Guilty Pleasures: The Last American Virgin

Way before American Pie came along and re-defined the teenage sex comedy, there was a little film from 1982 called The Last American Virgin. When I ask people whether or not they've ever seen this flick, nine out of ten times the answer is no. However, in my mind, The Last American Virgin has every right to stand alongside beloved cheesy 80's classics like Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Pretty in Pink. Why? Well, it's just that awesome. Oh, and it has an unbelievable soundtrack. Yay Journey!

When we examine the majority of teenage comedies from the 80's, themes of virginity and pregnancy are everywhere. Heck, these were big topics back then -- young girls getting knocked up, forced to find a way to pay for an abortion. And, on the flip side, virginity was being used as a major character flaw. Instead of rooting for our hero to save the day, all we wanted him to do was get laid. Today, your standard teenage sex comedy tends to stay away from any kind of heavy dramatic element like pregnancy and abortion, choosing to focus more on elaborate set pieces and raunchy jokes to carry a film.

In the case of The Last American Virgin, it's their use of both of these themes which make the film so memorable, to me at least. Never in my life have I seen a film so split down the middle. The first half of Virgin is pure comedy, following three teenage boys, one of whom is still a virgin and the star of our film, on their quest to have sex. We follow them as they take three girls to an empty house, only to fall short of their mission when Mom and Dad show up. Then there's a trip to the prostitute, which lands all three boys with a case of crabs. This leads to one of the film's funnier scenes as the guys, itching like crazy, run to a swimming pool in an attempt to drown the crabs.

However, at its half-way point, this puppy takes a dramatic turn. See, our hero, Gary, is in love with a girl named Karen who, coincidentally, is dating Gary's best friend Rick. Like most nice guys, Gary cannot get the girl. And it kills him to watch Rick run around town, sleep with as many girls as he wants and face zero consequences when it comes to his relationship with Karen ... until she gets pregnant. I'm going to stop here because, folks, the ending is what makes this film. If you've seen it, you know exactly what I'm talking about -- utterly shocking and disturbing. How writer/director Boaz Davidson ends it like that, I have no idea. But, it may be one of the reasons why he's remained relatively unknown. Seriously, do check it out. And, if you've seen the film, try not to spoil it's ending in the comments section. The Last American Virgin is currently out on DVD.