Dan Fogler: The new Curtis ‘Booger’ Armstrong

By Glenn Whipp, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Midway through watching the 1980s flashback comedy “Take Me Home Tonight,” it hit us. Dan Fogler, Topher Grace‘s sidekick in the movie, has become this generation’s Curtis Armstrong, the jowly, leering wingman to today’’ erstwhile young film leads.

And it wasn’t just the period setting that drove the connection home. Or the physical resemblance — which is striking — though Fogler, perhaps, does have a couple more ticks on the waistband. It’s that Fogler, like his ‘80s-era “Revenge of the Nerds” predecessor, excels in playing lovable losers desperately on the make, guys who are utterly unaware that they’re at the bottom of the food chain. Or perhaps they’re aware, but believe, as Armstrong memorably espouses as sidekick to Tom Cruise in “Risky Business,” that, “Sometimes you just gotta say, ‘what the ....’ ”

Still not with us? Take a look at how they line up.  (Savage Steve Holland / Getty Images)