You're a producer, and you need a film made quick and with no budget. Suspense crime drama? "Thrill Killers." Superhero slugfest? "Rat Pfink A Boo Boo." The world's first monster musical? "Incredibly Strange Creatures (that stopped living... you know the rest)." Yes, any type of film you need can be made by that master of the "B" film RAY DENNIS STECKLER!!! Hey Ray, I need a hardboiled detective film noir movie - what's that? You have one? And it's a doozy entitled BODY FEVER. (a.k.a. 'Super Cool')

It's the middle of the night, but a beautiful cat burglar is up to no good, snatching a satchel from the company's safe. Returning to her room, the thief is surprised by a thug, who beats the girl and snatches the case, leaving the dame despondent at the cruel twist of fate. (And all this action takes place during the opening credits!) The thug returns to his place and proceeds to shoot up his junkie girlfriend. However, Big Mack is none too happy - that case was his, and he wants it, or the bucks it was supposed to bring him - back in the worst way. Big Mack gives his lackey Brett just three days to produce the case, the money, or Ferguson (who was in charge of the satchel) or there will be hell to pay!

Meanwhile, private detective Charlie Smith is down on his luck. He's barely able to make ends meet, and wants to just get away from it all. So he goes to his only prize possession - his sloop the ROUGE. Once there, a suit arrives with a job offer. It's Ferguson, and he wants Charlie to find the thief - Carrie Erksine. Ferguson knows she stole his case, but doesn't know where she is, so he gives Charlie a wad of cash and info to do his dirty work before the three days are up. Desperate (but playing it cool, of course), Charlie accepts the job.

Soon the investigation takes Charlie into the seedy underworld of loose women and hard drugs. Charlie's work leads him to Carrie's ex-roommate Carol, who claims not to know where Carrie is. That's because her boyfriend is the thug who stole the satchel - pusher Frankie, who rewards Carol's deception with another shot of horse. Meanwhile, Brett finds Carrie and confronts her about the whereabouts of 'the stuff'; seems the duo was planning to double-cross Big Mack before the case was ripped off. Carrie forces Brett to back of with her trusty handgun, and she disappears again into the night. Charlie unwittingly meets Big Mack, who's amused by the flatfoot, until he asks about Carrie. Charlie and Brett rumble in the street; our detective manages to escape with his life from Big Mack's killer. The next day Charlie gets some good news- a "heart-of-gold" prostitute Shawn promises to help him locate Carrie. Is this the break Charlie's been waiting for? Will he find Carrie before Big Mack or Brett put an end to her? What's Frankie's part in this play - and what's in that bag that is so damn important that everyone is willing to kill for it? Will Charlie go so deep into this decadent world that he'll never get out? Oh, you just know you wanna get a copy and watch BODY FEVER.

Now, if you're like me and love 'bad films', you are well aware of the filmography of Ray Dennis Steckler, and I can tell you BODY FEVER is exactly what you would expect from R.D.S. For the uninitiated, read on. First, Steckler is a master of the 'no-budget' film; he literally will use every bit of footage he shoots. Therefore, picture quality tends to be uneven. Scenes at night tend to be grainy, and in shadow; Steckler never had a lot of money for lighting. Since he uses all his film, there's also a chase scene that goes on...and on...and on. Steckler surrounded himself with a stock cast (including leading lady/wife Carolyn Brandt) and their acting may never win awards, but is honest and earnest. Steckler does his best to include all of his friends and supporters with small roles, which leads the story off into some weird tangents. This should be expected, however, since Steckler didn't shoot with a script; he had his ideas, set up the scene, and let the chips fall as they may (so to speak). The audio is fine, although there is some hum from the original on-site recordings; it's not a distraction. An added bonus to any R.D.S. film is the incredible soundtrack, ranging from stylish jazzy funk to bubble gum pop - it really adds to the Steckler film experience. You can't help but admire the way the cast and crew believe in Steckler and try their best with what they have to realize their guru's vision.

Guilty Pleasures/Media Blasters has released a lot of Steckeler's catalog, much to the delight of his fans. Each DVD has lots of great extras, and BODY FEVER is no exception. There is a full-length commentary track which is required listening for all of Steckler's incredible production anecdotes. There are interviews with Ray and Carolyn Brandt reminiscing about their days filming BODY FEVER and all the fun they had (although it didn't seem so at the time). There's a short clip from what looks like a grocery store opening with Rat Pfink and Boo Boo (and the gorilla) IN COLOR! (That film was B&W and sepia-tone) - a nifty bit of Steckler history. Also included is an early Steckler short GOOF ON THE LOOSE (with commentary as well) which I can only describe as "wacked...just wacked". And of course there is an assortment of trailers - that may be a government requirement for DVDs or something.

If you admire the films of Ray Dennis Steckler, then BODY FEVER is another gem in the B-movie icon's crown. If you're new to Steckler, then BODY FEVER is a good introduction to the man's work (maybe not as fun as 'Rat Pfink', but a lot more accessible) Go. Watch. Now.