6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A football player at Rosedale High School is amorous of one of the cheerleaders, who is going with another guy. Another player can't decide which of two cheerleaders he wants to be with. Meanwhile, the Big Game with Hardin High School is approaching, and a prank war is in full swing.
Starring: Robert Carradine, James Gammon, Cheryl Smith (I), John Lawrence (I), Cooper HuckabeeTeen | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Ah, the 1970s. It was a time of randy teen behavior, bralessness, and rampant high school mischief. It was an age before movie make-up, where anyone could scrounge up a few bucks to make a film about adolescent behavior and not even bother with a plot. 1976’s “The Pom Pom Girls” isn’t a classic of the genre by any means, but it contains a charmingly free-flowing take on matters of the juvenile heart, following whims without any concern for structure, while encouraging its untested cast to express emotions far beyond their skill levels. Raggedy and unshowered, “The Pom Pom Girls” is best appreciated as a time capsule, where viewers of today can look back on an era before lawsuits, social media, and proper nutrition, where the only concern facing young men of the day was the number of girls they could sleep with before the weekend was over. Obvious and determined shortcomings aside, the feature does a fine job itemizing the dilemmas of ’76, developing into a beguiling snapshot of the way things once were.
The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Pom Pom Girls" brings the film to BD with satisfactory clarity, providing an appropriate look at low-budget '70's cinematography. Detail is generally good, highlighting facial reactions (the lack of make-up is apparent) and location particulars, with special attention paid to signage and automobile design. Distances are also easily surveyed, adding a welcome sense of depth to the image. Costume textures are equally inviting. Colors are largely stable with some fade, with uniforms and set decoration adding more powerful hues, and exteriors, with blue waters and skies, also supplying a natural look. Skintones are acceptable, but run very pink. Print does feature a steady display of damage, but it's rarely distracting. Grain is managed acceptably. Shadow detail isn't taxed beyond a basic display of blacks, showing minimal solidification.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix struggles to find a position of clarity, coming across with crispy highs and muffled lows, making a few exchanges of dialogue difficult to understand. Hiss is also prevalent. Soundtrack cuts are adequately defined and balanced well in the mix, acting supportive without overwhelming the listener. Performances retain their intended emotion, but the inherent sound quality of the film never allows for a pristine appreciation for the acting. It's a clotted track that requires some extra concentration to enjoy.
Although he flirts with the idea of "The Pom Pom Girls" as an update of the teen cinema exploits of the 1950s, Rubin masterminds a more overt homage in the finale, which involves the suspense of "Suicide Chicken" between two drivers racing along a cliff. It's an amusing conclusion, and perhaps the picture might've found more personality had there been a concentrated push of satire instead of the meandering events found here. "The Pom Pom Girls" obviously has value as a relic of the era, displaying '70's permissiveness with abandon, which is immensely entertaining to watch. It's just not much of a movie as it swings indiscriminately with its drama, but story only takes up a small portion of the viewing experience.
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