|
PLEDGE NIGHT (1988)
Directed by Paul Ziller
Imperial Entertainment VHS
Reviewed 07.27.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Let's talk about integrity.
The cover of Pledge Night
depicts a hand rising out of a toilet
while clutching a banana. As the
opening credits roll, the warm sound
of flushing permeates the soundtrack.
Each one of the film's outrageous
hazing scenes centers around butts
and/or poop. Clearly, director Paul
Ziller and friends knew a thing
or two about sticking to their guns.
Assholes, turds, and toilets; the
virtue is nearly blinding.
Half futile comedy, half useless
slasher and all terrible, Pledge
Night exposes the naked truth
about college fraternities. Namely,
they're pretty gay. And obsessed
with feces. If Evil
Laugh whispered about the
potential of a homosexual slasher-comedy,
then Pledge Night blows
the doors wide open. From here on
out, it's all jock straps, maraschino
cherries, and six-man pile-ups.
Definitely in that order.
It's Hell Week at Phi Epsilon, despite
the winter climate. The Phi's house
sports walls that are spray painted
with terms like "Life Sucks"
and "Phuck". Five pledges
are forced to partake of "The
Phi-Ep Cherry Race" (buttholes
and cherries), "The Strings
On Little Wieners" (corn on
the cob tied to you-know-what),
branding on the ass cheek, and eating
a banana disguised as poo out of
a toilet (no official names for
the last two, sorry!). Forty-five
minutes later, it's revealed that
the nutty "Crazy Dan"
is really possessed by "Acid
Sid"; a pledge (think Freddy
Krueger by way of Randy "Macho
Man" Savage) from 1968 who
was accidentally killed in a hazing
hijink. Everybody dies. Acid Sid
attempts to rape a girl. He makes
a bid for sympathy. It's a breathtaking
moment.
Pledge Night is a dysfunctional
chop-shop. Basically, the tone meanders,
gross people have sex, and lines
are recited with great difficulty.
None of it is fun, thanks to the
blatant stupidity, mean-spirited
attitudes, and a defective sense
of humor. There's some excessive
gore thrown in towards the end,
but the godawful one-liners ("This
one's for Spiro Agnew!") wipe
it clean. Phuckin' A.
At one point, Acid Sid sticks a
cherry bomb up some guy's ass. It
explodes. See what I mean? Integrity.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
A couple of blips and tape rolls
had me going for a minute. Otherwise,
the sailing was smooth. The sound
was in mono, so the laughable soundtrack
from Anthrax didn't make my ears
bleed too badly.
EXTRAS
Grow a little hair on your chest
with the trailer for No Retreat,
No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers.
This time, it's family.
FINAL THOUGHTS
"Eat that turd if you wanna
be a brother!" You know what,
Pledge Night? I'll pass
on that. You should too. |
Phuuuuuck!
Stickin' to it
Choose your own adventure
Sid Silverstein, MD
|
