Ahhh, the 80s. Full-frontal female nudity and a ton of male butts, under aged drinking, raging homophobia, product placed Coke cans alongside blank cans with only the word "BEER" on them and practically everyone from teachers to college students as pedophiles. All this nicely wrapped with a PG-13 rating.But, I will give it this: at over three decades old, it was way ahead of its time in regards to "transgenders" and bathrooms.Okay, okay, the character's not transgender. Just trying to make it fit the topics of today since everything else about acceptance back then was just terrible. Dark ages, almost. I digress. I'd like to say Just One of the Guys had its heart in the right place, but there was no clear message here. Just a bunch of jerks this girl had surrounding her and she's trying to win a writing competition. She never really wants to better herself, though she does somehow manage to do so.High school student Terry loses her big break at a competition and a summer internship and equates her loss to sexism. She'll show them by proving herself as a boy…in another school to "win" there. In the interim, she befriends a boy who wildly thinks "he's" weird, attracts other girls and spends a lot of time in the boy's locker room and bathrooms. The final "Tootsie" (and years later, "Mrs. Doubtfire") moment comes to a head at the prom. I'd say the movie's harmless and it's "just the 80s," but it's kinda hard to watch in 2016. The music isn't great, the messages are misfires with all the blatant sexism, homophobia and pedophilia and the acting and sets make me wonder how this high school production made it to theatres. Since, mercifully, we've come a long way from this, it's not really the nostalgia I'd like to remember.In fact, I'd rather just watch a movie about the 80s that didn't even come out in the 80s: Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. ***Final thoughts: That all said, I thoroughly remember this movie well. Check that. Just a few key scenes, i.e. in the locker room. See, I saw this as the same age as these actors are portraying and it was long before internet. So, this is pretty much what I could get my hands on, so to speak. In fact, I barely remember many of the other scenes in the movie, aside from the male/"male" crush reveal at the end. Sadly, with all the homophobia, it was a wonder I walked away with the longing as I had back then (in the Dark Aged 80s where neither I nor many other folk were out) for two males to express their interest in each other and how one would sincerely react. Granted, it turns out one was a female, but it was the closest I had to seeing what it would be like for high schooler guys liking each other. I'm rambling, but suffice to say, negative messages in the movie aside, it did have a positive effect on me back then, even though it's hard to watch nowadays.

The eighties were notorious for great and goof-ball movies! This being a funnier story than a lot of others that I had seen, it's in league with "The Secret of My Success" "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" a lesser talented "Tootsie" but still very much a fun and wacky teenage tale of ' investigative mischief '. This is an Arizona filmed 'gem' movie. There are many shot in California and other places but, since I have lived here it's great to see familiar territory. Arizona is a great place to shoot certain films anyway. This being one of them. I hadn't seen the lead female or Sherilyn Fenn before, much less Billy, and barely knew Clayton Rohner the love interest of our lead fem-reporter, 'Terry'. Despite any of this, who cares? They did a fairly wonderful job as teenage curious trouble makers and one aspiring for 'greatness' in reporting. This won't take home any awards but it will entertain most viewers. William Zabka was the only one that I truly was familiar with since "The Karate Kid " (1984) which of course hit big at the Box-Office!With so many new comers in this, it is kind of cool to be in the story because it seems more real to me. I think, due to the fact that they are not famous-famous, yet. This wasn't a huge story line or amazing plot with twits and turns, it was an uncomplicated story of high school interaction and of those that are just starting to figure out a life path and begin the coming of age process. This is fun and will be loved by some liked by others and not thought of still by some more. Any way you slice it though, it will come out amusing. The one little thing that I wish the director would have done is have the two 'alien' nerds from homeroom, standing on the curb as they all ride off (Teri and boyfriend & younger brother with biker-gal)and the mother ship 'arrives' and the two nerds look up, smile, a light shines down on them and both turn to glittering matter swirling upward to the ship and then head back into the cosmos.(**)

*Some mild spoilers, viewer discretion is advised*I remember watching this on HBO seemingly every day of every summer of my teenage years. Joyce Hyser is flawless. I can't imagine anyone else playing the role of Terry. I think it's her voice and her sense of humor. She expresses a lot in her voice and has one of the best senses of humor that I have ever seen in a female. I talk about Joyce Hyser so much, because this may be the only movie that she has a lead in EVER. The movie, which may not fully do her justice, is made better whenever she is on screen. Also she actually passes for the opposite sex(sorry Mr. Curtis and Mr. Lemmon). Joining Joyce is a fine cast including Clayton Rohner(dork), William Zabka(villain,duh), Sherilyn Fenn(love interest), and Arye Gross(House II!, another dork). Terry's boyfriend and best friend do well in their roles, but don't deserve to be named for they are not quasi-famous to me. As for Billy Jayne, I go back forth in liking him and not. He accurately depicts someone obsessed with sex. If you have any interest in the above actors, I don't think you will be disappointed. There is nothing visually stunning. The script is o.k., Buddy gets the best lines. The soundtrack is pure eighties which is always an adventure. All in all, a pleasant distraction with good actors that makes today's teen movies seem dull which of course isn't hard. And one of my favorite topless scenes which is actually essential to the plot in my opinion.**Rick: Where do you get off having t**s! Terry: Sorry.**

Just One of the Guys is classic 80s b-teen comedy. Even though it is utterly dated, it is still a great comedy with a good story, good performances, and a good soundtrack. Joyce Hyser is Terry, an aspiring journalist who wants very desperately to get a summer internship at the local newspaper office. Except, her article on the school cafateria's food selection, wasn't selected for submission. Even though her teacher tries to explain that her writing skills are good, it was just boring content, she is convinced her article being refused has something to do with her gender. She embarks on a misguided attempt to engage in a battle of the sexes in that "anything you can do, I can do better" kind of way. So, with her parents out of town and a neighboring high school not seeming to require any registration information (or her present high school asking any information regarding her two week absent during her experiment), she easily poses as Terrence, a guy who will write an article and submit it and prove that there is preferential treatment being practiced in the contest. But, as Terrence, her experiences in the experiment soon become the subject of her article. First, are the obviously difficulties of a girl posing as a guy at a high school, and the most obvious examples come from the scenes of Terry in gym class. She has to figure out how to change in the lockeroom without other guys finding out. She has to find ways of getting out of gym class and the possibility of playing "shirts" vs "skins" games. And so forth.Second, she starts falling in love with Rick (Clayton Rohner), a cute quiet guy who she tries to help get a date and fix up his appearance and personality. This leads to problems when girls, convinced that Terry is really a guy, start falling for her. Particularly, the nymphomaniac, Sandy, played by Sherylin Fenn. It also leads to some moments where Terry risks exposing her identity in the few times she wants to lean over and kiss him.Third, Terry starts to have problems with her jerky boyfriend who just wants to fool around everytime he comes over and only feigning interest in Terry's current social and academic problems. And fourth, both Terry and Rick face their share of confrontations with a food-tossing bully named Greg (Billy Zabka). 80s teen movie fans are sure to enjoy this movie. Unfortunately, it is not one that seems to have gotten enough recognition this days, at least when compared to movies like Better Off Dead, The Sure Thing, the John Hughes movies, and others which have been revived recently. Despite a few shortfalls (Joyce Hyser's whining in the beginning), this movie is just as entertaining as those. Plus, that gorgeous Bobby Jacoby as Terry's oversexed younger brother, Buddy; 80s teen favorite Billy Zabka as Greg; and soft-spoken Clayton Rhoner as Rick, all give great performances. I highly recommend it for teenagers and fans of the 80s teen genre.