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SUMMER SCHOOL (1987)
ESSENTIAL
INFORMATION
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released on 22
July 1987 in the U.S., rated PG-13, running time: 98 mins. |
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Movie was filmed
in 8 weeks in late 1986. |
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budget of about
$10 million; US domestic gross was $35 million. |
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Shooting Script notes
here |
FILMING
LOCATIONS
Field Trip
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Knott's Berry
Farm, Buena Park, California. |
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Malibu Grand
Prix, Northridge, California [last shooting day]. |
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Santa Monica,
California [beach]. |
School
Scenes
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Charles Evans
Hughes Jr. High School (JFK High?) in Woodland Hills, California. The freeway
exit to get there is Shoup Ave. (Mark Harmon's name in the film). The Karate
Kid (1984) also used this location. |
GENERAL TRIVIA
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Originally was
to be directed by Amy Heckerling ("Fast Times at Ridgemont High"). |
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Danny Elfman
(Oingo Boingo front man) composed the music score. This was before he became
an "A-list" film composer for Tim Burton films among others. |
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Although Dave
and Chainsaw are class friends, the two actors did not get along together. |
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Patrick
Labyorteaux wanted to play Chainsaw, but was cast as Kevin the football
player. |
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In the script,
instead of being obsessed with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), Dave and
Chainsaw were obsessed with the Tod Browning cult film "Freaks" (1932). Carl
Reiner screened "Freaks" himself and felt the film was too dark and "Massacre"
was used instead. |
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The sequence
from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" screened in class is from the final few
minutes of the film, when Sally (Marilyn Burns) escapes the farmhouse and is chased by a
chainsaw-wielding Leatherface on a remote highway. |
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Members of the
technical crew had a Halloween costume and trailer decoration contest during a
few days of the production. |
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When shown on
commercial television in a 2-hour time slot, the classroom massacre scene is
sometimes completely omitted. Swear words are either softened by alternate dialogue [e.g.
bullshit becomes "bullchips"] or are cut out completely. |
DELETED
SCENES
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Dave and
Chainsaw propose to Anna-Marie on the beach. Description: Anna-Marie runs down
the beach topless and jumps in the water, Dave and Chainsaw follow her and
propose marriage. She declines them because they are too young. Scene was cut
for timing reasons. According to Dean Cameron (Chainsaw), several
production executives from Paramount showed up on location for the shooting of this scene.
[Dean Cameron notes] |
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After the party
at Shoops house, Mark Harmon takes Chainsaw home. Chainsaw being drunk, vomits
on his father. [Dean Cameron notes] |
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Two Lamaze class
scenes: one with Rhonda and Shoop, the other with Rhonda and Kevin. This includes a running
joke where she gives a different
"father" for the baby each time she is asked. [shooting script] |
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The subplot
about Rhonda and Kevin was reduced. This includes at least one whole scene
after the final test at the end of then film. |
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Shoop talks
about songs written in poor English. This is the first half of the scene
where he encourages the class to write consumer complaint letters. "Papa's Got
a Brand New Bag" by James Brown is used; the lyrics can be seen on the
chalkboard behind Shoop in the released film. [shooting script] |
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Alternate takes
were shot with dialogue to cover the swear words used in the finished film,
bullshit became bullchips, e.g. Audio from these takes may have been
used for the broadcast version. [Dean Cameron notes] |
BLOOPERS
Beach scene: Anna-Marie takes off her shorts and then has them back on later in
the scene. Rhonda sits down twice, once in the wide shot of Anna-Marie and then
again in the close-up as Anna-Marie is about to take off her bikini top.
When Shoop tries to convince Wondermutt that he found "Bob" you can see in the
background that Mark Harmon's mouth is not moving.
In the last scene, when "Bob" washes up on shore, the sand is wet nearby, but
when Wondermutt retrieves him, "Bob" appears further up the shore on dry sand.
SOUNDTRACK
List of songs in
the sequence they appear in the film and the source for assembling your own
soundtrack CD for personal use.
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Happy -- Danny
Elfman [opening titles as school lets out] [intro of song on the soundtrack
is different than the version heard in the film]
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Get An
Education -- Billy Burnette [Knott's Berry Farm, rollercoaster, Malibu Grand
Prix]
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My Babe -- The
Fabulous Thunderbirds (1982) [Anna-Marie takes off her shorts and almost
takes off her bikini on the beach; volleyball] [song can also be found on their
1982 album "T-Bird Rhythm"]
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I'm Supposed to
Have Sex With You -- Tonio K. [party at Shoop's, playing on the radio
indoors]
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Second Language
-- Tone Norum [Rhonda talks with Kevin on the beach, heard distantly from
Shoop's house]
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Animal --
Vinnie Vincent [during party at Shoop's house before the couch is set on
fire] [NOT ON SOUNDTRACK CD] [available on the album "Invasion" released in 1986
on Chrysalis]
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Seduction --
E.G. Daily [stripper bar when Shoop finds Larry]
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Rapture --
Blonde (1981) [stripper bar, near the end of the scene] [NOT ON SOUNDTRACK
CD] [track can be found on "Best of Blonde" album]
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Brain Power --
Paul Engemann [only heard very briefly when Chainsaw turns on the radio
during his driving test]
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All I Want From
You -- Tami Show [heard on Shoop's radio when he sits on the beach eating
ice cream]
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Jackie -- Elisa
Fiorillo [heard on the radio when students gather around Shoop on the beach]
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Mind Over
Matter -- E.G. Daily [final test]
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Happy -- Danny
Elfman [end titles]
These 2 songs are
listed in the credits but are not heard in the film:
Party All the Time
-- Rick James [Chainsaw sings the lyrics when Shoop first enters the classroom]
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag -- James Brown [deleted scene where Shoop talks
about songs written in poor English. You can see the lyrics on the chalkboard
behind him in the scene where he encourages the class to write consumer
complaint letters]
Soundtrack was
issued on LP, Cassette and CD in 1987. Chrysalis Records, Inc. [OVT 41607] now
long out-of-print.
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