Scream Queen Hot Tub Party

Scream Queen Hot Tub Party is about the most literal title that could be attached to this particular film; a shot-on-video film that plays more like a compilation of seventies and eighties b-movies narrated and discussed by the buxom actresses who starred in them, the film is a video diary that effectively praises all things horror and breast.

Starring five actresses famous for their work in scuzzy b-movies, Brinke Stevens, Monique Gabrielle, Kelli Maroney, Michelle Bauer, and Roxanne Kernohan all arrive at a home one day expecting to be a part of a seminar on how to properly create a horror film. When they enter the home, they realize the house is totally empty, but are troubled when they hear the house making eerie and unsettling noises. They order an Ouija board from a delivery service that delivers quicker than a contemporary Jimmy John's and also includes five skimpy nighties, which the girls embrace accordingly. The gaggle of queens proceed to enter a hot tub and reminisce on the conventions of the horror films they have acted in, as well as share their insights on working in the field of b-movies.

This involves Stevens showing us how a scream queen effectively showers, breaking down the conventions step-by-step in a steamy, arousing scene and the remainder of the girls giving us a taste at other attributes to the life of being a scream queen. In the opening of the film, the girls give us unwritten rules of the queen life, with one of the main rules being "no scenery unless they see 'greenery'" and the fact that scream queen girls are not allowed to think in any particular way. It's safe to say these women know their roles in their films, and the eye candy they provide is only elevated to the fact that they are an entertaining bunch to watch, energetic and unpredictable in the way they try to merit some kind of reaction out of the audience, be it a scare or an arousal.

Scream Queen Hot Tub Party's third act (in an affair that's only forty-six minutes long) mainly deals with clips from films of the scream queen era that effectively show what it means to be a queen in action. The clips are pleasant enough, but take away from the true appeal of the film, which is seeing five beauties sharing a hot tub and talking about their experiences on set and in film in general. The film would've benefited the most if it had kept the focus purely on the women at hand rather than serving as a greatest hits compilation for other, unseen queens like Linnea Quigley.

The film was directed by Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski, who has made a long, prosperous career out of showing off the assets of beautiful women and surrounding them with ridiculous, b-movie elements. Scream Queen Hot Tub Party is a delightful ode to those principles, and at least profiles a collection of actresses who have long since go unnoticed and deserve their dues in some respect. At least one can say it's given by a man who knows what he's doing and is very familiar with the area.

Starring: Brinke Stevens, Monique Gabrielle, Kelli Maroney, Michelle Bauer, and Roxanne Kernohan. Directed by: Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski.

I grew up like most kids in the late 80's/early 90's...drooling over scream queens and renting every T&A horror flick I could get past my parents. If only I would have found this classic cheese and squeeze at the local video store...I probably would have went blind.

Scream Queen Hot Tub Party features 5 scream queens stripping, dancing, working out topless, getting raped by zombies, and taking showers. On top of that you get T&A footage from previous Fred Olen Ray/Jim Wynorski films edited in to pad it to it's 50 minute run time. This was a movie made for the 12-year old boy in all of us. It might be the most exploitive film I've ever seen though. For some reason I couldn't help but feel ashamed during Kelli Maroney's workout scene. Another bummer thing about the film is Linnea Quigley is M.I.A in this one. I mean, how do you make a film called "Scream Queen Hot Tub Party" and don't cast Linnea Quigley?

Anyways, this is a great pick up if you can find it on DVD. It also comes with a weird 35 minute foot fetish short staring Michelle Bauer and virgin porn star Jarica Fox called "One Million Heels B.C."

Pretty much a last harrah for the golden age of Scream Queens, plot-wise the era ends on a whimper. However entertainment wise it ends with a bang. Showing a lot of clips to pad out the still skimpy 49 minute running time and name-dropping other films at the drop of a hat. This film still succeed at what the film's main purpose is: Showing nudity and loads of it. Yea, the jokes are beyond lame and grown worthy, yea the story sucks, and yes the clips DO wear thin quite a bit. But this is pretty much the last movie to find Scream Queens in all their '80's glory. I know it was technically made in the '90's, but trust me it's an 80's movie through and through. (the 80's movies started a bit earlier than the '80's with "the Warriors" by the way)

My Grade: C+

As a die hard horror fan, and a Jim Wynorski fan in particular, I can honestly say I never thought I could be so happy. Scream Queen Hot Party was a magical journey of wonder and merriment...In other words, there were breasts and skimpy nighties galore. It's always a pleasure to see these ladies, and before seeing SQHTP I'd already seen pretty much every film each had made. I agree with another reviewer that Linnea Quigley should have been involved, she is after all, the all-time unquestioned reigning Scream Queen, but she DID get her own work-out video, also with breasts and nighties galore, and Scream Queen Hot Tub Party and Linnea Quigley's Horror Workout make quite the double feature.

Having seen Michelle, Brinke, and Monique nude so many times (it never gets old, though), I gotta say the biggest treat for me was Kelli Maroney. I saw Night of the Comet and Chopping Mall (both excellent films) and in Chopping Mall she was the cute, quiet girl, then in Night of the Comet she was the ditzy, take-no-prisoners cheerleader but not a hint of boobies from her in either film...Well, the wait's finally over and they were exquisite. She even wears her cheerleader outfit from Night of the Comet before her big scene. I like cute, quiet girls AND cheerleaders, so I was already a fan, but now I'm an even bigger fan...if you know what I mean...Wait, what was I talking about? Anyway, she's absolutely adorable, as always.

Roxeanne Kernohan was excellent too. The only film I'd seen with her was Not of This Earth, and she was quite funny (and lovely) in that as well, although it was a very small role. In this she plays the goof of the quintet, the butt of every joke. Huh-huh...butt...get it? Sorry...

Anyway, if you're a fan of cheesy comedy/horror films and especially if you're familiar with such films as Nightmare Sisters, Sorority Babes In The Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Chopping Mall, Sorority House Massacre II, Hard to Die, Not of This Earth, etc., you'll love Scream Queen Hot Tub Party.

Five gals are summoned to a mysterious house for a seminar. When they arrive the host is nowhere to be found, so they start out playing with the Ouija board in skimpy nighties. Then they movie into the Hot Tub where each gal takes turns discussing a topic from their career. We get a lesson in horror movie showers and some weight lifting as a few examples. There are movie clips featuring the five main stars, as well as clips featuring other actresses.

I own the Blu Ray edition from Retromedia. I would say if you already own the regular DVD release there's no real extras or improvements in the quality of the film to make it worth upgrading.

Michelle Bauer, Brinke Stevens (Slumber Party Massacre), Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall, Face Down), Monique Gabrielle (Deathstalker II, Bachelor Party) and Roxanne Kernohan (Critters 2) are the gals. I bought this for Kelli Maroney. This was the first time that Kelli Maroney bared any flesh.