Screwballs

Last updated
Screwballs
Screwballs.jpg
Directed by Rafal Zielinski
Written by Linda Shayne
Jim Wynorski
Produced by Maurice Smith
Nicky Fylan
Peter McQuillan
Roger Corman
Starring
Cinematography Miklós Lente
Edited byBrian Ravok
Music byTim McCauley
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release date
  • 1983 (1983)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$800,000 [1] [2]
Box office$2,082,215 [3] [4]

Screwballs is a 1983 Canadian teen sex comedy film [5] that was inspired by the success of Porky's . [6]

Contents

Plot

In 1965, five boys at Taft and Adams High School try to see the bare breasts of Purity Bush, the most beautiful girl in school. After being set up, reprimanded and sent to detention by the principal because of Purity, they plot their revenge.

Production

Following the success of Porky's, Roger Corman told Linda Shayne, who had worked for him, that he was interested in a low budget teen sex comedy. Shayne wrote one with Jim Wynorski, who did Corman's advertising and had written scripts for him. Corman liked the script, originally entitled Hide the Salami, and agreed to provide $500,000 of the budget. Shayne arranged for the balance to be found in Canada where the film was shot. [7] The rest of the money came from the Canadian Film Development Corporation, a Canadian physician and a Canadian theatre chain. Filming took place in Toronto. [8]

The movie was originally called Crazy Times and was set in 1962 but then this was shifted to 1964. [2]

Jim Wynorski designed the poster and said that he was inspired by Mad magazine. [9] Linda Shayne posed for the blonde figure on the poster.

Reception

Critical

Variety magazine called the film "a poor man's Porky's... full of youthful exuberance and proves utterly painless to watch, but it is so close in premise and tone to its model that negative comparisons can't help but be drawn". [10] At Metacritic, the film has a score of 34 out of 100 based on seven reviews. [11]

Box office

The film was released in U.S. theaters by New World Pictures in April 1983 and grossed $2,082,215. [3]

Sequels

The film led to two sequels, Screwballs II (1985) and Screwball Hotel (1988). [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Corman</span> American film director, producer, and actor (1926–2024)

Roger William Corman was an American film director, producer and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film.

<i>Porkys</i> 1981 teen sex comedy film by Bob Clark

Porky's is a 1981 sex comedy film written and directed by Bob Clark about the escapades of teenagers in 1954 at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida. The film influenced many writers in the teen film genre and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day (1983) and Porky's Revenge! (1985), and an ashcan copy titled Porky's Pimpin' Pee Wee (2009). Porky's was the fifth highest-grossing film of 1982. The film received generally positive reviews at the time of its release, but reviews have become more mixed-to-negative over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Bartel</span> American actor and director (1938–2000)

Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. He was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he co-wrote, starred in and directed.

<i>Chopping Mall</i> 1986 film by Jim Wynorski

Chopping Mall is a 1986 American independent techno-horror film co-written and directed by Jim Wynorski, produced by Julie Corman, and starring Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, John Terlesky, Russell Todd, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, and Barbara Crampton. It focuses on three high-tech security robots turning maniacal and killing teenage employees inside a shopping mall after dark.

<i>Humanoids from the Deep</i> 1980 film by Barbara Peeters

Humanoids from the Deep is a 1980 American science fiction horror film starring Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, and Vic Morrow. Roger Corman served as the film's uncredited executive producer, and his company, New World Pictures, distributed it. Humanoids from the Deep was directed by Barbara Peeters and an uncredited Jimmy T. Murakami.

Jim Wynorski is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Wynorski has been making B-movies and exploitation movies since the early 1980s, and has directed over 150 feature films. His earliest films were released to film theaters, but his later works have predominantly been released through the cable or straight-to-video market. He often works under pseudonyms such as "Jay Andrews," "Arch Stanton," "H.R. Blueberry," "Tom Popatopolis," and "Noble Henry." His adult films often spoof popular horror movies: Cleavagefield, for example, parodies Cloverfield, The Bare Wench Project parodies The Blair Witch Project, and Para-Knockers Activity parodies Paranormal Activity.

<i>Teenage Caveman</i> (1958 film) 1958 film by Roger Corman

Teenage Caveman is a 1958 American independent black-and-white science fiction adventure film produced and directed by Roger Corman, and starring Robert Vaughn and Darah Marshall. The film was released by American International Pictures in July 1958 as a double feature with How to Make a Monster.

