The Wild World of Batwoman is an American science fiction superhero film directed by Jerry Warren (not to be confused with
another incompetent director named "Warren"). The film stars Katherine Victor as Batwoman, George Andre as Professor G. Octavius Neon, and Steve Brodie as Jim Flanagan.
With the popularity of the
Batman television series, director Jerry Warren decided to make his own bat-focused superhero film. After winning a settlement from being sued for copyright infringement, Warren re-released the film under the title
She Was a Hippy Vampire. Like Warren's other films, it's seen by modern critics and filmmakers as almost watchable.
Almost.The film's
Cold Open features two so-called "Bat Girls" initiating a third by giving her a
Dick Tracy-esque wrist radio and making her drink a red concoction which turns out to be a smoothie (because they're only "synthetic" vampires). Note that this prologue was filmed and
added to the movie only after the aforementioned lawsuit; therefore, the three girls
vanish from the rest of the movie.
Meanwhile, other Bat Girls are busily
watching crimes happen patroling the city, and one particular Bat Girl is kidnapped from a nightclub filled with her dancing colleagues. This Bat Girl, it turns out, is to be used as a bargaining chip by Mexican wrestler
cum supervillain Rat Fink, to coerce Batwoman into helping him steal an atomic listening device. But Batwoman insists on personally verifying the girl's safety first, and
Rat Fink complies, allowing Batwoman to rescue her and not have to commit the crime.
Whew. That wasn't so bad, now was it? Oh, wait;
it's not over yet.
Now aware of Rat Fink's designs on the Atomic Hearing Aid, Batwoman alerts the device's manufacturer and arranges for her Bat Girls to guard the device until such time as it can be disposed of. But Rat Fink's goons infiltrate the company using
Paper Thin Disguises and drug everyone, allowing them to steal the device and kidnap that same Bat Girl
again by the young Mook who has fallen in love with her.
Batwoman follows up her failed guard duty with a failed seance, then with a failed search of the nearby beaches — during which all her Bat Girls are kidnapped and taken to Rat Fink's
Elaborate Underground Base (where he keeps his Mole People). But Batwoman had anticipated this (somehow) and has followed him here.
The film doesn't end here, but this summary does. Because words simply cannot describe the
sheer goofiness of that climactic fight scene. Or the
Dénouement afterwards. But, if you're brave, you can read for yourself,
here
.
In 1993,
The Wild World of Batwoman was released as episode #515 of
Mystery Science Theater 3000 where it was featured with the short "Cheating". This episode was released later on DVD by Rhino Entertainment.
Not to be confused with
Batwoman, a
DC Comics character. Though, obviously,
that's what the producer was hoping for.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Cheating is bad. *
Richard Basehart is good.
- Do Not Spoil This Ending: Parodied. When Ratfink is unmasked, Tom Servo quips, "Please do not reveal the secret to The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman."
- Dude, Not Funny!: Mike and the 'bots cringe at the "ching chong chang" seance.
- Hilarious in Hindsight: Professor Neon in the movie is a dead ringer for Dr. Forrester.
- Serious Business: All of the host segments were based on the Cheating short (except for a brief reference to the drugged soup scene), featuring overly dramatic responses to Crow plagiarizing Gypsy's essay on the short film.
- Pass the Popcorn: Mike leaves the theater in the opening scene to get snacks, as if he were watching a movie rather than being tortured. The Bots question if this sort of thing is allowed.
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