I'm still a member of the Science Fiction Book Club, and occassionally pick up hardbacks of old classics, or sometimes omnibus editions. They also have a section of their offerings devoted to graphic novels, and to movies. This month, stuffed in with such fare as
Missile to the Moon where "Lunar She-Devils lure Earthmen into their lair of doom" and
Dinosaur Valley Girls, where an "action-movie actor" is cast into the past and must use his "prodigious skills to win the cavegirl of his dreams" while being tempted by a "tribe of love-starved exotic cave-women," there was--perhaps--the greatest come-on for a movie ever. I give you:
Babes in Kong Land.
It's good that I stumble upon such fare once in a while. Just when I begin to feel smug in my own imagination, something like "Babes" is waved before my face and I know I am but a child. I dare say I would
never have imagined quite this sort of scenario. I bow to the creators, and I know I can never watch this DVD. I just don't see how it could live up to the promise of the description.
On the other hand, this
Andromina: The Pleasure Planet sounds interesting. After all, who wouldn't want to visit "the most famous pleasure planet in the galaxy?"
I like the sentiment here, Charles--about feeling smug and being jolted out of said smugness. The first time I read the highly quirky counter-culture icon Richard Brautigan, I was amazed at what he did with the whole idea of plot and chapter format. Blew me away. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but he made my own creative river jump its banks.
ReplyDelete"Pleasure planets."
ReplyDeleteYou've probably already read the excellent example of one such planet, "Solaris", an old title by Stanislaw Lem--a sentient orb that can give you everythig you want--can repair any mistake you'd ever made in your life--can make everything all right!
There was a movie made of Solaris, but it was rather dark, and face it--somewhat crappy.
But the novel was something else!
But then as an SF reader, you probably know all about old LEM, whose name strangely, anagrams into Lunar Entry Module. LOL.
okay, I did NOT know this stuff existed. Sounds like the male version of certain romances I've seen.
ReplyDeleteOkay... This post just made my day.
ReplyDeleteCharles... If no one has told you this lately ; I think I should.
You rule.
'Babes in Kong Land'... My god man. That is the best. I almost passed out when I read the description.
You brought up a really cool point here ... It is like you paint a picture that you think is just a master piece. Then your neighbor comes over and shows you one that makes yours look like a two year finger painted it. You just kind of realize a lot of things. I think that is what makes everything kind of fun.
Awesome post.
I laughed so hard at the TV Repairman/Mad Scientist that I cried. And if you enlarge the image, the ape costume is just SOOO bad! This may just be the best of the worst.
ReplyDeleteBilly, I'm ashamed to say I've read nothing by Brautigan. He tends to be on the outside edge of the writing/reading circles I hang out with. I should give him a try.
ReplyDeleteIvan, yes I've read "Solaris" and thought it a piece full of interesting ideas. I didn't see the movie because I could pretty much tell it was a bad retelling.
Candice, you've not been missing much. I suppose you could call it male romance. It looks like soft-core porn pretty much to me, although I've actually never seen any of these movies.
RRN, yes, like in the old westerns. There's always someone faster riding into town. As for ruling, I'd have to be second in command to Lana.
Speaking of Lana, I thought you were going to bust a gut. It was pretty damn funny.
Dude, you've *so* gotta check out 'Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town'!
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly the kind of movie that should be playing at 2am when I get insomnia.
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteThe look on that apes face says it all!
Tickled me pink :]
Hilarious premises. Gotta love it. But lastly, beware of picking up some ghastly Andromina Strain. Evil!
ReplyDeleteCharles; No, you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot. These books are written by men, for men, right?
ReplyDeleteToo funny. :-)
I just saw a paper clip advertisement for that movie too! Can't say it really sold me, though it did give me a mild curiosity.
ReplyDeleteSteve Malley, I'm liking the sound of that. I did see a movie once called Hell comes to Frog Town and I liked that one.
ReplyDeleteAnndi, yes. These are kind of movies that make you think you've been smoking weed even when you haven't.
Miladysa, yeah, the ape doesn't look all that happy actually. He probably wants someone with more hair.
Erik, lol. Good laugh about the "strain."
Lana, no that would be "you" my dear.
Josie, they're all movies. I imagine they're written by men but who really knows.
Christina, sometimes I think it's movies like these that give the genres bad names.
Hell comes to Frogtown! I remember it well, Charles. It's been many years, but after They Live(from John Carpenter), my favorite Rowdy Roddy Piper movie.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there is a benefit to being a great ape.
ReplyDeletePeace
mark
www.yourpoetry.com for Brautigan and many other poets.
Randy Johnson. "Rowdy Roddy." He wasn't a half bad actor. He was great in "They Live," which has probably the greatest fight scene ever filmed. I saw in one episode of South park they copied that fight scene between two of their characters.
ReplyDeleteMark, thanks for the Brautigan link. But yeah, apes have all the fun.
'They Live' was an amazing movie.
ReplyDeleteCharles , I wacthed a dvd last night and felt that it was my duty to let you know about it , if you don't already. You came to mind while I watched it.
'The Assasination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford ' was the title. I really enjoyed this movie... Really made an impact on me.
I have Babes in Kongland on my desk here in my office. It was sent to me for review in my exploitation DVD column some months ago.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should finally give it a spin?
Well, this stuff is definitely not my type of entertainment, but instead of puking silently in disgust, your entry and the following comments made me laugh.
ReplyDeletePleasure Planet - I thought that was Planet Earth!!
ReplyDeletewhy are the women always in the tiniest bikini's know to man? It's a forest you're running around... without a razor I might add, so how the hell they always look so damn good I don't know.
ReplyDeleteThey sound like absolute fun!
ReplyDeleteGod, this was about as bad "The Lord of the G-strings." I busted a gut when I heard that title. It came on TV late one night, and I DID NOT watch it---sick. Too funny! :*)
ReplyDeleteRRN, I haven't seen one but it looked interesting. I'll have to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteChristopher, I'd be interested in seeing your take on the movie.
Szelsofa, I think you kind of have to laugh considering how ridiculous it is.
David, certainly at times.
Sheila, they shave with the leaves of the razor plants. Or maybe they're just too busy running from monsters to grow hair.
Bernita, it was fun reading the descriptions. Lana and I were roaring with laughter.
Demon Hunter, "Lord of the G-Strings." My god, that's a bizarre one. I probably would have had to have a peak at it just to see what it was about.
Love the picture! As for the most famous pleasure planet, why the hell not? Love the old pulp covers -- so fabulous!
ReplyDeleteCharles; No, YOU!
ReplyDeletesex, monkey, and paradise do not belong in the same sentence.
ReplyDeleteBut pleasure planet ... now that has real potential.
What I don't understand is why the most creative people end up making B movies and writing titles for X-rated flicks, while TV writers produce the same limited set of shows over and over again under different titles and with different casts.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, yep, I'm a big fan of pulp art. Don't know why but those lurid covers sure do appeal to me. Guess it is the degenerate in me.
ReplyDeleteLana, we'll talk about this when I get home, my sweet.
Travis erwin, at least not if the term monkey refers to an actual monkey.
Shauna, Shauna, Shauna, do I hear you expecting logic from the entertainment biz? ;)
And I thought "The Killer Shrews" was bad. It's too bad "Mystery Science Theater 3000" isn't being made anymore.
ReplyDelete