Revenge of the cheerleaders was directed by Richard Lerner. The film flips gender roles on their heads when a group of high school cheerleaders decides to try and beat the boys at their own game, making a football team of girls.

The female cast was relatively uncommon in the 70s when the damsel in distress was more typical of Hollywood productions. The cheerleaders portrayed as strong and independent women, were more than capable of taking on the local football team and their chauvinistic attitudes. The message of female empowerment was seen as a feminist anthem. But unfortunately, this low-budget production was cliche, lacking depth of characters.

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An independent film, “Revenge of the Cheerleaders” was shot in 1974, but took two years to hit the theaters. Ahead of its time, it has become somewhat of a cult classic for paving the way for other all-female comedies, such as “Legally Blonde” and “Bring It On.” And while it helped increase visibility for women in the film industry, it is also credited as giving us 70/ 80s heart-throb David Hasslehoff’s first film appearance.

What really makes Revenge of the Cheerleaders stand out is that it was made at a time when competition and sexuality were mainstream. Today, female sexuality is cloistered to the adult industry and has a price tag attached to it, with a big chunk of that going to the corporate controllers of big-tech. In the 70s, female sexuality was equated to empowerment and could be either given away with a carefree spirit or used as a weapon to entrap a foe. But most of all, it was within the control of the woman wielding it.

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Furthermore, aside from the entertainment factor of professional sports, today competition is both discouraged and vilified. The very nature of female sports which were only just beginning to become widespread in the 70s have almost been annihilated in a few short years recently. So “Revenge of the Cheerleaders” is a nostalgic quirky film appealing to fans of cheerleading and sports comedies. While not the most original or well-crafted film, it still manages to entertain and inspire, acquiring a position in the pantheon of classic cheerleading movies.

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Airplane! was written by Jim Abrahams, and the Zucker brothers, David and Jerry, this was also their directorial debut. The film is a parody of the Air Travel disaster movie genre which dominated the silver screens in the 70s. “Airplane!” is a mockery of those films, filled with irreverent humor, it offers a satirical take on the conventions of the genre.

The Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker trio (ZAZ) were seasoned comedy writers for stage, with a knack for incorporating pop culture into their skits. Needless to say, one of the strengths of the film is its writing. The script was filled with witty one-liners, absurdist humor, and clever references to other films and pop culture. The tightly written script wasted no time on filler, with a relentless comedic pace. The humor of “Airplane!” is both broad and subtle, appealing to a wide range of audiences and making it a timeless classic. Although some would argue that it is too low brow or contains too much physical humor. The film’s comedic pace actually means that some of the more subtle aspects might be missed at first watch.

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Another standout aspect of “Airplane!” is its all-star cast. ZAZ insisted on a handful of actors known only for their serious tough guy roles prior to this movie. Leslie Nielsen in particular rekindled an interest in the “straight-man” comedian. He became known for his deadpan delivery in absurd comedic situations in multiple films following Airplane. Equally Robert Hays, and Julie Hagerty give standout performances, delivering their lines with deadpan precision and bringing the film’s humor to life.

The film’s production design also contributed to it’s comedic appeal, with its lush, over-the-top sets and visual gags. From the brightly-lit control tower to the sumptuous first-class cabin, the film was just as filled with sight gags as it was one-liners. Giving the audience a sense of heightened reality that perfectly fits the film’s outlandish humor.

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Considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time, the influence of “Airplane!” can still be seen in many films today. Its success helped to establish the career of its creators, who went on to make several other iconic comedies, including “The Naked Gun”, also with Leslie Nielsen. “Airplane!” was a pioneer that popularized the use of sight gags and physical comedy in the disaster movie parody genre. An unforgettable film, “Airplane!” will continue to be enjoyed by audiences for generations to come.

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Erik the Viking is a silly viking themed comedy brought to us by Terry Jones of Monty Python. While not quite as side splitting as some of Monty python’s other films, it is nonetheless enjoyable. Erik played by Tim Robbins is a viking who has tired of the pointless pillaging. He falls in love during one of his villages’ raids on another, and accidentally kills the woman, trying to save her from being raped. This traumatic incident causes him to question everything. Freya, (a wise woman hermit), played by Eartha Kitt (aka. Cat Woman) suggests to him a way to change the never-ending cycle of killing by bringing the sun back to his lands.

Gathering up the men of his village, Erik the Viking ventures out into the unknown. The hodge-podge band of warriors includes father and son berserkers, a fearless viking, who lives to die by his sword, a Christian missionary, the blacksmith and their leader Erik, who is haunted by the woman he accidentally killed. Together they must face a rival band of vikings, a “sea-dragon” and falling off the edge of the world on a mission to enter Valhalla alive.

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The theme seems to be that what someone believes can change his destiny and much of the comedy is built around the concept of blind faith. About halfway through the movie, Erik the Viking gets a new girlfriend. Her father, played by Terry Jones (who also directed the film), barges in on them and she gives Erik a cloak of invisibility. It is really only a scarf and yet her father is blind to seeing anyone wearing it. Erik the Viking, falsely believes that the cloak really renders him invisible, so he takes it into battle. Only the preacher on his ship is similarly fooled by the clock and Eric fails to notice that the rest of his crew can still see him. Fearlessly, he bounds into the heavily armed opposing ship, dancing around like a fool. He knocks about the enemy soldiers, who wearing fearsome disguises, have up until now had their foes flee in terror and aren’t sure how to respond to his lunatic antics.

