Alright fellow tapeheads, dim the lights, maybe grab a can of New Coke if you can find one, and let's rewind to a time when high school comedies weren't afraid to get a little weird. Remember scanning the aisles at Video Village or Blockbuster (R.I.P.), looking for something fun, maybe a little risqué, for a Friday night? Sometimes you stumbled onto a gem, or at least something memorably goofy. Enter Zapped! (1982), a flick that landed right in that sweet spot between teen fantasy and hormone-driven hijinks.
The premise is pure wish-fulfillment, dipped in 80s cheese: science nerd Barney Springboro (Scott Baio, at the peak of his Chachi heartthrob fame) accidentally gains telekinetic powers after a lab mishap involving marijuana, chemicals, and some unfortunate white mice. Suddenly, the awkward brainiac has the ultimate tool for navigating the treacherous waters of high school – revenge on bullies, acing tests (sort of), and, let's be honest, impressing girls in ways that probably wouldn't fly today. It’s like Carrie decided to lighten up and aim for laughs instead of pig’s blood.
High School Hijinks, Superpowered
What follows is less a complex plot and more a series of episodic gags where Barney explores his newfound abilities, often egged on by his perpetually horny best friend, Peyton Nichols (Willie Aames, bringing that signature Eight is Enough energy). Peyton represents the id to Barney’s slightly more hesitant ego, constantly suggesting ways to leverage the powers for maximum teenage gratification. Their dynamic is classic 80s buddy comedy fare, predictable but comfortable. We also have Felice Schachter (familiar as Nancy from The Facts of Life) as Bernadette, the smart, supportive potential love interest who, frankly, deserved a bit more focus than just being the 'good girl' alternative.
The film leans heavily into the visual gags enabled by Barney’s powers. And this is where that VHS-era charm really kicks in. Forget seamless CGI – the magic here is delightfully practical. Remember how mind-blowing it seemed back then when objects just… floated? Zapped! delivers this with plenty of visible wires if you squint, jerky levitations, and clever editing cuts. It’s the kind of stuff that felt tangible, like you could almost see the fishing line holding up that baseball bat or cheerleader pom-pom. There's a certain raw, unpolished energy to these effects that modern blockbusters, for all their technical wizardry, often lack. It felt real in that slightly fuzzy, standard-definition way.
More Than Just Floating Baseballs
Of course, you can’t talk about Zapped! without mentioning that scene. You know the one. Barney, under pressure at the prom, unleashes his powers to… well, let's just say the female attendees experience a sudden, inexplicable wardrobe malfunction. It’s the moment the movie is infamous for, a blatant slice of the era's T&A comedy obsession, clearly chasing the runaway success of Porky's which hit theatres just a few months earlier. Viewed today, it’s undeniably awkward and problematic, a relic of a different time in cinematic standards. Yet, it's also cemented the film in the memories (fond or otherwise) of a generation who caught it late night on cable or rented that distinctive VHS box.
Director Robert J. Rosenthal, making his feature debut, keeps things moving at a brisk pace, never letting the low budget ($2.5 million, which it easily recouped earning nearly $17 million) hinder the fun too much. It’s fascinating to note that co-writer Bruce Rubin later penned the screenplay for the Oscar-winning supernatural romance Ghost (1990) – talk about a career trajectory shift! It’s hard to imagine the same mind behind pottery wheels and Patrick Swayze also cooked up telekinetic dress-ripping, but hey, Hollywood is weird. The film was shot largely around typical Californian high school locations, adding to that familiar, sun-drenched teen movie aesthetic prevalent in the 80s.
Dated Charm or Just Dated?
Look, Zapped! isn't high art. Critics at the time mostly dismissed it, but like so many films of its ilk, it found a dedicated audience on home video and cable TV reruns. The humor is often juvenile, the plot is paper-thin, and the gender politics are firmly stuck in 1982. The fashion is a glorious explosion of tight jeans, feathered hair, and questionable shirt choices.
Yet… there’s an undeniable nostalgic pull. Scott Baio is perfectly cast as the awkward teen suddenly gifted with coolness, and Willie Aames provides reliable comic relief. It captures that specific blend of sci-fi gimmick and raunchy teen comedy that flourished briefly in the early 80s. It’s goofy, it’s silly, and parts of it haven't aged well at all. But if you grew up renting tapes like this, there’s a certain warmth in revisiting its unapologetic, slightly clumsy energy. I definitely remember renting this one from the local mom-and-pop store, the worn clamshell case promising forbidden laughs.
Rating: 6/10
Justification: The score reflects the film's status as a product of its time – genuinely funny in moments, boosted by charmingly dated practical effects and lead performances that hit the right notes for the era. However, it’s held back by a weak plot, reliance on then-popular but now questionable T&A gags, and some seriously underdeveloped characters (sorry, Bernadette). It earns points for nostalgic value and delivering exactly the kind of low-stakes, superpowered wish-fulfillment promised on the box.
Final Thought: Zapped! is like finding an old mixtape in the attic – maybe not every track holds up, but hitting play still brings back a specific, fuzzy kind of joy, powered by practical effects and pure, unadulterated 80s teen spirit. Mind over matter… and maybe modesty.