Film Review: Drive-In Horror Show (2009)

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SYNOPSIS:

In days long ago, people would come to the drive-in to experience highs and lows. To laugh, or cry…… or scream.
Those days have passed us by, and all the drive-ins have long since closed their doors. Those great movies have been forgotten.

But some films won’t stay dead.

REVIEW:

Drive-in Horror Show is quite a work of passion. Not only do these folks get the old school way of doing things they also have one of the best submission package I’ve seen to date. DV, soundtrack and an album version of the soundtrack (vinyl) is pretty damn cool! Though I know my readers are gonna want to know the film side of it.

First off, for those of you who remember drive-ins which is getting smaller as the years go by…. will appreciate the filmmakers ode to the the old ways of watching horror films. This is the premise and basis for the wraparound sequence that packages the anthology style shorts included within the film. Also like the trend of days past when they still regarded horror hosts as an entertainment advantage, DIHS does a bit of the same with a freaky cast of charters. “The projectionist” – your esteemed story teller movie host, and his band of freaky deekies…. “Billy Troll”, “Zombie Frank” and “Teenage Axe Victim” ….the lost and remaining facilatators to the late shows. As they invite you into theirdecrepit drive-in, they invite you to view the selections of haunted creepy shorts. Each is a different take with some being more violent and gory than others. The film features 5 shorts.

These are “Pig”, “Fall Apart”, The Watcher”, The Meat man” and “The Closet”. Dire consequences usually await and each ends in some sort of violent outcome. Though for thrill seekers, the approach is closer to modern horror using body parts, creatures, murders, torture and even diseased falling off the bone victims.

“Pig” may be the female favorite as a night of sex and roofies gets turned around on one of the frat boys. They say karma is a bitch and in this case she means it. Add a dose of 1 psycho pissed off chick and a bucket of glue and see where that gets you?

“The Closet” has echoes of classic Twilight Zone style approach finding out what it means to finally break free from your parents and achieve full freedom. At what cost does the outcome really bring?

The Watcher” is pretty close to everyone’s fear of being alone out in the woods. Those reports of cannibal men who survive on what they kill might not be all that far from fiction. One of the more scarier shorts.

“Fall Apart” has some of the best FX work that is closer to modern horror and our fear of a viral outbreak. The chacter of the doctor creates a connection with audiences that even with a horror outcome is one of the more heart felt pieces of the group.

The Meatman, while I think most audiences will make the assumptions early on has a bit of that “how well do you know someone” kind of resolution.

For comparison, you might draw a connection with Tales from the Dark side but on an rated R version of tales. I found the whole project entertaining. The nice mix of subject matters keeps the material from getting stale and stays inventive in its process. The production is also done on a professional scale with FX work that is equally impressive. The only thing you may find a bit of change is the endings which usually aren’t so surprise orientated as some anthology stories base around. The wrap ups are more geared on different elements “of” horror. The film features a pretty happening soundtrack that is based on a retro styling rock sound. Drive-in Horror Show is a cut above the rest and a slice of incredible independent filmmaking.

Readers can find the collection per there web site here
http://www.driveinhorrorshow.com/

Drive-In Horror Show (2009)