Pom Pom Girls, The (1976)

Pom Pom Girls, The (1976)

“Who the hell do you think you are — James Dean?”

Synopsis:
In 1970s Southern California, horny teenage buddies Johnnie (Robert Carradine) and Jesse (Michael Mullins) have fun in the sun while pursuing a couple of cheerleaders (Lisa Reeves and Jennifer Ashley) and trying to avoid bullying by a menacing football coach (James Gammon) and Reeves’ hulky boyfriend (Bill Adler).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cheerleaders
  • High School
  • Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary is ultimately too generous in his review of this utterly tiresome “sex and mayhem” teen comedy, which he accurately notes “doesn’t live up to its underground reputation” as a “bonafide cult hit”. He points out that the male leads are “jerks” (Carradine would fare much better as uber-nerd Louis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerds), Joseph Ruben’s direction is “unimaginative”, and “the rude boys’ behavior is annoying”.

The “conventional storyline” doesn’t offer anything new or interesting to the genre of teen sexploitation flicks — and while Peary claims that “there are enough okay moments… to make it acceptable drive-in fare”, it’s certainly nothing all-purpose film fanatics should have to sit through. This is one tedious flick.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Not much.

Must See?
Definitely not.

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One thought on “Pom Pom Girls, The (1976)

  1. First viewing. Worthless crap.

    “Conventional storyline”? …What storyline?

    Peary’s observation that Ruben’s direction is “unimaginative” is…amusing. How exactly can one be imaginative with manure? Ruben would go on to do a few interesting things: ‘True Believer’ and ‘The Stepfather’ – which might be good enough to rewatch, now that I think of it. But here, Ruben is smack in his ‘ya gotta start somewhere’ period.

    “Okay moments”? …Where? WHERE???????!

    Curious that the film ends with a bit stolen from ‘Rebel Without a Cause’…in a desperate attempt for *some* kind of an ending.

    I kept thinking of all the California teen actors who probably lost sleep after their auditions for this: “I know I did a great reading! I KNOW it! I just gotta get in this movie! I just GOTTA!!!”

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