Yes, I reviewed this infamous 1978 TV movie...
RIP Ace Frehley
At the end of the review I’ll explain how I once saw KISS in 2013 while paying a grand total of $4.80 for a ticket. Ace wasn’t a part of the band then so that’s not important to discuss now. What is important: I’ve enjoyed the band’s music for many years and Frehley as lead guitarist was a key component as to why. Phantom is a movie I’ve had as part of my collection for a long while (nevermind how) and the announcement of his death yesterday evening gave me the perfect excuse for entertainment last night when my Plan A for the evening went awry due to circumstances beyond my control.
This TV movie that debuted on NBC October 28 of 1978 is infamous due to its incredibly cheesy nature-I was not surprised as Hannah-Barbara were the producers. General silliness occurs at Six Flags Magic Mountain; it was nice viewing the attractions at an old theme park yet it was cornball acting even before the band appeared. There are greaser types named CHOPPER, SLIME and DIRTY DEE, after all. Anthony Zerbe portrayed a scientist named Abner Devereaux; of course he’s the villain who is a mad scientist that created androids and wants KISS androids to take over the world.
This is a like a worse version of a Scooby Doo episode-incredibly dopey, low-rent, inane. That said, it’s not just the concert footage that entertained me. The band shoots lasers out of their eyes, Gene growls like a lion, and other otherworldly powers are exhibited by the band! “Acting” isn’t one of their powers (yes, Gene got better later on) but I can say that the band’s evil android clones have the same powers, because of course. There’s talismans, robot creatures that look like a Brundlefly creation of cats, werewolves & monkeys, and other wackiness that helped me forget all the dull moments. The KISS-FU style of “martial arts” somehow never took off…
If you don’t like the band, there’s likely no reason for you to give this nonsense a chance. Me, I’m glad it’s a funny sort of bad, featuring several genre elements-including a chamber of horrors that featured the expected creatures. Today I did listen to some KISS songs-that is a better tribute to the late Ace Frehley than this goofball effort which at least made me laugh. It was also nice seeing Brion James as a security guard and the appearance of a wacky individual that always amuses me: THE REAL DON STEELE.
Not factoring into my rating but delighting me is that my copy was a taping of the original broadcast… yes, 1978 commercials! They included multiple ads set in a DISCO, the Wes Craven TV movie Stranger in Our House getting a plug, the AMC Spirit automobile, Iron Eyes Cody as “the crying Indian,” and a jaw-dropping ad concerning VENEREAL DISEASE, babies, & the usage of “the R word.”
Anyhow, I know KISS Army fans who also dug Ace’s solo stuff and when he led other bands; I feel especially bad for them. As for seeing KISS in 2013, they played in Orlando the night before the Arena Football League championship game; remember when arena football was a thing? Sad to say for a band that was once white-hot, the concert didn’t come close to selling out so a mate on Twitter noted that Ticketmaster had tickets for free. Of course, those evil #%@#@% still had their fees but even then I only paid $4.80 for a legendary act that still had Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley. The concert was a blast. Remembering that and hearing all those KISS songs for the first time way back when are nice memories to have now.
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