The ultimate goal for teenage boys: must. lose. virginity. before. graduation. Teen sex comedy American Pie grossed $235 million worldwide and spurred the catchphrase “This one time, at band camp.” So what to do when a film is wildly successful? Beat it like a dead horse. First there were the moderately acceptable sequels American Pie 2 and American Wedding. Like most follow-ups they didn’t live up to the original, but they continued to make money and starred original cast members including Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott and Mena Suvari. Then came American Pie Presents, a series of direct-to-DVD films that, well, couldn’t perform. There was American Pie: Band Camp in 2005, American Pie: Naked Mile in 2006, American Pie: Beta House in 2007 and, wait for it, American Pie: The Book of Love in 2009. Seven in all.
While most of the cast was smart enough to jump ship after the first three flicks, Eugene Levy clung on as Jim’s dad through each rendition. By the time the seventh installment came around, they were so desperate for jokes, they stooped to recreating the original Pie‘s infamous apple-pie scene — with a peanut-butter sandwich. One would think such tired jokes would be a sign to stop making movies. But no, an eighth installment — American Pie 4 — will be released in theaters in 2012 and is rumored to include some of the original cast members.
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