Directed by Michael Neel
Written by Greg Ansin and Michael Neel
Featuring Luis Negron, Bill Gage, Cyce Sadsad, Joe Lemieux
www.driveinhorrorshow.com
Tales from the Crypt, George Romero's Creepshow, R.L. Stine's Goosebumps novels, and drive-in movies...all of these things fill me with a fresh fetid breath of nostalgia.
Watching Drive In Horror Show sent me on a terror-ific trip down macabre memory lane, back to the days when I would walk the horror stocked isles of ‘Five Star Video’ with my dear ol' Dad, fascinated by the VHS cover art of movies like Peter Jackson's Dead Alive and Wes Craven's Shocker (two that for some reason stick out in my mind). I was braving the Child's Play sequels at the ripe age of six with my big brothers, thinking I was thick-skinned and strong minded–only to be up all night with my light on, clutching my favorite yellow blanket and praying for that red haired doll in my toy box to have mercy on my tiny juvenile soul. By the fifth grade, I was spending every bit of my 5-dollar weekly allowance on Goosebumps books. The first guy to ever weasel his way into my horror hungry heart was–I kid you not–none other than that rotting stud, The Crypt Keeper.
Pull up a grave stone and help yourself to a big bucket of blood smothered popcorn, The Projectionist and his slimy side-kick Billy Troll are about take you on the very same demented detour, through macabre memory lane, to none other than one of the greatest (and presently scarce) places on earth...the drive-in. Here you will be introduced to a tantalizing teen-aged-axe victim, a pair of ghoulish movie-goers, and a barf-buffet featuring 2 dollar eyeball poppers. Our haunted host reels out all of the reasons why you and I fell severed head over heels for horror films and all of the blood guts & gory that they stand for. Five flavorful shorts presented by the putrid projectionist (and compliments to the chefs and brrraaaaains behind this delectable drive-in fright fest, Michael Neel & Greg Ansin) set us up for some sentimental scares featuring a frat boy who gets himself into one hell of a sticky situation, a friendly neighborhood meat man, the closet monster, a watcher in the woods, and a doctor suffering from an illness that not even he himself can cure.
The casting is spot on, Luis Negron landed the role of The Projectionist by sheer fluke (having tried out for another character in one of the short films but not quite fitting the part) and absolutely nailed it. With old school makeup FX done brilliantly by Nick Flanagan, Rob Fitz and Jeff O'Brien, The Projectionist looks like a character pulled straight out of a classic Creepshow comic strip...Or possibly The Munster's family tree. The lovable short green mongoloid side-kick is played by Billy Gage–a mentally handicapped rock star of sorts in real life who just so happens to have the superhuman ability to belt out cookie monster death metal vocals (he also plays the part of the box office clerk, Zombie Frank). Talk about talent! I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the part with such ghastly grace. Playboy model Nancy Sadsad plays the dead sexy school girl, working that axe-wound like Lizzie Borden's Mama! The actors in the shorts never go overboard, I'd even go as far as to say that the acting is exceptional for such an intentionally schlocky film.
The film is beautifully shot and edited with lighting techniques and camera angles reminiscent of classic horror films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, I Spit on Your Grave, Friday the 13th, and Romero's Creepshow. Creators Michael Neelson and Greg Ansin have an obvious well-rounded appreciation for all aspects of cinema, also integrating elements of 1940-50s Noir films into their Drive in Horror Show. Neelson also explains in the director commentary all of the subtle references to other films and bits of movie culture that are planted throughout the film, some intentionally and some not. These guys are genuine devotees of the genre, their passion for horror is quite evident through their shared ability to balance humor and fright. Both having shared the initial task of penning the stories which were converted to the shorts featured in the horror show, they managed to explore the genre on the many different plains in which it exists; viewers are given the best of many nightmare worlds–from ruthless revenge tales, to malicious 'moral of the story' monsters, to freezers full of the finest cuts of meat.
Drive in Horror Show is chock full of highly entertaining grotesque goodies–and unlike most films, the fun doesn't stop with the rolling of the credits. The conclusion of the final drive-in segment urges viewers to put the pedal to the metal and make a pit stop at a wild zombie party featuring some awesome tunes by bands Hotblack, Coffin Lids, and Graveyard BBQ. (The soundtrack is available on both CD and vinyl through the website, www.driveinhorrorshowrecords.com.) Although I would have liked to see more options to choose from on the special features menu (as any worthy DVD release should have), the commentary with director Michael Neelson provides some in-depth information as to how the horror show was planned and executed, Neelson also gives us a thorough explanation of his and Ansin's intentions behind the film . A heavy metal-horror hound's wet nightmare, Drive in Horror Show is–WITHOUT A DOUBT–the greatest horror anthology since George Romero's Creepshow–which, for me, is saying a lot as Creepshow holds a permanent place on the pedestal of my all time favorite horror films. I'm more than glad to give this one the same kind of recognition.
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Rating: (4 out of 5):
