Retromedia presents

Scream Queen Hot Tub Party (1991)

"Had we known what we were in for that day, none of us would have accepted the strange invitation."- Brinke Stevens

Stars: Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, Monique Gabrielle, Roxanne Kernohan, Kelli Maroney
Other Stars: Jerica Fox, Cierra Knight
Director: Fred Olen Ray, Jim Wynorski

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nudity, gore)
Run Time: 49m:37s
Release Date: 2004-04-13
Genre: cult

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B-	B+	C+	B-	B+

 

DVD Review

The idea behind this is a good one, damn near bordering on brilliance, one of those "what if" concepts that eventually and thankfully come to fruition (in this case, in 1991): Gather together some of B-moviedom's finer scream queens (Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, Monique Gabrielle, Roxanne Kernohan, Kelli Maroney) for the express purpose of having them appear in a constant state of undress without the added hassle of things like "plot" or "story" or "character development" to get in the way.

In the capable directorial hands of B-movie kings Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski, a film like Scream Queen Hot Tub Party, which runs a shamefully scant fifty minutes, delivers just what it promises, without any unnecessary filler to get in the way of the eye candy. The barest of bare plots (the girls, all playing themselves, are invited to a mysterious estate, supposedly for a seminar on "How to be a Scream Queen"), and when their host never shows they take it upon themselves to educate one another on their various skills. Brinke Stevens offers up tips on how to take a horror movie shower, Michelle Bauer (always one of my favorites) handles chainsaws, Kelli Maroney covers large caliber firearms, Monique Gabrielle performs her "dance of the vampiress", and poor Roxanne Kernohan gets the short end of the stick, and is left to with nothing to do but fend off the lusty advances of a masked monster during her recollections of doing her laundry.

There are plenty of film clips included here, with nudity-packed scenes from Tower of Terror, Slumber Party Massacre, Sorority House Massacre II, and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, tossed in to either accent a subject (such as Brinke Stevens and her shower lecture) or just as prurient excess (Monique Gabrielle's Emmanuel 5 love scene). Is it important that we see Stevens' original shower scene from Slumber Party Massacre? Maybe not, but I'm not complaining. Maybe—just maybe—someone watching will pick up a valuable tip on how to soap yourself correctly, and which bits need the most attention.

The footage from Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, featuring Linnea Quigley's infamous double-chainsaw dance, leads into one of Scream Queen Hot Tub Party's signature moments, a showstopping bump-and-grind from Michelle Bauer. That bit of voyeuristic cinematic bliss, with Bauer cavorting wildly, chainsaw in hand, is almost eclipsed by the sheer granduer of the soap-your-naked-neighbor/five-girls-in-a-hot-tub finale.

This is base, prurient stuff. Yes, I'm well aware of that. I didn't invent the subculture of the lovable B-movie scream queen, I just visit it from time to time. But I don't really want to get stuck in the mud over analyzing this too much—they're scream queens, famous for large breasts and strong showering skills, not soulful emoting. There are magazines devoted to these sirens of scream, and a film like Scream Queen Hot Tub Party actually seems like a smart marketing move, where you cut out the story and just leave the skin.

I may not know much about art, but I know what I like when I see it.

Rating for Style: B-
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: It's a shame that this isn't a prettier transfer, because as it is the 1.33:1 full-frame is mediocre, at best. But how picky should you really be for a film shot in one day on Hi-8? It's not horrendous, mind you, but in spots it defiantly looks like the quickie that it was. Image detail is certainly acceptable (better in some spots that others, dependent on lighting), with decent fleshtones. Regardless, heavy grain is a recurring thing here, as well.

Image Transfer Grade: C+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Audio is presented in a very barebones 2.0 stereo format that offers clear, discernible dialogue and no major hiss or hum.

In a nutshell, basic and serviceable.

Audio Transfer Grade: B- 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 6 cues and remote access
1 Feature/Episode commentary by Fred Olen Ray, Jim Wynorski
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:

1. Double D Stills Gallery

Extras Review: Great news, B-movie fans, because Retromedia has included a full-length, scene-specific commentary from directors Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski for Scream Queen Hot Tub Party. As witnessed by their previous DVD releases, these guys always deliver enjoyably fun and sarcastic commentary, and this one follows suit. Tidbits include the accidental origins of the project, Ray's piranha problems, and the underlying goal of "money and t*ts", which seems to be the mantra here. Trivia buffs will want to look for the foofy Richard Chamberlain-as-Prince Edward painting from The Slipper and the Robe, and watch for the late Roxanne Kernohan donning Morgan Fairchild's lingerie from Mob Boss.

As an added bonus there is a second short film, namely 1993's One Million Heels B.C. (36m:08s), which is a large-breasted and loose send-up of Irvin Yeaworth's 1960 classic Dinosaurus. This time, instead of huge reptiles, it is Michelle Bauer, here playing a sexy cavegirl who finds herself in modern day L.A. Her first stop is the home of exotic dancer Rose (Cierra Knight), who we first meet performing a prolonged, self-imposed wet t-shirt contest with a pesky garden hose that eventually morphs into what appears to be a full-fledged hose shower. Rose takes it upon herself to teach Bauer's cavegirl the ways of the world, which includes how to wear lingerie and do a whole lot of sexy, nekkid dancing. This is augmented by the appearance of unnaturally enhanced fellow exotic dancer Savannah (Jerica Fox). Wow!

The automated Double D Stills Gallery (01m:57s) features some lovely cheesecake shots of Brinke Stevens, Michelle Bauer, Monique Gabrielle, Roxanne Kernohan, Kelli Maroney, Jerica Fox, and Cierra Knight. Hubba!

The disc itself, which sports a nude photo of Jerica Fox, is cut into 6 chapters.

Extras Grade: B+
 

Final Comments

Any self-respecting fan of B-movie scream queens will appreciate the tongue-in-cheek hipness of this, which is essentially a "breast of" gathering of some of the genre's unsung heroines. The commentary from Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski is a solid plus, as is the bonus feature One Million Heels B.C.

Titillating.

Rich Rosell 2004-04-13