American Pie Presents Beta House
By
Victoria Alexander

Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Rogue Pictures.
Release Date: December 26, 2007
$19.98

The American Pie franchise newest entry is called “Beta House” and it is another, in a long line of fraternity house movies, which depict college in the way that teenage boys wish it might be, but never is. The 1999 original film American Pie was so successful that it has created a generation of followers and two sequels. Beta House is the third spin-off including "Band Camp" (2005) and "The Naked Mile" (2006). It definitely follows in the tradition of booze, sex, and gross behavior. Of course, that is exactly what the primary audience is looking for, and they won’t be disappointed.

"American Pie Presents Beta House" is unrated for a good reason. Teenage boys will love it. Who among them wouldn’t fantasize about participating in a brassiere-removing contest? They would also be enthralled with co-ed dorms in which girls take showers in communal bathrooms. They will thrill to note that this college is highly selective in attracting only model-quality female students, all of whom are over-sexed and willing to shed their tops. There’s masturbation aplenty and a scene that rivals the infamous hair gel from "There’s Something About Mary".

Returning from "The Naked Mile" are John White (as Erik Stifler), Jake Siegel (as Cooze), Steve Talley (as Dwight Stifler), and the now iconic Eugene Levy. Erik and his best friend “Cooze” start college and pledge the Beta House fraternity, presided over by Dwight Stifler. The college is run by the GEK ("Geek") House, led by a power-hungry nerd leader and his band of geek brothers and sisters.

Unfortunately, most of the viewers will be too young to catch the direct parallel in the Russian roulette scene that is taken directly from "The Deer Hunter". In fact, most of them were probably not even born when this 1978 classic was first released. In the case of "Beta House", the bullets are considerably different, filled “with aged horse semen.”

Returning yet again is the patriarch of the American Pie series, Eugene Levy. A former Beta turned lawyer, as Mr. Levenstein he must rescue his erstwhile young brethren from the local jail. Then, as the former champion of the now-banned Greek Games, he presides over the latest, and most perverse, rivalry between the Betas and the Geeks.

Interestingly, Levenstein is colorfully bedecked more like a Roman proconsul than a Greek official.

Yes, there’s, drinking – lots of drinking. And when there’s drinking – well you know what follows. Just about everything that can come out of an intact body, does come out – usually repeatedly. "Beta House" may set a new record for volumetric regurgitation (I said it was gross). This DVD will no doubt be a required item for many teenage weekend parties. But, you’d better know your date pretty well before showing her the unrated Beta House.

The DVD is filled with bonus features:

An exclusive interview with Noah Levenstein. Campus Teaser Magazine's editor Sharon sits down for an exclusive interview with Noah Levinstein and gets the real story behind the banning of The Games nearly 40 years ago.

Behind The Games. Like the Olympics, but without the blood doping! Parents mortgaging the house for their kid’s college tuition will marvel at The Release of Venus (undoing bras), Demeter's Feast (greased pig chase), Greek Roulette and The Rise of Aphrodite (competitive lap dancing)!

Beta House - Not Just Another Slice Of Pie. Director Andrew Waller and stars Steve Tally and John White take viewers behind the scenes to share a favorite recipe.

American Pie Presents: A Public Service Announcement. The entire cast of "American Pie Presents Beta House" makes a heartfelt and hilarious plea: For the love of Pete, don't try this at home!

UGO.com Fan Piece - One lucky fan spends a day on the movie's set.

Deleted Scenes And Outtakes. Can you believe some scenes were too raunchy?

And finally, for the real Pie fans, additional specially-created segments deemed too racy and too outrageous.

Run Time is 1 Hours and 29 Minutes, Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (French), Dolby Digital 5.1 (Spanish), Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish, Picture: Anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) and in Color.