Zapped!

A teenage Scott Baio acquires telekinetic powers and uses them for no better reasons than beating up bullies, cheating at sports and stripping girls, particularly Heather Thomas. The film is in many respects a parody of "Carrie" but also includes spoofs of "The Exorcist", "Taxi Driver", and "Star Trek" and at times looks like a 1970s Kurt Russell Disney film such as "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Zapped!" features stock teen movie characters including the science lab nerd (Scott Baio), the rich school playboy (Willie Aames), the feminist class president who would be pretty if she took off her glasses (Felice Schachter), the snobby cheerleader prom-queen (Heather Thomas), her mean-spirited boyfriend (Greg Bradford), the lovelorn maiden teacher (Sue Ane Langdon), the befuddled principal (Robert Mandan), the hard drinking coach (Scatman Crothers) and the clueless parents (Roger Bowen and Mews Smalls).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Willie Aames was nominated the Golden Raspberry Award for "Worst Actor" for his performance in "Zapped!" but lost to Sir Lawrence Olivier in "Inchon."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The movie soundtrack was composed by Charles Fox and featured performances by David Pomeranz ("Got to Believe in Magic", "King and Queen of Hearts") which were big hits in the Philippines. David Pomeranz still performs those singles in concert.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of the interesting features about "Zapped!" is the number of recognizable actors and actresses in bit roles. Eddie Deezen has a cameo appearance. Merritt Butrick plays the school greaser. Irwin Keyes plays a rival school's pitcher. Corinne Bohrer, Susan Ursitti and Rosanne Katon all play cheerleaders with no lines. Jewel Shepard is one of the first girls Scott Baio strips. And Carlos Lacamara plays Scott Baio's character as an older man in a dream sequence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Also of note is the "swoosh" logo on the Star Trek uniforms years before it was adopted by Nike.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Controversy erupted on the set of "Zapped" because the script called for Heather Thomas to be photographed topless in one scene and stripped to her panties in another. However, during shooting she refused to be filmed topless insisting that the nudity was neither necessary nor appropriate. In post-production, the producers inserted close-ups of a topless body double into the scenes and Miss Thomas complained to the Screen Actor's Guild that moviegoers might think it was her. In an unusual move, the producers added an advisory to the credits that a body double was used for Miss Thomas in the photograph and her nude scene.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Controversy also erupted during the promotion of the film when readers of the Los Angeles Times complained about the movie poster advertisement, not because of what the readers could see but because it was suggested that the illustrated Scott Baio and Willie Aames could see up the skirt of the illustrated girl character. The poster artist, Michael J. Backus, re-drew the advertisement with a lower hemline to block the suggested view.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Zapped!" was made in 1981 by Embassy Pictures for $2,000,000.00 and was released the following year making $15,000,000.00 in its initial release. Critics generally panned "Zapped!" for a weak story line and for relying on gratuitous nudity. However, over the years it sold heavily in videos, spawned a sequel "Zapped Again!" eight years later, developed a cult following on the internet, and is still run regularly on cable television.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The filmed used several techniques to capture the feel of its High School setting for which fans are nostalgic. It was filmed, in part, at John Marshall High School in Los Angeles with the student body as extras. The story line never leaves High School. No international spies are after Scott Baio because he is telekinetic. The students talk mostly about social life and college plans. The prom is in the gym. The senior trip is to a local amusement park. Of the major stars, however, only Felice Schachter was still a High School student when "Zapped!" was filmed. In fact, she missed her own prom to film the prom sequence in the movie.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The film's producer, Jeff Apple, went on to make "In the Line of Fire" in 1993 and "The Recruit" in 2003 both of which grossed more than ten times as much as "Zapped!" in initial release.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~