Tomboy - Junge, was für ein Mädche

And how can you not love that cheesy, peppy, oh-so-80s pop theme song? This irresistible female-empowerment exploitation comedy stars the adorable, sexy as hell Ms. Russell as Tomasina "Tommy" Boyd, a young lady who'd much rather tinker with cars and play sports than do so-called "girly" things. She worships studly race car driver Randy Starr (Gerard Christopher), whom she is able to meet through Ernie Leeds, Jr. (Eric Douglas), a filthy rich auto racing entrepreneur. When the confident Randy isn't able to take her seriously, she sets out to prove that anything he can do, she can do just as well, if not better.

"Tomboy" creates some pretty good vibes for a pleasant 91 minutes. There's enough laughs and titillation to make it quite watchable. A big part of the appeal is Russell, one of the iconic 80s hotties who'd also made her mark in movies like "Private School", "Avenging Angel", and "Cheerleader Camp", and who's recently made a comeback in some of the "Saw" sequels. The movie itself is silly and clumsy at times, but ultimately upbeat entertainment. Voyeurs will be pleased with the amount of breast shots on display, and can take delight in a goofy, erotic commercial performed by Tommy's friend Seville (Kristi Somers, "Hell Comes to Frogtown"). The soundtrack provides tons of cheesy goodness.

The direction by Herb Freed, who'd previously done the horror pictures "Haunts", "Beyond Evil", and "Graduation Day", may not be inspired but it gets the job done, as do the performances by an engaging cast. Veteran Richard Erdman is likable as Chester, Tommy's boss and pal; Douglas, son of Kirk and brother to Michael, is effectively smarmy as the rich jerk. Fans of 80s movies will note the appearances by such people as Cynthia Thompson (the female lead in "Cavegirl", Dennis Hayden (one of the terrorists in "Die Hard"), and trash flick favourite Michelle Bauer, in an uncredited bit.

This kind of thing may not be Shakespeare, but it sure hits the spot for people just looking to have a good time.

Seven out of 10.

Not a flashback for anytime of my young boy to teenager 1970's, or my young adult to college BA and Master degree then first professional job in 1989, nor does it represent the hundreds of people I knew and worked or studied with during this time. However, it simply is a mindless ride into what might of been if all the stars were aligned and an actual UFO had landed inside your favorite college or NFL stadium and world peace had spontaneously broken out. Grab some popcorn, your favorite drink, put the top down on your convertible, and shot for the stars. A Crown International Picture, and thank God, not a Cannon production. I bought a used 12 pack of Too Cool for School as wanted to see The Van, and I will say that you get a full 1920 Kps with 12 chapter index, while a Cannon 4 pack had no chapter indexes and usually 75 minute run time, while AIP run a full 90 minutes. I also own AIP 200 movie pack of drive in both horror and sci fi and most US movies are filmed with professional care, unlike Canon and many International producers.

Another selection from the Mill Creek 200 drive in cult classics box set.

What can I say about this one. If you like lame comedy weak plot, cheesy soundtracks and ample amount of nudity you will love this.

Tommy is a misunderstood gal. She loves fixing cars being tough and racing. No one respects her for being herself they all want her to be more girly and get laid already.

These movies were a dime a dizen back in the 80's. To friends just having fun and getting in to trouble. There is a race and montages but really not much to say.

Great movie kept my interest and was never boring. Some really good stuff here. If you haven't seen it I would give it a watch.

Definitely a highlight in this box set so far.

You know the drive-in experience... Trying to find a good parking space... The queue at the intermission for snacks... And of course, the *ahem* entertainment you can have in the backseat if the movie sucks...

Which it invariably will.

Tomboy is one such 'delight' of a bygone era. You may think, looking at the packaging and tagline, it's an attempt to tackle the very serious subject of a young female trying to make it in the man's world of mechanics and motor sports.

Heck no.

This is instead, a rather cunning subterfuge for it's REAL agenda... Which is of course, to display as much female flesh as humanly possible. It does a pretty good job of it, I suppose. Not a moment goes by where our director concocts a situation that he can exploit to load the back and foreground with soft core naughtiness.

Naked Swimming. Stripping. Shower scenes. Hot dancing. Wet T shirts. And of course, the predictable moment when the music turns soppy, and everything is shot in soft lighting... Yep, the Obligatory Sex Scene (TM). This particular one is filmed in a gym, and features our heroine literally having her top TORN off, by the aptly named Randy.

I hope she got reimbursed for her damaged clothing post-coital. The film never specifies if this is the case. Talk about your plot holes...

Betsy Russell tries her best, she really does. An actual film promoting her struggle in a male-dominated industry might have been interesting. Alas, all we have is this collection of cheesy montages and Carry On-esque humour, so I guess you'll have to make do with it...

Actually, no. You don't. 4/10

This is perhaps one of the best "worst" movies ever made. This movie is so bad that most people who worked on it never worked again in Hollywood. The earliest anyone worked after this movie was 1989. It was certainly a career killer. But it was much more than that. If you think a girl shooting hoops on a motorcycle is hilarious or that a race car goes faster because cardboard accessories and onboard computers, this is the movie for you. This is one of the finest examples of the teen "sex-politation" genre in the early 80s. It stars the the recently deceased Eric Douglas and Betsy Russell (who was the Gretta Garbo of this genre). If you can find this movie- buy it. It is that good.