MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place this afternoon, Saturday, April 11, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM! Note that with the arrival of warmer weather, we are back to meeting downtown at our familiar Nouvel Hotel function space.
As usual, out-of-town club members may take part virtually via ZOOM; you may gather online a half-hour early, at 12:30PM, just to give you an opportunity to settle in before the meeting officially begins at 1:00PM. (See details on how to ZOOM with us, end of this post.)
Here’s what’s on tap for our April 2026 meeting:
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.
Today, dear MonSFFen, during our little matinee, we’re looking for funny ad-libs, substitute dialogue, joking asides, bad puns—just call ’em out as they come to you!—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!
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, should you wish to watch it again when you get home after the meeting because, you know, it was so good!
The Titanic in SF/F
On this very date in 1912, the luxury 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.
JOIN THIS AFTERNOON’S VIDEO-CHAT ON ZOOM!
To take part in this afternoon’s meeting online, join our ZOOM video-chat, which will run throughout the course of the meeting. Simply click here and follow the prompts: This Afternoon’s MonSFFA Meeting on ZOOM
If you’re not fully equipped to ZOOM, you can also take part by phone (voice only); in the Montreal area, the toll-free number to call is: 1-438-809-7799.
Also, have this information on hand as you may be asked to provide it:
Meeting ID: 892 7485 1016
Passcode: 620286
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 this afternoon!
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!