Director
Robert Downy, Sr.
Cast
Ralph Macchio - Cooch
Wendell Brown - Ike
Hutch Parker - Oliver
Tom Poston - Sisson
Ron Leibman (Shhh, don't tell anyone) - Maj.Vaughn Liceman
From Laurel and Hardy (my first post on this blog), I turn my nose and attention at another bastion of American humor-Mad Magazine. Satire at its best.
Back in 1980, the "usual gang of idiots" over at MAD Magazine had the "brilliant idea" of presenting audiences with a "movie." The final product, titled "Up the Academy," was pure tastelessness at its worst. In no time, it would surpass MAD's typical standards of tastelessness.
MAD, by the way went from being a comic with tales calculated to drive you "mad," to becoming a magazine starting in 1952.
During its long history, MAD released its a few board games, a television sketch comedy show, a huge library of paperbacks read primarily by Americans sitting on American toilets, video games fondly remembered by hardly anyone, and foreign record albums.
Maybe there wasn't enough garbage coming out of Hollywood in 1980, so they had to contribute a little garbage of their own. To the magazine's credit, they apologized shortly after.
Producers managed to get Robert Downy, Sr., to direct this film. They also got a younger-er Ralph Macchio (pre Mr. Miyagi and My Cousin Vinny days) to star in this, too.
Before I dive into the most "What-me, worry?" sh*tfest out there, I need to say the magazine's mascot, Alfred E. Newman, does not make a memorable live-action character. In fact, live action Alfred is pure nightmare fuel. Obviously being affiliated with the magazine, Alfred's live-action appearance in the movie makes sense. But his appearance in the beginning and end of the movie is terrible and just flat-out weird looking, even for Alfred.
Not only is this movie completely terrible, it seems everyone involved in its production knew just how bad it was. That includes the publishers of MAD.
The plot of this teen comedy is a simple one that surely pulls influence from the movie Animal House released two years earlier.
A group of misfit teens from various walks of life are sent to Sheldon R. Weinberg Military School where they're under the watchful disciplinary eye of Maj. Vaughn Liceman (Ron Leibman).
Liceman, never unaware of what the students are doing or plotting, wants orders obeyed at all times while reassuring them he's really their friend.
Hating the rules, the students waste no time searching for girls, fun, fun with girls, girls looking for fun, having fun with girls, and having a fun party with girls but without the faculty's knowledge.
One student, Oliver (Hutch Parker), learns his girlfriend, Candy (not the kind found in the vending machines) is attending a girl's military academy nearby and manages to sneak over for a late night roll. Somehow, as the audience learns, Liceman spied on them and snapped a few Polaroids as evidence.
Oliver's father happens to be a politician running for a political office. So, Liceman's intention is to use the pictures against Oliver and his dad unless Oliver can hook him up with Candy. It's a weak plot that seems to be written as the movie goes along.
Oliver and the other boys form a plan to lure Liceman into a trap.
During its long history, MAD released its a few board games, a television sketch comedy show, a huge library of paperbacks read primarily by Americans sitting on American toilets, video games fondly remembered by hardly anyone, and foreign record albums.
Maybe there wasn't enough garbage coming out of Hollywood in 1980, so they had to contribute a little garbage of their own. To the magazine's credit, they apologized shortly after.
Producers managed to get Robert Downy, Sr., to direct this film. They also got a younger-er Ralph Macchio (pre Mr. Miyagi and My Cousin Vinny days) to star in this, too.
Before I dive into the most "What-me, worry?" sh*tfest out there, I need to say the magazine's mascot, Alfred E. Newman, does not make a memorable live-action character. In fact, live action Alfred is pure nightmare fuel. Obviously being affiliated with the magazine, Alfred's live-action appearance in the movie makes sense. But his appearance in the beginning and end of the movie is terrible and just flat-out weird looking, even for Alfred.
Not only is this movie completely terrible, it seems everyone involved in its production knew just how bad it was. That includes the publishers of MAD.
The plot of this teen comedy is a simple one that surely pulls influence from the movie Animal House released two years earlier.
A group of misfit teens from various walks of life are sent to Sheldon R. Weinberg Military School where they're under the watchful disciplinary eye of Maj. Vaughn Liceman (Ron Leibman).
Liceman, never unaware of what the students are doing or plotting, wants orders obeyed at all times while reassuring them he's really their friend.
One student, Oliver (Hutch Parker), learns his girlfriend, Candy (not the kind found in the vending machines) is attending a girl's military academy nearby and manages to sneak over for a late night roll. Somehow, as the audience learns, Liceman spied on them and snapped a few Polaroids as evidence.
Oliver's father happens to be a politician running for a political office. So, Liceman's intention is to use the pictures against Oliver and his dad unless Oliver can hook him up with Candy. It's a weak plot that seems to be written as the movie goes along.
Oliver and the other boys form a plan to lure Liceman into a trap.
During a dance, Candy (who's in on the trap) gets Liceman to meet her in secret under the impression that the two will...you know...hook up before she has to head back to her academy.
