J-Men Forever! (USA, 1979) 73 min B&W DIR: Richard Patterson. PROD: Patrick Curtis. SCR: Philip Proctor, Peter Bergman. MUSIC: Richard H. Theiss. DOP: Bruce Logan. STARS: Philip Proctor, Peter Bergman, M.G. Kelly (voice).
This clever midnight movie favourite is a surprisingly well-thought out mash-up of Saturday afternoon serials, courtesy of Firesign Theatre alumni Phillip Proctor and Peter Bergman. The sole “new” footage consists of black and white scenes with Proctor and Bergman, trying to sort out the dilemma of evil people from the moon who attempt to take over the world, first by rock and roll, then by cannabis! (I’m sure a lot of the film’s fans would have approved.) In any case, this is an infectious What’s Up Tiger Lily for the serial crowd, with some classic moments from Republic serials re-dubbed and edited together for this crazy story. Captain America, Captain Marvel, The Spy Smasher, etc., attempt to thwart the bad guys, led by the diabolical Lightning Bug (voiced by DJ M.G. Kelly), who has a penchant for disguises- which is why he appears as so many different serial villains, from The Crimson Ghost to The Scorpion. Ha ha. Although by the end, it becomes wearying in its attempt to string together all these superheroes and supervillains (in a way, it becomes just as episodic as the serials it plunders), but the effort is there, and for the most part it’s damned funny. I love how they use a lab experiment from one film which results in an explosion cribbed from another source. In a way, it is to serials what Carl Reiner’s underrated Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid is to private eye films. This film became a cult hit on USA Network’s classic Night Flight TV show, and was released to DVD by Cult DVD in 2003.