"Eskimo Limon", or "Lemon Popsicle" in English, is an Israeli-West German film which can be seen as a forerunner to all those eighties teen sex comedies like "Porky's", "Screwballs", and especially "The Last American Virgin", which is a remake of it. It was hugely successful in Israel and West Germany, spawning no less than an incredible eight sequels.
Perhaps it seemed fresh or even transgressive on release, but its material and many of its scenarios seem familiar now. The movie is mostly episodic, showing the same group of teenagers trying to get laid with predictably zany results, ie. Making out in a car and accidentally releasing the hand brake, or being ushered into the bedroom by a horny middle-aged woman, only to have her violent spouse return.
The only real through-line to the movie is the main character, Benji's love for a girl, and helping her out when she gets pregnant to his friend which leads to a surprisingly distressing abortion scene where the girl is clearly distraught and the doctor is callous toward her.
If you've seen "The Last American Virgin", you've never forgotten the ending. Both that movie and this its inspiration are surprisingly emotionally effective toward the end. The movie is never funny (very few teen sex comedies are) but at least it makes you feel something other than boredom or disgust. The hero is also relatable as someone who has emotional feelings as well as sexual ones, and does not just want to get laid.
The movie is also notable for its great soundtrack. Indeed there is barely a second of screen time without some classic of the '50s playing. So much music that it often doesn't seem related to the movie all that much, like you're listening to an oldies radio station while you watch. I don't believe for a second that they paid for the rights to use all those songs, which might be why the movie is not widely available on DVD. Allegedly the producers Golan and Globus were broke before the movie came out. The wild success of this movie in Israel and West Germany allowed them to found the legendary b-movie studio Cannon.
Perhaps it seemed fresh or even transgressive on release, but its material and many of its scenarios seem familiar now. The movie is mostly episodic, showing the same group of teenagers trying to get laid with predictably zany results, ie. Making out in a car and accidentally releasing the hand brake, or being ushered into the bedroom by a horny middle-aged woman, only to have her violent spouse return.
The only real through-line to the movie is the main character, Benji's love for a girl, and helping her out when she gets pregnant to his friend which leads to a surprisingly distressing abortion scene where the girl is clearly distraught and the doctor is callous toward her.
If you've seen "The Last American Virgin", you've never forgotten the ending. Both that movie and this its inspiration are surprisingly emotionally effective toward the end. The movie is never funny (very few teen sex comedies are) but at least it makes you feel something other than boredom or disgust. The hero is also relatable as someone who has emotional feelings as well as sexual ones, and does not just want to get laid.
The movie is also notable for its great soundtrack. Indeed there is barely a second of screen time without some classic of the '50s playing. So much music that it often doesn't seem related to the movie all that much, like you're listening to an oldies radio station while you watch. I don't believe for a second that they paid for the rights to use all those songs, which might be why the movie is not widely available on DVD. Allegedly the producers Golan and Globus were broke before the movie came out. The wild success of this movie in Israel and West Germany allowed them to found the legendary b-movie studio Cannon.