October 12: A 3D Horror Film that you watch with red and blue glasses

I had a lot of 3D movies to pick from, but when a poster promises “The funniest, wackiest 3-D movie ever,” I know which one to pick!

One of six 3D movies made by Earl Owensby’s crew — Rottweiler: Dogs of Hell, Hot Heir, Hyperspace, Chain Gang and Tales of the Third Dimension in 3-D are the others — this has Beau Jim Donner (Owensby) coming home to deal with Sam Grady (Rudy Thompson), who is buying up the small town. Uncle Rusty (Jack Payne) refuses to sell his business, so he’s crippled. Beau Jim starts working for the cops but is really messing up Grady’s schemes; he becomes a hero to the people thanks to DJ Freight Train Fremont (Dee Barton in his only acting role; he did the music for Every Which Way You Can, Play Misty for Me, High Plains Drifter, Death Screams and most of the Owensby films).

Barton also did the music for this, along with narrator David Allan Coe. So yes, if you think, “This sounds a lot like The Dukes of Hazzard,” you’re totally right. Except this is in 3D. And you pay for it.

Director Worth Keeter was on so many Owensby films, like the two Ginger Alden-starring movies Lady Grey and Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll, as well as The Order of the Black Eagle, Unmasking the Idol, Snapdragon, and many more movies. Writer Thom McIntyre was right there with him and also directed Tales of the Third Dimension in 3-D and The Rutherford County Line.

I was so happy to find this online. Not many people care about the Owensby back catalogue, and now that the company’s website is down, finding the movies is nearly impossible, except for some of the releases that Severin and Vinegar Syndrome have put out. I think I might be the one person who needs to see Hot Heir, a 3D balloon race movie.

You can watch this on YouTube.