(Photos by Chris Lackey and George Eckart)

After a feast of corn dogs and french fries cooked in duck fat at Hot Doug's, Chad Fifer, Chris Lackey, Robin Morgan, James Kriegsman, Erik Schuckmann and myself stocked up on supplies and headed over to Northwestern University for 24 hours of the worst movies ever made!

Click on photo if you want to see a larger version (this will spawn an new window and will take a little download time due to the high-quality of the photos.)
Chris Lackey (left) and Chad Fifer hanging out in my room. They flew in from LA for the festival. This will be Lackey's first B-Fest. 6:00 PM. And we're off. Mike Ross (left) did what he had to do to reserve seats for us. It was packed!
First up, Kingdom of the Spiders! A great way to start with this B-Fest classic. William Shatner does some acting in Kingdom of the Spiders.
More acting in Kingdom of theSpiders. Next up, the Vanilla Ice vantity project Cool as Ice.
It was supposedly like"Rebel Without a Cause" but Vanilla's wardrobe out-shone his acting skills. It seems like many of the scenes took place on unfinished construction sites.
The love interest Kristen Minter. (Who, according to the IMDB, goes by the nicknames DK, Yeah Yeah, Rex, Minty, Minter, Minty Fresh, Fresh, and Whistler .) She is posing with the "zero" who Vanilla Ice implores to "drop" and instead "get with the hero."
A member of Ice's posse. (I wonder if they still hang out?)
 And now Rob Van Winkle himself.
More unconstructed sets. This one got a lot of laughs from Mike Powers (left) and Robin Morgan.
"Bump bump bump bump Bump bump bump bump...FLASH...AHHHHAHH! He's the Savior of the Universe!" That music could mean only one thing: Flash Gordon was next! Which makes Susan happy.
Sometimes this movie was a little too good for B-Fest but it had lots of campy moments. Fifer bought this noise maker for 67 cents that only he could hear. It still amused him. Click here for the sound.
Lyle enjoyed the inflatable bee. Max Von Sydow makes a great Ming the Merciless, don't you think?
Gardiner went up and gave a great Jimmy Stewart imitiation. It was funny at the time. This photo does it no justice. Pat Lackey and myself enjoy a break.
Lyle and Fifer are disappointed that they aren't watching a terrible movie right now. Chris Lackey and Robin Morgan.
Dave Stinton shows off one of the fine free cups they give away yearly. Small consellation for giving away 24 hours of your life that you can never get back. Some people bring a lot of stuff.
Audience. Debbie give Brendan decent marks for his Jimmy Stewart imitation.
Chris Lackey and Mike Ross. Man, I really need some sleep.But none awaits.
Dino, Phil, and Mike Ross all represent the Ross family here at the B-Fest. James Kriegsmann and Powers snack it up.
A picture of Susan taking a picture of Chris Lackey...taken by Chris Lackey.
 A picture of Chris Lackey taking a picture of Susan...taken by Susan.
Another photo by Lackey. Dave and Brendan I like the photos from his camera more. Here's about the same picture from my camera. Fifer, Dave and Brendan.
Waiting for break to end and the movies to kick in again... "Take the picture already!"
Susan and me. The B-Fest staff raffles off valuable gifts. Chris Lackey won this book! Fifer is gracious in defeat.
More gloating. Susan want to win a prize. Boo!
My sister Jen won! Here's clearer view of my sister's prize. A Beat Takeski movie!
Waiting. Pat Lackey winning a prize. And letting the audience know it!
Audience reacts. This guy actually dressed as the Wizard of Speed and Time.
Now that's commitment! Mike Ross (right) flew in from LA for this nonsense. Dave Stinton flew in from Chicago.
Lights down and now everyone gets up on stage to experience the stop-motion madness of the Wizard of Speed and Time. Lackey's point of view from the stage.
There's the wizard...saving a damsel in distress. And everyone follows along.
Fifer WAS enjoying the Wizard.. Then he becomes distracted by the bee.
Somebody's having too much fun. Now he's got the inflatable ant.
After Wizard was done, they showed it upside down and backwards. Always a head trip.
Susan looking forward to the next movie...
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