Bob Clark, never one to pigeonhole himself in one genre, presents us with the quintessential teen sex comedy of the '80s. Set in 1954, it revolves around a group of teens who try to get laid and wander over to the whorehouse where they are humiliated and vow revenge against the portly titular owner. Little more than sex jokes, boobies and practical jokes, these movies always get a bad rap for being exploitative towards women, but as usual, it's the guys who come off worst of all. It confronts racist and sexist attitudes of the day, but it's never intended to be mean-spirited or bigoted. It's all in good-natured fun which almost feels rather tame in retrospect. Audiences reappraising this film nowadays will no doubt look for any excuse to be offended, but there is an innocent charm about it that really captures the rebellious teenage spirit. A defining cultural phenomenon for its time, it was the predecessor to gross-out sex comedies like American Pie, and still one of the best examples of its kind.
3 peep shows out of 5
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