This film is a remake of Arch Hall Senior's WILD GUITAR. WILD GUITAR was a very low budget rock 'n roll morality tale about an unscrupulous agent (Arch Hall, Sr.) that took advantage of a young rock music wannabe (Arch Hall, Jr.). Unlike most of Senior's stories, he co-starred and wrote the film but let his friend Ray Dennis Steckler direct the film. Now considering that Hall Senior and Steckler are considered two of the very worst directors of the 60s (with such 'classics' as EEGAH and RAT PFINK A BOO-BOO to their credits), the film turned out to be surprisingly watchable. And, surprisingly, Junior's singing had showed significant improvement since EEGAH. Now this isn't saying it's a great film, but there was a certain charm about the film that make it strangely watchable.
Now, five years later, Hershell Gordon Lewis (also in the same league as Senior and Steckler as far as his talents are concerned) has remade WILD GUITAR as BLAST-OFF GIRLS. Oddly, however, Lewis listed himself as the writer and I noticed no credit was given to Steckler or the Halls. Unless I am mistaken, this would indicate that Lewis 'appropriated' the story. What makes this even more shameful is that his version is almost infinitely worse in every way. Here are some of the major differences between the two stories:
1. WILD GUITAR was a rather innocent story and the rock 'n roll singer (Arch Hall, Junior) was sweet and likable. The guys in BLAST-OFF GIRLS were obnoxious pigs.
2. While Junior will never be compared to Elvis or even Frankie Avalon, he was reasonably able to carry a tune...most of the time. The singing and music from BLAST-OFF GIRLS was the worst I have ever heard anywhere...ever. The singing was flat and the music repetitive and just awful. Both featured bands in BLAST-OFF GIRLS simply grated on my eardrums.
3. The bozo who played the sleazy agent in BLAST-OFF GIRLS had no talent whatsoever (except, perhaps, as a panderer). Hall, Sr. wasn't bad at all and in fact was the best actor in WILD GUITAR. I've always thought he was more talented than his son and wished he'd done more acting other than bit parts in the rest of the films he wrote and produced.
4. The dialog, script and everything about BLAST-OFF GIRLS was annoying vomit--not just vomit. I hated every minute of the film.
5. BLAST-OFF GIRLS was 'sexed up' and was a more adult and sleazy film. As I said above, there was a certain likable charm about WILD GUITAR. BLAST-OFF GIRLS had no charm, charisma or anything positive about it.
So, unless you have a traumatic head injury, you would safely assume I hated BLAST-OFF GIRLS and have nothing positive to say about it. Even for bad movie fans the film is a joke, as the music is SO bad it hurt and you are also left wondering why you shouldn't just see WILD GUITAR instead.
I give this one a 1 and while this may sound horrible, Lewis actually made several worse films, such as MONSTER A GO-GO and THIS STUFF'LL KILL YA. Surprisingly, Lewis did manage to make one film that is better than all the rest and actually is worth seeing (TWO THOUSAND MANIACS)--proving that if you let anyone write/direct/produce a film, sooner or later they'll accidentally make a decent movie.
By the way, although the movie was terrible, there was one odd but funny addition. Apparently, Colonel Harlan Sanders (of KFC fame) wanted to get some product placement and I am assuming he either helped finance the film or feed the crew because there is a KFC logo in the opening credits AND a totally irrelevant scene with the Colonel!! In the middle of the film, the band goes to KFC to eat and the Colonel is there--telling the boys that there's free chicken for them if they'll play a few tunes for his customers. Then, as he's bring out chicken, the Colonel does an impromptu little dance in the parking lot! Believe it or not this is not the only time the Colonel did this, as he also appeared in another schlock film, Al Adamson's HELL'S BLOODY DEVILS. While the films both were awful, the Colonel was clearly a marketing genius and master of self-promotion.
Now, five years later, Hershell Gordon Lewis (also in the same league as Senior and Steckler as far as his talents are concerned) has remade WILD GUITAR as BLAST-OFF GIRLS. Oddly, however, Lewis listed himself as the writer and I noticed no credit was given to Steckler or the Halls. Unless I am mistaken, this would indicate that Lewis 'appropriated' the story. What makes this even more shameful is that his version is almost infinitely worse in every way. Here are some of the major differences between the two stories:
1. WILD GUITAR was a rather innocent story and the rock 'n roll singer (Arch Hall, Junior) was sweet and likable. The guys in BLAST-OFF GIRLS were obnoxious pigs.
2. While Junior will never be compared to Elvis or even Frankie Avalon, he was reasonably able to carry a tune...most of the time. The singing and music from BLAST-OFF GIRLS was the worst I have ever heard anywhere...ever. The singing was flat and the music repetitive and just awful. Both featured bands in BLAST-OFF GIRLS simply grated on my eardrums.
3. The bozo who played the sleazy agent in BLAST-OFF GIRLS had no talent whatsoever (except, perhaps, as a panderer). Hall, Sr. wasn't bad at all and in fact was the best actor in WILD GUITAR. I've always thought he was more talented than his son and wished he'd done more acting other than bit parts in the rest of the films he wrote and produced.
4. The dialog, script and everything about BLAST-OFF GIRLS was annoying vomit--not just vomit. I hated every minute of the film.
5. BLAST-OFF GIRLS was 'sexed up' and was a more adult and sleazy film. As I said above, there was a certain likable charm about WILD GUITAR. BLAST-OFF GIRLS had no charm, charisma or anything positive about it.
So, unless you have a traumatic head injury, you would safely assume I hated BLAST-OFF GIRLS and have nothing positive to say about it. Even for bad movie fans the film is a joke, as the music is SO bad it hurt and you are also left wondering why you shouldn't just see WILD GUITAR instead.
I give this one a 1 and while this may sound horrible, Lewis actually made several worse films, such as MONSTER A GO-GO and THIS STUFF'LL KILL YA. Surprisingly, Lewis did manage to make one film that is better than all the rest and actually is worth seeing (TWO THOUSAND MANIACS)--proving that if you let anyone write/direct/produce a film, sooner or later they'll accidentally make a decent movie.
By the way, although the movie was terrible, there was one odd but funny addition. Apparently, Colonel Harlan Sanders (of KFC fame) wanted to get some product placement and I am assuming he either helped finance the film or feed the crew because there is a KFC logo in the opening credits AND a totally irrelevant scene with the Colonel!! In the middle of the film, the band goes to KFC to eat and the Colonel is there--telling the boys that there's free chicken for them if they'll play a few tunes for his customers. Then, as he's bring out chicken, the Colonel does an impromptu little dance in the parking lot! Believe it or not this is not the only time the Colonel did this, as he also appeared in another schlock film, Al Adamson's HELL'S BLOODY DEVILS. While the films both were awful, the Colonel was clearly a marketing genius and master of self-promotion.