I’m not sure that I actually saw this film at the drive-in,
where movies like this were a constant staple, but I did see a few like it. All
of them seemed to have on goal in mind, to take the tops off of eager young
women. At least that’s the only thing I thought they were about back then. I
found most poorly made and boring. But in watching this one I was surprised
that there was actually a decent movie here although one made with a nearly
non-existent budget.
The story here revolves around the cheerleading squad at
Mesa State. Kate (Jo Johnston) is the reporter for an underground newspaper on
campus (face it all universities had them in the late 60s/early 70s). To get
the gritty on the cheerleaders and how they are being taken advantage of by the
team and alumni she goes undercover and becomes one of them. What she doesn’t
count on is discovering that they are just normal young women like here and
that not all of the jocks are the jerks she assumed they were.
She also didn’t consider the fact she might find love with
star quarterback Buck Larson (Ron Hajek). Buck is already involved with the
head cheerleader Mary Ann (Colleen Camp) whose father is the most influential
member of the alumni around. To cross her might mean the end of his
scholarship. But this isn’t the worst of the problems faced here.
There is cheerleader Lisa who is romantically involved with
her Professor Thorpe, her math teacher. They two plan to run off together as
soon as he divorces his wife. Then there is Andrea, a virginal young cheerleader
who can’t quite seem to commit to a sexual involvement with her boyfriend who
she dearly loves. We are also presented with a problem involving Thorpe, Mary
Ann’s father and the coach who are gambling on the team to make big bucks, so
much so that the coach is willing to throw the game to advance their position.
Kate’s editor is a pot smoking radical who wants to do
nothing less that stick it to “the man”. When she begins to see that things
aren’t what they thought he doesn’t take kindly to her new viewpoint. When
Andrea goes to the newspaper’s office to talk to her she’s not there but he is.
Taking out his frustration he rapes Andrea.
The feminist viewpoints on display here, the sexual
revolution that discusses both end of the scale from random sex to commitment,
the discovery that the “straights” aren’t as straight as thought and the
“radicals” aren’t nearly as progressive as they pain themselves all combine
here to make an honest to goodness movie rather than a simple T&A drive-in
flick. Yes, some of the jokes fall flat and are corny, yes the sets leave much
to be desired at times, yes the acting ranges from solid to ludicrous but in
the end the movie ends up being, well, a decent little movie. It has an actual
story even if it is dropped down the most simplistic possible. But when you’re
shooting a movie in 12 days intended to do more than titillate teens what do
you expect? That something good came from that is the most amazing thing.
The Arrow Video release of this film is jam packed with goodies,
like almost everything they are bringing out on blu-ray these days. I’ve hailed
them for their quality product time and again and this time is no different.
The movie looks beautiful on screen using the best possible print they could
find. Extras include an audio commentary track with director Jack Hill made
just for this release, a brand new interview with director Jack Hill, an
archive interview with cinematographer Alfred Taylor, an archive interview with
Jack Hill and Johnny Legend, a Q&A with Hill and actors Colleen Camp and
Roseanne Katon recorded at the New Beverly Cinema in 2012, TV spots and a
reversible sleeve featuring artwork by Graham Humphreys.
If you have fond memories of going to the drive-in then by
all means you’ll want to add this one to your collection. It turns out to be
more fun than you would expect and a better movie than most in the genre offer.
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