history

B-Fest has a long and storied past, and though recent years have been chronicled extensively on the web, the early days of the festival are still somewhat shrouded in mystery. Here is a rough reconstruction of B-Fest's history based on what we do know.

November 13, 1981

The first annual Twenty-(plus)-Hour B-Movie, Horror, and Science Fiction Festival is held at Northwestern University. Admission is $3.

" Special appearance by Rich "Son of Svengoolie" Koz
" First appearance of Plan 9 From Outer Space at B-Fest
" First appearance of Invasion of the Bee Girls at B-Fest

November 12-13, 1982

The 2nd Annual, Longer than the 1st One, 24-Hour B-Movie Horror and Science Fiction Festival

" Marks the first appearance of a Japanese giant monster film as the finale of B-Fest.

6:30 p.m.
Horror of Party Beach
8:25 p.m.
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
9:40 p.m.
Frankenstein Conquers the World
11:15 p.m.
The Hypnotic Eye
12:35 a.m.
Monster from the Ocean Floor
1:48 p.m.
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula
4:15 a.m.
The Wasp Woman
5:30 a.m.
Little Shop of Horrors
6:45 a.m.
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
8:10 a.m.
The Brain Eaters
9:15 a.m.
The Tingler
10:40 a.m.
Invasion of the Astros (aka Godzilla vs Monster Zero)
12:15 p.m.
The Undead
1:35 p.m.
Mesa of Lost Women
2:55 p.m.
Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman
4:05 p.m.
Rodan

December 2-3, 1983

The Third Annual B-Movie Horror and Science Fiction Festival

" First mention of the word "Fest" as in "B-Movie Fest"

" Began at 6:30p.m. and ended at 2:00 p.m. the next day

6:30 p.m.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
7:55 p.m.
The Creeping Terror
9:27 p.m.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
10:49 p.m.
Plan Nine from Outer Space
12:10 a.m.
The Giant Claw
1:28 p.m.
Invasion of the Bee Girls
2:55 a.m.
Fiend Without a Face
4:12 a.m.
The Terror of Tiny Town
5:16 a.m.
Astro Zombies
6:46 a.m.
Cat-Women of the Moon
7:53 a.m.
It Conquered the World
9:06 a.m.
The Mole People
10:26 a.m.
Wrestling Women vs the Aztec Mummy
11:56 a.m.
Ghidra, the Three-Headed Monster

January 25-26, 1985

The Fourth Annual Science-Fiction and Horror B-Movie Fest

* First time the festival is held in Winter Quarter.
* B-Fest is the nickname of the festival.

11:00 p.m.
The Crawling Eye
12:25 a.m.
The Creeping Terror
1:40 a.m.
I Married a Monster from Outer Space
3:00 a.m.
Corpse Grinders
4:20 a.m.
Zombies on Broadway
5:30 a.m.
Horror of Party Beach
6:55 a.m.
Reptilicus
8:20 a.m.
Curse of Bigfoot
9:50 a.m.
The Amphibian Man
11:15 a.m.
The Woman Eater
12:30 p.m.
Viking Women and the Sea Serpent
1:40 p.m.
Destroy All Monsters

April 4-5, 1986

The Sixth Annual B-Movie Festival of Horror and Science-Fiction

* First appearance of The Wizard of Speed and Time.
* Ticket price raised to $5
* Program includes promo for a Swashbucklers Sunday Series, including a photo of Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood

6:00 p.m.
Hardware Wars
6:15 p.m.
Son of Godzilla
7:40 p.m.
Monster from Green Hell
8:50 p.m.
Son of the Blob
10:20 p.m.
The Creeping Terror
11:35 p.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
12:50 a.m.
Dating Do's and Don'ts
1:05 a.m.
Mesa of Lost Women
2:20 a.m.
She-Demons
3:45 a.m.
Frankenstein Created Woman
5:15 a.m.
She-Devil
6:30 a.m.
Terror of Tiny Town
7:35 a.m.
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
8:55 a.m.
The Wizard of Speed and Time (short)
9:00 a.m.
Star Trek Bloopers and Outtakes
9:10 a.m.
The Comedy of Terrors
10:40 a.m.
The Magic Sword
12 noon
Curse of the Aztec Mummy
1:05 p.m.
Blood of Dracula
2:15 p.m.
Mole People
3:35 p.m.
Godzilla vs the Bionic Monster

January 16-17, 1987

The Seventh Annual, 24 Hour Horror and Science Fiction B-Fest

* Festival theme is "Scary Monsters"

