Drive-In Epics Celebrated in 'B Movie' Documentary

Feb. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Back in the 1950s, when people would pack into the car and head down to the drive-in, they were sure to find some unusual stars on the screen.  Giant lizards, leeches, wasps, and spiders caused mayhem of every kind in what were known as "B movies," second features that played along with the more respected and prestigious headliners.

These thrillers are the subject of "The Day of the B Movie," R. J. Thomas' salute to (and spoof of) the beloved cheapies of yesteryear.  

"At the time, there was a great fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union," Mr. Thomas said.  "We were doing our own atomic tests in the desert.  The makers of the science fiction films capitalized on this fear with movies full of monsters and end-of-the-world scenarios."

Hosted by Mr. Thomas (sometimes as a B movie character himself,) "The Day of the B Movie" features clips of some of the funniest, corniest, most colorful, and most bizarre B movies ever made.  

A giant Gila Monster wages war on a small town and its' by-the-book sheriff.  A ruthless sea monster stalks innocent swimmers. A castaway is bitten by a giant spider, turning him into the scariest-looking creature since the Wolfman.  A nuclear explosion in the desert turns a brilliant scientist into a crazed beast.  An alien who sports a helmet and is without a face puzzles prominent scientists, while a bewildered good ol' boy, after seeing a giant leech in the lake, tells his buddies, "I wouldn't touch that critter for all the money ever made.  If you'd seen it, you wouldn't neither!"  

"These movies look so tame now," Mr. Thomas said.  "But, back in the day, the audiences were terrified.  There were a lot of Joanie Cunninghams screaming their heads off."

"The Day of the B Movie" is on DVD at BooksAndSuchMart.com.

A thirty-second promo for the film is available for viewing on YouTube.com.

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Temple Productions is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company that specializes in original independent films and books.