Movies That Changed My Life – September 2010

Posted on Aug 28, 2010

Movies That Changed My Life – September 2010

The Last American Virgin (1982)
IMDb.com Link

Written By: Justin Bozung
Mondo Film & Video Guide Editor

I can still remember the exact minute in my young 5 year old head.  It was a feeling, and thought, that I didn’t even understand.  It was a gut instinct, and I have no idea why it happened to me.   Growing up, my mom and I where left alone, as my dad worked nights always.   This was before my sister came along too.   My family always had cable. I can’t remember a time in my life, where we didn’t have cable.  We also always had all the movies channels.   I can’t recall what day of the week it was, but I can recall, the TV screen, and the HBO logo coming on.  The living room was dark.   A light in the corner, with a yellow tint. My mom always liked earth tones for the living room.   My mom was reading.  I can remember seeing a preview for Porky’s at this moment too.

Then, my mind blurs. Memory lost. Like the descension scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey, I remember.   Half way through the film, The Last American Virgin, (Again, I was five years old)  my mom is sitting next to me.  But I couldn’t tell you what the plot was about.   I can remember laughing, and I can remember feeling something in my gut.  A deep pain, that made me instantly get up, tell my mom I was going upstairs to go ” bathroom.”    I went, and then I went, and then walked quietly into my parent’s bedroom, turned on the television set, sat on the floor, and attempted to finish this movie without my mother’s presence.  But, why did I do this?

From this point on, my memory is crystal clear.   I remember the final moments of this film. Up until the last 10 minutes of the film, The Last American Virgin is a sight gag, T&A teen coming of age sex comedy.  Why did my mom let me watch a sex comedy at age 5?  I don’t know, ask her.  Email me, and I’ll give you her phone number.  Up until this time, I have vague memories of laughing during this film.   But what makes this film so unique is how it shift’s it’s tone from comedy, to this sad, heartfelt teen coming of age realization in the final minutes.  And I think it is this moment that changed my life forever.

I can remember CLEARLY how the character’s pain had transferred into me.   I can remember feeling so sorry for this guy, and I can remember crying.  I was 5!   This made no sense.  And it was at this point that my mom came upstairs and asked me “What are you doing?”  I told her, just finishing this movie.  She paused and said ” Well, come down and finish it.”  So I did.

As I got back downstairs, I can remember seeing the same cinematic image that had just ingrained itself into my psyche forever. That of the character “Gary” close up to the left of the frame, and on the right the credit’s roll to a very sad song, and tears are streaming down his eyes as he drives away.   Just heartbreaking.  Being stupid, I guess I should explain, what the hell is happening.  The Last American Virgin is a silly 80′s teen sex comedy, about three high school friends that are trying to get laid for the first time.   Over the course of 90 minutes two of three manage to succeed.  This leaves behind the lovable, Gary. Looking like a weird Jewish, Italian mut,  Gary (Lawrence Monoson) can’t bring himself to just screw any chick.  He’s in love, with Karen, a girl that his best friend had seduced per the plan.

Finding out that Karen is pregnant, Gary’s  friend, tells the girl to take a hike, sending her into the arms of Gary for help out of the situation.  (BTW,  Gary’s friend, is played by the same actor, who was the evil son cum jock of the business land developer in The Goonies, who cares what his name is, right? ANDY, YOU GOONIE!!!!)   Gary, being the everyday nice guy, helps Karen out the teen prego jam, pays for her abortion, and gets her a place for the night where she can rest and cooks for her.  This is where he has wanted to be all along, with the girl that he loves.  In the final moments, Gary pulls up to a house party where EVERYONE is supposed to be at, including his friends and Karen.  He walks in, feeling on top of the world, to the music of the Plimsouls!  As he reaches the kitchen of the house, he discovers  Karen making out with his best friend, whom got her pregnant.   They make eye contact, and she knows she’s hurt him  Devastated, he walks out, and it’s just heartbreaking.  As a five year old kid, this drove me to tears.  And as a five year old, how did I even understand this.   Do you even?

As I paste this clip into this article, I see  it, and I just got a tear in my eye, seeing the emotion of these characters.   It’s a feeling that you don’t wanna let go.  I suppose this is the basis for why I love movies.  In theory, it’s just weird. How can a film go from mindless slapstick, to this steaming stream of emotion and heartbreak?  In reality, that’s the essence of life.   So like like, The Last American Virgin is a cinematic curveball right down the middle that you aren’t expecting.  It’s a brilliant film.

It took me another 15 years, before I would see this film again.  I was five, and while I can clearly remember the celluloid emotion, and it’s impact on me. I had no clue what this film was called.   After research, I did find it again.   I watch this film yearly, and each time, it brings me to tears.  It’s a movie that taught me about the power of emotion in film. It caused an affect in me,  that many films don’t .  Good art does this.  Is The Last American Virgin art?   I don’t know.  But it changed my life, as art can.  So Yeah, it’s art.

Justin Bozung is the Editor of the Mondo Film & Video Guide.  You can email him at justinb@mondo-video.com