Spring Break (1983)

 I remember Adam Marcus (director of "Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday" (1993) talking to a favorite YouTuber of mine about Sean Cunningham's aspirations to be a "prestige picture director", but while watching his follow-up film to "Friday the 13th" (1980), the Fort Lauderdale sex beach comedy, "Spring Break" (1983), I thought to myself, "He never really got to make that". Perhaps "Spring Break" is just an answer to "Porky's" or its many similarly playful and raunchy fellows, a joyously rambunctious and spirited romp that has no other reason to exist except to capture Ft. Lauderdale, FL, in 1983 during a very special time in the lives of beautiful young people, clubbing the night away, attending the expected wet-shirt contests, with lots of gatherings and hookups ongoing, including plenty of modeling contests in bikinis and suntanning beach attendees. The nonsense plotting of "Spring Break" includes a grumpy politician showing up to take a hotel property from its long-term owner and find his vacationing stepson, who has arrived in town with a good buddy. The stepson is Nelson (David Knell), a sweet virgin smitten with Susie (Jayne Modean; "House II: The Second Story" (1987)), a young woman he sees walk across the road and later in an arcade. Nelson's buddy is Adam (Perry Lang), himself a virgin hoping to get lucky while they are in Ft. Lauderdale just looking for some fun in the sun and entertainment on the strip. Their hotel reservation is at Breeze 'n Seas Hotel is a small room with two beds made by the delightful Geri (Jessica James) and her all-smiles charming bellhop, Eesh (Faraldo). Accidentally made for that same room are the slightly older (and clearly seasoned Florida spring break veterans), Stu, with his killer smile (Paul Land), and tall, head-band OT (Steve Bassett), reservations all four decide to share instead of make a big fuss. What I liked the most about "Spring Break" was how well these guys get along and just adapt to the situation without giving each other a hard time. In fact, they take the situation in stride and hang out with each other. While Stu and OT clearly have no problems hooking up with women either on the beach or in clubs, Nelson has eyes specifically for Susie while Adam seems to win the lottery during a wet T-shirt for men and women, nearly losing his underwear on stage after two girls he has interest in took off their tops as well. Yeah, it is that kind of movie.

What I liked about this compared to others of its ilk is that there is no mean-spirited misogyny or a lot of moments where I felt uncomfortable in my middle age now looking back and cringing. I can't say that with a lot of these movies. Both men and women are picking each other up, have total agency over their behavior, embrace the partying side of spring break, and are just out there living their best life while on vacation. This really does feel like Cunningham wanted to capture a particular period of time where you are young and free, without all the baggage of life. Considering how miserable 2022 seems to be right now as my country just seems torn apart, divided, at each other's throats, I venture backwards, purposely looking contently through nostalgia goggles to what looks like a hell of a good time. I don't see a reason to stick a needle in my arm, cut myself with a razor, leap off a building, or swallow a lot of pills. I enjoyed the chance to watch fun-loving people having the time of their lives. Richard B Shull is a hoot of a character actor, a man who was made for comedies about corrupt conmen hired by crooked politicians and businessmen to screw good people out of land, property, and their business. Symington makes for a hissable, smarmy politician running for Senate, hoping Shull can orchestrate a coup involving a seize of property through a code violation.

The hotel issues, political "intrigue", and Nelson looking to avoid his stepdad while enjoying time with Susie are really not that big a factor until maybe the last thirty minutes. For the majority of the film, this is a love letter to Ft. Lauderdale, and Cunningham really has a ton of coverage, making sure this trip isn't just for his four guys...we get to come along with them. Plenty of hedonism and debauchery are obvious, but none of it is ever presented as evil or even really sleazy. You don't see anyone forced to do anything they don't want to do and the days and nights follow four guys who never act in a way that makes them suspect or problematic. In fact, the women are just as aggressive and make the move. 3/5

**This was listed in Tubi's Cult Classics and I had a morbid curiosity about how much screen time Tammy Lynn Leppert had. She was only in it for about five or so minutes, boxing a muscled guy, successful and dedicated to making sure he stayed down. Leppert was an actress who has never been seen or heard from again after going missing in July of 1983. She was featured on Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack. I've never forgotten that telecast. It is haunting. Corinne Alphen as the girl rocker with an all-girl rock band playing clubs, the romantic interest for Bassett, can sure rock a pair of dark shades and she's just incredibly beautiful. That is the thing about Cunningham's film...there aren't very many ugly people in 1983 Ft. Lauderdale where his camera eyes.