OK, so another speed run for Basement Fest ’25 as we hit a stretch with no monsters.
GalaxyJane picked the fun but modest TV pilot Wonder Woman. This is the one with blonde Cathy Lee Crosby as Diana, playing the character when she was in her (far cheaper) depowered, Emma Peal-lite period. The real star of the piece is Ricardo Montalbán as the film’s suave, romantic and gleefully cheerful villain. He’s clearly having a hoot playing the part, and the fun he is having is infectious. Frankly, they should have made a series about that guy. Oddly, the producers learned from their mistakes and brought back Wonder Woman the next year in the far more traditional guise of Lynda Carter.
Rev brought the Satanic slasher flick Hack-O-Lantern. It’s fun and dumb, as you’d expect, anchored by another guys who is having the time of his life playing the (far more vile) villain.
Hostess Holly picked Ice Castles, the soapy “sweet young skater goes blind” flick. Robbie Benson plays it like he never had a single thought in his entire life. The lights were on but no one was home. A fun change of pace.
Then we finally got to the last film, our traditional colorful giant monster film. I went a little off sides by picked the Thai 1979 Crocodile. It starts as (surprise) a Jaws knock-off, but becomes an extremely silly giant monster flick. The crocodile’s size seems to change from shot to shot. Out on a nice Blu Ray.
