Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The First Turn-On! Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 25, 2022

Everything changed for Troma Entertainment in 1984, with the release of “The Toxic Avenger” providing the company with a hit they could call their own, leading the way to a new direction in low-budget exploitation moviemaking, featuring strange monsters, gross-out comedy, and a whole lot of noise. Before Toxie, there was Troma Entertainment, creators of “sexy comedies,” trying to make a small fortune with nudity-laden endeavors that cranked up wackiness to best attract ticket-buyers. 1983’s “The First Turn-On” appears like a calculated move from Troma to ride the wave of teen horndog cinema, blending summer camp shenanigans with Penthouse Letter fantasies, looking to reach adolescent audiences without the use of slapstick comedy from the 1930s. It's not a creative leap forward for the company, but “The First Turn-On” is almost a complete idea from co-directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, and that’s an impressive achievement for the duo.

It's the start of the season at Camp Big-Tee-Pee, and four campers, joined by their counselor, elect to take a detour into a cave during a nature hike. After one of the campers breaks wind, a rockslide seals the group inside, forcing them to kill time as they wait for a rescue. Sharing stories from their earliest sexual experiences and revealing longstanding fantasies, the campers recall misadventures that defined their desperation, bringing the gang closer together.

“The First Turn-On” is a kind of a “Breakfast Club” experience, only with less refined screenwriting and omnipresent Dunkin’ Donuts product placement. It’s partially a summer camp feature, with the property overrun by crazed kids (including a young Vincent D’Onofrio), but it’s mostly a sexploitation endeavor, taking time to visualize stories from the lost campers, who offer erotic memories to help pass the time. It’s not a terrible idea for a movie, but “The First Turn-On” doesn’t sink its teeth into the concept, with the production often pulling away from the titillating intent of the picture to deal with wackiness and pranks at the camp, playing up Herz and Kaufman’s love of broad comedy.

The First Turn-On! Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Listed as a "digitally masturbated," the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation falls in line with other Troma Entertainment releases, offering poor encoding that results in sustained blockiness. Detail is soft, along with camp decoration and depth. Colors are lively but inconsistent, enjoying bold greenery and bright primaries on costuming. Skintones vary. Source is acceptable, with a few points of damage detected along the way.

The First Turn-On! Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital mix secures dialogue exchanges, which preserve performance choices, never slipping into distortive extremes. Soundtrack selections are milder, even when emphasized, though this could be a creative choice.

The First Turn-On! Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Listed on the back cover is "The Naked Truth About Troma's Flashbacks with Troma's Early Stars," but this supplement isn't included on the disc.

• Intro (1:37, HD) pays a visit to Troma Entertainment honcho Lloyd Kaufman, reporting from his COVID-19 bunker (which appears to be his house). Kaufman welcomes viewers to "The First Turn-On" Blu-ray, noting the film came "way before" Toxie (it didn't), and he points out an appearance from Vincent D'Onofrio.

• Commentary features co-writer/director Lloyd Kaufman.

• Interview (8:05, HD) is a 2019 chat with actress Shelia Kennedy, who recalls her initial casting for "The First Turn-On." She details her favorite parts of the shoot, recalling the making of her sex scene, which occurred in the middle of the morning, with Lloyd Kaufman barking orders to make the whole thing livelier. Kennedy also recalls her sudden audition for 1984's "Ellie," with producers offering her the lead role, even though she was an acting novice. The part pleased her mother, who was traumatized by Kennedy's time with Penthouse Magazine, glad to see her daughter doing more respectable work.

• And a Trailer (3:22, SD) is included.

The First Turn-On! Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The First Turn-On" is a near-miss for Troma Entertainment, if only because they insist on adding unwelcome goofiness to writing that could work with extra concentration on subgenre highlights. Levity is certainly welcome, but Herz and Kaufman aren't big on tonal balance, always trying to get obnoxiously wild, often overlooking what actually works in their movies.