<i>Sorority House Massacre II</i> 1990 film by Jim Wynorski

Sorority House Massacre II is a 1990 American slasher film directed by Jim Wynorski, featuring scream queens Melissa Ann Moore and Gail Harris. It follows five sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant after purchasing a large house. Much like its predecessors, Sorority House Massacre II has received a cult following over the years.

<i>Sorority House Massacre III: Hard to Die</i> 1990 American film

Sorority House Massacre III: Hard to Die is a 1990 American slasher film written by Mark Thomas McGee and James B. Rogers, directed by Jim Wynorski, and starring Gail Harris and Melissa Moore. The film features a similar storyline and many of the same actresses from its predecessor, and Wynorski's previous film Sorority House Massacre II, of which Hard to Die is essentially a remake.

<i>Screwballs II</i> 1985 film by Rafal Zielinski

Screwballs II, also known as Loose Screws, is a 1985 Canadian teen sex comedy film. It is a sequel to Screwballs and was one of the first releases from Roger Corman's Concorde Pictures.

<i>Deathstalker II</i> 1987 film by Jim Wynorski

Deathstalker II, also known as Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans, is a 1987 Argentine-American fantasy comedy-adventure film directed by Jim Wynorski and a sequel to 1983's Deathstalker. It was written by Neil Ruttenberg and starring John Terlesky, Monique Gabrielle, John LaZar and María Socas. Terlesky replaced Rick Hill, the protagonist from the previous film, in the starring role of Deathstalker. This is the last sword and sorcery movie that Roger Corman produced in Argentina during the 80s.

<i>Not of This Earth</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Jim Wynorski

Not of This Earth is a 1988 American science fiction horror comedy film, directed by Jim Wynorski and starring Traci Lords in her first mainstream role after her departure from the adult film industry. It is a remake of Roger Corman's 1957 film of the same name, written by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna.

<i>The Lost Empire</i> (1984 film) 1984 American film

The Lost Empire is a 1984 American fantasy adventure film directed by Jim Wynorski. It was the first feature Wynorski directed.

New Concorde (NC) is an American Los Angeles, California based film distribution company founded by Roger Corman. NC got its start in 1983 when Corman formed the production and distribution Concorde-New Horizons (CNH) as one of the first production companies to develop and take advantage of video as a distribution tool.

<i>Sorceress</i> (1982 film) 1982 American film

Sorceress is a 1982 sword and sorcery film directed by Jack Hill, and starring Leigh Harris and Lynette Harris. It was the last film directed by Jack Hill.

<i>The Wasp Woman</i> (1995 film) 1995 American TV series or program

The Wasp Woman is a 1995 television body horror film directed by Jim Wynorski and starring Jennifer Rubin, and Doug Wert. It is a remake of the 1959 film of the same name, which was produced and directed by Roger Corman. The film first aired on the Showtime Network in 1995.

Mark Thomas McGee is a screenwriter and author. Most of his movie work was for Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski. Although he played bit parts in some of these movies, he is not an actor and has been confused with a Mark McGee who actually is an actor. When he was in high school, Mark teamed with Dennis Muren and David Allen to make The Equinox ... A Journey into the Supernatural, released to theaters in an altered version by producer Jack H. Harris.

Recruits is a 1986 Canadian comedy film directed by Rafal Zielinski who had previously made Screwballs. It was an attempt to cash in on the success of Police Academy.

Rafal Zielinski is a Canadian film director, producer and screenwriter best known for his work for Roger Corman in the 1980s. In 1983 he and his producing partners signed a seven-picture deal with Corman, starting with Screwballs.

Maurice Smith is a British-born film producer. He is best known for his work in the exploitation field in the USA and Canada.

References

  1. Christopher T. Koetting, Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Hemlock Books. 2009 p 224
  2. 1 2 "Corman turns hand to Canadian films". The Toronto Star. 21 September 1982. p. 27.
  3. 1 2 Staff (2018-04-28). "Screwballs". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  4. Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 298. ISBN   978-0-8357-1776-2. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  5. The New York Times review
  6. "Screwballs", Offscreen, Volume 13 Issue 9 accessed 4 May 2014
  7. "Screwballs follows in Porkys vein". The Charlotte News. 20 May 1983. p. 39.
  8. "Playing the dumb blonde". The Kansas City Star. 23 May 1983. p. 11.
  9. Chris Nashawaty, Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B Movie, Abrams, 2013 p 193
  10. Screwballs review at Variety
  11. "Screwballs". Metacritic .
  12. Eleanor Mannikka (2016). "Screwballs II". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.