Plot: What’s it about?
I had always considered Porky’s to be kind of a second-rate movie compared to the box-office powerhouses of National Lampoon’s Animal House and the Blues Brothers. While the movies of the late 70’s and early 80’s were focused on partying, drinking, drugs and various other assorted things, Porky’s delved right into the heart of the matter with it’s indulgence of the opposite sex (the opposite sex being women). While Animal House, Caddyshack and The Blues Brothers all had their share of critical and finincial success, Porky’s was always that movie with the bathtub tile and the woman’s hand on the knob of the shower. I don’t know…something about it always told me not to watch and/or rent it. And I didn’t…until now. Porky’s was one of Fox’s original releases and back in their “non-anamorphic” days fit right in with their crowd of flicks. Well, now Fox has seen the error of their ways and has not only remastered the flick in anamorphic widescreen, but included it’s sequel (Porky’s II: The Next Day) as well; on the same disc nonetheless. So now we know the facts, but what are they all about? With a name like “Porky’s” you never know…
While the first movie was more of a “skin” flick, i.e. you know when you watch it that you’re bound to see some topless women taking a shower, the second is more of a mock of the first film’s mild success. How’s that? A group of teens from Angel High find out about a bar by the name of Porky’s (how apt is that title?), there’s only one thing on all of their minds and it’s not to see how many beers that they can drink, it’s all about the women. Of course they do tend to tangle with Porky himself and the local sheriff and it’s more trouble than they bargained for. What’s probably most memorable about Porky’s is right on the box. Three of the guys find a shower with some peepholes drilled in the tile. Of course the ladies aren’t aware of these holes, so it’s a teenage guy’s delight to watch the women shower. Thus…is the essence of Porky’s. Porky’s II: The Next Day couldn’t be more literal. The movie takes place literally the next day, though it’s quite clear that time has past since the original and the guys of Porky’s are off to take on a certain group of men who don’t seem to like others of a different color. Yes, I’m talking about the KKK. Why such a serious subject is covered in a movie this shallow, I don’t know. With a name like Porky’s, you don’t want plot or messages, you just want to see some skin…right?
Video: How does it look?
Porky’s, one of Fox’s original releases, was originally released in a non-anamorphic 1.85:1 presenation. I compared that older release to the new one reviewed here and was surprised to find that not a whole lot had changed. Sure, the added resolution of the anamorphic DVD is better than the older, non-anamorphic one, but unless you want to shell out $25 for another disc, you might just want to keep the copy you have. Granted you do get the sequel on the new disc, so that’s an incentive provided by Fox, and that may have been their thinking all along. I found some artifacting on both I and II, but nothing to be a real distraction. Flesh tones look a bit burned out, as you can tell that the movies were made in the early 80’s. Edge enhancement is kept to a minimum as well. Let’s just say that if you don’t have the disc yet, then this is for sure the one to pick up, but unless you’re a real fan of the movies, keep the ones you have as the picture isn’t that much better.
Audio: How does it sound?
A new surround mix was made for both Porky’s I and II, and while it does sound decent, these aren’t movies that were made for their audio. Also included is the original mono mix. Funny, most new sound mixes are 5.1, but it is nice to hear a surround mix every once in a while. At times both of the movies tend to have that kind of “raspy” mono sound where you can immediately tell that you’re watching an older, low budget movie. Still, these movies aren’t the kind you buy for the sound, it’s all about the content. While not up to today’s standards, the sound more than suffices.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Apparently, Fox figures that getting two movies for the price of one is more than a deal, so the features are limited. All you get is a few trailers for these movies and two for the Revenge of the Nerds movies (a set identical to this release). They are all in anamorphic widescreen and mono sound. Not a bad deal, but like I said earlier, if you have the originals, there isn’t much more here.
