Will’s not wrong that even the most ridiculous movie, if seen at the appropriate young age, can forever become linked with the summer season in your mind. And for me, that film is , a little-seen and little-loved 1980 adventure comedy that doubles as the cinematic debut of Michael J. Fox. The film is pure goofball hokum: Five college kids are selected to participate in an all-night scavenger hunt, organized by an oddball savant with a penchant for riddles and elaborate setups. It’s a freewheeling and messy fusion of and Fox’s subsequent , as each band of contestants—the jocks, the nerds, the women (needless to say, the film is politically retrograde in all the usual ways)—compete with youthful vulgarity and ardor alike. From the roller-skating to the period attire, it’s implanted on my brain thanks to dozens of viewings every summer from ages 8 to 12. I have no idea how it holds up, but I’m happy to reenact the whole thing verbatim for anyone within earshot, at any moment. [Alex McLevy]
