Encino Man: A Cult 90s Comedy

Encino Man is a fantasy comedy that spins a classic fish-out-of-water story: two Los Angeles teens dig up a frozen caveman, thaw him out, and pass him off as an Estonian exchange student. Sean Astin leads the cast, with Brendan Fraser in an early breakout role as the caveman Link and Pauly Shore providing the surfer-dude comic energy. What starts as a scheme to boost the teens' popularity turns into a lesson in friendship and acceptance.

Director Les Mayfield, making his feature debut, keeps the action bouncing across Los Angeles — a high school, the La Brea Tar Pits, and a Six Flags theme park all figure into the story. The film carries a PG rating and a brisk 98-minute runtime, with the prom sequence soundtracked by Infectious Grooves. Despite negative reviews, it became a box-office success and later earned a cult following.