Let me start by saying that I truly, deep in my heart appreciate the youngsters who take all the time from their other campus pursuit to being each year’s B-Fest to life. This was a particularly lively crew this year, and you could feel the love they had for the event. Their work allows us old farts, as well as some students, to have this wonderful thing in our lives.
All that said, you can’t get around the fact that there’s very little institutional memory, since the student staff switches in and out each year. So they are prone to making some mistakes that perhaps some of us veterans–I’ve attended something like 40 of these now–wouldn’t make. This year, for instance, they repeated a mistake I’ve seen before: they ran the movies in genre blocks. For instance, the first basically six hours of the Fest consisted of ’70s and ’80s action films. As a veteran attendee, let me argue it’s far better to switch content up as much as possible. This is a minor niggle all things considered, though.
Things started strong with 1978’s Stunt Rock, an Australian film that 100% lives up to its title. Legendary Ozzie stunt man Grant Page plays himself, living his life and doing mind-boggling stunts for movies. This part plays a lot like a more down to earth Hooper. The other half of the film involves concert footage of the rock band Sorcery, who’s performances feature elaborate stage battles between Merlin and the Prince of Darkness. Flipping back from one to the other keeps things pretty fun. It’s a really good, weird movie. Do I Own It on Blu Ray: Yes.
Sadly, this was followed by the extremely lackluster, low energy (nominally) blaxploitation flick Hot Potato (1978). Nominally starring Jim Kelly reprising his role of Black Belt Jones, to little effect, features a disinterested Kelly in the Philippines seeking to find the kidnapped daughter of a US Senator, or something. It’s kind of lazy and tries to be funny but isn’t. Even Kelly’s fight scenes seem to move in slow motion. So many great kung fu and action and blaxploitation films, and this is one somebody sponsored. Kind of a head scratcher. Do I Own it on Blu Ray: No, but I have it floating around on DVD on a blaxploitation four pack somewhere.
Things got better with 1973’s (see a pattern) Wonder Women, filmed in the Philippines to much better effect. Quite reminiscent of 1969’s Girl from Rio, about a female supervillain and her army of beautiful women assassins, Genre vet Ross Hagen is hired to battle the Dr. Moreau-esque Nancy Kwan (!) and her army of beautiful (and horny) women assassins. Aside from the normal Philippine production values, we get great supporting performances from (of course) Vic Diaz and (of courser) Sid Haig. Kwan’s mad scientist escapes at the end to set up a sequel that never happened. It’s very fun, though. Do I Own it on Blu Ray: Yes.
This was followed by the traditional showing of the Mascot of B-Fest: The short The Wizard of Speed and Time.
So we hit midnight, time for the yearly showing of Plan Nine from Outer Space. What can I say about it that I haven’t said before? I do nap through this because I’m sure I’ve seen this movie like 50 times during my long, long life. Do I own it on Blu Ray: No, my twenty-year old plus DVD still suffices.
