9. Revenge Of The Nerds (1984)
Personal sympathising aside, there is something endearing about Revenge Of The Nerds which puts it over other contenders such as National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and Porkies (1982). The film seems to take a fairly post-modern spoof-view of it's own subject matter; the nerds don't have to learn how to be cool or act tough in order to fit in, they use their own prowess to get ahead. The heart comes from them besting their tormentors as only nerds can, and ultimately celebrates them for embracing their nerd culture. When all is said and done, we take our hats off to Lewis and Gilbert for remaining the loveable geeksters they are. The rite of passage here is sweet and simple: stand up to the bullies, mark your territory and push out from under the thumb of the judgemental masses in all your nerd-alicious glory - everyone loves an underdog and nerds are hard to beat in this arena. Kanew's classic doesn't just play it straight however, this is a comedy through and through; we're laughing AT the nerds just a much as we're laughing at the brain-dead jocks too. Every kind of social niché is stereotyped and clichéd but the ultimate message simply says: yes we are all different, but an A-hole is an A-hole and we don't have to take it.
