand what was going on in it. And the T&A wasn't so "tromatizing" for me either because around the same time..I somehow was able to come across a little gem of a "Tromaville" movie called: "The First Turn-On."
(http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800065656/info).
Yeah, that film makes the T&A in "The Last American Virgin" look "G" rated. But, anyway, I was able to see this movie again recently now that I'm older and, although a bit too cheesy with horrible acting for my taste, it was still an ok film. The ending was pretty heart-wrenching though.
Posted by Bori (Member # 7659) on :
"The Last American Virgin".... My Favorite movie of the 80's.
mamamiasweetpeaches Wrote: "I agree that if LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN had a HAPPY ending we wouldnt remember it as well as we do"....
I couldn't agree more. There is a saying that goes....You do everything right and noone remembers, you do one thing wrong and noone forgets.
Think about it. If Gary would have gotten the girl then it would have been just another movie. It's great that the producers threw caution to the wind and went with something, (even though hard to believe), more realistic.
That's what makes so good.
Posted by Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
If I knew the Gary character in this movie in real life I'd slap him silly though for not going after Kimmy Robertson's Character Rose. She's 10 times hotter than Karen is in the film and she was clearly into him. What a Fool!
[ 10. January 2009, 23:42: Message edited by: Pyromantic ]
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
Some discussion about this movie tonight...I still struggle to watch it even though I think it is a good movie. That ending is just brutal!
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
But we all love this movie because of that Posted by Veronica Sawyer (Member # 2221) on :
Thanks for bumping this Valley! I always think about watching this movie, but then I think about that ending and decide not to. It's definitely a movie that leaves you feeling cold...Maybe I'll just start turning it off before that last scene!
Posted by Secret Admirer (Member # 3574) on :
Nice guys finish last! Haha
But yeah, it is a sad ending. Probably more realistic than a happily ever after ending though, imho.
Posted by journey (Member # 7316) on :
It may not be the feel-good ending everybody wanted, but it was the most realistic. I mean, seriously, what sounds more like real life: the girl suddenly decides she's in love with the sensitive, emotionally-needy nerd - or she stays attracted to the supremely self-centered jerk? I have friends of both sorts and guess which ones are constantly replete with female companionship? Girls love stories where the lovable loser gets the girl, but that scenario doesn't play out very often in the real world. In the real world they're all too busy trying to get Rick to commit...
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
This is one of those movies that sticks with you after you watch it.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
WOW- ive jusat finished reading what everyone had to say and you all have just one thing in common - you all wanted to comment on this movie. Good or bad it really doesnt matter - This movie has got you talking and thats called ADVERTISEMENT!!!! So i think this movie really did its job. It worked on me as i heard all about the movie and its ending before i saw it but i still wanted to see it because of all the hype and like i said good or bad - didnt matter - ADVERTISING.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
btw if you would like to watch a movie which is about coming of age, losing your virginity and sad endings you should really watch 'stealing home' (jodie foster, mark harmon) This movie is an abosulte gem and will really get you feeling nostaligic and thinking about the past. i highly recommend it to all.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
'Stealing Home' is good. LAV's 'shock' ending is great. I feel sorry for people who watched it after hearing the 'spoilers'. I can still recall the sledgehammer 'too true' feeling when I saw it the first time.
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
first time i saw stealing home was in 93 and it was on tv, it really did leave a mark on me for personal reasons and i find it hard to watch now.
Posted by Secret Admirer (Member # 3574) on :
Weird, an hour and a half after Stealing Home was mentioned in this thread, it became a featured movie at another site. Coincidence?
Posted by oneyedwilly (Member # 8730) on :
it really is such a great movie if you can relate to falling in love at that age.
Posted by skatexedge (Member # 5712) on :
I remember being mad in the theater when the ending rolled around but definitely thought it was true to life. As others have said, a lot of girls went for the "Ricks" as opposed to the "Garys". That sucks but I guess it's always been that way. I'm sure it's going on in high school right now.
I remember being so in love with a few girls at different times in HS that looked at me as the big brother/best friend/confidant. Meanwhile they were so in love with guys who only wanted to get into their pants!! Of course, when they got their hearts broken, who's shoulder did they come to cry on??? Being a nice guy was rough!
An excellent movie. It does seem to be two movies put together. The first half is basically the 'horny guys wanting to get laid' movie and then the second half is the teenage drama movie. Just like real life in my high school!!!!
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
I've always been ambivalent about "The Last American Virgin." It does have that out-of-nowhere, pull-out-your-heart-and-stamp-on-it ending, which makes it forever memorable--along with the great soundtrack that carries the paper-thin plot along. But when all is said and done, it's just another el cheapo Golan-Globus Cannon production of the era with the typical exploitation elements...and that ending. Killer. A complete paradox. Here's a movie so commercially calculating the whole way through with one scene of such absolute truth about life, I often wonder if Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese lost a bar bet and ghost wrote and directed that last scene.
Posted by Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
i don't remember the soundtrack much..but I do remember it being memorable for how serious the movie gets toward the end..
Posted by bamersy (Member # 8808) on :
Saw this movie a handful of times-so much angst! The part where they're trying to drown their crabs in the swimming pool was funny. A good movie, but it's hard to enjoy being depressed Posted by TKO (Member # 1471) on :
quote:Originally posted by Valley: This is one of those movies that sticks with you after you watch it.
