California Dreaming (1979)

Directed by John D. Hancock
Starring Glynnis O'Connor, Seymour Cassel, Dorothy Tristan, Dennis Christopher, Tanya Roberts, Stacey Nelkin
Rated R
USA

This uneven 1979 entry directed by John D. Hancock (Let's Scare Jessica to Death, Bang the Drum Slowly) might be superficially mistaken for a proto-teen sex comedy, although in reality California Dreaming is better regarded a late entry in American International Pictures prolific cycle of drive-in diversions of the era.













After all, there's a Porky's-style hole-in-the-wall bit of peek-a-boo...

...unlocked bathroom doors prefiguring a Fast Times at Ridgemont High-like mishap...

...plus other fast food-related innuendo.

But in truth California Dreaming harkens back more than looks ahead, with most of the usual elements of the AIP low-budgeted formula for which producer Samuel Z. Arkoff became known, including a downbeat tone that consistently makes its coming-of-age surface narrative read more ill-fated than is usually the case with such fare.

Dennis Christopher stars as Tony Thompson or "T.T." (as he insists others call him), with his unannounced arrival at a California beach town carrying us through the opening credit sequence.

Nebbish and naive -- and a pretty obvious Revenge of the Nerds precursor -- the tie-wearing T.T. marvels for a few moments at the surfers...

...then strikes up a conversation with gearhead Earl (Ned Wynn).

"Howdy pard," he begins. "T.T.'s the name. Just few in from the Windy City. Chi-town."

Earl rightly eyes T.T. warily, who goes on to explain he's arrived to "check out the scene," including hearing some "hot licks" at any area music spot, a switchblade comb awkwardly punctuating his request. Earl directs T.T. to the nearby nightspot, Duke's Vista del Mar.

"Copasetic!" says T.T. by way of thanks, and we all roll our eyes.

From there T.T. meets Duke Slusarski, played by vet character actor Seymour Cassel. He explains to the bar owner how his trip to the west coast in a way posthumously fulfills a wish of sorts made by his deceased brother, a trumpet player whose records T.T. carries.

Taking pity on T.T., Duke plays his brother's records in the bar and even offers him a free room in the apartment where he lives with his stepdaughter, Corky, played by Glynnis O'Connor (Ode to Billy Joe, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble).

A main plot proceeds from there involving the hopelessly nerdy T.T. trying to fit into the surfer scene, with Corky less than pleased about her summer fun being disrupted by this new, uncool roommate.

Meawhile, a handful of subplots emerge involving the ensemble cast to help keep the viewer suitably distracted and more or less entertained.

One involves the surfers -- Rick (John Calvin), Mike (Jimmy Van Patten), and Tenner (Johnny Fain) -- and their competitive efforts both to get laid and win surfing competitions.

Another concerns Stephanie, played by the alluring Tanya Roberts in an early post-Zuma Beach, pre-Sheena role. While not hanging out with her friend Marsha, played by the equally charming Stacey Nelkin (Up the Academy, Get Crazy), Stephanie tries to come to terms with her rocky relationship with the often-douchey Rick who is more interested with getting drunk, scoring with other babes, and besting the gnarly waves than her.

A third plot involves the aforementioned Earl, his girl Corrine (played by National Lampoon alum Alice Playten), and the slimy, rich Jordy (Todd Susman) who pines after Corrine.

Earl's admiration of Jordy's Corvette inspires the latter to challenge him to a bet. If Earl can stay in his own car for the entire six weeks until Labor Day, the two will swap vehicles. Earl agrees to the bet with enthusiasm, but it's clear from the start it's all a ruse to allow Jordy to make time with Corrine.

Still another subplot involves Duke coming to terms with getting older while negotiating a broken relationship with his ex-wife Fay (Dorothy Tristan).

Finally, like T.T., Corky -- referred to by others early on as the "virgin princess" -- is also experiencing a kind of "coming of age" during her final summer before going off to school. And perhaps unsurprisingly the paths of the two ultimately converge before all is said and done.

As mentioned, while there are several light moments scattered throughout there's a fairly consistent summer-can't-last-forever gloom hanging over all of the hijinks, which depending on your point of view either gives the film and a couple of the characters more depth or just serves as an occasional buzz-kill to what are otherwise good times with few hassles.

Appearing here just prior to his Breaking Away breakout, Christopher is mostly over-the-top as goofy T.T. -- almost to the point of being cartoonish.

