This was one I missed in the theaters when it came out, way back in 1981 or so. Thanks to DVD and Netflix, I finally got my chance - some opinions follow.

The Hollywood Knights is set in October, 1965, in Beverly Hills, CA. It centers around a car club called the Hollywood Knights, who hang out around a drive-in restaurant that is to be permanently closed the next day, and demolished to make way for an office complex. The Knights, you see, are not popular in the neighborhood, due to the infantile behavior they constantly exhibit, and this is how the neighborhood elders plant to deal with them. The Knights never go out without a fight, though, and make this last night a memorable one by pulling every imaginable type of childish prank, from hiding in ladies' rooms to urinating in party punch. As role models, they are guaranteed to retard the social development of teenagers!

Although set in 1965, Hollywood Knights has a very 1980-ish feel to it, and fails to recreate the period atmosphere. The men sport 1980-type haircuts, not the severe crewcuts that were in vogue at the time. Nearly all the hot-rodded cars have the same out-of-period look, too, being equipped with 1970s-type accessories like five-spoke mag wheels, and 6-71 Jimmy superchargers, instead of chrome reverse-rims, cheater slicks, or three-deuce carburetor setups that were authentic period equipment. On the subject of street rods, a note of interest here is that the film featured Project X, the 1957 Chevrolet project car of Popular Hot Rodding Magazine (in fact, its engine self-destructed during the filming).

Like the cars, the soundtrack also leaves something to be desired. Pop radio stations in 1965, the era of surf, the British Invasion, and Motown would have been playing groups like the Beach Boys, the Dave Clark Five, and the Supremes. Instead, the airwaves are filled with a mix material dating back to the mid-Fifties, including cover groups like the Crew Cuts that would have been ancient history by 1965. You'd think they could have put together a more authentic mix for the soundtrack, along with some genuine hot-rod hits by groups like the Super Stocks, but I guess this was a mass-market product aimed at a lowest common denominator, and they felt that a 1980 oldies station playlist would have the most appeal.

The video quality is excellent, boasting a transfer that appeared almost film-like on my 58-inch widescreen with progressive scan. There are a few extras, including a commentary and some trailers, as well, but I didn't have time to look at them.

All in all, Hollywood Knights is an OK rental, and maybe if it was on sale I'd buy it. However, fans looking for a classic of this genre would be better advised to pass on this one, and get American Grafitti instead.

• 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen
• Dolby Digital 5.1 - color
• run time of 91 minutes