The Allnighter (1987)

1st watched 4/27/2007 - 3 out of 10(Dir-Tamar Simon Hoffs): Lame last night out movie about a threesome of college girls from Pacifica College who run into more than what they expected on their final night before graduation. This movie is actually better than most guys night out movies but is still pretty lame. The valedictorian, Molly, played by Susanna Hoffs(relative to the director and writer you think??), and her two friends prepare for a festival but of course, it doesn't turn out as they expected. Molly has a crush on an older guiter player and pursues him, while another friend's uppity fiancé shows up un-expected while the Joan Cusack character films everything for her documentary of the event. This is a typical "Beach Blanket Bingo" fare in the 80's without a lot of the raunchiness that usually fills these kinds of movies. Although the girls are cute, and Joan Cusack's character is interesting and slightly funny, the movie never really moves out of low-mediocrity in it's subject matter, which is kind of expected here but even a near tragedy for a surfer is treated half-hazardly like the southern California dude-lifestyle. They are riding each wave as it comes, dude. Sadly though, it doesn't make for much of a movie.

Oh, come on...I don't mean to be offensive, but this film was absolutely painful to watch. Susanna Hoffs, an attractive and engaging singer, is not engaging (although she is quite attractive) in this role. She seems to have lost the sparkle she could convey through her music. No wonder she doesn't talk about it in interviews.Yes, this film was aimed for my age group at the time, but there have been other films aimed toward the younger set that are intelligent, sexy, and fun at the same...not mindless and silly as this one was. Try "One Crazy Summer," "Say Anything," or anything directed by John Hughes at the time.Sorry, fans. I can't find one redeeming quality about this film. If I were a director, I'd find something better to cast my daughter in.

There are only two saving graces to this otherwise horribly boring cheesefest. And that is hearing Timbuk 3's 'The Future's So Bright' and seeing Max Perlich (briefly) as a clerk in a police station. Not event the presence of Joan Cusak (for whom I rented the movie to see) nor Deedee Pfieffer (usually good in 80s trash) could save this disaster.This is the story of a nerdy college grad girl, played by Bangles front woman, Susanna Hoffs, and her friends and their little misadventure in the night before graduation. Hence the title, "The Allnighter." For the nerdy college girl, it chasing around a rock n' roll star. For her surfer dude friend, it means trying to hook up with her (and failing miserably until a steamy, cheesy sex scene finale, of course). For Dede Pfieffer's character, it means trying to get away from her loser fiancée to party at the all-night siesta. Nothing remotely interesting or barely entertaining happens (save a few humorous moments with the always-witty Joan Cusak) and the strange bleach-blonde surfer friend (the taller one). It goes on like this for more than an hour and a half. It isn't even good 80s trash. It is just plain bad and is sure to bore you to the bone.This was Susanna Hoffs movie debut, and if you have seen her other appearances, you should know it doesn't get much better. But then again, this was just bad material to work with all around. Thank writer/director, Tamara Hoffs (Susanna's mom) for that. Trust me, as much as bad 80s movies might appeal to you, this truly is one big waste of film.

This vacant, plotless and thoroughly unfunny comedy has a better cast than it deserves: all the girls are credible (the boys less so), and Dedee Pfeiffer (Michelle's sister) is a genuine revelation in her few quiet moments. But then there are all those surfing scenes....(*1/2)