Complot meurtrier contre une pom-pom girl

After a decade of pumping out a long string of really bad cookie-cutter Hollywood clinkers ("Wildcats", "The Golden Child," "The Couch Trip," etc, etc) Writer-Director Michael Ritchie came up with a classic that ranks right up there with his great 70's films. This movie packs the same satirical punch, social commentary, and insightful characterizations as "Downhill Racer," "The Candidate," and "Smile." Great. Too bad it was only on HBO.

I absolutely loved this movie to pieces! Having grown up in the United States, and having seen junior high school and high school cheerleaders in action, I found it a total hoot. It was sweet revenge for every nasty remark that cheerleaders had made about all us outside types back then.

The original case actually made it to the newspapers here, which is pretty remarkable considering all the local stuff that has to be covered.

Since Texas is playing such an important part in the coming US elections, I suppose it'll wind up on late night TV quite a lot in the next couple of months!

When the story of Wanda Holloway's arrest for soliciting the murder of her daughter's rival cheerleader and the cheerleader's mother hit the news here in Texas, it was absolutely bizarre on one hand, but sooo Texas on the other. How does something like this happen, I mean, who ARE these people?

Michael Ritchie does an outstanding job of explaining this in his scathingly hilarious movie. These characters are so Texan! (But not representative of us all, mind you!). Holly Hunter, a born Texan, is brilliant as Wanda Hollow. I can't think of anyone else who could have played the character. There are excellent performances from everyone, actually.

Maybe it helps to live in Texas to fully appreciate the movie. But as you watch it, just remember that this is a true story about real people, and their characterizations are probably not overly exaggerated. Y'all enjoy!

Holly Hunter is just amazing in this true, stranger than fiction, slice of Americana. Regardless of the horrors told here by the underrated Michael Ritchie, the film emerges as one of the funniest black comedies ever made. Holly Hunter deals with the madness of her character in such a completely matter-of-fact fashion that I felt compelled to sit through the movie one more time to make sure I hadn't imagined the whole thing. The second viewing allowed me, not only to confirm what I'd suspected but to discover a million new details in Hunter's performance that flew by me the first time round. You can bet I'll sit through it a third time while I recommend it to you whole heartedly.

From the great Michael Ritchie, director of The Bad News Bears, comes this very funny, sharp film based on the true story of a woman who tried to hire a hitman to kill the mother of her daughter's cheerleading rival. Great performances all around from Holly Hunter to a very funny Beau Bridges and a weird Swoosie Kurtz. I like the film a lot, Ritchie has always enjoyed skewering Southern culture and he is firmly in his element here. Definately doesn't view Texans kindly, but watch King of the Hill for that point of view.