Party Animal, The

The line of dialog I used for the title of my review was a sentiment held by many of the female characters towards the main male character, named Pondo Sinatra, in this film, The Party Animal (1984)...sadly, it was pretty much how I felt about the film after watching it last night, which was odd especially given the five star praise. I don't know what happened...I thought perhaps maybe there was some sort of mix up in that the wrong movie got encoded, labeled, stuck into the DVD case, and sent to me under the pretense of being the film everybody seems to love (but me)...but that wasn't the case...perhaps I'm just an uppity, highbrow snob with no sense of humor, but I've never thought of myself as such...I've enjoyed such juvenilely puerile comedies like Porky's (1982), which, by the way, radio personality Howard Stern is remaking for a 2006 release, Bachelor Party (1984), and The Hollywood Knights (1980)...heck, I even liked the movie Up the Academy (1980), which was so reviled that Mad Magazine, who initially conceived the idea after National Lampoon's success with their film Animal House (1978), actually disowned it, shortly after one of the stars, Ron Lieberman, sued to have his name removed from the credits...anyway, back to The Party Animal...written and directed by David Beaird (My Chauffeur), the film stars Matthew Causey, in his only screen credit to date (big surprise), coming off much like a really unfunny version of Larry, The Cable Guy. Also appearing is Timothy Carhart (Thelma & Louise), who many may recognize as the main bad guy Ellis De Wald from the 1994 Eddie Murphy movie Beverly Hills Cop III, and Jerry Jones, who's other credits include a number of the Dolemite films, among other things.As the film begins we see the main character, Pondo Sinatra (Causey), arriving at college on the back of a turnip truck (literally), looking rather old to be a college freshman...oh wait, there's one older looking than he as we're introduced to Studley (Carhart), fellow student, campus Lothario, and soon to be Pondo's best friend (actor Carhart was about 31 at the time this film was made, which really helps perpetrate a college-like atmosphere) ...you know, the actors in the movie Animal House may not have all been the `correct' age for their parts, but at least they looked it...anyway, turns out Pondo's never enjoy the intimate company of a woman, and it's pretty obvious why...he's not very appealing (he's got a serious case of the receding hairline, which he combats by growing his hair long and combing it forward...that's a good look) and has all the personality of a fireplug frequented by many, soon to be relieved dogs. Anyway, Studley becomes Pondo's mentor of sorts, as this lecherous hillbilly is in desperate need to dip his wick. Studley's first suggestion being Pondo learn the art of seduction...which leads him to a male strip bar, where we get to see a bunch of oily men in thongs dancing on a stage...let me tell you, it's generally not a good sign for a film like this when I see more male flesh than female flesh so early on...after this Pondo tries any number of things, even attempting to sell his soul for some `tang, but success finally comes in the form of an accidental mixing of chemicals which create an aphrodisiac that women find irresistible...now Pondo's got all the action he can handle, for better or worse...Was this a comedy? Or a cinematic ploy by the makers of the film to get to see women topless (of which we do, a lot)? I'm opting for the latter because the comedy aspects were patently unfunny, perhaps the unfunniest I've seen in a long time, and that's saying a lot, especially since I bore witness to the Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd/Demi Moore festival of pain titled Nothing But Trouble (1991). Not only that, but the movie was also kind of embarrassing, especially the sequences after Studley, deciding Pondo needs more help that he can give, hooks him up with the man who taught him everything he knows about women in that of the African American school janitor named Elbow (Jones). The embarrassing part comes after Pondo and Elbow's meeting, when Pondo, dressed like a pimp, attends an all African American party, shuckin' and jivin' about, and just acting the fool...I thought the C. Thomas Howell movie Soul Man (1986), was cinematic low point with regards to racial relations, but this sequence beats that entire movie hands down. It's not so much I thought it was inappropriate, but just that it wasn't funny...and really, really dumb. Here's another highlight in the film...Pondo sneaks into a sorority house dressed like a really ugly woman and convinces the already half nekkid women (who were stretching and exercising in their lingerie) to play hi/low strip poker...of course the girls end up losing, and we get a very decent boobage sequence, but eventually the jig is up when Pondo can't keep his boner from popping through his disguise...oh man, my sides are splitting for all the laughter. The plot basically consists of a series of sequences where Pondo tries a number of half-witted tactics to score, most all of them failing due to his own ineptitude, that is until he accidentally comes across a secret formula that causes women to literally tear their clothes off and attack him. There was an seemingly unrelated element in that of the continually appearance of a beautiful woman, who I think is meant to represent evil incarnate, in relation to Pondo's claim that he would sell his soul for tail, but the connection is never clarified or elaborated on to the point where it figured into the story in a meaningful manner. I'm giving this film two stars, one for the excellent soundtrack featuring such bands as R.E.M., The Buzzcocks, Concrete Blonde, The Untouchables, and others, and another star for the skin...other than that, I'd be hard pressed to recommend this movie for much else...as I write this, I see only one other on Amazon to rate this as low as I did, and that person certainly suffered an onslaught of negative votes, so I expect I will see much of the same...perhaps this is one of those films best viewed under the influence...MGM presents both the widescreen (1.85:1) and fullscreen, pan and scan formats, and both look clean and clear. The audio comes through well in Dolby Digital 2,0 audio. There really aren't any special features, except for a theatrical trailer.Cookieman108If you're looking for a really funny comedy, I'd suggest one that was recently released on DVD called Moving Violations (1985)...I'd also suggest Hollywood Knights (1980), and Used Cars (1980), all three under-rated films of the 80s, in my opinion.

