Pep Squad (1998)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Steve Balderson

Writer:

Steve Balderson (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

Is this what it takes to be heard in Amerika?

Plot:

Set in and around a small town high school in Kansas, Beth is a naive senior student who asks her two new friends...

Plot Keywords:

Surrealism | High School | Murder | Black Comedy | Violence

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Brooke Balderson	...	Cherry
Amy Kelly	...	Terra Simpson
Jennifer Dreiling	...	Beth Violet
Summer Makovkin	...	Julie Thurman
Adrian Pujol	...	Scott Mendota
Eric Sherman	...	Lester 'The Molester' Anderson
Betti O	...	Miss Nelson
Meghan McDonald	...	Suicide Chick
Tricia Johnson	...	LaTaqwa
Miriam Climenhaga	...	Kelly
Richard McCauley	...	Tommy
Nancy Pujal	...	Barbara Violet
Mike Rogers	...	Carl Violet
Fran Albright	...	Wanda Clark
Molly McPeak	...	Thelma Melvins

Also Known As:

I've Been Watching You 2: Prom Night (UK) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, and sexuality, and for teen substance abuse.

Runtime:

94 min | UK:90 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, Kansas, USA

Company:

Dikenga Films

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The 'Premiere Edition' DVD packaging credits 'The Aslum' as the production company instead of 'The Asylum'.

What a marvelous little film. California has nothing on Kansas!

I saw this film at the AFM after seeing the trailer -- which by the way was an equally marvelous piece of work. Most everything works in Pep Squad -- music, cinematography, editing, acting, story. Sure, there are some wooden performances. That comes with low budget indie fare. But it never detracts from the overall flow. In fact, when I think back to my viewings of Carnival of Souls (which I think is another Kansas product) and other films considered cultish, Pep Squad holds up very well, indeed.

Special mention needs to be made of three elements. Brooke Balderson as Cherry is amazing. She not only made what could have been a single dimensional comic book character seem real and multi-dimensional, but she even created a wierd form of sympathy for the character. Betty O., playing the part of the principal who replaces Lester the Molester (yes, this is a strange story) adds just the right amount of zest to the overall mix of characters and story. Finally, the score, by Concrete Blonde frontwoman Johnette Napolitano, was perfect. I saw the film in a theater with full stereo sound and the impact of the music with the imagery was fantastic. I imagine that a lesser sound system would certainly detract from the overall experience. (In fact, I recently saw a screener video of the film and, though good, the TV speakers were really inadequate.)

If you're a Concrete Blonde fan, if you're between 16 and 28, if you ever were in high school and felt like killing the principal (figuratively if not literally), if you are/were ever tired of having to mindlessly just accept what those in power impose --- then you'll have much fun with Pep Squad.