Saw it again last night, but didn't get to finish it. Probably because of what's been said above. I didn't want to go to sleep with an ending like that.
I really don't know what to make of this movie. In fact it's a good movie... hilarious at times. But other scenes are just plane stupid. The Carmela scenes for instance are hard to sit through. Diane Franklin is pure eye candy, though her acting skills seem very limited compared to the rest of the cast. As a character, I think I liked David the most.
One thing's for sure. Along with Modern Girls this flick has one of the best soundtracks around. For those interested,you can download Tutone's 'Teen Angel Eyes' on his official website. Go to: Songs/Video & Bonus Tracks. It's free and it's legal. Posted by Pittsburghgirl (Member # 7514) on :
POSSIBLE SPOILERS: I watched this for the first time ever last night. I've been sick for almost two weeks,and I thought it would be a funny movie to make me feel better. Not. It was a really good movie, but it made me feel not so good. The part with the hooker gave me the heebie-jeebies. The only part I thought was kinda funny was when Big Apple was with the nympho in the bedroom and they showed Gary and Rick watching through the keyhole. I thought the end was excellent, even though I was shocked too that the credits started rolling as Gary was driving away in his car and crying. So much of this movie was true to life. I like to think that Karen got dumped again by Rick and she was left all alone, and Gary finds another chick who is really into him.
[ 05. October 2010, 11:43: Message edited by: Pittsburghgirl ]
Posted by Muffy Tepperman (Member # 1551) on :
Whoa!!! you might need to write spoiler for those Rewinders who haven't seen the movie!! haha or their in for a big shocker.
It for sure isn't a typical teen movie or feel good movie at all! glad you liked it though. It's a good movie with intriguing characters.
I didn't even see this in the 80's either knew nothing of it......Karen and her nasty eyebrows, I always knew in my mind she would end up alone haha.....and Gary would find a better lady....more deserving.........that's how life should be right? Posted by Pittsburghgirl (Member # 7514) on :
Muffy, I edited it to say possible spoilers. But I think everyone on this thread has stuff in their posts that reveal most of the story already. I do not remember this movie being out at the theater where I lived inthe 80's. It may not have played there, as I grew up in a small city, pop. around 35,000. So they may have thought there wouldn't be an audience for it. I'm sure my friend would have wanted to see it if it was at our theaters. Karen's (Diane Franklin) acting wasn't very good, but I thought Lawrence Monoson and the rest of the guys were good. Her eyebrows did need a little bit of grooming, lol. But back in the 80's I don't remember people plucking/waxing their brows into nothing but a pencil thin line.
Posted by logan5 (Member # 1467) on :
quote:I didn't even see this in the 80's either knew nothing of it......
Your parents steered you the other way in the video store!
quote: Her eyebrows did need a little bit of grooming, lol. But back in the 80's I don't remember people plucking/waxing their brows into nothing but a pencil thin line.
That wasn't the only thing they didn't pluck / wax!
I can't be the only one who always really liked natural brows, can I? I miss them!
Posted by Pittsburghgirl (Member # 7514) on :
logan5, natural brows are supposedly coming back in style now. I hate those overplucked brows- they look so phony and fake. A little bit of eybrow plucking/shaping is fine, but these girls today have taken it to a whole new level- like they don't wanna have any eyebrows at all. Oh,yeah, I'm sure my Dad steered me away from LAV at the video store too, lol!
Posted by Pyro (Member # 7658) on :
I didn't realize until just recently that "The Last American Virgin" is a direct rip-off of the 1981 German film "Shifshuf Naim" (aka, "Hot Bubblegum"...aka, "Lemon Popsicle 3")
I saw this for the first time recently and I was floored by the similarities...though this one came first, I still prefer "The Last American Virgin" over it.
Has anyone else seen this?
[ 13. November 2011, 07:06: Message edited by: Pyro ]
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
I own the movie. It´s part three of the Lemon Popsicle movie series and most of them (Hot Bubblegum included) were written and directed by The Last American Virgin director Boaz Davidson.
I believe that these movies were shot in Israel, financed by the germans.
Here´s the Finnish VHS cover art:
Posted by the young warrior (Member # 9554) on :
out of the popsicle films the only ones i haven't seen are private popsicle and up your anchor. might have to track these down some time just to be able to say i've watched the whole series
Posted by Johnny Roarke is reckless (Member # 9826) on :
The Last American Virgin is not a remake of the third entry from the Lemon Popsicle series, but in fact is an exact scene-by-scene remake of the very first Lemon Popsicle (original title : Eskimo Limon) from 1978. The third one (as described in the posts above) has many similarities, but still differs from the first Lemon Popsicle and The Last American Virgin. Indeed they're all directed by Boaz Davidson. I have the Lemon Popsicle series in its original Hebrew audio as well as the English dubbed versions. Definitely check out the first Lemon Popsicle if you've never seen it before.
Posted by Pyro (Member # 7658) on :
Ok...Popscicle 3 was the first of the series I've seen. And I was unaware that it was from the same director of American Virgin, so now the similarities make more sense. I will have to track down the 2 prequels though and check them out.
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glad you liked it though. It's a good movie with intriguing characters.![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
