Listen up, Class of ‘83, it’s time for a “Spring Break” reunion!

Despite topping the box office for two full weeks, “Spring Break” is only just making its way to DVD. This college comedy about four guys making the most of a week in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is a time capsule to the wild fun of the early ’80s loaded with Cheap Trick, .38 Special, beautiful women, big hair and totally tubular summer fashion.

Joining us to discuss “Spring Break” is the film’s lead star David Knell. Knell’s character Nelson is a shy academic young man at the start of the movie but ultimately finds love, learns to party and stands up to his overbearing stepfather, all while saving the hotel in which he and his buddies are staying.

After “Spring Break,” Knell appeared in numerous films and T.V. shows including “Splash,” “Turner & Hooch,” “Total Recall,” “ALF,” “Murphy Brown” and “Six Feet Under.”

MOVIE ‘TUDES: Thanks for joining us, today. How have you been, and what have you been up to lately?

DAVID KNELL: Hey, Nathaniel. I’m making my own short films these days. Really focusing on the kind of roles I do well, as well as helping other actors and filmmakers and writers put together their own projects.

It’s a lot of fun. The whole system of filmmaking and television has totally changed over the years, and there’s some really great short product being made. I also like the fact that it’s easy to do quickly. I can have an idea, get some colleagues together, shoot it, edit on my Mac, and I’ve got product. In just a few days, I’ve had things in film festivals; I’ve won contests. Nice to actually make money from doing what you love.

MT: “Spring Break” is a Dionysian experience loaded with sex, beer and comedy. Was the shooting as uninhibited as the film? What were some of your favorite moments?

DK: You know how 1968 was “The Summer of Love?”

In Fort Lauderdale in 1982, it was The Summer of Herpes. So although there were all these amazing looking almost-naked girls all over the place, it seemed most of them had these massive sores on their lips.

Kinda scary. Not for the faint of heart.

The beer was fake, as a rule, at least when shooting. Except for that big mob scene at The Button. The Button was in its day famous for its Wet T-shirt contests, Wet He-shirt contests and other debauchery. And before we shot there they put signs up all over Fort Lauderdale essentially saying, “Hey, Be in the Movie! Free Beer!” So a gazillion people showed up, and yes the beer was free, and the place was packed to well beyond capacity, and it was impossible to move around, and nobody was listening and everybody (except for the cast and crew) was drunk and drenched in beer. It was really out of control–to the point where I got claustrophobic and kind of freaked out. Seriously. It was not pretty. I had to leave the set. One of the production assistants found me and said, “Okay. Here’s the situation. It’s pretty crazy down there. And if you don’t want to come back, I totally understand, but if you don’t then we have to file a medical report, and you have to fill out paperwork for the insurance.” So I said, “No, I’ll come back. I’ll be a team player.” So I walked back down to The Button and got there just in time to see some girl grab Paul Land (who plays Stu) by his nads and pull him from the stage to the floor. I turned to the production assistant and said, “You got a pen?”

The smell of stale beer gives me PTSD flashbacks to this day.

MT: I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Did you or a stunt double really pee on an alligator in “Spring Break”? That was quite a scene, how did it really go down?

DK: The alligator was computer generated. It was the guys who did Pitfall for the Atari 2600. No, that’s a total lie. Real alligator. They had her mouth wired shut. Stuffed my pants leg in there. And I carefully put the pants on before the last shot. Real pee, too. I drank a ton of fake beer. Had to pee for like four hours straight. But like a dog, in short bursts. It’s a skill that comes in useful to this day.

MT: “Spring Break’s” director Sean S. Cunningham created the infamous “Friday the 13th” in 1980 and really seems to have focused on the horror genre in the past decade. Did he talk much about horror movies back while making “Spring Break”? What was he like to work with?

DK: Sean’s a funny guy. I don’t know why he didn’t do more comedy. But he’s also a smart, smart business man. I know he’s directed a few things, but I think he learned way back that he was even more effective as a producer. We could all learn a lot from him. Learn what your strengths are and take advantage of them. And if your strengths happen to include deviant sociopathic hedonism, then, go for it. Oh, all the fashion choices for my character? The striped polo shirts and shorts? That’s all Sean. So he could have gone that way, too. Given Ralph Lauren a run for his money.

MT: In “Total Recall” you got to work with The Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger. What’s he like in real life?

DK: I gave Arnold the memory implant in the beginning of Total Recall. I had a bruise the shape of Arnold’s foot on my chest for about a week after shooting. That was fun. Souvenir.

Oh, that part where I get slapped by Dr. Lull?

Twenty-four takes, and the last one actually knocked me unconscious.

Yes it did.