This ten-part series from Showtime revisited the classic drive-in movie era with standalone feature-length films featuring fast cars, fast girls, love, anger, and teenage angst.
Series creator Lou Arkoff was the son of Samuel Arkoff, founder of American International Pictures, who were responsible for most of the drive-in classics in the 1950s.
Lou and producer Debra Hill invited a variety of directors to select a title from one of Samuel’s old movies, hire their own writers and create a story that may or may not resemble the original.
The directors were each given a $1.3 million budget for a 12-day shoot and imprinted their personal styles on the films.
The series debuted on 22 July 1994 with ‘Roadracers’, a ’50s story from Rodriguez complete with tight sweaters, leather jackets, skating rinks, hot rods, sullen sneers and more cigarettes than a Bogart film.
The film revolves around a kid named Dude (David Arquette) who wants to play in a rock ‘n’ roll band, Donna, the voluptuous Mexican girl who loves him (Salma Hayek), the jealous gang leader, Teddy Leather (Jason Wiles), and the vengeful small-town cop (William Sadler) who ran his father out of town some years ago.
‘Confessions of a Sorority Girl’ featured college student Rita Summers (Alyssa Milano) – smart, pretty, and president of her sorority, Alpha Beta Pi. When conceited and wealthy teenager Sabrina Masterson (Jamie Luner) arrives on campus looking to follow in her older sister’s footsteps by any means necessary, she sets out to take the presidency – and Rita’s boyfriend, Mort (Brian Bloom), too. Uli Edel directed.
Texan Cal Morris (Gerald McRaney) and his wife (Elan Oberon) are moving with their teenage daughter, Leann (Carla Gugino) to their new home in California in ‘Motorcycle Gang’ when they find themselves terrorised on the highway in Arizona by a homicidal quartet of bikers led by a brutal young outlaw played by Jake Busey (son of Gary). The bikers kidnap the girl and cross the border into Mexico, forcing the father to revert to his military training and wartime combat experience to locate the gang and rescue his daughter. John Milius directed.
Three guy-crazy girlfriends – Angie Gordon (Julie Bowen), Mary Nicholson (Holly Fields) and Laura Cahn (Jenny Lewis) – take to the road in a stolen car in ‘Runaway Daughters‘, to track down Bob Randolph (Chris Young) before he joins the Navy to avoid marriage to Mary, who he has made pregnant.
Naturally, they end up in a heap of trouble, running into lecherous patrol cops, crazed anti-commie survivalists, and two mad-dog killers along the way. Watch out for cameo appearances from Fabian and drive-in filmmakers Roger Corman and Sam Arkoff. Joe Dante directed.
In ‘Girls in Prison’, sweet aspiring singer/songwriter Aggie O’Hanlon (Missy Crider) is sent to a tough women’s prison to serve a life sentence after being framed for the murder of a record executive. While incarcerated, Aggie befriends convicted murderers Carol (Ione Skye) and Melba (Bahni Turpin). It becomes apparent that someone on the outside wants Aggie dead, and she finds herself the target of various “hit girls.” Carol and Melba try to protect her while they track down the culprit. Director Jon McNaughton delivers a great genre piece, complete with obligatory shower scenes, lesbian encounter and catfights.
Spunky teenager Susan (Renée Zellweger) and her friends Cookie (Patricia Childress) and Tony (Max Perlich) start their own nightclub in their small town in ‘Shake, Rattle and Rock!’ (directed by Allan Arkush). They face stiff opposition from uptight adults who consider rock ‘n ‘ roll to be the devil’s music and think it will have a corrupting influence on their children.
Set against a backdrop of 1950s Los Angeles and directed by Mary Lambert, ‘Dragstrip Girl’ introduced Johnny (Mark Dacascos) – a bad guy trying to go straight. He becomes smitten with Laura (Natasha Gregson Wagner), a bored, wealthy, good girl who pretends to go steady with him in order to rebel against her parents. He steals a red Cadillac to impress her, and the police are soon after him.
A mischievous 1950s high school cheerleader (Shannen Doherty) meets a leather-clad rebel biker (Antonio Sabato Jr) in ‘Jailbreakers’ (directed by William Friedkin) and sets out on the town with him.
When he steals an item of jewellery, he is thrown in prison – but not for long. After a desperate escape, he is determined to catch up with his lost love and renew their criminal activities.
Michael (Jared Leto) and Roslyn (Alicia Silverstone) are high school sweethearts in ‘Cool and the Crazy’ (directed by Ralph Bakshi). So are Joannie (Jennifer Blanc) and Bobby (Christian Frizzell). They have a double wedding at 18 and babies at 19, and before long, Joannie is having an affair with a guy called Frankie (Bradford Tatum) and trying to convince Roslyn to have one too – with bad boy Joey (Matthew Flint). Joey is a very bad boy.
‘Reform School Girl’ found Donna Patterson (Aimee Graham), a 17-year-old passenger in a hit-and-run accident, taking the rap for the driver, bad boy Vince (Matt LeBlanc).
Sent to reform school, she makes friends and learns about herself while trying to save her little sister Cathy (Ashley Lister) from their abusive and perverted uncle (Harry Northup), who is their legal guardian. The director was Jonathan Kaplan.
Roadracers | Confessions of a Sorority Girl | Motorcycle Gang | Runaway Daughters | Girls in Prison | Shake, Rattle and Rock! | Dragstrip Girl | Jailbreakers | Cool and the Crazy | Reform School Girl
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This ten-part series from Showtime revisited the classic drive-in movie era with standalone feature-length films featuring fast cars, fast girls, love, anger, and teenage angst.
The series debuted on 22 July 1994 with ‘Roadracers’, a ’50s story from Rodriguez complete with tight sweaters, leather jackets, skating rinks, hot rods, sullen sneers and more cigarettes than a Bogart film.
Naturally, they end up in a heap of trouble, running into lecherous patrol cops, crazed anti-commie survivalists, and two mad-dog killers along the way. Watch out for cameo appearances from Fabian and drive-in filmmakers Roger Corman and Sam Arkoff. Joe Dante directed.
A mischievous 1950s high school cheerleader (Shannen Doherty) meets a leather-clad rebel biker (Antonio Sabato Jr) in ‘Jailbreakers’ (directed by William Friedkin) and sets out on the town with him.
‘Reform School Girl’ found Donna Patterson (Aimee Graham), a 17-year-old passenger in a hit-and-run accident, taking the rap for the driver, bad boy Vince (Matt LeBlanc).
