Film Review: Lemon Popsicle 3: Hot Bubblegum (Shifshuf Naim, 1981)

Third instalment of the film series is almost always worse than the second, just as the second is almost always worse than the first. This rule can be applied to Lemon Popsicle, popular Israeli series of period sex comedies, at least after 1981 film Hot Bubblegum is compared with previous two parts.

Setting of the film is the same – late 1950s Tel Aviv, and so are the main characters. Protagonist (played by Yftach Katzur) is high school student Bentzi (“Benji” in English version) and he, just like his two best friends – good-looking seducer Momo/Bobby (played by Jonathan Sagall) and slightly obese Yudale/Huey (played by Zachi Noy) – is still obsessed with sex and gets in all kinds of trouble because of it. Bentzi has steady girlfriend in form of somewhat plain-looking Nurit/Doris (played by Ariella Rabinowich) who frustrates him with her refusal to have sex. Everything changes when Bentzi meets Nili/Nikki (played by Orna Dagan), girl who broke his heart few years ago. She seems interested in Bentzi and actually sleeps with him, after which Bentzi abandons Nurit. However, it soon becomes obvious that Nikki is at odds with concept of monogamy and likes to date other men, leading Bentzi towards another devastating heartbreak.

Director Boaz Davidson again tries not to reinvent the wheel and employs the same formula that has worked in previous two films – combination of 1950s nostalgia, some crude sexual humour (which is more prevalent in first part) with some sentimental melodrama (which is more prevalent in second). Again, plot is accompanied with impressive soundtrack made of collection of greatest late 1950s and early 1960s pop hits. Inevitable comparisons between this and previous two films, however, point towards Davidson losing his inspiration. Humour is much cruder and not that effective. Somewhere in the middle of the film there is plot hole that could not be explained with anything other than bad editing. But most visible flaw of the film is in memorable character of Nili/Nikki, played by angelic Anat Atzmon in the first film who is here replaced by Orna Dagan who, despite generally good looks, simply isn’t that convincing as ultimate object of desire. Huge popularity of the series in West Germany, on the other hand, led producers to cast two German actresses with two different results. 1960s sex symbol Christiane Schimdt appears in somewhat uninspired role of nymphomaniac piano teacher, while former Playboy model (and future porn star) Sybille Rauch leaves much better impression as Bentzi’s relative that whose visit would create havoc among male members of his family. Rauch would later appear in few more films of the series. Hot Bubblegum is still mostly entertaining film, but viewers who saw previous two films are bound to experience at least some deja vu.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10582-shifshuf-naim
Critic: AA