You can never really review a movie like this. Well, you can review it, but you can't really critique it. Critiquing is something more to the like of what my friend Mike does. His critiques read professionally with a point. A person would really be close to unable to figure out the in depth themes of "Cheerleader Camp". If anyone could, Mike could. I'm just going to talk about it for about a page or two and see what comes of it. Who knows, it might have a point after all.
"Cheerleader Camp" is somewhat of a question mark when it comes to the history of the making of it. As stated on the inside booklet of the DVD states the company that was going to produce it went bankrupt right before it was to be released, leaving it on the shelf, the filmmakers not knowing what to do with it.
Their first thoughts were that they'd have to release it on video. The market for direct to video back in the late 80s was high. I wouldn't exactly say that the quality was that high back then, but now, it's gone downhill. You can't really find a gem like "Cheerleader Camp" at Blockbuster nowadays. Most of the time when you go there and see a new Steven Segal or Wesley Snipes action movie with Linda Fiorentino as the lead actress, you know it's direct to video. Most of the horror is shot on digital and looks crappy with no sort of talent attached to it whatsoever.
Because it was released on video and the filmmakers needed to change the title of it. "Cheerleader Camp" had an inherently porn-like title to it, so they changed it to something more to the point. "Bloody Pom-Poms" was released on video in early 1988.
The plot, if it's even really that necessary to divulge, concerns a cheerleading troupe that goes to a secluded in the woods camp. Each of the girls is vowing to be crowned Queen at this camp. Some sort of competition takes place towards the end of the movie, the main characters practice for it for half the film. The other half is all the killings, nudity and jealousy (not necessarily in that order). It's like "Saved by the Bell" if Kelly Kapowski got garden shears in the back of her head.
Alison (Betsy Russell) is the main girl. She is haunted by these strange nightmares where mascots circle around her and the ends of her pom-poms become lethal instruments. Her boyfriend is the irrepressible Leif Garrett because if I ever were going to cast a male cheerleader in a horror movie, the first name that springs to mind as a casting choice is Leif Garrett. Rounding out the cast is Lucinda Dickey, Lorie Griffin, Travis McKenna, Teri Weigel and Rebecca Ferratti.
Most of the cast members were either Playboy or Penthouse centerfolds at one-time or another. Teri Weigel went on to doing hardcore porno and is still doing pretty well in the whole "Hot Mom" genre. She plays Alison's direct rival, Pam. At one point, she takes off her top whilst sunbathing in front of her competition as Queen. It makes a little sense, but not enough to get into. Eventually, Leif Garrett's (Brent) character (if you want to call it that) becomes bored with Alison and begins to look elsewhere.
Alison has a dream where Brent and Pam are having sex and being cheered on by a bunch of mascots, chanting, "Do it, do it. Now, now." Pretty disturbing. Alison then begins to chant along with it all.
But, of all the cheesy, crazy scenes, there's one that just defies explanation. After Alison has one of her insane dreams, it cuts immediately to Brent and Timmy rapping. Again, Brent is Leif Garrett. Timmy is this 6'3", obese man with sunglasses. Throughout the movie, he's taping the sheriff and the head coach having sex along with all the nude sunbathing. Of course, when he tapes the nude sunbathing, he's wearing a costume as a grandmother. When caught, he tries to continue the ruse with the people that he's been with the entire film. It'd be like me dressing up as the same thing in front of people that I've known and am living with. Maybe I should try it and see if my parents fall for it.
Maybe not...
The other problem I have with Timmy's costume is why in God's name would he think that a grandmother would be hanging around a cheerleading camp? What in that huge melon of his would make him believe this is a good disguise? Maybe he climbed into a Delorean to the year 2000 and watched "The Master of Disguise."
Maybe not...
He may as well just have dressed up as an old school burglar. You know, the type you would have seen in "The Perils of Pauline" with the Dustin Hoffman "Hook" mustache and completely black attire.
But, I digress. I went off on a bit of a tangent there. It's just in any movie, the fat guy is always the idiot. The one that's the horniest, or stupidest. He's always the -est of the group, whatever you want to put in front of that -est is up to you, but he's that.
Where was I? What was I talking about before the stupid, fat guy Grandmother disguise? Let me scroll up. Oh yeah, the rap.
The movie literally cuts from Alison looking at herself in the mirror with blood running down her face to this rap. It's Leif Garrett and the guy that doesn't know how to come up with disguises very well, rapping about their teammates. Because the two guys are both cheerleaders too. They don't do much. They're just there so the entire movie isn't just girls, as interesting as that might be. The rap is amazing. Unfortunately, there's not a YouTube video to embed in this besides a review explaining the movie. I guess you'll just have to shell out the 9.99 with tax to buy it. Or, ask me nicely to borrow it.
It goes on for about a minute and a half, but for those ninety seconds seem to stretch longer than that. Like, you're reveling in the enjoyment of the movie. What it must have been like (or could have been like) to see this movie in the theatre. Would it have gained an audience or done better on video, I guess we'll never know. At one point, the gardener (or second in command it was never made clear) is watching the girls dance to the rap. He inexplicably has some kind of a seizure and sprays himself with the sprinkler he's trying to fix, getting himself soaked.
It really is something people need to see before they die.
Or, you know, it could be the last thing you see when you die. Like "The Ring", except a lot scarier.
The other point of pride I have with this movie is the garden shear scene. Mind you, on the DVD, the scene title is "Sheer Terror". Something else I'm quite proud of. Once things get going in the movie, people start dying. Most don't have a lot of gore added to them except this one. Pam, after being a tease with Brent, walks through the woods by herself. Calling for Brent, she doesn't hear person behind her. Without any warning, the person shoves the garden shears through the back of her head, coming out of her mouth. She falls to the ground. Dead.
The movie pushes you to believe that Alison is the killer because she's the one with all the dreams, including the one about her killing Pam with her pom-poms. Don't ask. The movie ends on a high note. You can see the twist coming miles away. But, when it happens, it's handled well. Again, something I'm not going to reveal, more something you need to see on your own.
The movie can really be summed up to be something you can watch at midnight with a couple of friends and laugh over. The film is well enough made and cared about by the filmmakers that you can say they knew most of what was going on with it. What kind of reaction they'd get from some of the dialogue. It plays as more of a comedy. You just can't take it seriously.
Watching it a few nights ago, it made me feel like I was back in Red's Video. Red's, for those of you who don't know, is a cheap video store that was two blocks away from my house. They had different branches in Palermo and Fulton as well. They have all since shut down. Couldn't compete with the Blockbuster and Hollywood Videos of the world.
As a kid when I'd go down to Red's without my parents, I'd look through the horror movies. The section they wouldn't want me in. Well, besides the porn section secluded by saloon doors. That's when everything was VHS. DVD wasn't even a thought for most people. These movies filled the shelves. I'd read as many of the boxes I could, not being able to fully comprehend what the movie could show. The biggest dose of graphic violence that I had gotten as a child was the heart ripping scene from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". What could movies like "Cheerleader Camp" and "Bad Taste" hold in store for me?
I've discussed this with Mike before. The attraction to the larger than normal boxes. He told me of a similar experience he had with Movies Plus, another out of business video store in Oswego. How he and his friend would come into Oswego and pick out a few of the big box movies and watch them.
"Cheerleader Camp" is one of those movies. It makes me feel nostalgic. Makes me feel like I've made progression. The same way I feel playing NES games on my Wii.
It's a good feeling.
But, I should be on my way. Being that I'm slightly overweight, I should probably go get my grandmother disguise on and video tape some unknowing girls sunbathing. I just need to find something to apply the fake mole.
Any takers?
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