Alright, fellow tape travelers, let's rewind to a time when sequels often landed with the subtlety of a whoopee cushion on a church pew. Remember the absolute phenomenon that was Porky's? It hit screens in '81 and basically printed money, tapping into that raw, unapologetic teen raunch that felt almost dangerous to watch on a rented VHS, maybe late at night with the volume low. So, naturally, Hollywood demanded more. What we got, just two years later in 1983, was Porky's II: The Next Day. And yes, they meant that title literally.
### Picking Up Where the Pie Cooled
Instead of just reheating leftovers, director Bob Clark (yes, the very same maestro who gave us the immortal A Christmas Story in the exact same year – talk about range!) decided to actually continue the story. Picking up immediately after the chaotic climax of the first film, our beloved Angel Beach degenerates – Pee Wee (Dan Monahan), Tommy (Wyatt Knight), Billy (Mark Herrier), and the rest – are back in school, presumably nursing hangovers and plotting their next hormonal misadventure. This time, though, the focus shifts. Gone is the singular drive for revenge against Porky himself. Instead, the gang finds themselves battling local censorship and prejudice when their Shakespeare production (yes, really) comes under fire from hypocritical town leaders and even the KKK.
It's a surprisingly ambitious pivot. Bob Clark, along with co-writers Roger Swaybill and Alan Ormsby (who also worked with Clark on the chilling Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things and the original Porky's script polish), attempted to inject some social commentary into the expected brew of locker-room humor and T&A. Does it entirely work? Well... let's just say the blend of slapstick, surprisingly sharp satire, and still profoundly juvenile gags makes for a viewing experience unique to the early 80s.
### More Plot, Less Pork?
One thing you notice immediately is that Porky's II feels more conventionally structured than its predecessor. The first film was essentially a series of escalating, often disconnected, comedic vignettes strung together. Here, the central conflict – saving their raunchy take on Shakespeare from the clutches of Reverend Bubba Flavel and his puritanical posse – provides a narrative spine. This gives the returning cast, including the reliably flustered Pee Wee and the smoother operators Tommy and Billy, a bit more to chew on dramatically, amidst the usual shenanigans.
Now, let's be honest. The humor hasn't exactly aged like fine wine. Some jokes land with a thud, relics of a less sensitive time. You watch it now and occasionally find yourself wincing where you might have guffawed back in '83. It's definitely a product of its era, a time capsule of what passed for mainstream edgy comedy. Retro Fun Fact: Despite tackling themes like racism and censorship, the film still faced its own battles, particularly around the depiction of the KKK, which some found cartoonish even then, while others were just shocked to see it in a teen comedy.
But there's still an undeniable energy here. The scenes involving the chaotic Shakespeare rehearsals, culminating in a performance designed to offend the self-righteous, have a certain anarchic glee. And the confrontation with the Klan, while tonally bizarre, feels like the kind of thing only an 80s teen comedy sequel would even attempt. Remember how shocking yet strangely satisfying it felt when the tables were turned on those guys? It wasn't subtle, but it sure was memorable on that fuzzy CRT screen.
### The Business of sequels
While the original Porky's was a low-budget miracle ($4 million budget, pulling in over $110 million – that's serious cash!), the sequel had a slightly higher budget (around $7 million) but saw a significant drop at the box office, earning roughly $33 million. It wasn't a flop, but it clearly didn't recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of the first. Critically, it was mostly dismissed, seen as a less funny, slightly preachy follow-up. You might also notice the absence of Kim Cattrall as Honeywell; she wisely (or perhaps just contractually) sat this one out.
Still, for those of us prowling the aisles of the video store, Porky's II was often right there next to the original, its slightly less iconic cover art promising more of the same forbidden fruit. I definitely remember renting this one, maybe hoping for a repeat of that infamous shower scene, and getting... well, something different. Less purely gag-driven, more focused on its weirdly earnest plot, but still undeniably Porky's.
The practical nature of 80s filmmaking is evident even in a comedy like this. The staging of the bigger scenes, like the rally confrontation or the climactic Shakespearean chaos, feels grounded in a way modern comedies often don't. No slick CGI smoothing the edges here; it’s just actors, sets, and a willingness to push the envelope, however awkwardly at times.
### Final Verdict
Porky's II: The Next Day is a curious beast. It’s not as consistently funny or iconic as the original, and its attempts at social commentary clash awkwardly with its inherent crudeness. The pacing can drag, and many jokes feel painfully dated. Yet... there's a certain naive ambition to it, a bizarre charm in its attempt to mix lowbrow humor with 'Important Issues'. Bob Clark's direction keeps things moving, and the core cast still has that easy chemistry. It's a fascinating snapshot of the 80s sequel machine trying to evolve, however clumsily.
Rating: 5/10
The score reflects a film that's undeniably a step down from its predecessor and riddled with dated elements, yet possesses a strange, watchable energy and historical curiosity, especially considering its director's other legendary '83 release. It tried to be more than just another Porky's, and while it didn't quite succeed, the attempt itself makes it a fascinating VHS-era artifact.
Final Thought: It's the awkward middle child of the Porky's trilogy – not as shocking as the first, not as bizarrely forgettable as the third, but proof that even in Angel Beach, they occasionally tried to put on their thinking caps... right before pulling their pants down. Worth a nostalgic revisit, if only to marvel at its strange ambitions.