1982's "Sweet Sixteen" is somewhere between "Friday the 13th," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (which was made that same year), and a Nancy Drew murder mystery. It was directed by Jim Sotos, most known for his mid '70s work "Forced Entry," and features one of the strongest casts of a formulaic teen slasher movie in recent memory. Along for the ride are screen veterans such as Bo Hopkins, Patrick MacNee and Susan Strasberg. Thus, with the aforementioned cast and its above-average production values, this one always comes off as a "real movie," unlike some of its no-budget slasher counterparts from around the same time.Aleisa Shirley (in her screen debut) stars as Melissa, who is a VERY mature-for-her-age (both in appearance and behavior) 15-year-old newcomer to a small Texas town. Melissa, shall we say, doesn't let her physical lack of years hold her back in the least, as she is known to drink, do drugs, stay out well past curfew, and has a rather casual and promiscuous attitude in choosing sexual partners. Early on, a drunk, redneck town ruffian takes her to an Indian reservation for a little late night action, only to be stabbed multiple times by an unknown perpetrator. Melissa in fact becomes the object of desire to all the boys at her new high school, and pretty soon more carnage ensues, with all the guys with the guts to get close enough to her becoming possibilities as the next murder victim. Sheriff Bo Hopkins and his daughter, played by Dana Kimmell (in the same year she starred in "Friday the 13th 3-D") are hot on the trail of the killer throughout the film, and suspicion points to an unsavory Indian at the reservation's burial ground.Man, did I ever have a lot of fun with this one. A lot of the appeal and the movie's kinetic energy is carried on the shoulders of Aleisa Shirley, who at 19 was a drop dead gorgeous brunette knockout. And the scenes of her undressing/showering and even taking a moonlight skinny-dipping on her Sweet 16 birthday (the title occasion and the inspiration for the memorable movie poster/DVD cover) are far from unwelcome. I also love the shaggy early '80s hairstyles on the boys that lust after her. The potential boyfriend from her high school that she arranges a date with in a dark back alley, to try and score some "killer herb," looks like he was taken directly from a 1982-era Scorpions concert. Dana Kimmell also shines in her role as the respectful good girl, just the opposite of Melissa, and the whole cast looks like they had a good time filming this one. With its arid Texas desert setting, in many ways this film has all the breezy, loose and free-spirited qualities of a sultry summer night. (I just happen to be viewing and reviewing this on a hot summer night myself, and it never ceases to entertain me, and I've watched it several times since I bought it).As for the DVD itself, apparently the original master of "Sweet Sixteen" was somehow lost to time, and kudos therefore to the good folks at Code Red for rescuing it from certain oblivion and compiling the best surviving film elements into this composite "Director's Cut." While, as other reviewers have stated, the resulting transfer definitely could be better, I in the end found it more than watchable, and the gritty, film-reel quality actually adds a raw, vintage edge to it, making one realize just what a precious commodity this one was to give a digital rebirth to. Someone seems to now be taking notice, as this 2008 Code Red reissue is already out of print, with remaining copies being snapped up rapidly, and prices increasing by the day.If you're into slasher films for big-budget splatter effects alone, you are sure to be disappointed. If however you are looking for a lost treasure from the genre's peak era with an attractive, vibrant cast (not to mention the entertaining theme song "Melissa" that is played over and over again on the soundtrack), and more than acceptable direction by Sotos, look no further than "Sweet Sixteen." Recommended for slasher fans more in it for the fun factor than a double-digit body count.