MATCH POINT OF VIEW
I gotta admit, most tennis movies are bad. Heck, I could do without seeing Wimbledon and/or '79's Players again. 1986's Jocks, well it's so bad it's amusing, like you could really enjoy it in a beer and microwave pizza sort of way. The late Steve Carver directs and this is a dude that made a couple of Chuck Norris flicks. Um, Jocks was an interesting, diverting choice for good old Steve-O.
That's not to say that Jocks doesn't provide a few laughs because it does. I mean it is a comedy after all about the rackets and the balls. The film follows a bunch of misfit, college tennis brutes who must hurdle their team to a championship or lose their scholarships the following year. Ugh.
Shot in LA and Las Vegas while reveling in the utmost of 80s sludge, Jocks has a humorous streak that is offhanded, juvenile, and almost puerile. You either get the mischief or you don't. In truth, this pic has a certain, cultish way of sneaking up on you (yes I've seen Jocks multiple times). It's the ultimate video vault wannabe, made to be watched on a VHS player with a snicker for the innuendo and a severe buzz on.
Movie watching inebriation aside, the tennis matches featured on Jocks are about as realistic as the pseudo hair on Donald Trump's head. Obviously no consultant was on set what with all the swinging volleys, bad serving technique, and disjointed editing. Jocks also has a doozy of cast composed of virtual unknowns, Richard Roundtree, Christoper Lee, Mariska Hargitay (of Law & Order fame), and "Ogre". Basically Jocks is like the poor stepchild of Revenge of the Nerds and/or Animal House. A ghost of a plot, a meager script, ball bearing production values but could require multiple viewings. Ironically "Jocular".
Written by Jesse Burleson
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