Campus Man (1987)
A wholly dated and forgettable 80s movie, Campus Man may have been inspired by the events of associate producer Todd Headlee’s experience at Arizona State University selling calendars, but that’s the only thing that is “inspired” in this entire production. Even fans of cheesy Eighties teen flicks will come away disappointed, as Campus Man isn’t just bad, it’s boring.
John Dye stars as Todd Barrett, a student at ASU that needs to come up with $10,000 in 30 days, or he will find himself out of school. A man with many ideas, Barrett concocts a scheme whereby he will make calendars of the hunky male athletes at school and sell them to the female students there. The calendar’s biggest heartthrob is diving ace Brett Wilson (Steve Lyon), who has the looks to catch the eye of New York marketing exec Katherine Van Buren (Fairchild), a powerful promoter that sees Brett as the potential face of the 80s. Trouble begins when Todd makes a deal with a seedy loan shark named Cactus Jack (O’Keeffe) for the start-up money and his calendars need lots of promotion to get noticed. Furthermore, Brett’s signing of the contrast with Van Buren puts his athletic pursuits in jeopardy, as college athletes are banned from making money while still in the competition.
I can only imagine three audiences for Campus Man — those that collect every piece of 80s piffle purely for nostalgia, those that want to see homoerotic music montages featuring hunky men in swimsuits, or perhaps you’re curious to see some early work by John Dye of “Touched by an Angel” or Kim Delaney of “NYPD Blue”. Certainly, if you’re looking for a good story, quality acting, or interesting direction, you’ve chosen the wrong movie to watch. It’s predictable, unrealistic, and full of serious contrivances. In short, it’s a waste of time for anyone not looking for something completely external going in.
If you live the rest of your life without seeing Campus Man, it won’t matter — you’re not likely to remember watching it within hours after viewing it anyway. In fact, I … hmmm. What movie am I reviewing again??
Qwipster’s rating: D
MPAA Rated: PG for language and mild sexuality
Running Time: 94 min.
Cast: John Dye, Steve Lyon, Kim Delaney, Kathleen Wilhoite, Miles O’Keeffe, Morgan Fairchild, John Welsh
Director: Ron Casden
Screenplay: Matt Dorff, Geoffrey Baere