Reviews

On the surface, My Boyfriend's Back is simply an assembly line contemporary teen comedy in disguise, particularly in the threatening presence of some stock characters, when actually what they've created is an offbeat, often-funny zombie spoof--A kooky horror-show-without-the-horror you'll want to show to friends. The fact that this is a project from the mind of Sean Cunningham, who fathered "Friday the 13th" and the "House" films, does explain a lot.

Johnny, the aforementioned boyfriend, harbors an enduring crush on the class beauty--a drop-dead Tracy Lin(no pun intended) and, to her gratitude, thwarts a hold up in true secret service fashion. mortally wounded, Johnny's love life finally takes off in the wacky wake of his return. Of course, bullies, bigotry(a dumb, overstated social comment) and mad doctors' efforts to exploit the phenomenon threaten his strange new existence. Yields many pluses, including the mood which, ironically, echoes that of 1989's "Parents"(which features Mary Beth Hurt in an only slightly altered role!), if missing its impact. Most often flounders when its points are beaten into the ground and its humor too calculated.These guys have brought us something original and lasting, and probably intended it to attain cult status, but lacks too much in more than one area to ever do so.

Recent teenage parolee Cody Culp returns to his anarchistic futuristic hood to find himself disgusted with his home life, alienated from his former gang(probably to his relief), and threatened by the school's newest bullies: three robotic teachers, implemented by the government to restore discipline, only consolation being his budding romance with the principal's daughter--perpetually gorgeous Tracy Lin. As always, whenever players take the material as seriously as these actors do, the potentially mediocre is propelled to a new level. The performance by vastly unappreciated and underused Bradley Gregg rivals that of the more experienced Ryan, Grier, and Kilpatrick(with McDowell typically good, but all too often idle).

I've always held that the reason there was and remains so much dissatisfaction with this movie is that too many people watched it with the wrong expectations. Preparing for some silliness and expecting some substandard effects is the starting point with one like this. Reason being: to get past the frequent implausibility is to put yourself in a position to recognize the uniqueness and innovation. Taking the deliberate cheese with a grain of salt, one can appreciate opportunities when it is earnest.

If anything truly hurts this movie, it's the boring pseudo-military battle scenes. They would have been wise to leave this stuff to the only films suited to do them properly--war films, but instead have introduced out-of-place time wasters in which neither side has evoked any sympathy anyway. That said, Class Of 1999 is still a shoulda-been camp classic not to be missed. Then again, should any movie featuring knockout Tracy Lin be missed?

Hokey 80s Carrie spoof, following the suddenly telekinetic Klyde Krashcup--Barney(Scott Baio) and raunchy, girl-chasing pal, played by an ever-dependable Willie Aames. Oh, wait! Whom he also teamed up w/, a few years later, for the greatly popular "Charles In Charge". So, will Barney strain ethics and use his new powers for personal gain? I wonder.

A surprising expansion for Baio from Chachi...I guess. Some outlandish standouts: Scatman Crothers' cartoonish, refer-induced fantasy-turned nightmare; Willie Aames' encounter with the school fox and even the corny subplot of the clumsy affair between dork principal and adoring knucklehead teacher. Recommended? Yes, depending on your frame of mind.