6:00 p.m.
Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster
7:30 p.m.
USS-VD: Ship of Shame
8:25 p.m.
It Came From Beneath the Sea
9:35 p.m.
Weird World of Robots
10:15 p.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
11:15 p.m.
The Creeping Terror
12:40 a.m.
Robot Monster
2:05 a.m.
Mad Monster Party
3:40 a.m.
Invasion of the Bee Girls
4:55 a.m.
The Phantom Creeps
6:10 a.m.
Empire of the Ants
8:00 a.m.
Glen or Glenda
9:20 a.m.
Doctor of Doom
10:40 a.m.
Kingdom of the Spiders
12:15 p.m.
Lunch Break
12:30 p.m.
X From Outer Space
1:55 p.m.
20 Million Miles to Earth
3:20 p.m.
It Conquered the World
4:40 p.m.
Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster

January 15-16, 1988

B-Fest '88

* Ticket price raised to $6

January 13-14, 1989

B-Fest '89

6:00 p.m.
Horror Film Trailers
6:20 p.m.
Marihuana: The Devil's Weed
7:25 p.m.
They Saved Hitler's Brain
8:50 p.m.
Dating: Do's and Don't's
9:10 p.m.
Glen or Glenda?
10:25 p.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
12:05 a.m.
Skidoo
1:55 a.m.
The Creeping Terror
3:15 a.m.
The Terror of Tiny Town
4:20 a.m.
Radio Ranch
5:50 a.m.
Kingdom of the Spiders
7:35 a.m.
Satan's Satellites
8:50 a.m.
Breakfast Break
9:15 a.m.
Cosmic Zoom
9:30 a.m.
Invasion of the Bee Girls
11:00 a.m.
Cat Women of the Moon
12:05 p.m.
Lunch Break
12:20 p.m.
Hardware Wars
12:35 p.m.
The Corpse Grinders
2:00 p.m.
Twenty Million Miles to Earth
3:30 p.m.
I Married a Monster from Outer Space
4:55 p.m.
Destroy All Monsters

January 12-13, 1990

B-Fest '90

* Ticket prices raised to $8

6:00 p.m.
Horror Film Trailers
6:30 p.m.
Sex Madness
7:30 p.m.
Blacula
9:00 p.m.
Cocaine Fiends
10:20 p.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
11:45 p.m.
Break
12:00 a.m.
Skidoo
1:45 a.m.
A Trip to Where?
2:40 a.m.
I Was A Teenage Werewolf
4:00 a.m.
The Creeping Terror
5:20 a.m.
Brainiac
6:45 a.m.
The Sinister Urge
8:00 a.m.
Reptilicus
9:30 a.m.
Breakfast Break
9:45 a.m.
The Maniac
10:40 a.m.
Mr. Sardonicus
12:15 p.m.
It Came From Beneath the Sea
1:30 p.m.
Lunch Break
1:45 p.m.
Empire of the Ants
3:20 p.m.
Homicidal
4:45 p.m.
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster

January 25-26, 1991

The Tenth Annual B-Movie Fest

* The Creeping Terror is known as the perennial B-Fest Favorite

6: 00 p.m. Horror Film Trailers
6:30 p.m.
Destroy All Monsters
8:00 p.m.
William Bennett's Funniest Home Videos (drug-related shorts)
9:00 p.m.
Break for Reality Check
9:15 p.m.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
11:00 p.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
12:15 a.m.
Kingdom of the Spiders
1:40 a.m.
Break
2:00 a.m.
Fearless Fighters
3:15 a.m.
The Tingler
5:00 a.m.
Dr. Minx
6:30 a.m.
Scared to Death
8:00 a.m.
Ice Pirates
9:30 a.m.
Break
9:50 a.m.
The Creeping Terror
11:15 a.m.
Gymkata
12:45 p.m.
The Raven
2:30 p.m.
Swamp Thing
4:30 p.m.
Godzilla 1985

January 1992

* Missing film guide. Assumption that we did not hold B-Fest.

