Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988)


David DeCoteau is a director that I would describe, generously, as almost competent.  He has directed over 120 movies - a good number of them pornographic - and learned how to make his mainstream films quickly and on a shoestring budget from his time working with Roger Corman.  He found a willing enabler in producer and Full Moon owner Charles Band for whom he has created quite a number of films.  

Full Moon, while some of their movies occasionally made it to theaters, concentrated largely on the direct-to-video horror market.  DeCoteau had some previous success with cheap action films like Lady Avenger and Ghetto Blaster, but it was clear that the video market is where he could shine.  Because of U.S.A. Up All Night, which showed heavily edited versions of many such b-movies in the 1980s, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama became one of his more well-known creations. 

Keith (John Stuart Wildman) is bored with sitting around with his dorm mates Calvin (Andras Jones) and Jimmie (Hal Havins), so he lets them know that the Tri-Delta Sorority is having their initiation that night, and invites them along to spy on the goings-on.  The boys get a bit too ambitious at seeing naked coeds and end up getting caught by Babs (Robin Stille) and, as punishment, they are forced to accompany initiates Lisa (Michelle Bauer) and Taffy (Brinke Stevens) to steal a trophy from a bowling alley.

Things go somewhat smoothly, thanks to the fact that Babs's father owns the alley and she and cohorts Rhonda (Kathi O'Brecht) and Frankie (Carla B.) plan on scaring everyone.  What they don't count on is a punk girl named Spider (Linnea Quigley) robbing the place, or the fact that the trophy the group chooses contains an imprisoned jive-talking imp (Dukey Flyswater), who initially gives everyone a wish before turning Rhonda and Frankie into demons and imprisoning the rest in the bowling alley.  As the group falls one by one Calvin and Spider team up to find a way to put the imp back where it belongs.

Originally called The Imp, the movie soon became Bitchin' Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama.  At the time "bitchin'" wouldn't be allowed by the MPAA in trailers, and there are signs that either DeCoteau or Band intended this for theatrical release early on, so the title became what it is.  The movie is about as subtle as the title, and it pretty much makes good on its promises: Brinke Stevens and Michelle Bauer in extended nude scenes, comedic death scenes that make fun of slashers and Uncle Impy (as the creature calls itself) making Freddy Krueger-style wisecracks.  

For not having much of a budget the imp puppet isn't bad, although it is noticeably not mobile.  It doesn't matter as what makeup effects that are here are quite basic, mainly looking like putty on the face, as there really wasn't any money for extreme gore, either.  Quigley gets to do one of her best roles (and keep her clothes on), and in fact if there is anything most people remember from this movie other than the shower scene and Uncle Impy, it's her as Spider, although Buck Flowers's appearance as the alley's janitor is a hoot as well. 

Despite the fact that it's just as silly as its name implies I still enjoyed it.  I still think Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge is the best of DeCoteau's many movies for Full Moon this one offers what it promises at doesn't overstay its welcome.  

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama (1988)
Time: 80 minutes
Starring: Linnea Quigly, Brinke Stevens, Michell Bauer, Andras Jones, John Stuart Wildman, Hal Havins, Robin Stille
Director: David DeCoteau


 

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