Paradise Bungalows - Collector's Edition (BLU-RAY + CD)

Paradise Bungalows, aka The Virgin Queen of St. Francis High, is a rediscovered 1985 romantic comedy about a reckless wager that turns into genuine love, forcing its would-be ladies' man to prove that his feelings are worth far more than the money at stake. Joe Straface stars as Mike Underwood, an unassuming young man in Riverside Heights who accepts a $2,000 bet from local bully Randy (Lee Barringer): convince Diane (Stacy Christensen), a beautiful young woman nicknamed "Snow White" because of her wholesome reputation, to spend a weekend with him at the mountain resort Paradise Bungalows. Mike's attempts to win Diane over begin as a succession of comic disasters. Disguising himself as a milkman ends with an exploding carton of chocolate milk, while a later attempt to reinvent himself as a suave "007" type goes spectacularly wrong at Kilarney Pool when his efforts to impress Diane nearly result in his drowning. After Diane rescues him, however, the schemes begin giving way to something real. An ice cream date brings the pair closer, and Mike finds himself increasingly interested in Diane for reasons that have nothing to do with the wager. Complicating matters is Diane's overbearing mother Marion (Bev Wotton), who has her own ideas about her daughter's future and would prefer to see her paired with a respectable accountant. Mike eventually persuades Diane to accompany him to Paradise Bungalows, promising separate rooms, and their getaway deepens their relationship. A memorable encounter with two bears outside their cabin gives Mike an unexpected opportunity to demonstrate some genuine courage, even if a noisy alarm clock deserves part of the credit for saving the day. But whatever happiness the couple finds at the resort collapses after they return home and Diane's friend Judy (Anna Lisa Iapaolo) reveals the truth about Randy's $2,000 bet. Humiliated by the deception, Diane wants nothing more to do with Mike, leaving him to confront the consequences of a joke that has become painfully serious. Determined to redeem himself and restore Diane's reputation, Mike challenges Randy to a dangerous game of chicken at an abandoned airport, risking everything to force his rival to admit the truth and apologize. What began as an adolescent scheme becomes a test of whether Mike has actually grown into the person Diane believed he could be. Mixing broad slapstick, youthful romance, rivalry, and an unmistakably independent 1980s sensibility, Paradise Bungalows builds from comic courtship to an unexpectedly high-stakes finale before returning to its playful roots. This Remastered Collector's Edition presents the film, also known as The Virgin Queen of St. Francis High, as a two-disc Blu-ray/CD release for a new generation of viewers.