• Rating:
• Genre: Comedy
• Movie Type: Sci-Fi Comedy, Teen Movie
• Themes: Fish Out of Water, Time Sleepers, Assumed Identities
• Director: Les Mayfield
• Main Cast: Sean Astin, Pauly Shore, Brendan Fraser, Mariette Hartley, Richard Masur, Megan Ward, Rick Ducommun, Rose McGowan, Robin Tunney
• Release Year: 1992
• Country: US
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• MPAA Rating: PG

Plot

A clueless caveman meets his intellectual match in the form of Pauly Shore in this teen-oriented comedy. Dave Morgan (Sean Astin) is a high school student in Encino, California, where he spends most of his time with his dazed-and-confused buddy Stoney Brown (Shore) and tries to figure out why his girlfriend Robyn (Megan Ward) left him for thick-headed jock Matt (Michael DeLuise). Hoping to boost his low status in the High School pecking order, Dave wants to put in a swimming pool at his family's home for a massive post-prom party. While Dave and Stoney are digging the pit, an earthquake strikes that unearths a frozen caveman (Brendan Fraser). To Dave and Stoney's surprise, the frozen Neanderthal soon comes to life, and after a bath, a shave, and a new set of clothes, the boys are passing off their dim-witted-but-friendly companion "Link" as an exchange student from Estonia. Link soon becomes the most popular guy at school, and Dave is determined to use Link's social success as a way to win back Robyn and foil Matt. Encino Man marked the directorial debut of Les Mayfield, who previously produced the critically acclaimed documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Review

That Brendan Fraser plays a Neanderthal in Encino Man is a good metaphor for this early stage of his comic career -- he's developed some of the physical and vocal patterns of his later success, but he clearly hasn't yet evolved. Having shown promise in School Ties that same year, Fraser is no doubt acting down to the level of the material, which requires mostly grunts and wild gesticulations from him. Retrofitting a caveman with skateboarder duds and teen lingo was an inevitable idea for a movie, but Encino Man isn't quite as moronic as a viewer might expect, given Pauly Shore's involvement. At the center of either his own TV show or star vehicle, Shore is intolerable, but with less of the movie to carry, his grating schtick induces fewer groans. Aiming for the same audience as Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and using the same Southern California high school setting and fish-out-of-water/time themes, Encino Man occasionally rises to the level of a harmless, guilty pleasure. Fraser's physical comedy warrants some laughs, and the writing earns the odd grin now and again. Hearty thanks also go to Sean Astin for offsetting some of Shore's antics. Still, this bone-headed outing is much better suited to high school boys fluent in Shore's dated dudespeak. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Sean Astin - Dave Morgan
• Pauly Shore - Stoney Brown
• Brendan Fraser - Link
• Mariette Hartley - Mrs. Morgan
• Richard Masur - Mr. Morgan
• Megan Ward - Robyn Sweeney
• Rick Ducommun - Mr. Brush
• Rose McGowan - Nora
• Robin Tunney - Ella

Wanda Acuna - Maria; Mike Muir - Infectious Grooves Band Member; Jack Noseworthy - Taylor; Stephen Perkins - Infectious Grooves Band Member; Dean Pleasants - Infectious Grooves Band Member; Jonathan Ke Quan - Kim; Sicily Rossomando - Senorita Vasquez; Esther Scott - Mrs. Mackey; Adam Siegel - Infectious Grooves Band Member; Robert Trujillo - Infectious Grooves Band Member; Patrick Van Horn - Phil; Noel L. Walcott III - Rastadude; Michael DeLuise - Matt; Jose Luis Lozano - Charlie; Julianne Christie - Fresh Nug; Steven Elkins - Mr. Beady; Douglas McCallie - Police Officer; Furley Lumpkin - Science Teacher; Therese Kablan - Fresh Nug; Mark Adair-Rios - Peyton; Peter Allas - Officer Sims; Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter - Bartender; Melinda Armstrong - Mountain Nug; Erick Avari - Raji; Heather Bennett - Mountain Nug; Ellen Blain - Teena Morgan; R.D. Carpenter - Truck Driver; Jerri Renee Griffin - Fresh Nug; Toni Herkert - Fresh Nug; Sandra Hess - Cave Nug; Christian Hoff - Boog; Kyle-Scott Jackson - Intimidating Cop; Dalton James - Will; Deborah Lee Johnson - Fresh Nug; Gerry Bednob - Kashmir; Boris the Dog - Buffie the Dog; Richard Montoya - Enrique; Ricardo Salinas - Loco; Herbert Siguenza - Chuly; Michole Briana White - Kathleen

