MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in just one week, on Saturday, April 11, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM! Note that with the arrival of warmer weather, we will henceforth be meeting downtown at our usual Nouvel Hotel function space.
As usual, out-of-town club members will be able to take part online via ZOOM.
April Meeting Theme:
Come to the meeting with your comedic sensibilities honed for mockery of the material as we emulate MST3K; on this occasion, it will be perfectly acceptable to make joking remarks aloud during a movie screening!
On the Agenda:
MonSFFA’s Own MST3K!
MST3K (Mystery Science Theatre 3000) was a TV comedy series popular in the 1990s and early-2000s that made fun of cheesy, really bad, sci-fi B-movies. During the screenings of these films, characters trapped aboard a space station were compelled to watch countless examples of sci-fi schlock, and during screenings, would comment aloud with droll, pithy remarks mocking plots, acting, special effects, etc. We’ll have some fun doing much the same!
The film we have chosen to relentlessly ridicule is 1959’s Attack of the Giant Leeches, originally entitled The Giant Leeches, and also released in some jurisdictions as Demons of the Swamp. This is a tale of mysterious disappearances, deaths, infidelity, monstrous, blood-sucking leeches, and fishing with dynamite in the Florida Everglades. The film was shot in just eight days on a budget of some $70,000, paltry by Hollywood standards, even in 1959! The cast includes seasoned B-movie veterans and character actors, and a Playboy centerfold, with Gene Corman producing and Roger Corman listed as executive producer. This is a flick rife for the MST3K treatment, and in fact, the show did poke fun at Attack of the Giant Leeches in one episode!
Paul Blaisdel, known within the industry at the time for crafting B-movie monster-suits quickly and on the cheap, actually turned down the assignment of creating the giant leech costumes. Because the Corman brothers had allocated so little money for special effects, Blaisdel doubted he’d even be able to cover the cost of materials! In the end, stunt performer and actor Ed Nelson and Gene Corman’s wife, Nan, sewed together a few old raincoats and garbage bags, to which they attached rubber suckers, forming large, rather flimsy sack-like costumes prone to easily tearing! Exterior scenes were shot at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
Attack of the Giant Leeches is in the public domain, and so is readily available for viewing on YouTube, or on free streaming services like Tubi. You may wish to watch the film in advance of our meeting in order to familiarize yourself with the material we will be mocking, and perhaps formulate a few witty interjections to contribute to our screening on the 11th. We’re looking for funny ad-libs, substitute dialogue, joking asides, bad puns, and generally humorous commentary on current affairs and popular culture, all cleverly derived from what is unfolding on the screen before us. That’s the plan, anyway. Our goal is to have fun with the whole MST3K concept, and “enjoy” a classically bad sci-fi monster movie! 
The Titanic in Sci-Fi
On April 11, 1912, the ocean liner RMS Titanic set out from Ireland across the Atlantic on the final leg of her doomed maiden voyage, inspiring many a tale over numerous genres, including science fiction and fantasy. We’ll look at SF&F’s take on the legendary ship.
We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, in person and online, at our April 2026 meeting! Tell a friend; invite them to join us! And we’ll see you all on Saturday, April 11, 1:00PM-5:00PM!
Godspeed, Artemis!
Please Note: While we strive to keep on schedule, we do, sometimes, fall behind a little, or find ourselves having to reshuffle the order of items on the agenda for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!