Somehow, though, T.T. is endearing enough to keep the viewer caring about his fate, perhaps made more so once the surfer dudes, Duke, and others seem to adopt them into their beachfront brotherhood, helping him fit in with surfing lessons and help with the ladies. Duke in particular believes the key to improving the kid's love life is to learn volleyball, a game that uniquely offers training in both "strength and sensitivity."

As T.T.'s story plays out the other subplots all are resolved as well, some in surprising ways with the possibility of happy endings never quite guaranteed. Interestingly, for many of the characters' stories the prospect of going to Hawaii weirdly exists as a kind of ultimate goal -- a paradise all chase (and perhaps an allusion to the film's title, borrowed from the Mamas and the Papas) -- although the film ultimately seems to assign a kind of futility to such dreaming, too.

Perhaps that's the biggest difference between these earlier drive-in titles (many of which like California Dreaming became late-night staples on early cable TV) and the teen sex comedies that became box office-winners of the next decade -- namely, the possibility of the negative outcomes for stories and/or characters.

In any case, California Dreaming provides a few laughs along with some mildly risque fun in the sun for fans of both categories of films.

- Triple S

Fraternity Vacation (1985)

Directed by James Frawley
Starring Stephen Geoffreys, Sheree J. Wilson, Tim Robbins, Amanda Bearse
Rated R
U.S.A.

“Astronomy major Wendell Tvedt has studied galaxies, charted planets and pondered the universe. But in Palm Springs, he’ll encounter his first full moon.”

Get it? Full moon? Yeah, I get it, too. As it turns out, the tagline to Fraternity Vacation, a tame-but-tolerable entry into the teen sex comedy category, is fairly indicative of the general level of grins contained within.

It was right smack in the middle of the 1980’s when New World Pictures launched this modest attempt to lure some of the same crowd who’d made Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Risky Business, and Revenge of the Nerds such huge hits. Of course, anyone who remembers the decade wouldn’t need to be told when this one was made, as the clothes, hair, and nonstop-MTV-vibe peg it as such well before the first Bananarama-backed montage.

The story mostly follows the familiar coming-of-age-gotta-get-the-virgin-laid trajectory found in many such films, perhaps borrowing a little more from Revenge of the Nerds than most thanks to its promotion of nebbish Wendell Tvedt as hero, played by Stephen Geoffreys (Fright Night, 976-EVIL).
















As is explained by a brief opening sequence, Wendell is pledging the Theta Pi Sigma fraternity at Iowa State University. Frigid, snowy weather means he and two of the frat brothers -- Joe Gillespie (Cameron Dye) and Larry “Mother” Tucker (Tim Robbins) -- are especially looking forward to an Easter break trip to Palm Springs. Joe and Larry probably wouldn’t be vacationing with Wendell -- a self-described “late bloomer” -- if not for the fact that it is his cousin’s condo to which they’re traveling and Wendell’s parents have paid for the trip.

Just before they leave, Wendell’s dad takes Joe and Larry aside and asks them if they could teach Wendell “a few of the tricks of the trade... with the opposite s-e-x.” Mr. Tvedt, whom we later learn is a wealthy pig farmer, tells the pair he’ll make it worth their while should they agree to provide such tutelage by putting a new sauna and jacuzzi in their frat house.

Incidentally, in a non-subtle, wannabe-arty-kind-of-flourish, this opening sequence at Iowa State is shot in black-and-white, necessarily making Palm Springs seem all the more colorful once the trio arrives. However, all is not so rosy, as it is immediately clear once they arrive Wendell might cramp Joe and Larry’s style.















So what do our fun-loving frat boys and their pledge do upon arrival? Shop for clothes, of course!

Huh? That’s right. It’s our first montage sequence. And first Bananarama song (of several on the soundtrack.)

Also in Palm Springs are other Iowa State students, including J.C. (Matt McCoy) and Chas (Leigh McCloskey) from the rival Beta Espilon house. “Betas hate Thetas,” we’re told. “It’s a tradition.” When they spot Larry, Joe, and Wendell, seeds of an impending conflict are quickly sewn.

The guys arrive at the weirdly-furnished condo -- no furniture in the living room, a decked-out master bedroom with a mirrored ceiling, and a kids’ room with bunk beds. Kind of contrived, but we can see that this arrangement will dictate only one resident is going to be able to entertain female company at a time.

After spending a few moments using Wendell’s telescope to leer at some of the bikini-clad babes at the pool, as well as one blonde in particular at a neighboring balcony...















...the guys head down to start their vacation in earnest.

