Best friends Lewis Skolnick (Robert Carradine) and Gilbert Lowell (Anthony Edwards) are heading off to start their freshman year at Adams College, with high hopes of getting lucky with the ladies. After the jock Alpha Beta brothers accidentally burn down their fraternity house, their coach (John Goodman) puts pressure on the dean (David Wohl) to given his players the freshman dorm. So the freshmen are kicked out of their spacious rooms and left to find their own housing by joining a fraternity, but none of the existing frats will have Lewis and Gilbert, or any of the other nerdy freshmen—Arnold Poindexter (Timothy Busfield), Harold Wormser (Andrew Cassese), Dudley ‘Booger’ Dawson (Curtis Armstrong), Lamar Latrell (Larry B. Scott), and Toshiro Takashi (Brian Tochi).

The nerds decided to start their own chapter of the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity. However Stan Gable (Ted McGinley), the head of the Alpha Betas, and his sidekick “Ogre” (Donald Gibb) set out to make the nerds’ lives miserable. The Tri-lambs can’t get any justice because the Alpha Betas control the Greek Council, so they fight back with their own pranks and panty raids, and set out to win the annual Homecoming Carnival games so they can select the next Greek Council president.

Revenge of the Nerds remains a classic comedy that is surprising timeless and still relevant today. From numerous classic lines, iconic moments and Lewis’ infectious nerd laugh, there’s so much to enjoy about this film. The cast is amazing, and even includes James Cromwell as Lewis’ nerdy father. Each of the nerds is his own well-defined character, with unique talents and characteristics. This allows the viewer to relate the to the characters.

It’s the classic story of the underdogs overcoming the bullies. In true 80s style, there’s a big competition to decide who rules the school, and even a fix-up-the-house music montage—this is something that needs to make a comeback!

In some respects, the comedy is a bit tame compared to today’s gross-out college comedies. Although there is a bit of full-frontal nudity, and some of the pranks the nerds pull on the girls of Pi Delta Pi would get you expelled (if not arrested) these days.

The picture quality of the Blu-ray is decent. Though there is a lot of inconsistent grain, and in an early scene where Lewis and Gilbert are making their way across campus, there is this really odd reflection/shadow. (It appears that this has always been in the print, but in this Blu-ray release, it is made even more evident.) The mono audio track isn’t the greatest—all of the sound comes from the center channel, and sometimes the music is a bit too loud/dialogue a bit too soft.

The Blu-ray contains a lot of great bonus material—an audio commentary, some deleted scenes, an almost 40-minute retrospective featurette, and even the unaired pilot for a Nerds TV sitcom. All of this bonus material had been included on the previous DVD release, and there’s nothing new for this release, but it’s great to see that nothing has been lost.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:30:07)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0, Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0, French Dolby Digital 1.0
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Extras:
All of the bonus material is the same as what was included on the 2007 “Revenge of the Nerds: Panty Raid Edition” DVD release.

• Commentary by Jeff Kanew, Robert Carradine, Timothy Busfield and Curtis Armstrong (1:30:07)
  Director Jeff Kanew and stars Robert Carradine (“Lewis Skolnick”), Timothy Busfield (“Arnold Poindexter”) and Curtis Armstrong (“Dudley ‘Booger’ Dawson”) provide some fun and interesting behind-the-scenes information about the making of the film. The commentary is a bit slow at times, with some pauses and gaps, but overall quite satisfying and entertaining.
• “I’m a Nerd, and I’m Pretty Proud of It” Featurette (38:36)
  The cast and director reminisce about their experiences making the film. They discuss their initial impressions of the film, the casting process, how they got into their characters, and provide other interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Features interviews with director Jeff Kanew and stars Robert Carradine, Timothy Busfield, Curtis Armstrong, Andrew Cassese (“Wormser”), Ted McGinley (“Stan Gable”), Larry B. Scott (“Lamar”), and Julie Montgomery (“Betty Childs”).
• Deleted Scenes (8:48)
  Play All or select from “Stan Owes Nerd Money”, “Gilbert Tells Judy How He Feels”, “Tri-Lamb Vegas Convention”, “Meet Uncle Meyer”, “Chariot Race”, and “Nerds Catch Jocks Destroying Their House”. It’s easy to see why these scenes were removed as they would have just slowed down the film or taken it on unnecessary tangents, but they are entertaining to watch.
• “Revenge of the Nerds” Television Pilot (24:16)
  This unaired TV pilot from 1991 is a condensed retelling of the film. The pilot stars Rob Stone (“Louis Skolnick”), Lightfield Lewis (“Gilbert Lowe”), Grant Gelt (“Harold Wormser”), Robbie Rist (“Booger”), Richard Gant (“P.T. Turner”), Jeff Benson (“‘Ogre’ Svensik”) Sean Kanan (“Todd Channing”) and Art Evans (“Wallace Carter”). This pilot is dated, and so horrible (despite what the non-stop laugh track implies)—it’s no wonder why the series was not picked up. That said, I really appreciate that FOX has made this lost “treasure” available as a bonus feature.
• Theatrical Trailer (1:25)

Final Thoughts:

Revenge of the Nerds remains a classic 80s comedy, and one of the best college comedies of all time. The film is highly rewatchable, and feels like a timeless classic that’s still relevant today. If you already own the 2007 DVD release, there is no new bonus material included here. However, those who don’t already own this title should definitely pick this up!

This Blu-ray is available both separately, and as part of the “Guys Being Guys Party 3-pack”, which also includes Bachelor Party and Porky’s.