Revenge Of The Nerds: 10 Things You Never Knew About The 1984 Movie

According to Variety, Seth MacFarlane is poised to reboot the 1984 comedy Revenge of the Nerds with the identical twins Keith and Kenny Lucas starring in the film. Rather than a remake of the dated and offensive original, the plan is to refashion the basic plot of the film and contextualize the meaning of nerd culture in the 21st century.

While Jeff Kanew directed the original film, a director has yet to be attached to the upcoming reboot. Until more news is divulged, here’s a trivial look back at the mega-popular and extremely raunchy comedy classic.

10 University Of Arizona

According to several sources, Revenge of the Nerds was filmed on and around the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson. The exteriors of the Nerds’ first frat house were filmed in Cochise Hall.

The school gym that the nerds temporarily stay in was filmed inside the University of Arizona’s Bear Down Gymnasium, while the exteriors of the burned down Alpha Beta House was shot at the Beta Theta Pi frat house on University Boulevard.

9 Rick Moranis Wanted For Lewis Skolnick

Before Robert Carradine was cast as the chief nerd in the film, Lewis Skolnick, producers sought to cast Rick Moranis in the role. Moranis declined the part since he already played such an iconic nerd named Louis in Ghostbusters.

According to Tulsaworld.com, Moranis claimed “A few years ago, I was offered Revenge of the Nerds but there was no reason for me to do it because I’d just done Ghostbusters. This is me. I don’t get offered Arnold Schwarzenegger roles.”

8 Actresses Up For Judy

While Michelle Meyrink was cast as Lewis’ girlfriend Judy in the film, several now-famous actresses auditioned for the role. According to Screencrush, Joan Cusack, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jamie Gertz were all up for the part of Judy.

Prior to playing Judy, Meyrink had appeared in The Outsiders and Valley Girl in 1983. Sarah Jessica Parker went on to star in Footloose in 1984, while Cusack and Getz both appeared in Sixteen Candles the same year.

7 Curtis Armstrong Read For Gilbert

According to the audio commentary on the Panty Raid DVD edition, Curtis Armstrong initially did not want to play his iconic role as Dudley Dawson aka Booger. Armstrong originally read for the part of Gilbert, which went to Anthony Edwards.

When Armstrong was asked to read for the part of Booger, he was still reluctant to do so. He told his actor friend Bronson Pinchot that they “could forget it. I’m not picking my nose on camera for anyone.”

6 Ad-Libs

Also confirmed in the Panty Raid DVD edition commentary is the rampant improvisation that took place on the set of the film. Poindexter’s infamous agonized scream as he watches the Beta’s undress in their dorm was ad-libbed by Timothy Busfield.

According to EW, much of Booger’s dialogue was also improvised by Curtis Armstrong. The running gag between him and Takashi playing cards and mispronouncing words were done on the fly when the actors’ cots were accidentally placed next to each other.

5 Las Vegas Subplot

A major subplot from the film was excised from the final cut, in which the Lambdas travel to Las Vegas to attend the Tri-Lambda national convention. The deleted scene can be found on the Panty Raid DVD edition.

While in Vegas, Gilbert connects with his nerdy uncle at the hotel that the conference is being held at. The idea of the convention was recycled for the sequel, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, with the setting moved from Vegas to Ft. Lauderdale.

4 Booger’s Belching Sound Effect

One of the most memorable moments in the film comes when Booger beats Ogre in a disgusting belching contest. According to Armstrong on the DVD commentary, the sound effect for the belch was achieved by using the sound of two camels mating.

However, this has been slightly debunked in recent years. While a camel sound effect was used, uncredited actor Bill Livengood provided the belching sound effect to play over the camel sound.

3 Failed TV Spinoff

Although the film inspired three cinematic sequels, an attempt to adapt Revenge of the Nerds to the small-screen was far less successful. In 1991, Peter Baldwin directed the pilot episode of a Revenge of the Nerds spinoff TV series.

According to the Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, the show was not picked up. Rob Stone was cast as Louis Skolnick. In the 2000s, Armstrong and Carradine pitched a reality TV competition inspired by the film, in which nerds would vie against jocks for prizes. Although the show was rejected at the time, Armstrong and Carradine turned the idea into King of the Nerds in 2012.

2 Failed Remake

According to Variety, newfound production company Fox Atomic attempted to remake Revenge of the Nerds in 2007. After two weeks of filming in Atlanta’s Agnes State College, the film was canceled.

Among the cast of the failed remake included actors Adam Brody, Katie Cassidy, Kristen Cavallari, Dan Byrd, Jenna Dewan, Nick Zano, Ryan Pinkston, and more. Kyle Newman directed the film until it was scrapped by Fox brass upon disliking the dailies.

1 Inspired Real Lambda Fraternity

In 2006, 22 years after the release of Revenge of the Nerds, a real fraternity named Lambda Lambda Lambda was created at the University of Connecticut to honor the movie’s legacy.

Since then, several Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity chapters have been opened across the country. There are currently six chapters of the frat in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and Washington.