The Boys & Girls Guide To Getting Down

One of the strongest drives in human nature is the need for companionship. Men seek out women just as women look for men. Sure there are gender based difference in what is expected in any relationship, no matter how fleeting, but the basics are the same, have someone to be with. Since we live in an increasingly superficial society it was only a matter of time until some film maker took on the dating scene. This has been done many times before ‘The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down’ does so with tongue planted firmly in the cheek. This film takes an often harsh look at the club and party scene in Los Angles. Most people can only live vicariously through the many stars whose club exploits are constant fodder for the tabloids. Now, with this flick you get a step by step tutorial on how to survive going out and partying in the modern world. I have to admit that even though I am far removed from this scene by age, location and inclination this flick made me laugh. This is done like a text book looking at sex, drugs and how to act in a usually anti social fashion. It details the requirements for throwing a party, what to do when the police show up and guidelines for substance abuse. The film works if you take it as a complete satire of the current youth oriented culture. If you are part of this demographic you will be able to identify directly with the humor. For those of us who have thankfully aged past this scene we can be grateful that all of this is behind us. For a film specific to the current time it has a certain look and feel of a seventies ‘mod’ flick. The bright color graphics are right out of any of a hundred flicks from back then. I guess some things never change.

The film starts by noting that people are getting down at clubs, at work and even outside your door. The guide will explain how to use the tools of getting down like vodka and drugs and how to avoid the pitfalls of this lifestyle. The film is divided into chapters, each one focusing one an aspect of the ‘getting down’ way of life. First the film introduces the major characters that will help demonstrate the lessons. To be honest it was difficult to associate the characters with the names of the actors playing them since proper names are rarely used. Chapter one cuts right to the point: Carnal Knowledge. The goal in this section is to have the maximum fun with the least amount of stress. They go into some pseudo science with examples of how Charles Darwin elaborated on the need for reproduction to help the species become successful. For this the best biological strategy is multiple partners to ensure the proper spreading of the DNA. Since girls are only fertile for a brief time each month they wax and wane in their desires. Boys on the other hand are ready for sex pretty much from puberty to death. Next is ‘Getting In’. For boys and girls to hook up they have to meet on common ground, typically a club or a party. Entrance to these mating grounds is controlled by the all powerful bouncers at the door. Naturally girls have easier entrance than the boys. Getting in defines your social status and determine your availability to hook up. Now we move on to chapter three, ‘Booze’ the drug of choice for most of the participants in this culture. The affects range widely from clumsiness, euphoria, aggression, sexual desire to just plain retarded. Charts and graphs show that what is considered attractive becomes less selective as consumption increases spiking sharply around last call. Chapter four is concerned with one of the best places to obtain the required amounts of alcohol, the house party. Spotting a house party in progress is easy, just look for boys urinating and girls crying outside. The next chapters detail the difference in approach between boys and girls. Boys are more ‘goal oriented’ and take an almost military approach to getting down. They examine the environment like the Terminator looking for Sarah Conner. Girls, on the other hand, need only give a slight signal to get a response from their objective. Their defense mechanisms include fake engagement rings, hanging out with your girlfriends and an imaginary boyfriend. Girls travel in packs so that if a helpless girl is cut from the pack by a boy the girlfriends can swoop in and remove her from the situation. There are other chapters that explain the more advance topics such as the females’ power provided by her private regions and the type of boy called the ‘fauxmosexual’. This are straight men who pretend to be gay so some girl can ‘turn’ him straight. They have a level of access to girls that include much increased physical contact and access to secrets since they are initially seen as an alternate girlfriend. Among these advance topics is a guide to choosing a drug dealer. Separate chapters are given to pot and cocaine each going into the finer points of abuse.

One of the main reasons this film is so funny is how it is presented. It has the feel of a cross between a documentary and one of those films you saw in high school health class. There are even many segments of the Boys and Girls Guide scientists. They experiment on mice getting them drunk or providing them with huge quantities of drugs. The only similarity between them and actual scientific experts is they wear white coats. The ‘facts’ presented are based on almost universal experience. No matter what age group you are you will be able to see some part of your life where the topics discussed here were part of your life. The humor is found in this realization that although exaggerated this could be any group of young people during most any time in the last forty years.

First Look Home Entertainment features a wide variety of DVD releases from the Cosby Show to films like this. While the screener was plain vanilla this is a film to get and is able to stand on its own. It is well mastered with very good full screen video and a Dolby 5.1 audio that is well balanced and clear. Now matter what part of society you fit in now this film will make you laugh.

Posted 09/12/07