MVD Rewind Collection Status For The Blu-ray Release Of Writer/Director Boaz Davidson's The Last American Virgin On Jan. 24

MVD Entertainment Group’s newest member in the popular “MVD Rewind Collection” line of Blu-ray products is writer/director Boaz Davidson’s 1982 comedy The Last American Virgin.   This film vault treasure will be ready for guilty-pleasure enjoyment on Jan. 24.

In 1978, Israeli filmmaker Boaz Davidson delivered a surprise international hit, Lemon Popsicle.   This was followed by Going Steady in 1979 and Hot Bubble Gum two years later … all Israeli films.   

This caught the attention of Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who had a knack for delivering exploitation, comedies, action, you name it, they were quick to deliver one Cannon Films hit after another.   During the 1970s, audiences were treated to Silent Night, Bloody Night, The Happy Hooker, The Godfather Squad, Cherry Hill High, Cheerleaders Beach Party … and on and on.

By the early 80s they were on a roll and opened their 1982 slate with Death Wish II, followed by Lady Chatterley’s Lover and then came Davidson’s American-made release of The Last American Virgin … it was a very good year for Cannon Films.

Davidson wanted “fresh faces” (you can read that as keep the budget in line) and held auditions around the country and came up with such newcomers as Diane Franklin (her film debut … Amityville II: The Possession, TerrorVision, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and more have followed) Lawrence Monoson (his film debut … Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, And the Band Played On, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation and more followed), Steve Antin (he was Jessie in the Rick Springfield music video titled “Jessie’s Girl” … The Last American Virgin was also his film debut; he was Troy in The Goonies, plus such films as Survival Quest, The Accused, Inside Monkey Zetterland) and Kimmy Robertson as Rose (her film debut as well … Bad Manners, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead … and as Lucy Moran in the Twin Peaks television series).

There are more, but you get the idea.  Fresh faces he got, and, as it turned out his casting choices proved to be spot-on.

The film, shot on a shoestring, with less than 200 prints, was “bicycled” around the country beginning in September of 1982 (market-to-market) and finally ending up in New York City four months later.   It was a hit … and film careers were born.

Bonus nuggets included with The Last American Virgin on Blu-ray from the MVD Entertainment Group on Jan. 24 include four featurettes — “The First American Remake,” “Memories of a Pizza Boy,” “Babe of the Eighties” and “In Praise of Smaller Movies” — and an extensive photo gallery.