Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
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A group of socially awkward students form their own fraternity to counter harassment from a dominant rival group.
The story
Nerdy freshmen Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowe enroll at Adams College to study computer science and become adults. However, the dominant Alpha Beta fraternity, led by star quarterback Stan Gable, takes over the freshman dormitory, forcing the new students to live in the gym. After being tricked into a humiliating hazing by Stan's girlfriend, the nerds decide to form their own fraternity. They are initially rejected by the college's Greek Council but are eventually accepted on probationary status by the Black fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda. The students must now navigate the social hierarchy of the campus while facing ongoing harassment from the Alpha Betas.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Nerdy freshmen Lewis Skolnick and Gilbert Lowe enroll at Adams College to study computer science. After the Alpha Beta fraternity takes over their dormitory, they are forced to live in the gym. They are eventually tricked into a humiliating hazing by Stan's girlfriend, Betty. The nerds move into a dilapidated house to form their own fraternity, eventually gaining probationary membership in the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity. After a party is sabotaged by the Alpha Betas, the nerds retaliate with surveillance and pranks. To gain justice, they compete in the Homecoming carnival against the Alpha Betas. They use technical skills to win various competitions, including a musical performance. During a charity fundraiser, they outsell the Alpha Betas. Lewis, pretending to be Stan, seduces Betty, who eventually falls for him. The nerds win the carnival, and Gilbert is named Greek Council president. Following a final confrontation where the Alpha Betas are punished by Coach Harris, the Tri-Lambs move into the Alpha Beta house, and the Alpha Betas are forced into the gym.
- First release year
- 1984
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jeff Kanew
- Writers
- Steve Zacharias · screenplay; Jeff Buhai · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Robert Carradine · Lewis Skolnick; Anthony Edwards · Gilbert Lowe; Ted McGinley · Stanley Harvey "Stan" Gable; Bernie Casey · U.N. Jefferson; Timothy Busfield · Arnold Poindexter; Andrew Cassese · Harold Wormser; Curtis Armstrong · Dudley "Booger" Dawson; Larry B. Scott · Lamar Latrelle; Brian Tochi · Toshiro Takashi; Julia Montgomery · Betty Childs; Michelle Meyrink · Judy
- Genres
- comedy
- Themes
- underdog triumph; social hierarchy; prejudice
- Tone and mood
- satirical; raunchy
- Premise and plot tags
- slobs vs. snobs; fraternity life; underdog
- Source material / true-story basis
- a magazine article about computer programmers in Silicon Valley
- Franchise connections
- Revenge of the Nerds
- Content notes
- sexual content; racial stereotypes; gender stereotypes
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews upon release, criticized for stereotypes and sexual content, but has since gained a cult following as a 'slobs vs. snobs' classic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · scale: percentage · review count: 43; Metacritic · score: 44 · scale: 100
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by a magazine article about computer programmers in Silicon Valley.; A scene of a Tri-Lambda convention in Las Vegas was deleted.; The production was inspired by the use of passive resistance by Mahatma Gandhi.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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