Monster of the Day #3673

The third film was my favorite this year, Shack Out on 101. It’s set in a seedy diner and is a ’50s anti-Commie espionage film. I’ve heard about this for years, and actually bought it on DVD a while ago, but hadn’t gotten around to watching it. It is…weird. Like all of the sudden we get 10 ‘comical’ minutes of a shirtless (young, skinny) Lee Marvin and Keenan Wynn pumping iron. In the diner. Really, really odd film, clearly adapted from a one-set stageplay. Also costars Whit Bissell. That’s a great cast.

Then after 6 years Telstar Man, the Mayor of B-Fest, brought back his signature “film”, Truth or Dare a Critical Madness. This is a shot on video slasher made by an 18 year old in Florida. It’s…not really that good. However, Telstar Man has a couple of associated bits from his previous showing of it, and the bits were still great.

Then we had our annual showing of the Mascot of B-Fest, The Wizard of Speed and Time. Fewer folks up on stage now, lying on their backs and pounding feet to accompany the Wizard. Because more attendees are my age and don’t want to throw out their backs or get stuck down there like an overturned turtle.

Finally we got our yearly (more or less) midnight show of Plan 9. This year I basically stayed up for all the movies, so I didn’t nap through it. Still magic.

People start arriving for Basement Fest tonight, and then tomorrow it’s all airport runs. So I’ll be radio silent probably until next week. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Pin It

🐻 bgbear_rnh

I would hate to get beat up at a fan fest. Is "The Wizard of Time and Space" supposed to be a bad film, a fun bad film, or a great film? Asking for a friend.
The Rev.

I can't speak for everyone, but I'd say great. The Wizard of Speed and Time is a short film made by animator/aspiring filmmaker Mike Jittlov when he was around thirty. It is three minutes of pure chaotic joy. They tend to play it three times at B-Fest, in some combination of normally, backwards, sped up, and/or upside-down. Even those of us not on the stage will generally stamp our feet and sing along and cheer each time it's shown. Come to think of it, it's probably a mistake to play it and get us hyped right before Plan 9, which a lot of people try to nap through because we've seen it dozens of times.

He later made a feature film with the same title that's okay. I'd say fun enough for one watch, although it probably didn't need to be 95-ish minutes.

They both appear to be on YouTube.
🐻 bgbear_rnh

Thanks. I believe I saw it running on something like "Up All Night" but it looked like a hyper active commercial. I was not paying proper attention. I'll now know not to roll my eyes if someone asks me to watch it with them ;-)
Galaxy Jane

Look, from my perspective there was not a darn thing wrong with the topless iron pumping scene, although both had been neglecting leg day. I'd never heard of that one and was very pleasantly surprised while watching along at home.

Related Posts