Credit

Shawn Schepps - Screenwriter; Robert Brinkmann - Cinematographer; Marie France - Costume Designer; Hilton A. Green - Producer; Peggy Holmes - Choreography; Cheryal Kearney - Set Designer; Les Mayfield - Director; Les Mayfield - Producer; Dana Olsen - Screenwriter; J. Peter Robinson - Composer (Music Score); Michael Rotenberg - Producer; Eric Sears - Editor; Jonathan Sheffer - Composer (Music Score); G. Zaloom - Producer; Robert Wald - Musical Direction/Supervision; Frederic W. Brost - Unit Production Manager; George Zaloom - Producer; George Zaloom - Screenwriter; James Allen - Production Designer; Michael Kelly - Editor

Similar Movies

Big Man on Campus; Caveman; Walk Like a Man; Frankenstein: The College Years; Jungle 2 Jungle; Blast from the Past; Son-In-Law

• Artist: Movie Soundtrack
• Flags: Soundtrack
• Type: Soundtrack
• Rating:
• Style: Soundtracks
• Similar Albums: Adrenalize [Japan] [Alex], Wayne's World, Wasted in America, Time to Burn, Black Rock Coalition: History of Our Future, Bedtime Story, Trixter, Born to Be Wild: A Retrospective, Prove You Wrong, Flesh & Blood, Lean into It, The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move, Use Your Illusion I, Extreme II: Pornograffitti, Doro

Review

Soundtracks are musical period documents, and few are more slight, meaningless and enjoyable than Encino Man which preserves the early 90s: the lost era when hair metal still roamed the earth, oblivious to its impending extinction. Vince Neil kick-starts the procession with the riotously entertaining "You're Invited but Your Friend Can't Come," penned and performed with the Damn Yankees minus Terrible Ted (So is that Shaw on scorching lead guitar?). Irony abounds as, elsewhere on this record, Neil's Motley replacement John Corabi guides the Scream though the Mott-ish throwaway "Young and Dumb." Neil's solo inaugural also introduces the monkey concept later invoked by the Infectious Grooves (who perform their "YYZ" parody "Feed the Monkey" in the film). The old soundtrack-remake stratagem continues with Cheap Trick's unnecessary version of "Wild Thing" which gets pumping after an excruciatingly slow dirge opening. Maybe this is a tribute to Sam Kinison (or a template for their more-successful version of "Cold Turkey"), but the hard fact is Trick should not play slow. Queen's fully-loaded "Stone Cold Crazy" is always welcome, although this is a souped-up, modernized mix. Plus the boss "Frankenstein" pastiche and wild Steve Vai pyrotechnics nicely fulfill the instrumental requirements. But wait, Scatterbrain previews rap-rock with their cover of LL's "Mama Said Knock You Out," the obligatory out-of-place dance tunes are cool, and even the Jesus and Mary Chain shows up. Still, the preceding merely sets the stage for the penultimate masterpiece from right-band-wrong-time T. Ride whose cherry "Luxury Cruiser" is premium party-metal for the next millennium. Tone-Loc closes using Alice Cooper chunks in "Cool Hand Loc." Hooray for Hollywood and this time-capsule collection of schizophrenically-solid secrets from the Rock Age. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	iTunes	Composers	Performers	Time
You're Invited (But Your Friend Can't Come)	...	Tommy Shaw, Vince Neil, Jack Blades	Vince Neil	(4:27)
Wild Thing	...	Chip Taylor	Cheap Trick	(4:29)
Stone Cold Crazy [Remix by Michael Wagener]	...	Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Michael Wagener	Queen	(2:17)
Mama Said Knock You Out	...	LL Cool J, M. Williams, James Todd Smith	Scatterbrain	(3:47)
You Turn Me On (Turn on Song)	...	Ian Whitcomb	Crystal Waters	(3:53)
Treaty [Filthy Lucre Radio Mix]	...	Mikayngu Mununggurr, Mandawuy Yunupingu, P.J. Kelly	Yothu Yindi	(4:05)
Feed the Monkey	...	David Dunn, Robert Trujillo	Infectious Grooves	(5:04)
Wooly Bully	...	Domingo Samudio	The Smithereens	(3:04)
Frankenstein	...	Edgar Winter	Edgar Winter	(4:44)
Young and Dumb	...	Brendon Matheson, Almer Brandt, Ward Welch	Scream	(3:25)
Why'd You Want Me?	...	Jim Reid, William Reid	The Jesus and Mary Chain	(3:14)
Get the Hell Out of Here	...	Steve Vai	Steve Vai	(3:53)
Leave My Curl Alone	...	Regi Hargis, Ray Ransom, J. Brown, Tony Alvarez	Hi-C	(3:16)
Luxury Cruiser	...	Dan Arlie	T-Ride	(2:56)
Cool Hand Loc	...	Alice Cooper, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, Anthony Smith, Michael Ross, Neil Smith, Matt Dike, Jeffrey Fortson	Tone-Loc	(4:11)

Credits

Tone-Loc (Performer), Tone-Loc, Cheap Trick (Performer), Cheap Trick, Rick Derringer (Producer), Infectious Grooves (Performer), Infectious Grooves, The Jesus and Mary Chain (Performer), The Jesus and Mary Chain, Paul Pesco (Guitar), Paul Pesco (Programming), Queen (Producer), Queen (Performer), Queen, Scatterbrain (Performer), Scatterbrain, The Smithereens (Producer), The Smithereens (Performer), Steve Vai (Bass), Steve Vai (Guitar), Steve Vai (Keyboards), Steve Vai (Producer), Steve Vai (Engineer), Steve Vai (Performer), Steve Vai, Scream (Performer), Scream, Tommy Shaw (Vocals (Background)), Paul Main (Producer), Paul Main (Mixing), Yothu Yindi (Performer), Yothu Yindi, Hi-C (Performer), Hi-C, Vince Neil (Guitar), Vince Neil (Vocals), Vince Neil (Performer), Vince Neil, Robin Zander (Vocals), 2nd II None (Vocals (Background)), Tony A. (Producer), John Alderete (Bass), John Alderete (Producer), Roy Thomas Baker (Producer), Gregg Bissonette (Drums), Jack Blades (Bass), Jack Blades (Vocals (Background)), Bruce Bouillet (Guitar), Bruce Bouillet (Producer), Wally Buck (Assistant Producer), Bun E. Carlos (Drums), Michael Cartellone (Percussion), Michael Cartellone (Drums), John Corabi (Vocals), Crystal Waters (Vocals), Crystal Waters (Performer), Crystal Waters, Edgar Winter (Performer), Edgar Winter, Brian B-Sly Foxworthy (Engineer), GGGarth (Producer), GGGarth (Mixing), Tom Grimley (Engineer), Tom Grimley, Michael Hamilton (Keyboards), Steve Himelfarb (Assistant Engineer), Kyle Hudnall (Keyboards), Kyle Hudnall (Producer), Kyle Hudnall (Drum Programming), Phil Kaffel (Engineer), Phil Kaffel (Mixing), Stephen Marcussen (Mastering), Peter McCabe (Engineer), Peter McCabe, Peter McCabe (Associate Producer), Peter McCabe (Assistant Producer), Mark Moffatt (Engineer), Mike Muir (Vocals), Mike Muir (Producer), Mike Muir (Engineer), Mike Muir, Ron Nevison (Producer), Ron Nevison (Engineer), Ron Nevison (Mixing), Rick Nielsen (Guitar), Stephen Perkins (Drums), David Price (Engineer), Jim Reid (Producer), William Reid (Producer), Richard Ross (Music Consultant), Ralph Sall (Programming), Ralph Sall (Producer), Ralph Sall (Executive Producer), Jeff Sheehan (Engineer), T-Ride (Performer), T-Ride, Eric Valentine (Producer), Eric Valentine (Engineer), Eric Valentine (Mixing), Michael Wagener (Remixing), Walt Woodward III (Drums), Jim Babjak (Guitar), Jim Babjak (Percussion), Jim Babjak (Vocals (Background)), Pat DiNizio (Vocals), Mike Mesaros (Bass), Mike Mesaros (Vocals (Background)), Stan Katayama (Engineer), Stan Katayama (Mixing), Simon Polinski (Engineer), Adam Siegel (Guitar), Glen Cummings (Guitar), Mike Boyko (Drums), Guy Brogna (Bass), Tommy Christ (Vocals), Paul Nieder (Guitar), Matt Dike (Producer), Tom Petersson (Guitar (12 String)), Dean Pleasants (Guitar), Michael C. Ross (Producer), Michael C. Ross (Music Consultant), Robert Goodge (Producer), Robert Goodge (Mixing), Luke Wynne (Photography), Greg Henderson (Engineer), Greg Henderson (Mixing), Gavin Campbell (Producer), Gavin Campbell (Mixing)

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