6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Fraternity men Mother and Joe have their sights set on a sun-soaked bikini-fest down Palm Springs way. They're just hoping that Wendell, the ultimate nerd whose father is paying for the trip, won't spoil the fun.
Starring: Barbara Crampton, Stephen Geoffreys, Sheree J. Wilson, Cameron Dye, Tim RobbinsComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Directorial careers can be very strange, with most helmers struggling to find work, jumping from project to project just to maintain a living. James Frawley (who passed away in 2019) is in possession of that kind of wild resume, primarily working in television, laboring to make lackluster shows presentable. And then, in 1979, Frawley was offered a shot to guide “The Muppet Movie,” allowing Jim Henson a chance to focus on performance and puppet work while someone else managed day-to-day business. Frawley ended up with one of the best films of the year and arguably the finest Muppet cinematic endeavor of all time. However, he couldn’t get anything going with such a credit, returning to television, with his next theatrical offering being 1985’s “Fraternity Vacation,” taking command of a teen horndog production meant to be made as cheaply and quickly as possible to compete with the rising tide of R-rated comedies that delivered juvenile antics and naked bodies. It’s difficult to understand what Frawley was thinking when he accepted the job, besides collecting a paycheck, suddenly in charge of realizing a simplistic screenplay (by Lindsay Harrison) and supporting limited actors, stuck with pure formula to make multiplex (and VHS) fodder. Where’s Kermit when you need him?
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation shows its age, doing what it can to deliver an acceptable viewing experience. Detail isn't stunning, offering a more serviceable appreciation for skin surfaces as the college kids frequently disrobe during their Palm Springs hellraising. Close- ups offer some sense of age, and costuming has mild textures, doing okay with bathing suits and casualwear. Colors are muted, working better with the brightness of period outfits, which present bright pinks and blues. Location greenery is passable. Skintones are a bit bloodless at times, but do reasonably well. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in decent condition, but the third reel has a lengthy black scratch running down the middle of the frame. It's thin but noticeable. Grain is chunky.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is very basic in design, delivering satisfactory dialogue exchanges, preserving comedic delivery and softer, sensitive confessions. Scoring is inherently thin, with the chirpy synth selections supporting as necessary, balanced with the action. Soundtrack selections are a bit more aggressive, but performances aren't drowned out. Atmospherics are simple, but group activity is preserved.
"Fraternity Vacation" doesn't have any likable characters or comedic inspiration, though Frawley gets uncharacteristically focused on sexploitation interests, highlighting Kathleen Kinmont and Barbara Crampton as daffy, easily undressed Beta Epsilon agents sent in to humiliate Mother and Joe during a game of sexual sabotage. The rest of the picture isn't quite as attentive to the basics of the subgenre, with Frawley not doing enough to make "Fraternity Vacation" into a snowballing good time with lewd material and hilarious mishaps. It's limp work all around, with only casting curiosities keeping it periodically watchable.
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