The Last American Virgin: Collector's Edition – MVD Rewind Collection (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1982
Director: Boaz Davidson
Writer: Boaz Davidson
Cast: Lawrence Monoson, Diane Franklin, Steve Antin, Joe Rubbo, Louisa Moritz, Brian Peck, Kimmy Robertson

Release Date: January 24th, 2023
Approximate running time: 93 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Gary (Lawrence Monoson, Mask), the shy guy; his friend Rick (Steve Antin, The Goonies), the ladies man; and David (Joe Rubbo, Hot Chili), the comic foil, and their exploits in pursuit of love... or at the very least... their first time!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

The Last American Virgin comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.7 GB

Feature: 22 GB

Though this transfer used a dated source, it is the same that Arrow Video used for their 2013 Blu-ray and Olive Films used for their 2015 Blu-ray. That said, colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look healthy, and the image looks crisp and in line with the intended soft focus look of the film. Also, black levels and compression are strong. Considering the source, this transfer looks very good.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English with removable English SDH subtitles. The audio is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and range-wise, the iconic 1980s soundtrack sounds robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a photo gallery (stills/posters), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 55 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a TV spot (28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Adam Greenberg titled In Praise of Smaller Movies (21 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Diane Franklin titled Babe of the Eighties (20 minutes 59 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Lawrence Monoson titled Memories of a Pizza Boy (26 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Boaz Davidson titled The First American Remake (36 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a collectible mini-poster, and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Other extras are trailers for The Go-Go Boys, Men at Work, Ski Patrol, and At Close Range.

Summary:

It is not surprising that when it was originally released, The Last American Virgin struggled to find an audience. It had the ingredients one would expect from a teen-themed comedy from the 1980s, and yet it was unlike anything that had been made up to that point, and no film has been able to replicate the impact of its jaw-dropping finale.

The narrative revolves around a trio of friends: Gary, "the nerdy one," Rick, "the heartthrob," and David, the overweight friend who provides most of the comic relief. The first act starts off as their story. By the middle of the second act, another main character, a young woman named Karen, catches the attention of two of these friends, Gary and Rick. And you guessed it—the girl went with the more attractive of the two. Along the way, Karen and Rick break up when she reveals that she is pregnant, and Gary, who has been pining from afar, steps in to clean up the mess. This sets up a third act where it appears that the less popular boy is going to end up with the girl. To reveal anymore would take away from what is arguably one of the best closing acts in the history of teen coming-of-age films.

Content wise The Last American Virgin employs most of the clichés one would expect from teen comedies from the 1980s. And though things start off with a more subversive sense of humor, somewhere during the middle act there is an abrupt shift towards a more serious tone that rides on out until this film’s unforgettable climax.

Where far too many teen-themed comedies focus more on the humorous areas of the stories at hand, The Last American Virgin proves with crystal clarity that it is possible to make well-rounded characters that exude all emotions, not just humor. This is especially true for the protagonist Gary, as this is his story. 

Visually, The Last American Virgin stands head and shoulders above all of its contemporaries. And some of the credit is due to cinematographer Adam Greenberg, who shot the entire film with handheld cameras. Not only does this style of cinematography add a level of intimacy to the story at hand, it also helps The Last American Virgin maintain a sense of urgency in its pacing that does not let up for one moment. Not to be overlooked is the soundtrack, which is a virtual who’s who of new wave and pop music from the early 1980s.

Performance-wise, the majority of the main players were all first-time actors, or at least this was their first feature film. And though all of the performances are really good, of the three actors whose characters are involved in the aforementioned love triangle, it is Steve Antin (Sweet Sixteen) in the role of Rick that leaves the weakest overall impression. On the other side of the coin, this film’s most durable asset is its leading man, Lawrence Monoson (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter), who gives a heartfelt performance that will stay with you long after the film’s final moments have faded off the screen. Rounding out this trio of actors is Diane Franklin (Better Off Dead) in the role of Karen, the object of two boys' desires. From a visual standpoint, she most definitely fits the bit of "object of desire" to a tee. Performance wise, she has the most difficult role in the film, and somehow she pulls it off in such a way that it is damn near impossible not to fall for her all over again. Ultimately, The Last American Virgin is an unflinching exploration of adolescence that deeply resonates long after its final moment of clarity.

The Last American Virgin returns to Blu-ray with a solid release from MVD Rewind Collection that includes the same audio and video presentation as previous Blu-ray releases as well as four interviews from Arrow Video's Blu-ray release, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer