Getting Wasted (1980)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

good back-story, and good acting

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Although there was several scenes of casual drug use here, the title seems off putting. The story concerns itself with teen Brian Kerwin being one last chance by going to a strict military school. Of course, a lot of his fellow students are more interested in goofing off than in discipline, setting up the comic scenes, including an elaborate scene of the boys trying to get high by smoking bananas. It's obvious influence is "Animal House"-it has Stephen Furst as the overweight loser-with added crudity and toilet humour, which are drawbacks. But where it scores is in the creation of the last 1960s. The treat of Vietnam is brought up a few times, and the general feeling of discontent is evident, personified in the hippie girl Kerwin befriends. She and her far our pals provide a tie-dyed contrast to the straitlaced academy. And then there's the music. Beginning with "For What It's Worth", every tune is a classic. Even the live band at a party have soundalikes for Grace Slick and Janis Joplin. Will a little more care, this could have been a winner. One clunker of a scene involves a cruel joke about a dog in a microwave, totally incongruous and unfunny. Apart from that, this has many worthy scenes, and a pretty good cast

Despite a low budget, this no frills unpretentious made-for-TV movie I found to be very enjoyable. It's silly and mad-cap. I found it refreshing when I watched it on a late night satellite channel. It's a pity there aren't more like this.The cast gel together well and the direction and editing are reasonably slick. It was produced at a time when made-for-TV movies were often better than what was at the box-office.Don't listen to those who say it's a load of rubbish - it isn't! It captures the period nicely and there is a clever use of some of the best songs of the time. I'd like to get the DVD, but it doesn't do the movie justice by all accounts.

This 1980 title was part of the movies included in the "Toga Party" set put out by Brentwood. Having had viewed most of the others in the collection, I decided to watch this one because of Brian Kerwin (Torch Song Trilogy) and Cooper Huckabee (Funhouse). First person recognized is Ronnie Claire Edwards (The Walton's Corabeth Godsey) who plays Brad's (Kerwin) mother. Others in the cast is Stefan Furst and David Caruso but where the hell is he? He plays someone called Danny but I never could figure out which one he was. Anyway, it was an interesting flick with the exception of many blank spaces that looks like reel changes, so I decided to order the movie by itself, thinking there might be additional scenes that were deleted, and hopefully a better quality print. Guess what? Yes, the DVD I found was also released by Brentwood and is exactly the same - running time, blank spaces and C-grade quality. Had I known this copy was also from Brentwood, I would have saved money by not ordering. And for in-store sales promotion, they even put a more recent picture of David Caruso on the cover - hoping face and name recognition will entice people to buy.

Great, if you like low budget cult like trash and the like. Generally adolescent humour. Check it out if you can. I've watched it a couple of times, taped off tv, and I would watch it again. I thought it was funny!