Pretty Smart

Pretty Smart is like a collision between two movies. I'll call the first one, the one I believe we were intended to see, Pretty Smart. The second one, that fits so badly with the first I conclude it must have been shoehorned in by producers eyeing sleaze value, I'll call Pretty Awful.

Pretty Smart is about two teenage girls, sisters, who are sent to a boarding school in Greece. They are completely different, and are immediately incorporated into the two ruling cliques that fit them the best: the preens, for the perfect, snide, overachieving one and the "subs" for the punk girl.

At first the punk girl tries to get herself thrown out, but ends up realising she has more in common with her fellow subs, and perhaps even her sister, than she realised.

So far, so good, for a positive, enjoyable movie aimed at teen girls, which is buoyed by the energy and freshness not only of Patricia Arquette, who makes her debut appearance in a supporting role, but also Tricia Leigh Fisher (that rhymes), who plays the lead role.

But wait! Here comes Pretty Awful.

Pretty Awful is a movie about a sleazy principal at the Greek school who supposedly has cameras hidden all over the school so that he can watch and record them undressing, showering, having pillow fights in their underwear (is there any other way to have them?), and in one bizarre sequence, pretending to punch each other with boxing gloves while also in their underwear.

It is not remotely believable, even for one second, that the low rent sleaze this principal watches in his office could come from anywhere other than the bargain bin of an adult entertainment store. It doesn't help when some of this footage, while supposedly being broadcast live from the students' rooms, is shown to us multiple times. That's right: the same footage is repeated, the producers apparently hoping we wouldn't notice, or wouldn't care.

The first movie brings fresh, young talent.

The second movie brings the dregs of softcore film circa 1987.

That the principal is also a drug dealer hardly seems to matter; it's barely explained, I guess so that the forced, ridiculous happy ending won't require much explanation either. That's the inevitable moment where the two movies meet and the first can't wait to shake off the stench of the latter, which is why we get an extended ending dealing with both scenarios.

I knew which one I preferred, but by trying to have it both ways you don't end up with two movies for the price of one; instead you get about a half of a good movie, and maybe one fifth of a terrible one.

This is totally my favorite B-rated T&A 80's movie! I STILL use some of the quotes from this movie...the "party grinds...still play twister!" line is classic! I can go on and on about the number of times I've just popped it in and watched it just to pass time. It was a cheap 80's tit-flick but hey, it was fun. I've actually used the "A rose? BUD?" on someone. Another classic line. Plus, look at all the people from this movie who went on to be stars! Joely Fisher...Patricia Arquette...even Tricia Leigh Fisher did some work after doing this one. I remember hearing a song of hers on the radio once. It didn't last long but it was there! I thoroughly enjoy this movie every time I watch it.

Ogling the girls at Ogilvy...

I don't care what the negative reviewers say of it, I liked it. Especially remembered for the come-uppance Crawley gets coming to him at the end when the girls chant "Crawley, Crawley, Crawley", evoking images of relentless persecution. I had a tough time finding it on DVD years ago, the search went on for very, very long. It was years since I had first seen it, and the movie was different from what I remembered, but I was just relieved to finally own it in a proper way. VHS sucks!

A feast for 80s fans. The look is very, very 80s (well, duh! of course! and you can't get any better than the real thing) in a good way. Download the trailer on VuClip for a quick sneak peek.

Maybe the negative voices are from viewers who were offended? Hidden cameras and a stash of sneaked videotaped indiscretions are bound to anger the prudes out there. People, it's all just a lot of fun, lighten up! Consider it a little jewel from the Late Eighties.

Where can we get copy of soundtrack? Or copy of beginning credit song?

I recently watched Pretty Smart (1987) on Tubi. The storyline follows a young lady sent to a European boarding school against her wishes who uncovers a scandal involving the headmaster profiting from selling pictures of the students. She rallies the ladies to help her expose the headmaster.

Directed by Dimitri Logothetis (Slaughterhouse Rock) and starring Patricia Arquette (True Romance), Tricia Leigh Fisher (C. H. U. D II), Dennis Cole (Dead End City) and Joely Fisher (The Mask).

The film presents classic 80s premise, humor, characters, and dialogue. While the plot offers a realistic scenario, the resolution takes an unrealistic approach, relying on the audience's affection for the characters to overlook the far-fetched antics. The ladies in this are gorgeous, as you'd expect, and there's plenty of topless sequences to keep your attention in an otherwise average film.

Ultimately, Pretty Smart is a forgettable film, save for its attractive cast. I'd rate it a 4/10 and suggest skipping it.