Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Gas Pump Girls Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 16, 2019

Emerging from the depths of drive-in cinema is 1979’s “Gas Pump Girls,” and a title like that conjures images of pure sleaze and shamelessness. Co- writer/director Joel Bender doesn’t have the vision to truly live up to expectations, creating a slightly more innocent take on the way of topless women and their daily problems with men. It’s extreme R-rated fluff from the helmer, who’s not the best when piecing together shenanigans or dealing with plot, but he does find a lightness to the picture that keeps it approachable, spending just as much time with comedy as he does ogling women. “Gas Pump Girls” isn’t refined, but it understands what it is, delivering low-budget escapism with a distinct late-‘70s atmosphere.

Problems are piling up for Uncle Joe (Huntz Hall), who owns a service station that’s being crushed by neighboring competition from Pyramid Gas, with the owner, Mr. Friendly (Dave Shelley), delighting in the situation. When Uncle Joe suffers a heart attack, his beloved niece, June (Kirsten Baker), decides to help the family, taking over the business, transforming it into Joe’s Super Duper Station. Recruited for summer duty after graduation are a collection of classmates, including pals Betty (Linda Lawrence) and April (Sandy Johnson), with June creating a highly sexualized environment to best catch customer attention. Joining the team is Roger (Dennis Bowen) and his friends, working on auto repair, while motorcycle gang The Vultures deal with tow truck duties, giving Hank (Demetre Phillips), Butch (Steve Bond), and Peewee (Ken Lerner) employment responsibilities. Managing to pull customers away from Pyramid Gas, June soon feels the pressure of business when Mr. Friendly arranges ways to shut down Super Duper Station.

“Gas Pump Girls” opens with a graduation ceremony, where the students of Hometown High are subjected to boring speeches and a view of a restless audience before collecting their diplomas and beginning their entrance into adulthood. Of course, Bender wouldn’t be true to the sexploitation subgenre without adding some misconduct, with Peewee trying to impress his fellow Vultures (who are attending the ceremony for undisclosed reasons) by securing female graduation gowns to chairs, thus permitting their removal when the ladies stand up. Unintended nudity ensues, setting the tone for “Gas Pump Girls,” though Bender misses a chance for a real psychological probe with April, who expresses exhibitionist delight with the prank while her classmates are less than pleased with the exposure. Forget the battle of the gas stations, it’s clear that April’s sexual awakening is truly the plot to follow in the movie.

Bender turns “Gas Pump Girls” into a workplace comedy soon enough, with June inspired to help Uncle Joe get out from under his financial issues, giving the station a makeover it sorely needs. Turning the business from an eyesore to a clean, pink wonderland, June also has the idea to transform it into a “Hooters”-esque experience, where scantily clad teenagers are in charge of pumping gas, checking oil, and welcoming long stares and botched come-ons. The screenplay is chock full of double entendre dialogue to spice up the shift, with the employees working their natural appeal in full, which manages to divert traffic away from Pyramid Gas. Daily life at the station isn’t examined, with “Gas Pump Girls” more interested in random encounters, including April’s tryst with a mechanic inside a car receiving a brake check. There are P.A. system gags, as heated, phone sex-style salesmanship is added to the Super Duper Station’s arsenal of promotion, and Mr. Friendly makes multiple attempts to intimidate the competition, sending two dim mob enforcers to threaten June with violence.

Clearly raised with a vaudeville sensibility, Bender tries to keep the movie on the go without committing to any major drama, finding June’s plan to save her adored relative about it for plot. Her passions are clear, which inspires Bender to turn “Gas Pump Girls” into a musical for a single scene, with June pleading her case in song. It’s odd, but the film could use additional weirdness, which is more compelling than the feeble slapstick the helmer relies on to pad the run time, with an engine fluid fight, costumed mischief, and a fourth wall break failing to zany up the effort. While Bender certainly understand the type of picture he’s making, he doesn’t tighten the production’s bolts, creating a semi-slack viewing experience when the potential for madcap fun is there for the taking.

Gas Pump Girls Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation contributes a satisfactory viewing experience for "Gas Pump Girls." Age is apparent but not problematic, with clarity reasonably good throughout the feature. Detail is retained for exploitation interests, keeping skin natural and clothing sheer. Locations are appealing, permitting exploration of signage and street depths. Facial particulars come through with some softness, preserving the true age of the "teenagers." Colors are agreeably defined, with bright pinks and blues on Super Duper uniforms, while a flatter gray is found with the Pyramid outfits. The sunbaked California setting is identified, offering a more golden look to the film, triggering some bloomy whites. Delineation isn't problematic. Source is in decent shape, with mild speckling.

Gas Pump Girls Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix has a small issue with hiss, which runs throughout the entire listening event. There's little sharpness to the track, but dialogue exchanges come through without disruption. Comedic speeds are noted. Scoring is also slightly muted, but disco moods and comedic antics are supported adequately. Soundtrack cuts do just as well, offering more direct vocals. Room environments are appreciable, exploring indoor and outdoor adventures with some detail.

Gas Pump Girls Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer/director Joel Bender.

• Interview (5:00, HD) with Bender briefly covers the production experience on "Gas Pump Girls." Making a move to L.A. with his "rabbinical student partner," Bender recounts how the pair was originally going to make a horror film before trusting in their sense of humor. The effort from cinematographer Nicholas von Sternberg is recalled, and Bender highlights certain casting achievements, pointing out Sandy Johnson's history as a Playmate, and Huntz Hall's origins as a member of The Bowery Boys. The interviewee retains pride in the work, and shows excitement with the Blu-ray release, sharing disappointment with previous home video versions of "Gas Pump Girls."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:35, SD) is included.

Gas Pump Girls Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Gas Pump Girls" does offer a few laughs, a couple of head-scratchers (there's a surplus of shots with characters openly smoking near the pumps), and non-sequitur doo-wop from The Vultures. The central challenge between Super Duper Station and Pyramid Gas is ripe for exploration, but the pranks and schemes that eventually come for fruition are lackluster, missing a lively sense of play. Granted, it's not easy to turn gas stations into a wonderland of impishness, but Bender certainly doesn't crank up rascality. He prefers a softer sense of competition, and he makes an impressive time capsule, with the film working in radio commentary from Cousin Brucie, OPEC influence, and plenty of disco dance parties to keep the feature as 1970s as possible. "Gas Pump Girls" is certainly entertaining, with Bender trying to work his way around sexploitation without getting his hands too dirty. It could be tighter and funnier, but as drive-in distraction, most needs are met.