Legendary author, columnist, TV host and drive-in movie critic extraordinaire Joe Bob Briggs is coming to Shudder with a major movie marathon on Friday, July 13. We’ve got the details and exclusive words with Joe Bob, plus a teaser video.
Following in the tradition of his popular cable-TV shows JOE BOB’S DRIVE-IN THEATER and MONSTERVISION, Joe Bob will host THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS exclusively on the Shudder streaming service. This 24-hour marathon, which begins at 9 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. PDT on the 13th, will showcase 13 classic horror films curated by Joe Bob, who will bring his classic color commentary, Drive-In Totals, offbeat celebrity interviews, a new Mail Girl, etc. to the show. The three movies announced are David Schmoeller’s TOURIST TRAP, Robert Hiltzik’s SLEEPAWAY CAMP and Frank Henenlotter’s BASKET CASE, with the rest to be revealed in the coming weeks.
Joe Bob tells RUE MORGUE that his fans can expect more of what they enjoyed from his previous shows. “People have a love for that MONSTERVISION format that amazes me,” he says. “There’s nothing broke about it, so I’m not changing it. The marathon will have a whole range of films, from classics to more obscure ones, and it’s gonna be awesome.
“Shudder has licensed, I think, 6 or 700 films, so there were plenty to choose from,” he continues. As the above titles indicate, “There’s quite a heavy concentration on the 1980s. There was a lot of content coming out in those years, and it was all over the map. I would say that exploitation films in general in the ’80s were more fun, in a way; it seemed like there was a party going on in this country. You also had these new economics of making movies. People devoured them because they had VCRs now—that was a new thing, to bring entertainment into your home—and they just watched everything, so you had all this instant content. I thought it would go away and we would move into nostalgia for the ’90s, but we haven’t yet. The ’90s are still not considered as cool as the ’80s!”
While indulging in that nostalgia, viewers of THE LAST DRIVE-IN will be able to join the conversation with Shudder’s Twitter account @Shudder, with special guests, surprises and prizes for participation. During the run-up to the marathon, there will be a Reddit AMA on July 10, and Joe Bob will host special screenings at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn, NY on July 11 and the Alamo Drafthouse in Dallas, TX on July 12. Check out more of our interview with Joe Bob in RUE MORGUE #183, which goes on sale July 1 and can be pre-ordered here.
