Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love

By TODD EVERETT

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Fox, Mon., May 9, 8 p.m.
 
Cast: Robert Carradine, Curtis Armstrong, Julia Montgomery, Corinne Bohrer, Christina Pickles, Jessica Tuck, Robert Picardo, Stephen Davies, Larry B. Scott, Brian Tochi, Ted McGinley, Joseph Bologna, Marvin Kaplan.
 

Filmed in Southern California by Zacharias/Buhai Prods. in association with Fox West Pictures. Executive producers, Steve Zacharias, Jeff Buhai; producer, Ooty Moorehead; co-producer, Robert Carradine; director, Zacharias; writers, Zacharias, Buhai, based on characters created by Tim Metcalfe, Miguel Tejada-Flores, Zacharias, Buhai; Not without charm, the nerds are wearing thin in fourth installment of series that began with 1984 feature "Revenge of the Nerds" and its 1987 sequel (directed by Joe Roth), then moved to TV for 1992's "Revenge of the Nerds III." Reuniting many members of the original cast, though not Timothy Busfield and John Goodman, current pic is centered on nuptials of Dudley (Booger) Dawson.

Film is being programmed as part of Monday night "Fox-o-Rama" promotion, telecast in 3-D and with scratch-and-sniff "aroma-vision" cards available through 7-Eleven stores. Visual effects are OK (lots of smoke being blown into the camera); cards smell less like teen spirit than Kool-Aid.

Booger (Curtis Armstrong) is engaged to Jeanie (Corinne Bohrer), daughter of nouveau riche businessman and aspiring politician Aaron Humphrey (Joseph Bologna). This dismays Humphrey, his avaricious son-in-law (Stephen Davies), and their snooty butler (James Gleason). Humphrey's wife (Christina Pickles) and daughter (Jessica Tuck) are more accepting than the men.

Hilarity, or a TV-movie facsimile, ensues in flabby script by Steve Zacharias and Jeff Buhai, capably directed by Zacharias.

Nerds arrive from all over for the wedding, notably charter members and/or returnees Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine) and his wife, Betty (Julia Montgomery); fey black Lamar (Larry B. Scott), Takashi (Brian Tochi), obese Scot Trevor (John Pinette) and Booger's nephew Harold (Gregg Binkley). "Married ... With Children" regular Ted McGinley, in the "Nerd" series from the beginning, makes a token appearance as nerd Stan Gable. Bernie Casey, also in from early on , has an even briefer cameo.

Bologna turns in what's for him a subtle perf, which works well; Pickles, Davies and Tuck are fine foils.

While Carradine's character, especially, qualifies, most of these guys aren't true nerds of the pocket-protector and high-water-pants variety, but simply misfits; before pic's end, most of the non-nerds come around to their side -- while there's still a setup for "Revenge of the Nerds V."

Camera, Zoran Hochstatter; editor, Gary Karr; production designer, Don Day; art director, Shirley Starks; sound, Mary Jo Devenny; music, Gary Schyman. 120 MIN.