Overview: There’s something going on at the local video arcade – something totally insane, outrageously hilarious, very sexy and thoroughly entertaining; the hit film JOY STICKS! This antic romp begins when “The Video Arcade’s” newest employee, Eugene (Leif Green, Grease 2) arrives pantless for his first day on the job. Teenage heartthrob Jeff (Scott McGuinnis, Secret Admirer), who runs the arcade and Dorfus (Jim Greenleaf, Liar’s Moon), the slovenly video game addict, decide to take revenge on the vivacious Alva (Kym Malin, Weird Science) and Lola for tricking Eugene out of his pants with a wild game of “strip video.”

But before they can act, King Vidiot (Jon Gries, Napoleon Dynamite) and his sexy troupe of high-tech video addicts invade the arcade and pandemonium breaks loose. In the midst of the chaos, Joseph Rutter (Joe Don Baker, Fletch), an influential businessman, comes into the arcade looking for his daughter Patsy (Corinne Bohrer, Surf II). When he witnesses the madness around him, he vows to see the “den of juvenile delinquency” shut down for good!

Will the city council decide to close the arcade and spoil the kids’ fun? Or, will Jeff, Eugene and Dorfus manage to turn Rutter’s anger with a little help from Alva and Lola?

It all comes together in a climatic and hilarious video game competition – with a winner-takes-all bet on the future of the video arcade in this early 80’s cult classic comedy produced and directed by Greydon Clark (Final Justice).

Blu-ray Verdict: Personally, I love eighties movies of all kinds, ND yet for some unknown reason, I have been neglecting the great eighties sex comedy for a while. Thus, and as it arrived for review from the lovely folk at MVD, I decided to finally catch up on some of them, and I figured JOYSTICKS wasn’t a bad place to start.

The local video arcade is the greatest hot spot in town for the teens, but it’s not too popular with the richest man in town. Can the manager’s grandson (who runs the place, since his grandfather is out of town), his nerdy co-worker, and the arcade’s gaming champion stop him from shutting it down for good?

Even if it’s not the greatest, JOYSTICKS still manages to entertain despite itself. It’s your stereotypical eighties comedy, with lots of sex jokes, boobs, and all the caricatures you’d expect to find (the fat guy, the nerd, the suave guy, the punk, etc.). Indeed, it is this kind of familiarity that actually gives JOYSTICKS a very comfortable feeling, much like homemade cooking, I guess.

Fans of eighties nostalgia will have a lot to love as well, with a classic soundtrack filled with cheesy tunes (including a title song), as well as all (or at least most of) the arcade games you can remember. The film does have its funny parts, and they’re funny in the that’s-so-stupid, yet nonetheless delightful kind of way.

However, for every funny part there are at least two jokes that fall flat on their face. This leads to some groan-worthy moments where you wonder why they would even put a joke like that in the film. For one, there’s the rich guy’s daughter, who they try to make funny by making her voice squeaky and making every third word she says, Like. There are also the bumbling nephews who go into the arcade incognito with one of them dressed in drag, but I digress.

OK, sure, in Oscar terms, JOYSTICKS really isn’t that great, but it does provide for a fun night of late twentieth century nostalgia. And sure, there are obviously better eighties comedies out there, but this one will still entertain in a C.H.U.D. II: BUD THE C.H.U.D. kind of way!

This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

2K scan and restoration in (in 2015) from 35mm film elements and presented in 1080p HD in 1.78:1 aspect ratio
Audio: LPCM 2.0 Mono
Optional English Subtitles
NEW! Fan commentary featuring MVD Rewind Collection’s Eric D. Wilkinson, Cereal at Midnight host Heath Holland and Diabolik DVD’s Jesse Nelson
Audio Commentary with Director Greydon Clark
Interview with Director Greydon Clark
“Coin Slots” – Faux “Trailer” short written and directed by Newt Wallen and starring Mr. Lobo & Eric D. Wilkinson
Reversible Artwork
2-Sided Collectible Mini-Poster
Original Theatrical Trailer