Rush Week

 Starring: Pamela Ludwig, Dean Hamilton, Roy Thinnes, Courtney Gebhart

Directed by Bob Bralver (one of the stunt guys on "Road House" ha) 

"Rush Week" is not mentioned that often when you think of either Cult Movies or 'B' Movies. It's usually panned, homegrown reviewers usually saying "There's a reason why you've never heard of it". Harsh! I think people might be expecting a little too much from this small, but fun film. 

Lately, I've been a college sorority/fraternity kick when it comes to movies. Besides, "Rush Week", I've watched "The Initiation"  (pretty good) and "Campus Corpse" (not so great) to name a couple. I started working part time at a company a couple of weeks ago that makes Greek letter shirts, so that's definitely fueling my preferences. 

This magazine makes 2 appearances in this movie

In this case, "ΔΒΔ" or the Delta Beta Delta fraternity are the focus of "Rush Week". Toni is a Journalism student who's assigned by Cosmo, AKA Gregg Allman (!) to cover her college's Rush Week. With some mysterious happenings around campus, she has other ideas for her article. Cute red headed Pamela Ludwig plays Toni, but you probably remember her best from her first film, "Over The Edge". Then, she was hot stuff as Cory, the girl whose life ambition was to be a truck driver of all things. Jeff (Dean Hamilton, now a film company CEO) is her hunky, Patrick Swayze knock off (another "Road House reference! eww) boyfriend and head of "ΔΒΔ" with a secretive past. 

There's some scenes that appear to copy ones from "Pretty In Pink" with using the late 1980s archaic version of Instant Messaging. Toni receives various messages on her black and green computer screen, but isn't entirely sure who is sending them. I wondered if the director had to meet a "Boob Quota" of some sort with this movie. Yes, there is such a thing. If you listen to the "Valley Girl" movie commentary, you'll hear director Martha Coolidge talk about how she had to include at least 3 boob shots in the film. How funny is that? I didn't count, but "Rush Week", *ahem* definitely "tops" that. There's also a subplot with a creepy photographer dude who has mostly naked girls pose with a dead body. 

Like I said, I wouldn't expect too much from this movie, but it definitely has an unusual tone to it. I like it, but it's definitely not for everybody. I think it reads more like an exaggerated, boob-filled, blood-less thriller type of Lifetime Made For TV Movie. It has the whodunnit style plot line that keeps you guessing as to who's the real bad guy in the movie. Meanwhile, besides the 1991 garbage of the time (Fred Astraire III anyone?), the soundtrack includes, Devo, Dead Milkmen and even an appearance by The Dickies in a Halloween party scene. Most appropriate of all is their performance of "Booby Trap". ha! 

"Rush Week" can be found on VHS (which is what I have) and a long out of print DVD. I didn't see an online/YouTube full movie link.