A nerdy, shy high school kid convinces the most popular girl to spend a weekend together to prove he’s a nice guy.
High school student Mike (Joseph R. Straface) places a $2000 bet with school bully Randy (Lee Barringer) that he can bed Diane (Stacy Christensen), the school’s coveted beauty queen and resident virgin, at the Paradise Bungalows before summer ends. Released on Blu-ray™ as “Paradise Bungalows,” but also known as “The Virgin Queen of St. Francis High,” this Brat Pack wannabe offers little in the way of surprises. From the start, it is obvious where the story is headed. Nor is it surprising that this film has remained obscure.
Released in 1987 and written and directed by Francesco Lucente, “Paradise Bungalows” contains the usual tropes of the 80s teen comedy — namely, an awkward lead trying to win over a beautiful classmate. However, there isn’t much to the script, and the film frequently feels like it’s reaching for straws. Try as it might, there doesn’t seem to be enough material to fill a 90-minute feature. Multiple lengthy — and rather dull — dream sequences involve Mike as a James Bond-type persona saving Diane from the villainous Randy. In the dreams, Randy repeatedly takes Diane hostage while the two boys trade gunfire with terrible aim.
Not helping matters are the cast’s uninspired performances. Straface is especially bland in the lead role. He often feels like he’s trying too hard or desperately wants to be somewhere else, simultaneously overplaying antics and mumbling his lines. Christensen gives a better performance but still comes across as inexperienced. The two have little chemistry, which is probably the most damning aspect of this romantic comedy. The film arrives at the conclusion you’d expect from the setup.
Released on Blu-ray™ by MVDVisual, the film arrives “restored and mastered from the original 16mm negative and audio elements.” The transfer features the usual grainy texture from this film stock and is clean and film-like. The audio, offered in 5.1 and 2.0 tracks, however, is not as clean. Dialogue is often muffled and difficult to decipher. Whether this is a problem with the source audio, the performances, or a little of both isn’t entirely clear.
The only extra is the film’s trailer. However, the set also includes an additional disc with the film’s soundtrack.
While “Paradise Bungalows” sounded like it would be right up my alley, it was ultimately a disappointment. The film is poorly paced, uneventful, and unconvincing — not a good combination. It offers little reason to seek it out, even for those curious about an obscure ‘80s teen sex comedy.
Now available on Blu-ray™
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