Bikini Drive-in

Bikini Drive-In was the true unofficial sequel to the Bikini Car Wash Company films in my opinion. Interestingly, when I saw the credits at the start, Fred Olen Ray was the producer and Jim Wynorski was the director.

A movie with a familiar plot: someone has inherited something(namely an old drive-in theater) and she has to save it from bankruptcy. She and another man, who wanted to buy the property, choose to show old drive-in classics form the 50's and 60's and make it a party zone. This makes her happy because she is coming off a bad end to a relationship.

With this plot, who needs sex and nudity? But because the cast can't act, in comes the sex and nudity, and boy is it good. Ashley Rhey, former hardcore flash Sarah Bellomo, and Michelle Bauer strut their stuff. The sex in the Unrated version is pretty spicy. The movie lives up to being fun; you almost feel like you're there yourself. The only problem is that the film ends abruptly, like there wasn't a truly big climactic scene. Still, that doesn't deter that this is good fun, created during the golden age of MFV.

P.S. Don't diss nerdy people unless you see what's under their clothes. This movie will show you why!

Bikini Drive-In features most of the actors from "Dinosaur Island" (Peter Spellos, Ross Hagen, Richard Gabai, Michelle Bauer) plus some straight-to-cable softcore veterans like Ashley Rhey. It follows the classic STSWB (save the something with breasts) plot: Girl inherits grandpa's drive in, must raise money in limited time to keep it, dreams up idea of letting girls in bikinis work there. Sound familiar? You probably haven't seen this movie, but you've seen one like it. I give it a solid B for many laughable parts and lots of skin. Skin-O-Max master Fred Olen Ray directs this flick.

Searching to find a decent movie about drive-in theatres or movies that have a main plot around a drive-ins, I read about this one on the IMDB I was pleasantly surprised after watching it. The plot consists of the main character named Kim who inherits a drive-in theatre from her late Grandfather. In order to turn a profit, she enlists the help of her bodacious girlfriends to help turn the theatre around and generate some publicity which in turn makes the theatre one of the hot spots of LA. It's light entertainment, and has some funny moments in it. On the whole, it's an entertaining movie through and through with some good natured humour thrown in.

Ashlie Rhey is our endearing leading lady in this amiable feature, playing Kim Taylor, a young woman fairly bored with her life. Fortunately, she's in for some excitement, as she receives word that her recently deceased grandfather has left her his (failing) drive-in theatre. She's genuinely interested in making a go of things, but she only has the weekend to come up with $25,000 or the bank will lay claim to the property. She doesn't want to let sleazy businessman J.B. Winston (played by the Mighty Monarch of Exploitation, David F. Friedman) bail her out, because he just wants to build a "super mall" on the premises. With the help of J.B.'s son, Brian (Richard Gabai), and assorted others - including scream queen Dyanne Lynn (Michelle Bauer) - she sets out to make this upcoming weekend as profitable as it can possibly be.

Only one scene, in which one character seems about to set another on fire, is at odds with the genuinely lighthearted approach taken by prolific B movie veterans Fred Olen Ray (director) and Jim Wynorski (executive producer) to this material. This viewer was expecting something explicit and trashy, and the movie delivers in that regard, but what he also got was a very loving tribute to drive-in cinema, and a nearly bygone way of experiencing a night out at the movies. "Bikini Drive-In" is very appealing, in its best moments, and is good for a LOT of titillation and some hearty chuckles. Certainly there is a great attraction in seeing a lot of vintage posters of B movies from decades past, ranging from "The Cremators" to "Invasion of the Blood Farmers". A cheery pop soundtrack is a plus. The finale is rather rushed, but it's sure to leave smiles on some faces.

Ray and Wynorski have great success peppering the cast with many new and old faces from cult cinema. These actors couldn't be more engaging. Ross Hagen, Peter "Orville Ketchum" Spellos, Nikki Fritz, Conrad Brooks, Gordon Mitchell, Hoke Howell, Forrest J. Ackerman, director Ray himself (playing DJ Randy Rocket), Becky LeBeau, Tane McClure, and Wynorski all make appearances; McClures' "car dance" and Bauers' massage are unqualified highlights. The assets of our female cast members are stressed at any and every opportunity, and some of the males get into the act, too, as there are a few sex scenes.

If you're a fan of the filmographies of Messrs. Ray and Wynorski, this is pretty much essential viewing.

A head shot of John Carradine is used for a key photograph.

Eight out of 10.

Gordon Mitchell has a small role playing GOLIATH in this fun film about a drive-in theater in financial trouble. Gordon Mitchell told me he did this clip as a favor to a friend. I have added two photos to the gallery that Gordon sent to me years ago. Enjoy.