Cannon Films took a break from shoot 'em ups and ninja movies to make this R-rated teen comedy with some serious moments. Three high school buddies - protagonist Gary (Lawrence Monoson), a rather scrawny shy guy, and his friends Rick (Steve Antin), the hot guy, and David (Joe Rubbo) - try to have their first sexual experiences and keep picking the wrong women - for example, a prostitute who never stops reminding them that this is a business deal, and a 30 something Latin woman with a jealous boyfriend who comes home on shore leave at an inopportune time make for some vintage low brow humor.The film turns serious when the object of Gary's affection (Diane Franklin) becomes Rick's sexual conquest. But then she gets pregnant, and prior to the age of DNA, slick Rick turns cold like a refrigerator on her, abandoning her. We know that Gary is going to ride to her rescue, but will things last once he's paid for the abortion and nursed her back to health? Watch and find out.The real star of this movie is the soundtrack, with well-known tunes from the 70s and early 80s by artists including U2, The Cars, The Police, Devo, Journey, REO Speedwagon, Human League, The Commodores, Oingo Boingo, and Blondie.Watch the documentary on Cannon Films, "Electric Boogaloo", to see a more mature Diane Franklin do a good natured look back on Cannon Films and the making of this little piece of nostalgia. I give it a 7 but it is probably a 6 if you are not into the music of the early 80s and more like an 8 if you are.

The Last American Virgin has a fairly odd story behind the production itself having been a remake of an Israeli film called Popsicle Limon. I read that it followed the original script and plot almost verbatim for LUV with the hopes that it would have success at the US box office. Even though the dialogue translates alright in an upper middle class American setting, LUV faired poorly at the box office. Having been released four months after the big hit 'Porky's' and just one week prior to Fast Times at Ridgemont High, it's timing placement was sandwiched between two big hits. So timing was not its problem. The problem was that it wasn't raunchy enough to compete with the guy humor of Porky's, nor was it as funny as Fast Times. So it was pretty much destined to fail commercially. But what seemed ill fated at first would develop a modest cult following in later years to come for the many times it was shown on Cable TV.The Last American Virgin is not a great movie, but it did strike a nerve for many viewers who invested in the drama only to be bemused and crushed by the abrupt and unexpected ending. Yes, the climax and ending are what is the standout of this movie for all who had endured being jilted by a love interest or a high school crush. As much as I think the ending is a heartbreak I will never give this movie any undue credit overall.It's basically a trashy film with corny dialogue featuring a few exploitative misadventures of three high school friends who explore the vices of lust, partying and mischief. The first forty-five minutes are pretty immature, but not terribly funny and some of the jokes either seem misplaced or just fall flat. The movie doesn't get better until it becomes unfashionably serious. The movie quickly shifts from comedy to drama. That shift is punctuated when our protagonist, Gary, becomes smitten by a new transfer student, Karen. He loses his cool and painfully pursues her looking like a gawking puppy dog. She has interest in Rick, his friend instead. The conflict ensues in this love triangle and this is what makes the movie more interesting.The film's publicity poster was misleading, featuring the Gary character being embraced by the girl of his dreams with an on- looking crowd is not what happened here. So audiences were misguided. The movie is well cast and all the characters look right for their parts. The Karen character, Diane Franklin, although pretty, is not exactly Playboy Bunny bombshell material. Appearing more like a cute teenager than a fully endowed and shapely woman is a better choice, because she engenders a more accessible and girly quality about her which is better suited for the teenage boy.The ending is the masterstroke and delivers a deathblow for those who could relate to it. Being that Gary was so emotionally invested in this girl, his pain at the end was palpable. If there is a lesson to be learned it's that this shows how far a person will compromise their morals, well being, reputation and friendships just to obtain the object of their infatuation. His obsession is played to the most awkward and painful display one could imagine with his long gazes, agape mouth and uncomfortable stares. It was a bit too much and the director's underlying intention was to excessively show his lack of control. And when we think he has prevailed we learn that teenage girls will do the unexpected. A non-Hollywood and downbeat ending is definitely not pleasant material, but is accepted as realistic human behavior sometimes. There has been a considerable amount of consternation about LUV for enthusiasts of this genre, perhaps due to how it jarred against the so called "feel-good" teen movies that seemed so predictable. But we can say with honesty that the latter films treated teens with a modicum of respect and allowed them to evolve with some dignity. LUV treats teenagers with contempt and shameless embarrassment. I heard Boaz Davidson remark in an interview that some of the jokes had to be changed, because they wouldn't translate well to an American audience. It seems like their are a few other matters amiss here as well.

Most of the movie is just like all the other high school dating B movies with nudity to keep guys glued to the screen. You have the typical nerd who likes the pretty girl who likes the handsome/cool guy who is a jerk. In this movie though the jerk, and the leading "hero" are actually friends which is something different. Towards the end of the movie though the movie becomes more serious. I have never seen a movie where the tone switched so dramatically. I gave the movie a six at first(20 minutes before the end), but after seeing the ending I moved it to a 7. I will admit the movie as a whole is not a 7. Not including the ending it is a 5 or 6, but the ending was so great to me that I pushed it to a 7.

You can add up the sins pretty quick in this movie. Drug use, Prostitution, Friends letting Friends drive drunk, Abortion (at Christmas), Stalking, Cheating, Using people, Lying, STDs, Bullying, Stealing......Overall though it is a throwback watching it now to the beginning of the 1980s. Good Soundtrack, Good Storyline, and surprisingly, the acting wasn't as bad as I thought. In 1982 I gave this movie a 5, but after almost 30 years, I gave it a 10 as it is a true reminder of the teen set and attitude of that era. The pair, Golan-Globus brought you this movie under the Canon Film Group. They also brought you The Delta Force with Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin, Death Wish sequels, and a host of other films. The Last American Virgin stands out to me because it expresses the ups and downs of teen love as well as the let down by assuming. "See it or Be it" as the poster implied back when.