Joe and Larry immediately hook up with a couple of comely co-eds -- Marianne and Chrissie -- whom we recognize as having earlier been riding with the Betas. They bring the girls upstairs, and when the bedroom situation is explained, the girls seem even more ready and willing than the guys initially suspected.

“I’ve always found that four people on a queen-sized bed can be very cozy,” says Marianne. “Marianne and I are best friends... we do everything together” says Chrissie. They all quickly head into the bedroom, and the two strip while the guys watch.















Too good to be true, right? Right. Before anything can happen, some talk of herpes from the girls frighten Joe and Larry, and soon the Betas appear to celebrate this uncertain little “trick” they’ve pulled. Some macho talk follows, and before long the four make a $1,000 bet to see who among them can be the first to succeed in seducing a mutually-selected girl.

The beauty on the balcony is chosen, and the game begins. As the first act fades out, Wendell goofily grins at the mysterious blonde swimming by, perhaps suggesting another possible outcome to the contest.

That night they head to a nightclub, where Madman Mac (Charles Rocket) is the DJ. Madman Mac plays more Bananarama, wears underwear on the outside of his jeans, and says things like “Where’s the beef?” Rocket wasn’t exactly soaring high, career-wise, at this moment, it seems.

Joe and Larry give Wendell some instructions on meeting women, telling him to consider “mediocre-looking” women as more realistic targets. “Obviously what you’re after here is a night of passion,” says Joe. “Or at least a blow job in the parking lot,” adds Larry.

Wendell approaches Nicole Ferret, played by Amanda Bearse who also co-starred with Geoffreys in Fright Night before becoming best known for her role as Marcy on Married with Children. Wendell really is hopeless, and when his first few lines fail, he bumbles into actually requesting that parking lot blow-job. Improbably, the line works -- sort of -- at least well enough for Nicole to invite Wendell to leave the club for some ice cream.
















A problem here early on is that we really barely know Wendell at all and so are only vaguely curious about what happens to him -- never mind care much what does. Perhaps that montage sequence might have been better filled with a bit more introduction of the main character to get us a little more invested.

Later on Joe and Larry return to the condo and are stunned to hear Wendell and Nicole in the master bedroom. They assume he’s managed to score in Palm Springs before either of them has, although in reality Wendell and his date are having strictly PG-rated fun, highlighted by Wendell singing Wayne Newton songs to Nicole.
















The Betas-Thetas bet continues, with Wendell suddenly moving over into the role of advising Joe and Larry. The next half-hour is then taken up with the various schemes being employed by the frat guys to land the blonde (Sheree J. Wilson) who strangely appears in a few scenes before we ever learn her name -- Ashley.

Joe, Larry, J.C., and Chas take a sauna together, and Wendell visits before going for another date with Nicole. After he’s gone, the Betas refer to him as a “wimp.” “He’s off to pick up his girlfriend while we’re hear sweating our asses off with a bunch of guys,” his future frat brother Thetas fire back. “Think about it.”
















A contrast quickly develops between the lying, deceitful frat guys, convinced they have to make up outlandish stories to bag a babe, and innocent Wendell whose honest -- if dim-witted -- approach to the ladies seemingly proves much more successful.

The Thetas’ plan involve pretending Joe is suicidal following a break-up, the idea being to solicit Ashley’s sympathy. Meanwhile, the Betas’ Chas poses as an author of an academic study, Mind, Body, and Sex, hoping to impress Ashley with his guru-like wisdom and workout techniques.

Another montage sequence follows, this one mostly involving Ashley working out to a Madonna-like song, “Physical Attraction.” Chas -- the Beta brother hoping to win the bet with Ashley -- comes along and we get to witness a rare instance of seduction by pommel horse.















As we move into the final third of the film, Wendell gets into a jam after a colossal misunderstanding lands him in jail for attempted rape. Adding to the fun, the police chief is Nicole’s father, played by Dean Wormer himself, John Vernon. The Chief doesn't like the college kids who invade Palm Springs every spring. And he especially hates boys who try to get anywhere with his daughter. All of which means he has more than double-secret probation in mind for a delinquent like Wendell.
















A series of plot twists ensue, some more believable than others, and a resolution of sorts is finally reached. Along the way, we do get to see more of pretty Ashley (sort of, with stunt boobs provided by a fairly obvious body double). There are more poolside antics. A car gets wrecked. Madman Mac returns to spin more synth-driven tunes. John Vernon’s character gets called “Chief Buttface” a few times. And there’s still another musical montage involving Ashley moodily driving a car to a Cars’ “Drive” sound-alike.

