''The First Turn-On!'' is a 1983 American
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by
Lloyd Kaufman
Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director ...
and
Michael Herz of
Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces low-budget independent films, primarily of the horror comedy genre. Many of them pla ...
. It was the last in a series of four "sexy comedies" that helped establish Troma as a film studio, starting with 1979's ''
Squeeze Play!
''Squeeze Play!'' is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman.
Plot
A group of New Jersey women, upset over their boyfriends' tendency to pay more attention to softball than their love lives, decide to beat them at their own game. ...
'', 1981's ''
Waitress!
''Waitress!'' is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment. It was the second in Troma's line of "sexy comedies", preceded by the 1979's ''Squeeze Play!'' and followed by 1982's ''Stuck on You! ...
'' and 1982's ''
Stuck on You!
''Stuck on You!'' is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment and starring Irwin Corey, Virginia Penta, Mark Mikulski, Albert Pia, and Norma Pratt.
''Stuck on You!'' was the third in a serie ...
''.
''The First Turn-On!'' is usually considered by Troma fans to be the best of the company's "sexy comedies".
This was
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent Philip D'Onofrio (; born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his supporting and leading roles in both film and television. He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
His roles include Private Leonar ...
's film debut.
Plot
On the last day of summer at Camp Big-Tee-Pee, all the teenage campers are crazy with hormones and eager to go home. While on a nature walk with ditzy
hippie
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
camp counselor Michelle Farmer, four students - self-proclaimed stud Mitch, his girlfriend Annie, overweight Henry, and nerd Danny - break off from the rest of the group to indulge in some
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
. They take refuge in a nearby cave, only to be caught in the act by Michelle some time later. While being shooed out, Henry's flatulence causes a
landslide
Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated grade (slope), slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of ...
, trapping the five of them inside. To pass the time until their eventual rescue, the group shares stories of how each lost their virginity.
In Mitch's story, Lucy, an elegant prostitute, picks up Mitch while he is hitchhiking and invites him to visit her fancy hotel room. Feeling nervous and inexperienced, he asks his ultra-cool, yet dim-witted friend Jeff to give him pointers (which include "when in doubt, whip it out"). However, upon meeting Lucy, Jeff unsuccessfully attempts to seduce Lucy, almost injuring her. When Mitch saves her and kicks Jeff out, Lucy repays him with mind-blowing sex.
Henry is forced to tell his story next. In preparation for a big Halloween party, he dresses as a ghost. Unfortunately, in addition to not being able to see out of the eye-holes, the costume looks identical to a
Klan robe. Blinded, he accidentally stumbles upon a group of (flamboyantly gay) African-American thugs about to kill a young white woman. The thugs turn their attention to Henry, beat him senseless, and then skip off, singing and holding hands. The girl, convinced Henry has just saved her life, instantly falls for him and the two make passionate love later that night next to a giant pile of
donuts
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fra ...
.
Meanwhile, the camp's staff, in fear of a potentially expensive lawsuit, desperately search for the missing campers.
In Annie's story, she discusses her first time, back when she was working on her family's farm. One night, she discovers an attractive drifter who had broken into her house in search of food. Overwhelmed by her hormones, she gives him a lot more than cookies in the back of the barn, much to the dismay of the sheep.
Danny goes next: His flashback reveals that he was a
pornography-addicted loser. While visiting the beach one day, he thinks he sees
Penthouse Pet
This is a list of the models who have appeared in the American edition of ''Penthouse'' magazine and were either named Pet of the Month or Pet of the Year from September 1969 to the present. Pet of the Year names are in bold type and are typica ...
Sheila Kennedy smiling and winking at him, but quickly dismisses it as a
mirage
A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...
. Later that night, after being rejected from a double date with his brother, Danny returns to his room to find Kennedy waiting for him. While the two engage in lengthy foreplay, they are later joined by his brother's girlfriend, and they all participate in an
orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex.
Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swing ...
, which Danny mispronounces.
Finally, Miss Farmer tells her story: Back in high school she was deeply in love with her
psychotic
Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior ...
, nerd boyfriend Dwayne. However, when Dwayne dumps her for another girl at the
junior prom
''Junior Prom'' is a 1946 American musical comedy, directed by Arthur Dreifuss and produced by Sam Katzman and Maurice Duke. It was released by Monogram Pictures.
It is the first of The Teen Agers series of movies.
In 2018, the film was release ...
, she sucks up her pride and picks up two new boyfriends. The three of them proceed to have sex on a bowling alley lane.
As more time passes and oxygen diminishes in the cave, the gang becomes convinced that they will all asphyxiate. In a moment of truth, everyone admits that their stories were false. They are all still virgins. Determined not to die as such, they all participate in an orgy. The symphony of thrusts and moans causes another landslide, thus opening the entrance of the cave and freeing everyone.
As the group returns to camp, a narrator reveals the character's futures: Danny became a pornographic actor under the name "Dicky Long". Mitch became a priest and a staunch advocate of
gay rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 3 ...
. Henry now works for the National Cheese Commissioners Board. After eight marriages, Annie had a
nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and became a vegetable. Miss Farmer runs the government's program for Wildlife Preservation. The film's final shot shows her trying to make a large trout "fly away" by tossing it into the air.
Home media
The film was released on DVD in late 2009, with new interviews with Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz as well as new special features and an old Kaufman/Herz movie as an easter egg.
Reception
A retrospective review finds that "''The First Turn-On! ''appears like a calculated move from
Troma
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz in 1974. The company produces low-budget independent films, primarily of the horror comedy genre. Many of them pl ...
to ride the wave of teen horndog cinema, blending summer camp shenanigans with Penthouse Letter fantasies, looking to reach adolescent audiences without the use of slapstick comedy from the 1930s. It's not a creative leap forward for the company, but ''The First Turn-On!'' is almost a complete idea from co-directors Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, and that's an impressive achievement for the duo."
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:First Turn-On!, The
1983 films
1980s sex comedy films
1983 LGBT-related films
American independent films
American sex comedy films
Films about virginity
Films directed by Lloyd Kaufman
Films about summer camps
Troma Entertainment films
Teen sex comedy films
1983 comedy films
1980s English-language films
1980s American films
Films produced by Lloyd Kaufman
Gay-related films
Hippie films
Films with screenplays by Lloyd Kaufman