By M.V. Moorhead
The noble art of cracking wise at bad movies is one of the last of our culture’s great oral traditions to be co-opted by professionals. But co-opted it was, in the late ’80s, by Mystery Science Theatre 3000, which at its best was humblingly brilliant TV.
Mike Nelson and other MST3K vets carry on the tradition with RiffTrax, in-theatre shows featuring cheesy, C-grade movies mocked for our amusement with snarky running commentary. A few years ago, I saw the gang carve up The Giant Spider Invasion, Bill Rebane’s Wisconsin-made saga featuring a Volkswagen dressed up as the titular monster arachnid. Needless to say, making the movie hilarious wasn’t like pulling teeth.
Same should go for this weekend’s “RiffTrax Experiment” event, Sunday, September 13 at 6:45 p.m. at Majestic Tempe 7 and Majestic Gilbert 8. The feature being skewered here is Sting of Death, the lurid 1966 creature feature directed by Florida man William Grefé, about a hideous human/Portuguese man o’ war hybrid with a venomous touch ruining a weekend poolside dance party.
The costume representing the monster must surely be among the top ten least convincing in horror movie history – the guy wears a wet suit and flippers that have seen better days, with tentacles that vaguely resemble dangling Mardi Gras beads. His head is an inflated garbage bag. It’s doubtful that, even in 1966, he would’ve taken third in a Halloween party costume contest.
The poor monster is the murderous alter-ego of the assistant to the heroine’s scientist father, and he suffers unrequited love for her. He is, as the kids might say, “jelly.”
Although Land of the Giants starlet Deanna Lund is among the victims, the most notable person in the credits is Neil Sedaka, billed as “Special Singing Guest Star.” He doesn’t appear, but during a lengthy dance we hear him sing “Do the Jellyfish.” Not, perhaps, what landed him in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
For details go to majesticphx.com
