Time turned it into one of those films that, alas, couldn’t be released today. However, at the time, in the early 1980s, ‘Porky’s’ landed in millions of theaters and became, more than convincingly, one of the big commercial hits of the decade. A wild, thug and chaotic comedy, full of leaps into the void that connected an entire generation (teenagers) to become a cult classic.
Curiosities of a cult comedy: ‘Porky’s’
1 I work with time
Bob Clark worked at “Porky’s” for a good fifteen years. More than a decade in which the director and screenwriter was collecting numerous memories linked to his time in high school and to classmates who were part of that (clearly) key phase of his life.
Two blockbuster
For eight weeks, “Porky’s” was stuck at the top of the US box officesurpassed only by the unforgettable ‘ET, the extraterrestrial’, Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, for a total of sixteen years.
3 change grades
In the beginning, “Porky’s” received an “X” rating., something that made the producers of the film very nervous, who were pushing through numerous reviews to get the “R” downgrade. And they succeeded, which greatly facilitated the film’s commercial impact.
4 impossible makeover
tirelessly for many years, Howard Stern was looking to produce a new version of “Porky’s”, thus trying to repeat the box office success of the original tape. However, no studio bought the project from him. And that got the approval of Bob Clark himself.
5 The Cattrall Conflict
Gorgeous Kim Cattrall has a small role in “Porky’s,” a job she accepted for the only reason she was in dire need of the money. However, after the premiere of the film, the actress had a hard time, as she felt that people thought it was the end of her career. Indeed Cattrall later admitted that it cost him much more to get “serious” roles after appearing on “Porky’s”, making sure the industry automatically sexualized it after seeing it on tape.
6 go to christmas
Two years after ‘Porky’s’ commercial triumph, Bob Clark released the wonderful ‘Christmas Stories’, a little classic that continues to give great fun with his viewing during the marked holidays. However, the writer and director assured him the only reason the studio agreed to fund this project was because of the excellent box office results of “Porky’s” since the project was previously rejected.
7 two without three
The same year that the aforementioned “Christmas Stories” was released, Bob Clark also released “Porky’s II: The Next Day”, a much smaller sequel than its predecessor. In fact, the creative results of the film were so poor the director himself decided to abandon ship in the horrible “Porky’s Strikes Back”directed by James Komack.
8 Reigning in Canada
While we have already talked about the fabulous commercial results of ‘Porky’s’ in the United States, where the film really got hit was in Canada. And it is that, beware, the film was the highest grossing in that country for twenty-four years. An absolute barbarism that ended when he was surpassed by ‘Two Cops in Danger’ and ‘Resident Evil 4: Afterlife’.
9 Using the material
The level of laziness and laziness that ‘Porky’s II: The Next Day’ displays is so evident that not even the opening credits of the film are saved, moment in which Bob Clark decided to use some scenes from “Porky’s” himself.
10 against criticism
Critics and audiences have gone their separate ways when it comes to “Porky’s”. But much. While the film has captured the box office, famous people like Gene Siskel and the famous Roger Ebert ranked it among the worst films of the year.
Sure, looking at today, there are a lot of jokes and situations that are jarring and can be pretty awkward, but gosh, they’re still foolproof. a significant amount of gags that work up to the same laugh. A milestone capable of surviving the inexorable passage of time that elevates the tape written and directed by Bob Clark above the average. Understanding, of course, that we are talking about a very particular and specific film championship.
In any case, whether it is out of simple curiosity or to return to a series of familiar laughter, returning to “Porky’s” is always an experience. A comedy that is daughter of her time, no doubt, and who continues to add faithful (and detractors) to his parish of passionate fans more than forty years after its premiere. That’s what validity is all about, right?
Source: E Cartelera