The cast might make this one a curiosity to some, with the obviously-talented Robbins doing his best and the others managing their roles as well as could be expected. And like his character in the film, Stephen Geoffreys is an actor who possesses a kind of underdog-like charm which has garnered him a small cult following. No shortage of talent among the actors here, really, whom one might say the script ultimately lets down a bit.

Not to be overly judgmental of a film clearly more interested in conveying entertainment than edification, but the general lack of character development does get in the way of things some toward the conclusion, making it unclear at times what exactly is motivating some of them by story’s end.

All could be forgiven more quickly if the jokes landed more frequently, but it too often seems like watching people yelling “party” and slamming beers is thought to be enough to entertain us.

Or full moons... hahahahaha...















- Triple S

Class (1983)

Directed by Lewis John Carlino
Starring Andrew McCarthy, Rob Lowe, Jacqueline Bisset, John Cusack
Rated R
USA
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"You need anything? Neck brace?"

For a teen sex comedy, Class is pretty bourgeois. I suppose the title would imply that, but still, it takes some digging to dredge up much sympathy for the film's lead, a Harvard-bound brat whose heart is wounded by a seductive older woman. Who, among us, could possibly relate to this story? We, the botched teenage bunglers of the 1980's, with our parachute pants and Pac Man obsessions, our $3.25 an hour minimum wage jobs and barber shop haircuts, we are somehow supposed to care about this upwardly mobile little creep? That's a tough sell.

Then again, maybe it's just me. I've always had (ahem) class issues. Certainly the American public at large took to this provocative comic-drama, which not only set sail the star-ships of several young and promising actors (Andrew McCarthy, John and Joan Cusack, Alan Ruck, Casey Siemaszko, Lolita Davidovich, Virginia Madsen), but revitalized Jacqueline Bisset's career, who scored her biggest hit since '77's The Deep, (AKA 'The one where she went skin diving in a white t-shirt'.) Without question, Class has one of the most star-spackled casts in the genre, and production values that approach lushness. It is, for all intents, a fine piece of filmmaking. It's just that teenagers sorta hate rich kids, and would much rather have sex with girls their own age, as opposed to 42 year olds with frizzy hair and ruddy complexions. So I get the sneaking suspicion that Class was actually made for grown-ups.

As our story unfolds, we meet young Jonathan Ogner (Andrew McCarthy, already mastering the art of the distracting nervous twitch), a new student at a tony prep school outside of Chicago. He is roommates with handsome alpha-jerk Franklin (Rob Lowe), who, mere minutes after their introduction, convinces his new friend to stroll around outside in ladies underwear. Says it's a 'Senior tradition'. Jon goes along with it, resulting in a humiliating scene.

He is at first crushed and ostracized, going so far as to cry in the cafeteria after enduring an onslaught of catcalls and insults. But after staging a mock-suicide to prank Franklin back, the two forge a truce, becoming unlikely allies. During the course of a drunken evening together, Jon reveals that he's still a virgin, so Franklin sets up a double date for the two the following evening.
"Hey, these are nice girls," Franklin tells Jon. "I might not even get laid tonight. Although that's highly unlikely."

The girls (Virginia Madsen and Deborah Thalberg) are from the all-girls school down the road, so they meet surreptitiously, under the cover of darkness. A moonlight ride in Franklin's gleaming red sports car is planned, but Jonathan pukes in the back seat almost immediately, ending the evening.

Flash forward a few days. Apparently the boys' school has formal dances with the school for girls, and Franklin runs the dance committee. He brings Jonathan on board (other members include John Cusack and Ferris Buehler's stooge, Alan Ruck) as the group's secretary, and they all attend a meeting at the girls' school to discuss the upcoming Halloween dance. Virginia Madsen is so appalled to see the car-puker again that she trips while serving a plate of sandwiches, causing a Rube Goldberg-ian chain of events that culminate with her standing there with her right (and quite ripe) breast dangling in the wind. The sudden seachange from droll to slapstick is a little jarring but still, who expected Madsen nudity? Clearly, one of the greatest and most surprising skin-shots of the entire decade. I mean, that thing is spectacular.

