PCU is a kind of revamped version of those 80s college movies like Revenge of the Nerds and Back to School. Except, in the 90s, the message was how politically correct everything had gotten. And if you ask me, the message is still going strong 30 years later. It seems like everything they’re talking about in this movie is happening right now and almost nothing has changed. What a world…
But I digress. As usual, PCU didn’t do well when it came out. With a budget of almost $8 million, it made back half of that, making it a box office flop. And based on that, critics called it poorly written and blah, blah blah. But, once again, this movie is a cult classic, and those critics are dead. Well, probably. I don’t know.
Whether or not Siskel and Ebert are zombies isn’t the point, though. The point is that this movie has all kinds of different humor. From your stoner jokes with the guys in Jerrytown hitting their bong and playing frisbee with their dog named “Blotter”, to your general 90s slacker jokes throughout the movie, with “The Daves” and their catchphrase “let’s just quit…”
What makes PCU a fun comedy though, is that it has several storylines that it weaves together. It’s not just following Tom through the campus. It’s not just following Gutter to get beer. It’s not just following Rand and his scheming. It makes it feel like a college movie because there’s so many characters involved in it. There’s a large cast, and a lot of people have lines. It’s a diverse story. So, when the critics panned this movie back when it came out, I don’t know what their problem was. Because now, almost 30 years later, it was ranked one of the top 10 college movies of all time by The Huffington Post.
So, yeah. Go and see PCU. It’s one movie that has definitely stood the test of time. And if you like George Clinton and The Parliament Funkadelic, have I got a surprise for you. Because there’s a big music number involving them. It ends up with Gutter on the floor. But that’s not important. And as always, keep on watching, with a smile on your face…
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