In the mid-1980's, Hollywood became nostalgic for the teenage world of the 1950's/early 1960's. (Baby-boomer screenwriters and directors looking back on their youth.) This nostalgic fixation peaked in 1985 when "Back to the Future," "Heaven Help Us," "Porky's Revenge" and "Mischief" appeared in theaters. While the first two films owed significantly to George Lucas' "American Graffiti" with their attempting to recapture the "lost world" of 1950's/1960's, the latter two were obvious grabs at the audience that had made 1982's raunchy "Porky's" a surprise hit.
Like "Porky's," the 1950's setting of "Mischief" is just window-dressing. Play a bunch of 50's rock songs on the soundtrack, get some old cars, put girls in poodle-skirts, saddle-shoes, and ponytails and have all the guys dressed to fit stereotypes: mean jocks wear letter-sweaters, cool cats in leather jackets and t-shirts, and nerds wear rolled-up pants and sweater vests. Yet, remove all the above and "Mischief" could be set in 1985 and not miss a beat. It's just 1980's actors in 50's costumes with no real attempt to bring the era to life. "American Graffiti" this is not.
The plot: nerdy, Ohio high-school student Jonathan (Doug McKeon) befriends new "cool" kid, "Gene" (Chris Nash), who shows Jonathan the ropes into making-it with the ladies. Jonathan has a crush on "Marilyn" (Kelly Preston)- the hottest girl in the school- and with Gene's advice he's eventually able to bed her, but then realizes that he doesn't actually know her. What a revelation! It seems that the whole point of the movie was to briefly reveal Mrs. Travolta's assets on film in a tacky, awkward sex scene ala "Porky's." (Despite living in the supposedly "Puritanical" 1950's, Marilyn noticeably has no tan lines.) Oh, there are also subplots with Gene wooing another pretty girl, fighting her jerk-jock wanna-be boyfriend, and dealing with his rotten dad (a youngish looking Terry O'Quinn).
"Mischief" is not good. Chris Nash's career fizzled-out for good reason. He couldn't really act. And "Mischief" proved that Doug McKeon, who had been a promising child actor, didn't have the presence to move into leading-man roles. It is never really explained how the runty and rather obnoxious Jonathan (Gene's advice transforms him into a creep) is able to win-over Marilyn who is clearly out of his league. I guess we're just supposed to accept it because Jonathan is the main character and the main character must get the girl. Lazy screen-writing. And by film's end, Jonathan is about to land the stunning Jami Gertz (who has a small role as the "geeky girl"- yeah, right.) It's just nerd fantasyland.
Overall, "Mischief" is a cheesy 80's teen sex-comedy that isn't either funny or touching. Instead, it was a very shallow and calculated cash-grab to latch onto the "Porky's" gravy-train. (Some legacy. The "Porky's" franchise were abysmal films and just as forgotten, but, at least, they were somewhat original.)
Like "Porky's," the 1950's setting of "Mischief" is just window-dressing. Play a bunch of 50's rock songs on the soundtrack, get some old cars, put girls in poodle-skirts, saddle-shoes, and ponytails and have all the guys dressed to fit stereotypes: mean jocks wear letter-sweaters, cool cats in leather jackets and t-shirts, and nerds wear rolled-up pants and sweater vests. Yet, remove all the above and "Mischief" could be set in 1985 and not miss a beat. It's just 1980's actors in 50's costumes with no real attempt to bring the era to life. "American Graffiti" this is not.
The plot: nerdy, Ohio high-school student Jonathan (Doug McKeon) befriends new "cool" kid, "Gene" (Chris Nash), who shows Jonathan the ropes into making-it with the ladies. Jonathan has a crush on "Marilyn" (Kelly Preston)- the hottest girl in the school- and with Gene's advice he's eventually able to bed her, but then realizes that he doesn't actually know her. What a revelation! It seems that the whole point of the movie was to briefly reveal Mrs. Travolta's assets on film in a tacky, awkward sex scene ala "Porky's." (Despite living in the supposedly "Puritanical" 1950's, Marilyn noticeably has no tan lines.) Oh, there are also subplots with Gene wooing another pretty girl, fighting her jerk-jock wanna-be boyfriend, and dealing with his rotten dad (a youngish looking Terry O'Quinn).
"Mischief" is not good. Chris Nash's career fizzled-out for good reason. He couldn't really act. And "Mischief" proved that Doug McKeon, who had been a promising child actor, didn't have the presence to move into leading-man roles. It is never really explained how the runty and rather obnoxious Jonathan (Gene's advice transforms him into a creep) is able to win-over Marilyn who is clearly out of his league. I guess we're just supposed to accept it because Jonathan is the main character and the main character must get the girl. Lazy screen-writing. And by film's end, Jonathan is about to land the stunning Jami Gertz (who has a small role as the "geeky girl"- yeah, right.) It's just nerd fantasyland.
Overall, "Mischief" is a cheesy 80's teen sex-comedy that isn't either funny or touching. Instead, it was a very shallow and calculated cash-grab to latch onto the "Porky's" gravy-train. (Some legacy. The "Porky's" franchise were abysmal films and just as forgotten, but, at least, they were somewhat original.)