Jonathan is, not surprisingly, banned from the Halloween dance, but Franklin (dressed like Jesus, complete with giant wooden cross), hands him $100 and encourages him to take a cab into the city. He goes to a bar filled with disco creeps and girls with orange lipstick and proceeds to alienate the clientele with his antics and buffoonery. The night looks like a complete wash until he runs into overaged party girl Ellen (Bisset). Spearheading the Cougar trend 25 years ahead of schedule, the sophisticated, fur-wearing Ellen seduces her young friend in an elevator in one of the most well-remembered sex scenes of the 80's. Seems pretty tepid and maybe a little gross at this point, but '83 audiences were easier to please.

Things start going well for Jonathan. He convinces Ellen he's a college student and begins visiting her for steamy sex-sessions on the weekends. Meanwhile, he's become the cock of the walk on campus, sauntering around like a big city ladykiller. Ah, but the ruse is up during an ill-conceived trip to New York City, when Ellen gets a glimpse of Jon's student ID, revealing his true identity as a lowly high school senior. She jumps into the nearest cab and leaves him high and dry.

Jon mopes around for awhile, and then Christmas rolls around. He takes off with Franklin in his sports car while Joan Jett's version of Little Drummer Boy plays on the soundtrack. What's up with that, Joan? They get to Franklin's family's estate, smoke some weed, chase the maid (Anna Maria Horsford) around a little, listen to dad (Cliff Roberston) drone on about tariffs forever. Boring rich white people stuff, basically. So why are we here? What's the big deal?
Well, then Franklin's mom walks in, and - spoiler alert, sorta - it's Ellen.
Haha, Jon's been banging his smart-ass roommate's mother all this time. Serves that prick right.

So, will Jonathan and Ellen be able to keep their dirty little secret, or will Rob Lowe and Cliff Roberston find out and kill them both with a hatchet? Or, conversely, will Rob just sorta shrug it off and carry on? And will we see any more boobs at all?

I will, at least, answer the last one. Yes, but they are African tribal titties, in black and white, no less, so I'm not sure they count. As for the rest, well, there is a bloody and protracted fistfight. I mean, how would you feel if Andrew McCarthy was fucking your mom?

Class is still fondly remembered by many, mostly for Rob Lowe's natural swagger and Bisset's smoky charms, but it lurches so violently between comedy and drama that it's hard to recommend it for teensploitation fans. Ivy Leaguers could probably masturbate to it, though.

After Class: Everybody either got famous, or got more famous. The end.

Availability: Class is available on DVD.

-Ken McIntyre

Cherry Hill High (1977)

Directed by Alex E. Goitein
Starring Nina Carson, Lynn Hastings, Gloria Upson, Stephanie Lawlor, Linda McInerney
Rated R
USA
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Cherry Hill High is the directorial debut from the visionary genius behind Cheerleaders Beach Party (1978). It's a simple story about five recent high school gradates out on a two-week bicycle tour with one of their former teachers, Miss Woodruff (Linda McInerney). On their first night on the road, the girls discuss sex around a crackling campfire and discover that they have something in common: they're all virgins. The seemingly repressed Miss Woodruff shocks her young charges when she suggests they have a contest - whoever gets deflowered in the most novel manner before the trip is over wins. And so, the formerly tame bicycle tour turns into a lascivious romp into the dark, lusty heart of teen sexuality, circa 1977. Well, that's the plan, anyway. It's still a pretty tame tour, but at least now there's the promise of booby-flash.

Refreshingly free of unnecessary subplot, Cherry Hill High goes about its horny work with great economy. Every scene following the set-up is dedicated specifically to getting its protagonists laid. First one to go is Kippy (Carrie Olsen), who runs into a loudmouth shark wrangler named Abalone. Abalone, it seems, has trained a shark named Hustler to wrestle him nightly at a local...well, it looks like a local swimming pool. It's a very lucrative scam, apparently.
"I raised him in the pool meself," Abalone brags. "He's a pool shark."
Kippy and her mustached lover have sex in the pool. In the shark cage, no less, with Hustler swimming hungrily around them. Kippy, being a virgin, bleeds. Blood is not in Hustler's contract. Abolone is forced to stab his pet shark to death before he eats them both.

So, Kippy scores pretty high on that one.

Next to spread 'em is Peaches (Gloria Upson), who attracts the leader of a biker gang as she's bent over on the side of the road, attempting to fix her bicycle. The two take off together and end up stripping down in a breezy meadow.


When the biker pops off his helmet, it turns out he's actually a woman. This offers no initial problems for Peaches - it is 1977, after all - but the rest of the girls are concerned about the lack of penis involved. So, two scenes later, Peaches bangs some dude in his car during a demolition derby. That one, they give a thumbs-up to.

