Search - The Swinging Cheerleaders on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Nudity Movie Release: 1974 DVD Release: 06/15/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 31 mins Studio: Anchor Bay Members Wishing: 3 Genres: Comedy, Sexploitation, Sex Comedy

This effort from exploitation auteur Jack Hill was a profitable early entry in one of the most beloved subgenres of sexploitation cinema, the cheerleader movie. The soap opera-styled premise focuses on the lives of a squad of cheerleaders at Mesa University. Mary Ann (Colleen Camp) is worried with trying to get her roving football player boyfriend, Buck, to settle down and marry her; Lisa (Rosanne Katon) is caught up an in an affair with the married Professor Torpe (Jason Sommers); and Andrea (Rainbeaux Smith) frets over whether or not to give her virginity up. There is also a new cheerleader named Kate (Jo Johnston), who is actually a journalism student using the experience to write a feminist-slanted paper for her thesis. Kate soon learns that the cheerleaders and football players deserve more respect than she gives them and also uncovers a secret gambling ring involving the coach, Professor Torpe, and Mary Ann's father. The narrative that results from these surprisingly involved plot threads delivers all the raciness the title promises, and, thanks to the gambling subplot, even a bit of action. The Swinging Cheerleaders is less inspired and kinetic than Hill's other exploitation fare, but it delivers the sexploitation goods and manages to work in a little subversive social commentary to boot. As a result, it became a drive-in hit and earned a cult following amongst fans of drive-in movies. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

Jo Johnston - Kate
Cheryl Smith - Andrea
Colleen Camp - Mary Ann
Rosanne Katon - Lisa

Once again, Anchor Bay Entertainment delivers an ambitious DVD of an obscure favorite for cult movie fans with The Swinging Cheerleaders. This disc delivers a nice anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfer of the film that is surprisingly vivid in its level of detail. The audio is limited to Dolby Digital mono, but still manages to deliver a nice, crisp soundtrack. The extras portion of the disc is includes a handful of rare television ads for the film and a commentary by director Jack Hill and B-movie expert Johnny Legend. The commentary is really what makes this DVD worthwhile for fans; Hill delivers plenty of information about the making of the film and its participants, and Legend, being a veteran of the exploitation film scene, knows the right questions to ask the director. They also have an easygoing sense of cameraderie that makes the commentary easy on the ears. In short, the combination of nice transfer and a solid commentary make The Swinging Cheerleaders a must for Jack Hill fans and well worth a spin for anyone interested in the history of drive-in cinema. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide