Verdict
Summary
A hilarious comedy that meshes Werner Herzog’s The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the modern ’80s frat comedy, Big Man on Campus had me in stitches almost from the first scene onwards.
Plot:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as filtered through a 1980’s coming of age comedy.
Review:
An illiterate hunchbacked young man (Allan Katz) has been living in the clock tower of UCLA since he was a child, and the campus has maintained a legend of a creature living on campus for at least a decade. On the fateful day when he swings down to “save” a pretty student named Diane (Cindy Williams), his life takes a fascinating turn when a psychologist (played by Tom Skerritt) on campus decides to rehabilitate him, but only with the help of another student, a close-to-failing goofball named Alex (Corey Parker), who gets a pass on going to class for the semester if he bunks with the hunchback, who is later named Bob. Bob turns out to be quite the case study, as he quickly learns to read, write, and learn behavioral nuances and develops a great sense of humor. But he has a crush on Diane, who is Alex’s girlfriend, which creates an interesting dynamic for the three of them.
A hilarious comedy that meshes Werner Herzog’s The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser with The Hunchback of Notre Dame and the modern ’80s frat comedy, Big Man on Campus had me in stitches almost from the first scene onwards. Katz, who also wrote the script, is perfectly hysterical in the lead role. The movie’s coming of age themes work with the angle that Alex must grow up and figure out how to juggle school with his relationships, but this is really just a really funny movie with a surprising sense of humor. From director Jeremy Kagan.
Kino Lorber brings Big Man on Campus to disc for the first time, and I can proudly say that I’ve cherished my Vestron VHS copy for years. The transfer comes in a wonderful high definition (and widescreen in 2:35:1) 2K scan from the 35mm interpositive, and the film has never looked or sounded better. There’s a new audio commentary with the director, an interview with Katz, an alternate ending, a stills gallery, and the trailer.It’s time to discover this gem!
