10 Things to Know About 'Revenge of the Nerds'

Revenge of the Nerds is an iconic 80s comedy. The movie survived some bad pre-release buzz, a limited release, a college protest, and more to finally reach wide release in theaters nationwide on August 10th, featuring an all star cast including Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Curtis Armstrong, Ted C. McGinley, Michelle Meyrink, Bernie Casey, and John Goodman.

Here are 10 Things to Know About Revenge of the Nerds

10. CBS Aired a Movie in 1983 Called Revenge of the Nerd

It was just a coincidence but over a year before Revenge of the Nerds went into production, CBS aired a TV movie called Revenge of the Nerd. The film aired as part of the CBS anthology series, CBS Playhouse and notably was directed by Ken Kwapis, future director of Big Bird’s cinematic debut, Follow that Bird, and a man today known for being one of the foremost television directors in the industry, directing episodes of Parks and Recreation, The Office, and the Netflix hit, The Santa Clarita Diet.

The logline for Revenge of the Nerd reads “Class brain Bertram Cummings is tired of being picked on at school. He decides to use his brainpower to exact revenge against his tormentors.”

9 Robert Carradine Went Full Method

In a conversation with GQ Magazine, Robert Carradine admitted that he got into the character of Lewis Skolnick by going full method actor mode. Carradine arrived at the Arizona University location of the film two weeks early, dressed as his character, and interacted with real A.U students in character.

According to Carradine, he and co-star Anthony Edwards actually pledged a fraternity while in character and got rejected just as they knew that their characters would in the movie.

8 Speaking of the University of Arizona

The University of Arizona tried to back out of a deal to allow Revenge of the Nerds to film on campus, concerned that the film would be too raunchy and bad for the school’s reputation. It took a significant donation from Warner Bros. to get the college to keep up their agreement.

7 Director Jeff Kanew Lied to Sorority Members

One concern expressed by U of A students came from Sorority members who were concerned that the film may have a sexist view of sororities. It took director Jeff Kanew appearing before sorority representatives and promising the film would not be sexist. It’s unknown what he said to sorority members but I’m willing to bet he didn’t mention the hidden camera scene in the film during his speech.

5. It was a Busy Time for Actresss Michelle Meyrink

Michelle Meyrink was having a moment when it came to raunchy comedy. On August 3rd, 1984 Meyrink starred in The Joy of Sex, Then, one week later, Revenge of the Nerds was released nationwide on August 10th, giving Meyrink a win after Joy of Sex went down in infamy.

At the same time, she also filmed an episode of Family Ties that would air in November of 1984. She definitely had a busy years.

5. Inspired by Gandhi?

The ending of Revenge of the Nerds was intended to be explosive, the nerds using their brains to gain revenge on the Alpha Betas. But producers Ted Field and Peter Samuelson didn’t like that ending. Instead, they fought for an ending inspired by Gandhi and the notion of non-violent resistance. Instead of using nerd science to destroy something belonging to the Alpha Betas, our heroic nerds end the film with an emotional plea that ended up resonating with audiences far more than any violent humiliation might have.

4 Producers Admit Revenge of the Nerds Haven’t Aged Well

While people assume that ‘woke’ young people are the ones who were offended by Revenge of the Nerds, the movie was called out in 1984 by a number of critics who pointed out at the time how gross the scenes involving the hidden camera and Lewis’ deception of Julia Montgomery’s Betty was.

It took years but now even the producers agree. The team behind Revenge of the Nerds have spoken about having regrets over both scenes and how they showed the Nerds in a negative light instead of as the lovable underdog, good guys they were intended to be.

3. John Goodman Wants You to Know He Didn’t Bust Up his Hotel

Since GQ profiled Revenge of the Nerds a few years back, John Goodman has been beating back rumors about wild partying. The lore is that Goodman hosted one of the biggest set parties in his hotel room and that he smashed some furniture. While he admits that there was plenty of fun to be had, he did not destroy his hotel room like a rock star.

2 Ted C. McGinley Owes His Role in Revenge of the Nerds to a Modeling Gig

Though actor Ted C. McGinley was already on a successful television show, having joined the cast of Happy Days in 1980, it was a modeling gig that landed him his role Revenge of the Nerds. Producer Ted Field recalls having seen McGinley on the front of a USC student calendar and deciding right then that McGinley was perfect for the lead Alpha Beta villain role in Revenge of the Nerds.

1 20th Century Fox Lost Confidence in the Movie Following a Bad Test Screening

A testament to how fans took to Revenge of the Nerds is the fact that 20th Century Fox lost faith in the movie following a bad test screening and the film still became a hit. Fox execs held a test screening in Dallas, Texas in the spring of 1984 and the results weren’t great. Plans for a wide release of Revenge of the Nerds in July was canceled and a limited release plan was launched.

But audiences in the limited release cities turned out in droves for the film leading Fox to regain confidence in the movie. Revenge of the Nerds was then taken to a nationwide release in August of 1984 and against a budget of between $6 and $ 8 million dollars, the film earned more than $40 million dollars and developed into a cult classic on home video the following year.