The Cheerleaders Collection
Though tame by the genre's usual envelope-pushing standards, The Swinging Cheerleaders is nevertheless entertaining because of its relatively tight script and Hill's competence behind the lens. Several scenes even border on drama -- a feat otherwise unheard of among cheerleader movies. In short, Hill's film distinguishes itself in a genre awash in kink by doing the unthinkable: The Swinging Cheerleaders plays it straight.
DVD extras include: Audio Commentary with Director Jack Hill and Film Historian Johnny Legend, as well the film's Television Trailer.
Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1975)
Fans and critics alike rarely speak of plot when referring to Revenge of the Cheerleaders. That's because they'd be hard-pressed to find one. (An obligatory capsule summary included with the DVD reads, "When the girls discover a plot by evil developers to condemn their beloved school, they strike back with a plan that includes high-protein breakfasts, drug-laden lunches, locker room orgies, giant dinosaurs and a secret weapon for winning the big game," which -- despite its lengthy word count -- is little more than a tantalizing way of saying nothing at all.) But what the film lacks in story, it more than makes up for in raw sex appeal, presenting scene upon scene of horny and voluptuous cheerleaders (two of whom inexplicably disappear after the film's opening credits) explicitly jiggling their "handles" and baring their "assets."
If this alone isn't enough to earn Revenge of the Cheerleaders a star on the B-movie walk of fame, the film also boasts the big-screen debut of David Hasselhoff, who in one of the film's more legendary scenes is revived to consciousness after catching a whiff of his girlfriend's panties. Predictably, the future Baywatch hunk and self-professed "serious" actor (Who's he kidding?) has since called the role the most embarrassing of his Hollywood career and despite the movie's underground popularity, refuses to mention it on his official film biography.
DVD extras include: Audio Commentary with former high school Cheerleaders Heather Swanson and Lisa Webber; Outtakes; and the Theatrical Trailer.
For a more in-depth look at the lost cheerleader films of the 1970s, check out Paul Armentano's forthcoming article "Revenge of the Cheerleaders" in the September 2004 edition of Creeping Flesh Vol. 2 (http://www.headpress.com), available from Headpress books.
### END ###
Are you a fan of cult cinema? Then grab yourself a copy of our new E-Book: "Stranger Than Fiction:
Latest Articles