Why the low ratings on IMDB for this hidden 70s gem?

About a year ago I picked up “Drive-In Cult Classics Volume 3” during a really long winter and I found “The Pom Pom Girls” to be the gem of this collection. As of this moment the film has a 5.0 rating on IMDB. In the DVD collection the movie is on the same disc as “Malibu Beach” which I didn’t find could hold a candle to the Pom Pom Girls yet it scores a 4.5 rating. Come on people!

I see the Pom Pom Girls as a great little period piece that captures the mid 1970s spirit (pranks, the drive in burger place, vans, the big football game, rivalry over the popular girls, etc.) and has characters that are well developed and relatable to anyone that went to high school. Meanwhile the acting here shines: Robert Carradine may steal the show, but Bill Adler, Jennifer Ashley, Michael Mullins, and Lisa Reeves are all believable as high school friends.

Sure they may not have set out to make the teen version of “The Godfather” here but it was an enjoyable movie. The Scorpion Releasing blu ray transfer is pretty impressive and maybe the high quality shots of California are adding a couple of points to my rating since much of this film was shot outdoors while many drive in flicks of the time heavily featured indoor or cheaper sets (compare a similar film, Revenge of the Cheerleaders, to The Pom Pom Girls to see this difference in action.)

I did get a kick out of the fact that Robert Carradine is nearly knocked down when Jennifer Ashley pulls into a parking spot at the burger place and they trusted him to drive the fire truck in his scenes with it. Last, the soundtrack really did work here. I personally rate the film a strong 7 – 8.