Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama aka The Imp (1988)

(In French, On Cable TV, March 2021) Look at that tile. No, don’t just look at it. Take it in. Revel in its greatness. Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama. Don’t dwell too much on how the film will never equal the promise of its title. Chuckle at how it’s also known as The Imp, which is one of the shortest titles on record. Yes, it’s possible to see a film based on a title alone. Alas, expectations quickly get tempered once the Full Moon production logo shows on-screen — this isn’t a company known for good movies, and even their so-bad-they-re-good titles aren’t a substitute for, you know, actually good movies. This being said, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama does deliver at least half of what its title suggests—it’s a silly horror comedy that does bring together much of what made 1980s horror films so interesting—dumb premise, college-aged protagonist, buxom nudity, rubbery special effects, unconvincing violence and nonsensical plot developments. The silliness has something to do with six young people breaking into a bowling alley and being held captive by a wish-granting imp, but if you expect everyone to walk away with their fondest desires made real, then you’re not paying attention to how this is a cheap horror film. It’s watchable — and while this sounds like faint praise, it’s actually much better than many of its humourless, overly grim contemporaries. On the other hand, I’m stopping well short of calling it something worthy of being a cult classic or a hidden gem. Director (and Full Moon stalwart) David DeCoteau moves through the motions. The film probably contributed quite a bit to the genesis of later Full Moon production Evil Bong, but doesn’t quite make the most of what it has at its disposal. Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama is a disappointment only if you compare it to the genius of its title or any of the characteristics of a good film — but it does much better when put against other cheap 1980s horror films.