It’s just a funny movie

It’s a silly movie that’s almost as crazy as Dolomite. The violence is glossed over, and the sexual themes are PG rather than racy; it is after-all a comedy.

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OC and Stiggs was directed by Robert Altman and was based on a stories about the two characters that were published in the now defunct National Lampoon magazine. In the lead roles are Tony award winning, Daniel H Jenkins and Neil Barry (who played Jack Marshall in the series Crossing Jordan). The cast of this movie also includes Jane Curtain (Saturday Night Live), Tina Louise (Giligan’s Island), and Jon Cryer (Pretty in Pink). It’s a movie which was shot in 1983 and ready to hit theaters by 1985, but probably shelved for the release of National Lampoon’s European Vacation, until 1987. This later release made the film overshadowed by big budget flicks and sequels to earlier popular titles.

Oliver Cromwell Oglivie or O.C., as he called by his friends, and Mark Stiggs are two mischief high school students in Phoenix, Arizona. They see view suburban consumerism as vulgar and omnipresent, so they rebel by spending their days slacking off and committing pranks, often criminal, against the Schwab family, who they view as their enemies. Husband and father, Randal Schwab, is wealthy owner of the insurance company that’s responsible for the involuntary commitment of O.C.’s grandfather into a group home. With a personality that can only be described as a cartoonish character of an extreme social conservative, Randall is both greedy and dumb.

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The rest of the Schwab family is just as comical: Wife and mother, Elinore (Jane Curtain) is a chronic alcoholic that literally tries to be drunk 24 hours of the day. Daughter Lenore has a very complicated relationship with Randall’s business partner Frank Tang. Meanwhile Frank’s son, junior is immature and emotionally stunted. OC and Stiggs is movie that has no hesitation parading every day people to a ludicrous extreme. Think Beavis and Butthead crossed with Ferris Bueller.

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The Great Rupert is a treasure starring Jimmy Durante. The movie is about aging vaudevillian performers falling on hard times, and the delightful antics of a squirrel who inadvertently showers them in blessings. The squirrel is very life like, but was actually done by animatronics, and is not really a trained pet squirrel. (As someone who has both been on movie sets and lived with a squirrel, I can tell you that making a movie with a squirrel cooperating on this level would be a miracle in itself).

The Amendola family are desperate to find accommodations, out of work acrobats, they are carrying all their worldly possessions. At the same time, Joe Mahoney who has a well trained squirrel named “The Great Rupert” as part of his act, must hit the road in search of work. He releases his squirrel into the park to fend for himself in the wild. The “Great Rupert,” used to living indoors, sneaks inside just as the Amendolas are taking possession of a tiny apt below their stingy landlord Mr. Dingle. He makes his home in the space between the two households.

As Christmas approaches the Amendolas fear eviction and Mrs. Amendola prays for a miracle. Suddenly money falls from the ceiling and they are able to pay their bills. Unbeknownst to them, Mr. Dingle is hiding the proceeds from his investments from the government inside his wall. Just where the “Great Rupert” has made his bed. Rupert, seeing the paper as a nuisance throws it away and the Amendola’s profit. The story is more about what should be done with good fortune than anything else, a different lighter take on the same theme as Scrooge.

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This is a silly movie with lots of nudity and hi-jinks. It is not violent, woke or family fare. If you ever had a crush on a cheerleader or football jock, you might enjoy this playful film.

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Eastwood plays Philo Beddoe, a trucker who picks up extra work by bare-knuckle boxing. He is faithful, living right next to his brother and mother, for whom he feels some responsibility. He has a pet Orangutan he adores, and when he thinks he has fallen for a honky-tonk singer, he goes on a cross country trip after her. Conflicts arise while making the trip, and he settles everything with dry wit, his fists and periodically a little help from family.
Finding his love interest does not go as planned, the woman is no good. And he tells her he was stupid to have ever thought more of her, than she deserves.

He gets the chance to fight a boxing legend that he has been compared to all his engagements. Tank Murdoch is set to retire after one final bout, and Philo comes up against the ageing legend. Both have undefeated records but Philo has youth on his side. In the end, he drops his guard, letting his hero retire on top of his game.

Every Which Way but Loose hit the screens in 1978 and was directed by James Fargo.

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The gloomy setting amid monsters and a mad scientist is anything but frightening, as children learn to laugh at Igor, Dracula, the Wolfman DJ, a clumsy hunter and a menacing ape, whose interactions combine slap stick with word play puns.

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The date is December 13, 1941, only six days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The United States is in morning and fear has gripped its citizen when a Japanese submarine surfaces just off the coast of southern California. Commanded by Akiro Mitamura with a Nazi observer, Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt, in tow they embark upon a mission to obtain honor. They decide that they must attack Hollywood and the result is pure hysterical hijynx that leaves you scratching your head wondering who won and who lost the fight.

Nudity, foul language and mature themes.

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Buttermaker, is a hard-drinking, former minor-league baseball pitcher recruited to coach and manage the Bears, a Southern California Youth Baseball League team of misfit players formed as a compromise to a lawsuit brought against the league for excluding such players from other teams. Shunned by the more competitive teams (and competitive parents), the Bears are the outsiders. Eventually, the Bears make it to the championship game opposite the top-notch Yankees, who are coached by the aggressive and uncompromising Roy Turner (Vic Morrow).

Stars Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal

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