I first rented this video back in 87 or so and it became an instant classic with my friends and I. It is a typical guy movie with plenty of T&A, flatulence, and crude jokes to keep a guy entertained.Rather then recap the entire story, I will highlight some of my favorite parts.The strip poke game with Pondo was a classic.The best guy scene in not only this movie but in all of these type of typical guy movies is with the beautiful Italian girl the the problems she experiences on her date with Pondo. His reaction is priceless.I rented this movie so many times when friends stayed over that we knew the movie line by line. When the video store closed, it was lost forever (or so I thought). Thanks to Amazon, I now have a DVD copy which I'm sure will be a hit whenever my 40 something buddies are over and having a few drinks.

i was delighted to see that this film has finally made it to DVD. in the crowded market for teen comedies, this little known gem stands head and shoulders above all others. forget things like American Pie and the sequels, this gets the "close to the bone" jokes right every time.the plot? every teenage boys' dream : the quest to be come irresistable to women. does it succeed? oh yes!!it has always amazed me that one hardly ever hears of anything that the cast and creators of this film did afterwards. there was certainly a high level of talent and ability on this film, a shame that there was no more from them.if this being one of the funniest films of all time was not enough, then just wait until you hear the awesome, classic soundtrack - it captures the 80's feel in a way that not even my beloved Grosse Pointe Blank could!

The headline says it all

Granted, this is not classic film making; it is low budget and looks it. I saw this film while in high school years ago, and loved it. Then it fell off the radar. I always checked to see if it was available, but could never find it. Suddenly, there it is on dvd. I bought to show friends who had never heard of it, and we got together and laughed our heads off. If you like silly comedy and don't mind a bare breast or two, you will like this film.

The movie is complete with original music and a trailer is thrown in as well. Nothing special about the interface, just a still image like the case cover with navigation to the movie, scene selection and the trailer.The disk is the old two sided flip flop type with standard 4:3 on one side and 16:9 on the other. The widescreen is simply the standard frame expanded and cropped. This will look nice on widescreen TVs but you will watch the standard side to get the original effect.The picture and sound are great especially compared to my Lightning Video VHS release from 1985.Maybe someday they will release a soundtrack. After searching for a year I am still missing a couple of the songs.

This is a fun, cheesy, 80's flick, that you'll either love or hate. I love it and was so happy to see that it was available through Amazon!! So thank you sooo much! This is a movie my brother and I used to watch when we were younger, so to watch it again was so great. And it has such a great soundtrack. If you love 80's music, you'll enjoy it as well. Give this movie a chance...it's so stupid it's funny!!!

It's cheesy...it's dumb...it's your typical 80's college guy flick. In other words, it's great. Who doesn't want to get laid? Who hasn't had those times where they can't seem to do anything right when it comes to the opposite sex? This is a VERY tongue in cheek look at our boy Pondo 'Hound Dog' Sinatra, a college student who just wants a piece. Gotta love it!!

It is a great pity and a mystery why this film is not available on a UK DVD. The only way to see this classic film is either on an old VHS or importing a Region 1 DVD, which means of course that viewers will need a Region 1 enabled player. The film is a riotous concoction of comedy, sexy babes and classic sound tracks from musical acts such as REM, The Buzzcocks, The Fleshtones and others. Not all the jokes hit the mark and some comedy is quite dark but this all adds to the cult status that this film is attracting. The star of the film, Matthew Causey plays Pondo Sinatra, a student who just cannot attract the opposite sex until a chemical accident propels him to super-stud status. Needless to say, the most gorgeous babes on campus will do anything to gain the favours of the new super-star. It is interesting to note that Matthew Causey left the film industry to become a college professor and refuses to enter into any discussion about this film.The DVD reviewed here is a Region 1 double-sided DVD. The run time is 77 minutes and no, the film has not been cut, it really is a rather short film. One side of the disc is a 1.85:1 wide-screen presentation, while on the other side, the film is 1.33:1 full-screen. Both sides feature English and Spanish languages and English, Spanish and French subtitles. There are no other extras.

This is an old favourite of mine from way back in the early eighties.It's the usual formula of a campus sex comedy but i did find it genuinely funny and what is more, it got me into some good music with it's excellent soundtrack including tracks from R.E.M., The Buzzcocks, Chelsea, The Untouchables and loads more.A great movie for a guys night in.

Oh my god!!!! After years of searching they've finally released it on DVD.... Classic film... Classic soundtrack... Very funny school janitor. Look out for the pimp scene.A bit dated but still one of the best and funniest films of the 80's!!Best watched with a beer and your friends... cos the wife just won't get it!!!Good stuff!

timeless comedy

This film was so funny 😂😂