SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA

**

Directed by David DeCoteau.

Starring Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer.

Comedy, US, 80 Minutes, Certificate 15.

Released on Limited Edition Blu-ray in the UK on 12th January by 101 Films

As titles go, it is certainly hard to beat. If a film could be judged by that alone, then SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBAL BOWL-O-RAMA would almost certainly be considered a classic. Alas, the majority of folk out there need a bit more than an attention grabbing hit of irony that promises so much but in reality offers up so little. This is one of those films where, in producer Charles Band’s classic huckster fashion, the poster came first with the much shorter, and far less memorable title THE IMP, in the hopes of drumming up pre-sales to interested video libraries.When the bright idea of amping up the buxom female quotient came into play, the bright idea of changing the title to the far more cumbersome, yet fun, one that we know today sprang forth The idea being that such a title would jump off the shelves and into the rental history of anyone who was looking for goofy, gory laughs to go along with their pizza and beers. Over the years the film has gained a cult audience who tune into its camp, silly sensibility, but for those of who remain unimpressed by such a strain of humour, is there much else to recommend in this packed out, two-disc Blu-ray release from 101 Films?

With its story of a bunch of female college students looking to complete their hazing initiation into a certain campus house, known for its busty students, including scream queens Michele Bauer and Brinke Stevens, the film certainly sets out its stall in that 80’s synth driven style we all know. Further elements, such as a bunch of horny male students (was there any other kind in the 80’s?) sneaking around to catch a glimpse of the girls is given a further edge when the action takes the cast to a bowling alley late at night to steal a trophy to complete the initiation. It is here that the real plot of the film finally comes into play when a mischievous, wisecracking imp, trapped within the trophy, is freed. Duty bound to grant his new friends anything they wish or desire, the imp does so, but in classic horror comedy fashion. That wily imp makes sure there is a catch involved with each wish, leaving our plucky cast of students, and Linnea Quigley’s punky thief, fighting for their lives and looking for a way out of the titular death trap.

Even by Charles Band’s low budget standards this is a pretty threadbare affair. Its eighty minute run time is padded out with scenes of guys and girls standing around in various states of undress, shouting and screaming at each other. Cheap make-up and the lowest lo-fi special effects sporadically pop up to catch your attention but they are so few and far between that the film becomes an exercise in testing your patience. Passed off as a “so bad, it’s good” type film, it offers little more than a reminder of the heyday of tongue in cheek genre trash.

The film's fans however are well served by the presentation in this new special edition. Where other Full Moon Blu-ray releases have suffered from transfers that are quite lacking, the image and sound here is presented in a far sharper fashion than before. While it may highlight the cheap nature of the FX, it still highlights an attention to care and detail that the director and dedicated crew brought to their craft in those days. This is a fact worth bringing up here as it highlights the difference between low budget filmmaking then and now with the inclusion of the recent sequel, directed by Brinke Stevens. Where the original at least strived for atmosphere with its dark photography, on film no less, the cheap and garish shortcomings of this even more threadbare sequel, with a cast of glamour models whose acting skills register in a far less impressive fashion, only highlights the cynical nature even more with its overlit digital photography and embarrassing digital effects. 

The other features on this two disc set are far more worthy, with a recent interview with Stevens showing what a charming and sharp individual she is, offering her recollections of the low budget Scream Queen scene of the 80’s and 90’s and what it was like to work with low budget directing legend David DeCoteau, making his debut here in his early twenties. DeCoteau is also on offer in the lengthy behind the scenes documentary which offers up reams of unedited footage of the shoot. While patience testing at times with its  lack of context it may provide an insight into how much care and attention went into such films, where filming materials were far more expensive and the pressure was on to deliver something of a somewhat professional nature, unlike today. As a reminder of a more innocent and creative time it just about passes muster, but the uninitiated may be left scratching their heads as to why such a film has the reputation it has.

Iain MacLeod