Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses? (1977) National American Films/Comedy RT: 73 minutes Rated R (language, crude sexual humor, full frontal nudity, strong sexual content) Director: I. Robert Levy Screenplay: Mike Callie and Mike Price Music: Bob Jung Cinematography: Craig Greene Release date: August 1977 (US) Starring: Roger Buhr, Joey Camen, Moose Carlson, Jeff Doucette, Vic Dunlop, Ina Gould, Ollie Prater, Tallie Cochrane, Angeline Alyn, I. Robert Levy, Ron Jeremy, Deborah Close, Walter Olkewicz, Robin Williams. Box office: N/A
Rating: ***
It took only two years for the perverted minds behind the 1974 sex comedy If You Don’t Stop It, You’ll Go Blind to come up with the cleverly-titled quasi-sequel Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses. The biggest difference between the two is that the second movie has better production values. It’s still smut, but it’s good-looking smut.
This time, there’s no sex awards ceremony. Director I. Robert Levy makes it easier for the lame-brained demographic to follow. It’s another collection of dirty jokes presented as blackout sketches. The gags involve sex, gays, naked ladies, perverts, infidelity, ribald fairy tales, masturbation in public places and a homophobic take on the Lone Ranger and Tonto. That’s pretty much it.
If Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses has any claim to fame, it’s that it features a young, up-and-coming comedian named Robin Williams. His two scenes were cut from the original release, but re-inserted after he made it big on the sitcom Mork & Mindy. His billing as the movie’s top star resulted in a lawsuit by Williams who didn’t want any association with it. His scenes were ultimately re-removed for the VHS release. Happily, they’ve been re-re-inserted on the DVD. Other familiar faces include porn star Ron Jeremy and Walter Olkewicz (Jimmy the Kid, Making the Grade).
What can I say? If you enjoyed If You Don’t Stop It, You’ll Go Blind, you’ll probably enjoy Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses too. Why wouldn’t you? It’s basically the same movie expect for the hit-or-miss ratio. There a few more misses this time out, but it doesn’t spoil the whole movie. There are still a fair amount of laughs, chuckles and snickers. One of my favorite bits involves a man masturbating on a bus in full view of the horrified passengers. The punchline is funny and priceless. There’s also a clever sketch about a sperm getting in shape for the magic moment when he’s called forth to help create life. The punchline had me in stitches.
Needless to say, I like Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses. I like it as much as the movie before it. It’s equally cheap, sleazy, foul and tasteless. The jokes are just as raunchy and corny. It’s made to be watched by dirty old men in raincoats. Calling it an “adult comedy” is a gross overestimation. Its mentality is that of a dirty-minded 13YO boy. I shouldn’t find it funny, but I do. It’s funny without being any good. It’s enjoyable while having no value; artistic, intellectual or otherwise. It’s sexploitation, plain and simple.
While I do want to be taken seriously as a film critic, I’m not going to conceal my fondness for cheap exploitation comedies like Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses. These are among the kinds of movies that defined my lonely teen years as a nerdy misfit with no social life. I spent many a Friday and Saturday night planted in front of the TV watching the worst cinema had to offer at the time. I like these movies even more today because of the non-stop barrage of garbage that big studios keep pushing on audiences. They take me back to a time when cheap, low-budget movies actually had a shot at the box office. I didn’t see Can I Do It ‘Till I Need Glasses at the movies, but I would’ve if I could’ve. I know it’s not art, but I know what I like and I like it.