She gets Liceman into an scandalous situation as the other students surreptitiously take pictures of him.
Of course, he wants those pictures just as they want his pictures of Oliver.
She gets Liceman into an scandalous situation as the other students surreptitiously take pictures of him.
Of course, he wants those pictures just as they want his pictures of Oliver.
They finally agree to a soccer game - winner gets all photos. How soccer became an integral part of the plot is beyond me. Like I said, the movie writes itself as it continues on.
The humor doesn't rise above what the producers believed teens in 1980 would find funny - drugs, sex, and old people farting.
The humor doesn't rise above what the producers believed teens in 1980 would find funny - drugs, sex, and old people farting.
There are a few off-color ethnic stereotype quips mixed in. At other times, the humor is dry, forced, and predictable such as a blind barber giving bad haircuts, and a turd floating in a punch bowl - literally.
To be fair, I did laugh at a few random moments. I think that was accidental, though. Still, even writers at MAD Magazine can come up with better jokes and satire than what the movie threw up on audiences.
And the plot, as simple as it is, is just everywhere.
The entire movie reminds me of a high school play, written by high school students, all the way down to the dialogue, delivery, and acting.
The humor barely tries to be genuinely funny. And the racial stereotype humor is just plain awful, and that's not even because they're stereotypes.
From what I've been told, some actors attempted to get their name pulled from the credits including actor Rob Liebman. He even threatened to sue to take his name off the credits. God bless them for trying to redeem themselves after what demonry they took part in.
To the movie's credit, the soundtrack is memorable, but only because it includes songs by legendary performers such as Blondie, Pat Benatar, and Sammy Hagar, though Hagar's "legendary" status is debatable.
Unlike the magazine, this movie doesn't parody anything really aside from life at a Military Academy. It could have taken a much larger jab at school life, or the military. Instead, it chose to create a bunch of typical teenage shenanigans with very little creativity to try and make it memorable and hilarious.
Meanwhile, the powers that be at the magazine paid Warner Bros. to remove all references to MAD upon the movie's video release. In fact, the magazine's publisher at the time, William Gaines, sent out apology letters to anyone who wrote in to piss and moan about the movie. He wanted the magazine to continue maintaining what little integrity had.
In true MAD fashion, they came up with a parody of their own movie. In MAD #218, the writers presented "Throw Up the Academy."
To the magazine staff's credit, the parody comic was cut short as it covered only two pages since the writers thought the movie was so bad, it didn't deserve an entire spoof. The writers also published a note that jokingly claimed the entire staff quit as the movie was that bad.
Thousands upon thousands of people lost out on $3 - the average price of a movie ticket in 1980. But like so much other tasteless crap, Up the Academy has somehow developed a cult following.
For reasons I can't imagine, this movie still has a spark of likeability. Maybe it's the nostalgia. Maybe it's the name MAD.
As the words sprawled across MAD issue #218 read, "You could do worse...and you always have!"
To be fair, I did laugh at a few random moments. I think that was accidental, though. Still, even writers at MAD Magazine can come up with better jokes and satire than what the movie threw up on audiences.
And the plot, as simple as it is, is just everywhere.
The entire movie reminds me of a high school play, written by high school students, all the way down to the dialogue, delivery, and acting.
The humor barely tries to be genuinely funny. And the racial stereotype humor is just plain awful, and that's not even because they're stereotypes.
From what I've been told, some actors attempted to get their name pulled from the credits including actor Rob Liebman. He even threatened to sue to take his name off the credits. God bless them for trying to redeem themselves after what demonry they took part in.
Unlike the magazine, this movie doesn't parody anything really aside from life at a Military Academy. It could have taken a much larger jab at school life, or the military. Instead, it chose to create a bunch of typical teenage shenanigans with very little creativity to try and make it memorable and hilarious.
Meanwhile, the powers that be at the magazine paid Warner Bros. to remove all references to MAD upon the movie's video release. In fact, the magazine's publisher at the time, William Gaines, sent out apology letters to anyone who wrote in to piss and moan about the movie. He wanted the magazine to continue maintaining what little integrity had.
In true MAD fashion, they came up with a parody of their own movie. In MAD #218, the writers presented "Throw Up the Academy."
To the magazine staff's credit, the parody comic was cut short as it covered only two pages since the writers thought the movie was so bad, it didn't deserve an entire spoof. The writers also published a note that jokingly claimed the entire staff quit as the movie was that bad.
Thousands upon thousands of people lost out on $3 - the average price of a movie ticket in 1980. But like so much other tasteless crap, Up the Academy has somehow developed a cult following.
For reasons I can't imagine, this movie still has a spark of likeability. Maybe it's the nostalgia. Maybe it's the name MAD.
As the words sprawled across MAD issue #218 read, "You could do worse...and you always have!"
While I'm on the topics: A young Robert Downey, Jr. was an extra during the soccer game scene. If you're bored enough to try and look hard, you might see him. You don't win any prizes if you catch him though. Here's a cheat video for anyone bored, but short on time.
