APRIL MOVIE THON DAY 2: Porky’s II: The Next Day (1983)

After the success of Porky’s — success is a small way to describe how influential it was on the movies that would follow in its wake, even if it owed so much to Animal House and Lemon Popsicle — the next film was in production quickly. Directed and co-written by Bob Clark, who worked with Alan Ormsby and Roger Swaybill, the results may not live up to the original, but it’s way better than the teen sex comedies that would arise after the first movie.

It also made much less than the first movie, but when you’re bringing $33-50 million, depending on source, from a $7 million budget, you can consider this a financial if not artistic success.

So why would Clark come back and make this? Because the producers didn’t want to make A Christmas Story. If Clark made this, he could make that movie, so things worked out pretty well.

The sequel gets its start with “Pee Wee” Morris (Dan Monahan, who is also in Joe D’Amato’s Paradisio Blu) bragging about losing his virginity. Yet that won’t stop his friends Tommy Turner (Wyatt Knight), Billy McCarty (Mark Herrier), Tim Cavanaugh (Cyril O’Reilly), Brian McCarty (Scott Colomby) and Anthony “Meat” Tuperello (Tony Ganios) from pranking him at every opportunity. They’re also part of the Angel Beach High School Drama Club, which is in danger of being canceled before they can produce their Shakespeare Festival thanks to religious leader Bubba Flavel, his “Righteous Flock” which includes Balbricker (Nancy Parsons) and the Klan, who are all upset that the actor playing Romeo — John Henry (Joseph Runningfox), a Native American — will be kissing the white Juliet — played by Wendy Williams (Kaki Hunter, who was also an architect and left acting to teach white water rafting, which is a shame, because she’s really good in this).

I know that these movies are looked down upon as low culture, but the scene where Graveyard Gloria acts dead after Pee Wee touches her, leading to him being chased as a grave robber, man — I confess I couldn’t stop laughing.

Porky may not be in this, but it tries to increase the social commentary — well, from nothing to something — and I love sequels that begin the very next day. Horror fans should look for Richard Liberty (Dr. Logan from Day of the Dead) as Commissioner Couch, Art Hindle (Black Christmas) as Officer Ted Jarvis, William Kerwin (Blood FeastTwo Thousand Maniacs!) as Boa Man and a brief cameo by Seth Sklarey, who was Orville in Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things. Even better, the love scene between Pee Wee and Wendy has music from Curtains in it.

Lovers of Clark’s movies will enjoy the appearance of another mannequin leg, this time used in a comedic sword fight instead of as lighting.

You can watch this on Tubi.

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