TUBI CONTINUED… SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA 2 (2022) ** ½

Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama is one of my favorite cult classics of the ‘80s.  There have been rumors of a sequel for years (Sorority Babes in the Dance-A-Thon of Death was more of a rip-off than a true sequel), but after more than a third of a century, it’s finally here.  (Behind the scenes problems ranging from everything from COVID to original director David DeCoteau quitting pushed the release date back even further.)  Was it worth the wait?  Yes and no.  

A new crop of sorority girls are being initiated on pledge night.  Their task is to steal the same bowling trophy from the same bowling alley that the sorority babes tried to steal thirty years ago.  It doesn’t take long for history to repeat itself as the sisters (along with some nerdy boys who’ve tagged along) accidentally break the trophy and unleash an evil Imp (along with two sorority girl ghosts who’ve been trapped in there for three decades).  The mischievous menace promises to grant them all wishes that predictably backfire with deadly results.  

Let’s start with the unfortunate news first.  (I hesitate to say, “bad news” because the movie itself isn’t “bad”, it merely fails to live up to the lofty heights of the original.)  DeCoteau’s absence behind the camera is felt as the film lacks the loosey-goosey charm and anything-goes vibe of the first film.  Original starlet, Brinke Stevens is at the helm this time, and while I’m glad she is getting an opportunity to direct, she doesn’t quite have the same magic DeCoteau had.  

Speaking of Stevens, it’s fun to see her and Michelle Bauer returning from the original as sort of badly green-screened Jedi Force Ghosts who hang around the bowling alley and make snide commentary on the action.  I wish they were utilized a bit more, but I loved having another opportunity to see them in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama again, however briefly.  Unfortunately, the presence of original star, Linnea Quigley is sorely missed.  Stevens, Bauer, and Quigley are the ultimate triumvirate of 80’s Scream Queens, and to break up the trio is kind of a bummer.  While I enjoyed seeing Kelli (Night of the Comet) Maroney showing up as Quigley’s sister, it’s obvious the role was written with Quigley in mind.  

Another debit (which isn’t Stevens’ fault) is that the version I saw on Tubi had most of the nudity obscured or cropped out.  I hate it when Full Moon does this.  While it kind of recreates the experience of watching edited-for-television B movies on USA’s Up All Night or Commander USA’s Groovie Movies, it’s still kind of a bummer.  Honestly, there’s no reason to show edited movies on a streaming service.  

Okay, now I got all that off my chest, Sorority Babes 2 is still kinda fun.  It’s about 50% remake and 50% sequel, which is more of an observation than a criticism.  I mean, if you already did it perfectly the first time, there’s no reason to fuck with the formula.  

Like most of the recent crop of Full Moon movies, it’s only an hour long.  The best thing I can say about Brinke’s direction is that she paced this sucker like lightning.  She wastes no time getting the Sorority Babes to the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama and once they arrive there, the shit hits the proverbial fan soon after.  The scenes where the sorority babes’ wishes backfire are hit-and-miss, but when they do hit, the results, while predictable, are still very funny.  (Like when the one guy wishes for a “shit ton of money”.)  

As far as thirty-four-years later legacy sequels to ‘80s cable staples go, I’m sure you could do a lot worse than Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama 2.  While it may not live up to the original, it’s pleasantly diverting enough.  I just hope they don’t wait another thirty-four years to make the next one.