The girls stop off in a small town and Michelle, the 'French' one (the decidedly non-French sounding Lynn Hastings), meets a dude with sharp fingernails and a Bela Lugosi accent. He, of course, knows where they can all stay tonight. Nice place, a mansion, in fact, but...it may be haunted!

After an interminable scene where teach and Frenchy Scooby Doo around the mansion, Michelle finally meets up with Dracula Jr. and they fuck in a coffin.

Later still, they stop at a winery and the girls soak each other with the red stuff while their teacher wanders off with the suave wine guy. She has sex with him while a flamenco guitar plays. In a pile of grapes, no less. Who could resist?


Meanwhile, the girls strip down to their underwear and continue to pour wine on each other. And then they wash their wine-soaked clothes in the river. Finally, boner time!
Ah, but the multi-topless frolic scene is short-lived, as we must return to this stupid fucking contest.

Sarah (Nina Carson) runs into a guy in a Big Bird outfit. No reason, he's just there.
He's an extra on a game show called It's a Big Deal, an obvious rip-off of the legendary Monty Hall-hosted Let's Make a Deal.
"Are you the booby prize?" She asks Big Bird.
"Sometimes a booby. Always a prize!" He says. "Cluck cluck!" He clucks a lot, this guy.
He gives her a backstage tour of the show, ending, as you would, with his nest. Nature takes its inexorable course. A few minutes later, the curtain goes up and naturally, the crowd sees them having sex.
"Oh, that fucking chicken!" Says the host.


Allison (Stephanie Lawlor) is the last virgin left, but she's in love with Larry, a lowly telephone installer from back home, so who knows if she'll do anything. But then, very suddenly, a UFO drops down, and a bug-eyed alien comes out and fetches her. He brings her back onto his spaceship and starts rubbing her arm.
Outside the spaceship, the girls applaud.
"Now that's sexy!" Says Peaches. "Far out!"
Inside, Sarah rebuffs the spaceman.
"Is it because I'm blue?" He asks.
"No, it's because I'm in love."
This cracks the spaceman up. And then he pulls off his head. It's a mask. Holy smokes, it's that fuckin' dimwit Larry.
"It can't get anymore original than this," Larry says. He's got a point there. "You're sure to win the contest now."
"I don't want it to be like this," she tells him, "all gimmicky and weird."
Good lord, what's a guy gotta do to bang this chick?


Increasingly long story short, Larry, it turns out, doesn't really work for the phone company. He's really some rich asshole with a castle. He was just pretending to be an aw-shucks guy to find a 'real' girl. They split. The film ends with a reunion of the whole gang on a yacht, where Miss Woodruff decides who won the contest. Turns out that true love always wins out over lust. Really? Even in 1977?


The premise of Cherry Hill High was rife with possibility. It is, after all, the exact same plot as a thousand late 70's porn flicks. But the film suffers from a gauzy, Euro-porn shooting style - there are too many establishing shots of the girls gliding their 10-speeds down dirt paths, too many close-ups of indeterminate body parts during the sex scenes, and too few money shots to satisfy fans of teen-skin or 70's sleaze. On the positive side, the girls are all attractive, if a tad underfed (Stephanie Lawlor, in particular, is an absolute knockout), there are numerous 70's-intensive pop culture references (Peaches has a CB radio attached to the handlebars of her bicycle!), and the soundtrack has some satisfyingly raucous tracks from obscure mid-70's hard rock band Sweet Freedom.

Cherry Hill High had a decent run in drive-ins during the summer of '77, and did well enough for Goitein to make Cheerleaders Beach Party a year later, utilizing much of the same cast and crew. Greg Michaels, the actor who played Pile Driver, the demolition derby dude, went on to a short-lived career in porn (he appears in 1980's Sex Boat!), but neither director Goitein nor any of the girls in the cast continued making films after 1978. Both films received spotty VHS releases in the 80's, but have slipped into obscurity in the past 20 years. A pity, because they represent the lighter side of 70's skinema; in a genre that often went for full-bore, tits-out gonzo, Goitein's flirty little films were positively gentle. One parting criticism, though: in a film lousy with shots of girls-on-bicycles, there isn't one shot from the rear-view. Not one. As anyone who ever bought Queen's 1978 epic Jazz - the vinyl version, with the pull-out poster off the all-nude bicycle race - will tell you, there is no image quite as glorious as a fat-bottomed girl on a ten-speed. Shame on you, Mr. Goitein.


Availability: Cherry Hill High is available on VHS.
Buy Cherry Hill High at Amazon.
-Ken McIntyre