The American Pie movies

[Andrew NDB]

Do you like the American Pie series? I just rewatched 1-3 and then "American Reunion" for the first time. Definitely 4 is not as funny as the others but it as decent enough, really. I'd watch a part 5.

Can anyone vouch for the "American Pie Presents:" spinoff movies? Are they even worth watching?

[Leo656]

Nope. I think they're incredibly dumb. I didn't even like the first one, I just liked the nude scene of Shannon Elizabeth for obvious reasons. I though the movie itself was dumb as hell. I generally hate those kinds of "comedies". I don't think it takes any skill whatsoever to present things like "guy drinks jizz in a beer cup" or "explosive diarrhea" and call it "comedy". Like you literally cannot aim any lower than those movies do.

I guess there's the old chestnut about "not being pretentious" and "knowing exactly who their audience is", but that's just enabling.

The funniest thing about the first movie was what happened when a bunch of friends and I went to go see it (we all took a vote, and I was outvoted, and I didn't want to go back home). When Allyson Hannigan's character said the line about sticking a flute up her pussy, some random guy in the audience jumped out of his seat, started screaming "Yeah! YEAH!" while jumping up and down pumping his fist in the air, and then ran out the side exit. No joke, the theater cracked up way more at that than anything that had happened in the movie up to that point.

I'm in love with Hannigan, though, so at least that bit was kinda funny, just on account of it being so far against who she portrays herself as. I think that was the whole point.

I saw the second one on cable and didn't care for that one, either. Never saw any of the other ones. Back in the day, if the first one was on cable and I wanted a quick tug I'd flip to the Shannon Elizabeth scene, but otherwise no interest whatsoever.

[neatoman]

The only one I have any concrete memories of is the first one. The jokes are barely funny if at all and most of it is still a blur, all I really remember is that Nick-Leo 1.0 almost ****s a girl masturbating on his bed, masturbating with a pie because he heard sex described as being like eating pie and getting raped by a music nerd at the end. I find it strange that not only does such a lame movie have a billion sequels, the series is based around the premise that you have to get laid before graduating high school, even though (I'm pretty sure) the first one ended with the message that it's ultimately the wrong attitude.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by neatoman

I find it strange that not only does such a lame movie have a billion sequels, the series is based around the premise that you have to get laid before graduating high school

They were only in high school in the first one. They're in college in 2, adults working jobs in 3, and in their mid-30s with careers in 4. And I'd hardly say it was based on that... it was just some friends making a pact. At the end of movie #1 it was fulfilled and that was that.

It's not so much the sight gags or gross out humor itself that I enjoyed in these, it is more the way they're able to exceed at making really awkward, painful to watch scenarios for the main characters. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but many parts in 1-3 had me howling.

[newfan]

I thought there were only 4 but apparently there were more in the form of spin offs with different casts. I could look that up rather and ask that actually.
Anyway so far as the main ones, I liked them, well, not so much the Wedding, mostly the first two. Not seen them in some time so whether my opinion might change I don't know. Watched Reunion in theatres, there was some nostalgia given it was years later, it was enjoyable enough.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by newfan

I thought there were only 4 but apparently there were more in the form of spin offs with different casts. I could look that up rather and ask that actually.

I don't really count those. They're all direct to video and apparently conflict with the main movies anyway. The only returning actor is Jim's dad.

And yeah, Hannigan was definitely my cup of tea at the time the first couple came out.

[newfan]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I don't really count those. They're all direct to video and apparently conflict with the main movies anyway. The only returning actor is Jim's dad.

And yeah, Hannigan was definitely my cup of tea at the time the first couple came out.

Yeah just searched, seems there are a few but I'm not really interested.
I could do a re-watch myself as I do have them (forgotten in a big box along with a number of other movies)
Curious, when you re-watched did the first one seem a little dated to you yet? Think it's just over 20 years-old now.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by newfan

Curious, when you re-watched did the first one seem a little dated to you yet? Think it's just over 20 years-old now.

Not really. I mean, kind of. The clothing and music choices, for sure. Though they go so hard with the "Class of 99!" stuff (myself, I was the Class of 99) it feels like a neat little time capsule. The rest, less so, in terms of aging pretty well. Though not in terms of "what would be acceptable in 2020," by any means. Which is why there probably hasn't been a proper sequel to American Reunion yet. Personally, I think the series should have outgrown the gross-out stuff anyway and become more age appropriate.

In a more "serious" context I compare it to something like Linklater's "Before Sunrise" series that catches up with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy every 5 or 10 years or so that's up to like movie #3 or 4. That kind of stuff interests me. We're growing older and so are the characters/actors. And the material reflects it.

[newfan]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Not really. I mean, kind of. The clothing and music choices, for sure. Though they go so hard with the "Class of 99!" stuff (myself, I was the Class of 99) it feels like a neat little time capsule. The rest, less so, in terms of aging pretty well. Though not in terms of "what would be acceptable in 2020," by any means. Which is why there probably hasn't been a proper sequel to American Reunion yet. Personally, I think the series should have outgrown the gross-out stuff anyway and become more age appropriate.

In a more "serious" context I compare it to something like Linklater's "Before Sunrise" series that catches up with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy every 5 or 10 years or so that's up to like movie #3 or 4. That kind of stuff interests me. We're growing older and so are the characters/actors. And the material reflects it.

I just thought they were done after Reunion, I guess whatever they would make would just fit what they can do today, if they did it. I'd still watch another.
Yeah the music, whenever I hear that type of music I think of those movies, is it called Punk pop? Not sure if I am thinking more of the 2nd movie, early 2000s anyway.

I usually don't like painful comedy but didn't have too much issue here, not sure how to explain it, I mean it had it's cringe but it fit the movie, where I have seen other comedies with painful humour it's been hard to watch. Really has to go with the overall tone.

[ZariusTwo]

The first two were great for socially awkward 20-something me. Haven't seen them in a decade though...when I got the DVDs I watched them only a few more times but gradually gravitated more to the DVD extras the more I watched them. It also introduced me to 3 Doors Down (whether that's a good thing or not depends on your musical preference)

[frank_one]

The first one or two were good for their times, the cast was great, but from then that kind of humor started to be abused and overused in the following years giving birth to a lot of dumb movies, not just in this franchise.

[CyberCubed]

I saw them all a few years ago having never watch them when they aired. The last one really made me feel old because it took place like a decade later if I remember right. One line in the movie, "None of you have cell phones?" and the main characters looked dumbfounded because they all grew up in the 90's made me laugh.

If you watch all the movies back to back, you'll feel like you grew up with them even if you didn't watch the movies when they originally came out. It also brings back memories what the late 90's to early 2000's actually were like back then. In the first movie they have this weird video camera going to record Jason Biggs in bed while 4 different groups of kids watching simultaneously from their own computers and I don't think that technology existed yet in 1999.

[frank_one]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

In the first movie they have this weird video camera going to record Jason Biggs in bed while 4 different groups of kids watching simultaneously from their own computers and I don't think that technology existed yet in 1999.

The technology existed. There was stuff like Microsoft NetMeeting.