Movies You Gotta Catch: Revenge of The Nerds
Revenge of The Nerds
Director: Jeff Kanew
Year: 1984
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong, John Goodman, Ted McGinley, James Cromwell
When it comes to Movies You Gotta Catch, for us, as Geeks, there is none bigger then “Revenge of the Nerds”! As such, this particular “Movies You Gotta Catch” segment might be longer then most, and probably not the normal format either, please forgive us if our unkempt format disturbs you.
The reason we feel this movie deserves such admiration and respect is because “Revenge of the Nerds” helped visually personify “the struggle” of being a Nerd. What it’s like to be an outcast, not popular, picked on for being different or having a higher IQ. Although this movie is called “Revenge of the Nerds” we also feel that it helped clearly define what a “Geek” was by comparison to a “Nerd”. Roses are flowers just like Daisies and although very similar they are also very different.
To speak on this point is to give away some of the aspects of this movies but we feel that their will be nothing lost in your viewing experience knowing what we’re about to tell you but in all fairness: SPOILERS.
Plot & What’s so Good About it!
“Revenge of the Nerds” starts off as a simple “boys off to college” movie. Lewis, Robert Carradine (King of the Nerds, Django, Unchained), and Gilbert, Anthony Edwards (ER, TOP GUN) are young men, optimistic about the future and their first year at College. However, college life takes a detour when the Jocks of Adams College, The Alpha-Beta’s, burn down their own frat house during a raging kegger party. Showing no remorse and a sense of entitlement we’ve only seen in the current Trump administration, the Jocks kick the freshmen Nerds out of their own dorms. The Dean of the school, also a Nerd, is powerless under the bullying athletic director, played by the amazing John Goodman (Roseanne, O’Brother…, The Flintstones). The Dean buckles under the pressure of the jocks and forces the Freshmen to live in the gym. To make up for their displacement, the 
Dean gives the students the rare chance to join Fraternities as Freshmen, a rite saved for upperclassmen, in order for them to find housing. Rejected by all of the fraternities on campus, the Nerds find happiness in a home of their own but are constantly being harassed and tormented by the Alpha Beta’s. This was the 80’s, remember? The behavior in this movie, by either party, is borderline, and in other cases downright criminal by today’s standards. WE digress; Seeking Greek justice the Nerds have to form their own fraternity to enter the Greek games, in order to win the annual fair/talent show, and take control of the Greek council in order fix the system from within. How Geek is that? The Nerds, again, being rejected by every fraternity they applied to, are probationally accepted by the one fraternal organization they didn’t send a group photo to: Lambda Lambda Lambda. The Nerds decide to throw a party to impress their “Tri-Lamb” sponsors, however, the Nerds aren’t so socially well rounded as they would believe themselves to be, having only ever partied with other Nerds. Here is where we introduce, the Geek,“Booger”. Booger is the intelligent, sex crazed, pot smoking, rock and roll listening bad boy of the class who loves to pick his nose, hence the name. He’s a Geek amongst the Nerds. Sure, he’s not as refined as some of the Geeks of today, but you can consider him “Geek 1.0.” If it wasn’t for Booger, played by Curtis Armstrong (Ray, American Dad, King of the Nerds), who brought out the “Wonder joints” that got the Nerds and their dates to “loosen up”, the Nerds would have lost their chance to impress their “Tri-Lamb” Sponsors and would not have had the chance to compete in the Greek games. They do. Also it was Booger who would urge the Nerds to lash out physically and “get even” with the Alpha Beta’s and Pi Delta Pi, the sister sorority of the Alpha Beta’s, in the form of some hilarious pranks and a panty raid that yielded more then ladies undergarments in the long run. In short, Booger was the Geek who helped the Nerds break out of their shells and realize that they were just as cool and capable as anyone else, if they just let themselves.
Although bullied and picked on for being different the Nerds help others to see that we are all the same and to appreciate those differences rather then focus on the negatives. In a scene that was later replicated in the reverse in the movie “Airheads”, we see the Nerds become Geeks. In an even more stunning move, we see some of the Delta Pi’s and Jocks become Geeks by identifying common interests with others, stepping outside of our normal comfort zone and circle of friends, and treating people with respect and kindness.
And yes, if you haven’t guessed it by now, this is why we prefer to be called “geeks” vs. “nerds”.
We hope that this review will help people appreciate not only what a fun movie “Revenge of The Nerds” is but how ahead of its time and under appreciated it still is for its social relevance. Let’s change that!
Quotable Lines:
“NERDS!”-Used as a negative it’s where the word use spawned from.
Takashi: “What is Hair Pi?”
[Booger is teaching Takashi poker]
Takashi: I think I’ve got a frush.
Booger: What the fuck’s a frush?
Takashi: [showing his royal flush] A *frush*.
Booger: [showing his cards] Oh, well I’ve got two sevens and two sevens beats a frush.
Takashi: Oh, thank you.
Betty Childs: Are all nerds as good as you?
Lewis: Yes.
Betty Childs: How come?
Lewis: ‘Cause all jocks ever think about is sports, all we ever think about is sex. (Warning! this scene may offend some!)
Takashi: Maybe we could have robster craws.
Booger: [adjusting his shirt] What the fuck are robster craws?
Booger: Hey guys…
[opens his leather jacket to reveal some Joints]
Booger: … wonder joints.
Gilbert: Only Human can be Inhuman…You can create, it’s almost Godlike. (When talking about Computers)
Booger: I say we blow the fuckers up! (in response to the AB’s and Delta’s ruining their party)
