Cult Film Kissy Cousins Monster Babies at Queens Film Festival

A kitschy yet cerebral, retro mash-up film titled Kissy Cousins, Monster Babies and Morphing Elvis, directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Wayne J. Keeley and co-produced by his wife, Emmy-nominated Stephanie C. Lyons-Keeley, (along with Emmy Award-winning business partner and friend Craig Dobson) will screen at the Queens Underground Film & Music Video Film Festival Saturday, October 19th at some time to be announced between 4p.m. qand 11 p.m. This is a first, multi-genre film festival with screenings and live performances. For more information about the festival, see http://www.queensunderground718.com/

The film was borne a mere twenty-seven years ago. Back then, Keeley had delusions of grandeur, expecting KCMB to become the next cult-classic, standing toe-to-toe with the likes of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. His dreams went up in smoke when KCMB unexpectedly entered "distribution hell" which included changing hands with three different distributors before irreconcilable creative differences forced Keeley and Dobson (also one of the original co-creators) to shelve their beloved project. By the end of the 90s they felt it was already a dated work.

Decades later, David Belafonte, one of the stars of KCMB, called Keeley asking him to put the film up on YouTube for "legacy" purposes and so his children could see it. Keeley wasn't terribly hot on the idea; however, the thought of dusting off the celluloid reignited his passion for the work. Keeley got an itch to retool the film, especially when his muse, wife and partner Lyons-Keeley, agreed to co-produce and co-write additional material. The end result is a completely re-edited, updated masterwork that defies explanation.

What also makes KCMB unique is that there are three versions – a feature-length, a 40-minute short, and a 30-minute Director's Cut. To date, in all its incarnations, it has garnered incredible reviews and the honor of receiving over 190 film festival laurels and awards (and counting).

So what's all the hub bub? KCMB is the tale of two producers who must save their dying careers (and possibly their lives) by coming up with a blockbuster of a movie idea. A great big spoof on Hollywood and the entertainment business, it is unlike any film you've ever seen. Lyons-Keeley says of it, "It's The Producers meets Rocky Horror with a bit of Hot Tub Time Machine thrown in for good measure."

Two original actors have reprised their roles from 25 years ago. Jack Plotnick, well known as a TV, film, and Broadway actor, teacher, writer, director, and producer is back as well as Charlie Dobson, a talented voice-over actor and radio personality. The film also stars Australian comic Steve Kearney alongside Belafonte and features other greats such as Nipsey Russell, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Irwin Corey, Pat Cooper, Michael Medved, Jeffrey Lyons, and Malena Belafonte.

To keep abreast of KCMB's ever-growing list of laurels and awards, as well as information about screenings across the globe, please visit the film's official website at http://kissycousins.com/.