PEP SQUAD
PLOT-When the evil Cherry doesn't get nominated for homecoming queen, she goes on a murderous rampage.
VIOLENCE-People are shot, stabbed, run over by cars, and beaten up throughout the movie. There's also a funny puke scene.
SEX/NUDITY-One of the female leads is topless in a sex scene, but that's basically it.
WHY I LIKED IT-Despite how politically incorrect it may be, I enjoy black comedies about high school students killing each other. I think HEATHERS was a brilliant film, as was MASSACRE AT CENTRAL HIGH (which doesn't have a prayer of seeing a re-release), the highly underrated IDLE HANDS, and the incredible Japanese film BATTLE ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL. You don't see many movies like these and we all know why. But the fact remains we all have fucked up memories of high school, and we know how crazy a place it is. So along comes PEP SQUAD, a really cool movie that's both funny and extremely well made. I could definitely see it becoming a cult classic, it is that good. The situations are very absurd, the humor is dark yet slapstick, and the comic timing is near perfect due to some clever editing and some very energetic performances. In particular, Amy Kelly was astounding as Tara, the snitching weasel who is cunning but is also clumsy and annoying. She packs a lot into her role, and steals almost every scene. She's great at comedy, and isn't built like your usual actor. Bless the filmmakers for showing off her body even though she's not the typical anorexic silicone-injected wannabe starlet. This movie kicks more ass than you'd expect, moves fast, and has a great visual style that is rare for a low-budget production.
DOWNSIDE-The movie flows really awkwardly, and there are a couple reasons for this. The main problem is that the central character of the story (the "normal" girl) is played by probably the worst actor in the movie. She seems very amateurish compared to the other players, so it's odd to me that she got the big role. As a result, you can't really focus on her even though you're supposed to because of the story. Her character comes off seeming poorly developed, which sucks because she is in almost every scene. Another issue I have is that the title & the box for this film are misleading. The movie itself has little or nothing to do with cheerleaders or a "pep squad". This also throws the audience off. They don't allow us to get to know any of the characters, and they introduce people too fast and we don't understand their motivations (or why we should suddenly care about them). Who the hell are they? And I know this sounds bad, but more nudity couldn't have hurt this film. It's full of unknown actors and it definitely would have added something.
MEMORABLE SCENES-Any scene with Amy Kelly in it is guaranteed to be funny, I loved watching her act. Even her walk was funny. I hope to see her in more comedic roles in the future.
NOTES-The "Premiere Edition" DVD has a director commentary track.