Classic B-Movies in Indy-Indiana

Haven't you just been waiting for an excuse to go to Franklin, Indiana and watch some truly awful movies? Of course you have.

Actually, it turns out there's a great reason to go to this college town south of Indianapolis in August. It's the first annual B-movie celebration, with films so bad they belong in the so-bad-they're good category, like The Terror of Tiny Town.

The festival also has B-movies that are just plain good. They're offering up two of my favorites in the sci-fi category. The Day the Earth Stood Still is the great-grand daddy of invasion movies, and Forbidden Planet is a fanciful retelling of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" in space. (Complete with the best mechanical marvel ever: Robby the Robot. The "Lost in Space" robot was just a pale imitation, believe me.)

Plus, it's a chance to meet legends like Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Studios, and gross special effects wizard Tom Savini -- all while supporting the Indy Film Co-op. I guess Indiana wants us!

Forbiden Planet DVD cover - MGM