Important historical B-fest find! Unofficial B-Fest historian Ken Begg located a copy of the 1992 B-Fest program in his archives. This contradicts the previous assumption that B-Fest was not held this year. (I did receive some reports that the 1992 B-Fest was held, but no proof was offered.) According to Ken, the printed schedule reads as follows:

6:00 p.m.
Elvis Trailers
6:10 p.m.
Son of Blob (Ken recalls the original The Blob being shown in its place)
7:40 p.m.
Marijuana: Weed With Roots in Hell
8:45 p.m.
Amphibian Man
10:10 p.m.
Break
10:25 p.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
11:45 p.m.
Skidoo
1:15 a.m.
Break
1:30 a.m.
Fire Maidens from Outer Space
2:50 a.m.
USS VD: Ship of Shame
4:00 a.m.
Mesa of Lost Women
5:20 a.m.
Seven Dwarfs to the Rescue
6:45 a.m.
Woman's Prison
8:00 a.m.
Break
8:20 a.m.
It Conquered the World
9:30 a.m.
Gymkata
11:00 a.m.
20 Million Miles to Earth
12:25 p.m.
Break
12:40 p.m.
Robot Monster
2:00 p.m.
Glen or Glenda?
3:20 p.m.
Day the World Ended
4:40 p.m.
Godzilla vs. Megalon

January 1993

* 1992-1993 School Year: B-Fest not held

January 21-22, 1994

The 11th Annual B-Fest

* No longer known as B-Movie Fest
* "This year celebrates the return of A&O Films’ beloved B-Fest."

6:00 p.m.
The Crawling Eye
7:45 p.m.
The Angry Red Planet
9:10 p.m.
Bride of the Monster
10:30 p.m.
Invasion of the Bee Girls
11:50 p.m.
Break
12:05 a.m.
Dance Hall Racket
1:00 a.m.
Planet of Blood
2:30 a.m.
The Brain Eaters
3:30 a.m.
The Human Duplicators
4:50 a.m.
Robot Monster
6:15 a.m.
Break
6:30 a.m.
Equinox
7:50 a.m.
Plan 9 From Outer Space
9:15 a.m.
Kingdom of the Spiders
10:50 a.m.
The Woman Eater
12:05 p.m.
Break
12:20 p.m.
Astro Zombies
1:50 p.m.
Married Too Young
3:20 p.m.
The Devil's Hand
4:40 p.m.
Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster

January 20-21, 1995

The 12th Annual B-Fest

* First Appearance of Jungle Hell.
* T-shirts sold for $5
* Ticket prices raised to $10

January 1996

The 13th Annual B-Fest

* Film guide for this year is missing, but it was held

January 31-February 1, 1997

The 14th Annual B-Fest

* Introduction of separate pricing for advance tickets ($10)
* Tickets at the door $12
* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 1997

January 31-February 1, 1998

B-Fest '98

* Tickets priced at $10 & $15
* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 1998

January 29-30, 1999

B-Fest 1999

* Tickets priced at $12 & $15
* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 1999

January 28-29, 2000

B-Fest 2000: 24 Hours of B-Movie Madness!!!

* Tickets priced at $15 & $20
* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 2000

January 26-27, 2001

B-Fest 2001: 24 Hours of B-Movie Madness!

* Introduction of reduced Saturday morning ticket prices
* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 2001

January 25-26, 2002

B-Fest 2002: 24 Hours of B-Movie Madness!

* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 2002
* Film lineup was roughly as follows:

6: 00 p.m. Festival Introduction
6: 05 p.m. The Crawling Eye
7: 30 p.m. Gymkata
9: 00 p.m. What is Communism?
9: 20 p.m. Battlefield Earth
11: 20 p.m. Break for Raffle
11: 45 p.m. Wizard of Speed and Time
midnight Plan Nine from Outer Space
1: 20 a.m. Coffy
2: 50 a.m. Mystery Short
3: 00 a.m. Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?
4:45 a.m. Slime People
6: 00 a.m. The Lonely Lady
7: 30 a.m. Test Tube Babies
8: 40 a.m. Corpse Grinders
9: 50 a.m. Break for Breakfast
10: 20 a.m. Short
10: 30 a.m. Breakin'
noon Hardware Wars
12: 15 p.m. Message from Space
2: 00 p.m. Horror Film Trailers
2: 10 p.m. Tarantula (1955)
3: 30 p.m. The Mummy (1959)
4: 50 p.m. Godzilla 2000

January 24-25, 2003

B-Fest 2003: 24 Hours of B-Movie Madness!

* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 2003
* Film lineup was roughly as follows:

Friday, January 24 2003
6:00 p.m.
Intro
6:05
Kingdom of the Spiders
7:45
Cool as Ice
9:25
Flash Gordon
11:25
Raffle for Door Prizes
11:45
The Wizard of Speed and Time (short)
midnight
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Saturday, January 25 2003
1:20 a.m.
The Happy Hooker
3:00
Flesh Gordon
4:20
short
4:30
Warlords of Atlantis
6:10
Dementia-13
7:30
No Holds Barred
9:00
breakfast break
9:40
Mac and Me
11:20
The Last Dragon
1:10 p.m.
It Came From Beneath the Sea
2:30
What is Communism? (short)
2:50
Supergirl
4:50
Godzilla 1985

January 30-31, 2004

B-Fest 2004

* Read Ken Begg's diary of B-Fest 2004
* Film lineup was roughly as follows:

Friday, January 30 2004
6:00 p.m.
Intro
6:05
The Brain from Planet Arous
7:15
Robot Jox
8:40
Beatniks
sponsored by KublaCon and the Beloit Science Fiction & Fantasy Association
10:00
The Beast With 5 Fingers
sponsored by Stomp Tokyo
11:30
Raffle for Door Prizes
11:45
The Wizard of Speed and Time (short)
midnight
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Saturday, January 31 2004
1:20 a.m.
Monkey Hustle
sponsored by Ross, Ross & Ross
2:50
Alice in Wonderland
sponsored by FuzzyCo Cinema 2.0
4:10
Spawn of Slithis
5:40
Devil Girl from Mars
7:00
Airport '77
9:00
breakfast break
9:30
The Forbidden Dance
sponsored by The Soylent Green Party
11:10
The Beast of Yucca Flats
sponsored by Jabootu's Bad Movie Dimension
12:15 p.m.
Fortress
sponsored by C.H.E.W., Combs-Heads Division
1:50
H-Man (film broke, played more shorts instead)
3:10
Magnetic Monster
sponsored by The B-Movie Message Board
4:45
The Big Brawl
sponsored by Bad Movie Planet

January 28-29, 2005

B-Fest 2005

* For the first time in its history, B-Fest sells out less than two days after tickets go on sale. Other venues on campus are considered for future events, but none are as well suited to B-Fest as the McCormick Auditorium and the Norris Student Center which encloses it. Despite the limited seating, B-Fest will remain at the McCormick Auditorium.

Friday, January 28 2005
6:00 p.m.
Intro
6:05
It! The Terror From Beyond Space
7:35
The Apple
9:10
Mystery Short
9:25
The Swarm
11:25
Raffle for Door Prizes
11:45
The Wizard of Speed and Time (short)
midnight
Plan 9 From Outer Space
Saturday, January 29 2005
1:20 a.m.
Black Caesar
2:50
Mystery Short
3:05
Beauty and the Robot
4:40
Death Wish 3
6:15
Project Moonbase
7:20
3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain
9:00
breakfast break
9:30
Robot Monster
10:40
Class of Nuke 'Em High
12:10 p.m.
Mystery Short
12:25
Lassie: The Adventures of Neeka
1:40
Ice Pirates
3:15
Earth vs. The Flying Saucers
4:40
Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo

January 27-28, 2006

B-Fest 2006

* Despite a hike in ticket prices to $35 general admission & $20 for students, B-Fest tickets sell out in less than two hours after they go on sale. There are some comments that this year's B-Fest lineup was "too modern," but in general much fun is had by all.

6:00 p.m.
Introduction
6:05 p.m.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
sponsored by the Soylent Green Party
7:40 p.m.
Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D
sponsored by the Grosse Point Village Idiots
9:05 p.m.
Godzilla (1998)
11:25 p.m.
Raffle for Door Prizes
11:45 p.m.
The Wizard of Speed and Time
midnight
Plan 9 From Outer Space
sponsored by BCGCompHelp
1:20 a.m.
Coffy
3:00 a.m.
Mystery Short
3:15 a.m.
Gas-s-s-s!
sponsored by Jabootu.com
4:40 a.m.
Tromeo & Juliet
sponsored by Dungeon Games
6:35 a.m.
Mystery Short
6:55 a.m.
Graffiti Bridge
sponsored by FilmBuffStuff.com
8:35 a.m.
Earth Girls are Easy
10:15 a.m.
Breakfast Break
10:45 a.m.
Rhinestone
sponsored by Big Mak's Bad Movie Central
12:45 p.m.
Cobra Woman
2:00 p.m.
Mystery Short
2:20 p.m.
Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
sponsored by the Soylent Red Party
3:55 p.m.
King Kong (1933)
sponsored by StompTokyo.com