Plot: What’s it about?
In Just For The Hell Of It, we watch as a band of street toughs terrorize a neighborhood. These four thugs have no morals at all and when it comes to people or property, they’d rather do damage than anything else. These kids have had no real problems to deal with, but they still turned out bad and show no signs of improvement in the least. At first, their pranks were small and pretty harmless, but as time passed, they needed more thrills and that led them to more serious actions. If these kids get bored, the town had better watch out, as they’ll do anything for kicks, even if at the expense of innocent folks like you and me. Can anyone, even the local jock with good morals stop these criminals, or will they dominate the area forever? In Blast-Off Girls, an underhanded manager tries to turn a small time band into a sensation, but his techniques are unusual to say the least. The band partakes in wild pot parties, all sorts of beautiful girls, and of course, some blackmail and other illegal matters, all in the good name of rock ‘n’ roll!
I love the discs issued by Something Weird Video (via Image Entertainment) and when it comes to these double features, I have double the love. In this case, we’re given two “teens gone wild” flicks by Herschell Gordon Lewis and while the films aren’t excellent, the value price makes this one easier to own. I was not blown away by either of these films, but both were worth a look and since both are offered at one low price, I think this is a terrific deal. I suppose you need to like the whole rough teen genre and the style of H.G. Lewis, but I think this disc is a steal in the end. I am also pleased that the two films are such a good match, as some double features (from other studios) offer two films with little in common, which is not cool. But chances are that if you like one of these two flicks, then you’ll have a good time with both. There’s plenty of humorous hijinks and hoodlum adventures, so fans of “teens gone wild” pictures should be in heaven with this disc. I give this disc a solid recommendation, as both movies are a good watch and with double the value, genre fans can’t go wrong here. The extras are a little slim with this disc, but I still think it is more than worth a look.
The man in the director’s chair for both of these films is Herschell Gordon Lewis, a true legend in the realm of low budget exploitation filmmaking, to be sure. Although Lewis is more noted for his films loaded with gore and odd antics, he also made more than a few of these teen flicks, which are also a lot of fun to watch. The genre of wild teens has changed a lot over time and we don’t see too many along these lines today, which makes it even more fun to go back and revisit these pictures. Lewis uses his very limited resources in both productions well, which means the films have a decent visual style, even though cash was very strapped. The same madcap antics and offbeat characters are present in these films, so fans of Lewis won’t be too shaken off base here, although the lack of gore is a little strange at first. Whether he uses rough teens or insane killers though, H.G. Lewis knows how to make a movie and these two flicks help drive that point home. Other films directed by Lewis include The Gore-Gore Girls, Color Me Blood Red, Two Thousand Maniacs, Scum of the Earth, Blood Feast, She-Devils On Wheels, and The Wizard of Gore.
Video: How does it look?
Just For The Hell of It is shown in the full frame form as intended, while Blast-Off Girls is presented in a 1.66:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The transfer on the first films seems a little washed out at times, but I think it looks more than decent and that’s enough in this case. The source print looks very good and aside from some slight color flaws, I was pleased with the presentation. The second film is not as smooth, but is still good enough to watch, even with some problems. There is more print damage present here, as well as more muted colors and some evidence of ghosting, which is not cool. But even with the flaws, this is about as good as we’ll see this one look, so I suppose not a lot of room for complaint is present. Could these films look better? Of course, but due to the limited audience for these films, it simply wouldn’t be a wise investment.
Audio: How does it sound?
Each film features a mono soundtrack, which means the dynamic presence is limited, but it seems to be enough for these flicks. I did notice some age related flaws, such as distortion and harshness, but given the nature of these films, I’m surprised they sound as clean as they do here. The music and sound effects are solid, but not all that memorable, which is all you can expect from a release like this one. No issues with dialogue aside from some slight flaws, but as I mentioned above, these problems don’t amount to much in the end. I doubt you’ll be impressed here by any means, but since the basics are handled well, I have no real complaints.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As is the case with all of these Something Weird double features, this disc includes an option to enable some drive in features, such as intermission shorts and such. I think this adds a lot to the experience if you watch them both back to back, especially if you’re with some friends. The disc also includes some radio spots, a selection of exploitation artwork, and of course, a wealth of theatrical trailers. The trailers for both of these films are included, as well as other H.G. Lewis classicks, very cool indeed. You can also view a bonus short film by H.G. Lewis, called Hot Night At The Go-Go Lounge.
