Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 3, 2016

David DeCoteau's "Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label 88 Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; footage from an archival interview with star Brinke Stevens; new audio commentary with actress Brinke Stevens, writer Sergei Hasenecz and dierctor David DeCoteau; and more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

What is happening?

The similarities with Lamberto Bava’s Demons are pretty obvious. What David DeCoteau does here is basically move the action from a movie theater to an empty mall and trade the excessive gore for light humor. The end result isn’t bad, but it will appeal primarily to people who have a soft spot for these types of ‘80s low-budget films.

It all begins when Jimmie (Hal Havins, Night of the Demons), Keith (John Stuart Wildman, Lethal Pursuit) and Calvin (Andras Jones, The Demolitionist) decide to secretly watch the initiation of sorority pledges Taffy (Brinke Stevens, The Slumber Party Massacre) and Lisa (Michelle Bauer, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers). The ceremony is a big deal because the girls are going to get spanked by the sexy blonde Babs (Robin Stille, American Ninja 4: The Annihilation). Soon after the show begins, however, the boys get caught and Babs sends them with Taffy and Lisa to a nearby mall with a big bowling alley to steal a trophy that would wrap up the deal for the girls. Inside the mall the group meets Spider (Linnea Quigley, Savage Streets), a feisty chick looking for cash, who for some strange reason immediately impresses Calvin. Then someone accidentally breaks a bowling trophy and releases a very naughty imp that decides to grant the visitors a few wishes.

The film is silly but it has a decent atmosphere that actually makes it attractive. It also helps that all of the actors look genuinely enthusiastic about their characters even though what they say and do is, well, silly. In other words, there is plenty of questionable material in the film, but it is delivered with a decent dose of style and the right dose of sincerity that end up making a difference.

There is a new audio commentary with DeCoteau on this release in which he explains that a big chunk of the film was shot in a mall in Oceanside, California for a relatively short period of time. After the imp emerges the film does look a bit rough at times, but I am not convinced that with a bigger budget and more time to shoot DeCoteau would have ended up with a ‘better’ film. Let’s be clear here: The script isn’t exactly brilliant and, more importantly, a big reason why the whole thing actually comes together rather well is because it is loaded with good old-fashioned ‘80s kitsch.

The imp is ugly and rather cheap looking, but it feels right for this film. Again, a bigger and more expensive creature would not have made the film more authentic. However, there is something a bit awkward about the manner in which Dukey Flyswatter utters its lines. Indeed, they are neither funny nor scary. More often than not they just come off as awfully dull.

DeCoteau shot the film with cinematographer Stephen Ashley Blake, whose credits include such low-budget gems as Deadly Prey, Night Wars, Vice Academy, and Hell on the Battleground.

NOTE: This recent Blu-ray release of Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama is sourced from a brand new 2K master which was struck from the original camera negative.

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, David DeCoteau's Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

The release is sourced from a brand new and very nice 2K master. Unsurprisingly, the entire film looks exceptionally healthy and wonderfully balanced. In fact, despite the prominent use of filtered light a lot of the darker footage from the mall boasts very good depth. Shadow definition is also well managed and as a result there are some unusually good nuances (a lot of the 'effects' in the film are produced by careful management of light and shadow). The primary colors are very healthy and stable and are supported by plenty of equally healthy nuances. There are no traces of problematic degraining or sharpening adjustments. My one and only criticism pertains to the encoding. Some specific optimizations could have been performed to ensure that the grain is as well exposed and resolved as the new master allows. While viewing the film, I noticed a few areas where light artifacts try to sneak in and grain isn't as well defined as it should be. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and English LPCM 5.1. Optional English subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the LPCM 2.0 track. One thing that immediately becomes obvious is that the original sound design is quite bland. Clarity and depth are outstanding, but there are some areas where balance is inconsistent. The most obvious examples are in areas where the actors move and the camera follows them around, but there are even a few exchanges that feel awkwardly distant. Viewers will not have trouble following the dialog, but optional English subtitles should have been included.

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - brand new video introduction by director/co-producer David DeCoteau filmed exclusively for the Blu-ray premiere of Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Trailer - original Full Moon Features remastered trailer for Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Brinke vs The Imp - presented here is footage from an interview with star Brinke Stevens (Taffy) which was conducted in 2000 in Danny Draven's office in Hollywood, California. Brinke Stevens introduces an original poster for Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, which was initially titled The Imp. The poster was found in a dumpster at Full Moon Features. Also included is raw footage with Dukey Flywatter, the voice of The Imp, who does some on-set improvisations. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Tales from the Bowling Alley - this very long documentary offers an in-depth look at the production history of The Imp which eventually became Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama. Included in it is a tremendous amount of archival footage with director David DeCoteau, producer Tom Keith, and various cast and crew members (including some sociable make-up artists), as well as raw footage from the shooting of different scenes. The entire documentary can also be seen with an optional audio commentary by director David DeCoteau in which he discusses various obstacles he faced during the production process, the special effects, the lighting of the film, the business environment in LA during the 80s (at one point Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama apparently went against Action Jackson in a local theater), the film's atmosphere, etc. In English, not subtitled. (137 min).

• Audio Commentary - in this brand new audio commentary, actress Brinke Stevens, writer Sergei Hasenecz and dierctor David DeCoteau recall how the initial idea for The Imp/Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama emerged, the casting process, the 'scene' in LA during the '80s, the film's theatrical screenings across the country (including its time on 42nd Street), the sexy spanking scene, how and where different segments of the film were shot (different parts were shot in different locations), the careers of different cast members, how the horror genre has evolved, etc.

• Cover - reversible cover with original The Imp artwork (reproduction of classic VHS cover).

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

David DeCoteau's Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama offers plenty of '80s kitsch that looks and feels surprisingly attractive today. Frankly, despite their obvious flaws I find these types of low-budget films to be vastly superior to the hyper-violent and unbearably tasteless shockers some of the big studios like to mass produce. This recent Blu-ray release from British label 88 Films is sourced from an excellent new 2K master and offers two very informative audio commentaries. Hopefully, 88 Films and Full Moon Features will also consider bringing to Blu-ray David DeCoteau's Petticoat Planet, Beach Babes From Beyond and some of the other spicy films he directed during the '90s. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.