Pick-Up Summer (1980)

"I can feel the bonus points in my blood." - Bert

aka: Pinball Summer
Teenagers spend the summer fighting a gang and playing pinball.
Starring: Michael Zelniker, Carl Marotte, Helene Udy, Karen Stephen, Thomas Kovacs

Link to IMDB

The last day of school arrives and all the teens go wild, excited to spend the summer with their friends and hang-out at the local burger joint called Pete's Arcade. We meet Greg and Steve as they drive around in their sweet van, flirting with their lady friends Donna and Suzy. Troubles brewing though, as the local motorcycle gang is always starting fights and being typical ruffians. Greg and Steve have a longtime rivalry with the gang leader, Bert, and soon enough there's a fist fight at the arcade when the insults get taken too far.

An upcoming pinball tournament is announced and everyone is excited to win the golden trophy. It doesn't take long for Bert and his gang to steal that trophy, which leads to our heroes sneaking over to the biker clubhouse and claiming it for themselves. The rest of the main storyline is just the two groups taking turns stealing the coveted trophy (and sometimes also their girlfriends) and pulling pranks on each other.


With not much narrative to follow, the movie delivers lots of sub-plots and random scenes of the kids having good times and getting romantic. It doesn't get too boring though, there is plenty of slapstick and oddball characters to meet that add to the anarchy surrounding Steve and Greg's adventures.
Whimpy is a pudgy outcast that gets caught in the middle of the rivalry, he wants to join Bert's gang but is a bit too dim to be of much help in securing the trophy for anyone.

Whimpy: "I got a date."
Pete: "What with, a hamburger?"

Bert's gang

Whimpy

All the characters are horny goofballs looking for thrills and creating hijinks. The heroes and villains are equally awful idiots, but no one becomes entirely despicable. The movie delivers some genuine laughs, but it's more often low-brow trashy teen gags you gotta turn your brain off to appreciate. The soundtrack fits perfect, with lots of summer jams and "shooby-do-wops" to keep the good-time vibes flowing.

Don't forget there's still a pinball tournament to witness, and it's full of intense pinball action and pinball politics! Throw in a few wet t-shirt contests and altercations with the clumsy police, and you get a raunchy time-capsule flick of the late 70's that unexpectedly works.

These kids will pinball anywhere !

Be sure not to miss:
- What was with the creepy talking pinball machine? It seems to have advanced AI.
- The theme song will get stuck in your head big time, because they use it constantly.
- The old skinny man lifting weights at the gym.

Internet review:
"I don't think I've seen a film so hellbent on destroying the very fabric of society." - Ncato

Should I watch it?
Good for when you want some dumb laughs.

Where can I find it?
Here on YouTube.

Pick-up Summer gets...(just barely)