Directed by Roger Corman
Starring Susan Cabot, Fred Eisley
Cinematic Titanic is Joel Hodgson, J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl
Boy oh boy, did I love Mystery Science Theater 3000 back in the day. Well, MST3K fans, they are back. Joel, Frank, Trace and the gang are back to “riffing” movies, the group now goes by the moniker of Cinematic Titanic. The Wasp Woman was recently released on DVD and I gave it a spin. If you are interested in purchasing The Wasp Woman or other cinematic gems that are being offered, they are available exclusively at www.cinematictitanic.com. Anyway, on with the review.
The Movie
Janice Starling (Susan Cabot) is the founder and owner of a cosmetic factory. Once a breathtaking beauty in her youth, her beauty is fading as she is getting older. She just doesn’t seem to have the same appeal and simply must do something because she cannot be the spokesperson and model for the company in the condition that she is in.
Her secretary Mary Dennison (Barboura Morris) and number one ad executive Bill Lane (Anthony Eisley) struggle to find a solution. Janice was hard to deal with before, but her increasing demands for a solution and sour disposition are wearing on everyone’s nerves.
Enter into the picture Eric Zinthrop (Michael Mark). Zinthrop has developed a serum from the enzymes of wasps. What does the magical enzyme do, you ask? Well, before there was Botox, there was Zinthrop’s wasp enzyme. This enzyme, when injected, turns aging skin youthful again. You know what happens next: Janice is quicker to hit the needle than William S. Burroughs.
Janice begins to look younger and sales begin to pick up. She takes it a bit easier on her co-workers, so things seem to be taking an upturn. But, all good things come to an end. Zinthrop is injured and can’t keep making his visits to Janice. She takes it upon herself to continue with the program, never thinking of the possible side affects.
If you think the side effects from Cymbalta was bad, wait until you see what happens to poor Janice. She literally turns into a wasp and wants to kill, kill, kill! Will innocent Mary survive? What about the office stud Bill?
Okay, this is a perfect slice of early Roger Corman cheesiness. The acting, the sets the plot all should come wrapped in a velveeta wrapper. But, the gang at Cinematic Titanic slices and dices the festivities nicely.
You can expect some hilarious jokes: the expected bug jokes and more cutting jokes about the personal life of Susan Cabot. If you don’t know her story, do a quick internet search before watching the film. It is even stranger than this film.
The Wasp Woman was the perfect film to get the old MST3K gang back together to “riff on”. Trust me, if you were a fan of MST3K, this just simply belongs on your shelf. It is like seeing an old friend again.
9/10
The Video
Cinematic Titanic presents The Wasp Woman is presented in the original full frame aspect ratio with the crew of Cinematic Titanic appearing in silhouette at the bottom and sides of the screen. The image of the film is decent, it is apparent it has not been remastered, so expect a bit of grain here or there.
4/10
The Audio
Cinematic Titanic presents The Wasp Woman is presented in stereo. Every buzz of The Wasp Woman and every joke from the crew is easily understood.
5/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
Cinematic Titanic presents The Wasp Woman is presented in a standard amaray case with a picture of the silhouetted cast of Cinematic Titanic in front of a bunch of wasps.
Unfortunately, there are no bonus features. A featurette with the group discussing why they picked this film would have made a welcome addition. But, it is great to have the gang back again.
1/10
Overall (Not an average) 8/10
The Review
The Movie 9/10
The Video 4/10
The Audio 5/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 1/10
Overall (Not an Average) 8/10