The Season Kicks Off with The Last Drive-In Live: A Tribute to Roger Corman on Friday, March 15 Featuring Interviews with Legendary Filmmaker Roger Corman and Actor Bruce Dern
NEW YORK – March 11, 2024 – Shudder revealed today the trailer and key art for the supersized sixth season of The Last Drive-In, premiering Friday, March 15 at 9pm ET on Shudder TV and AMC+ TV. The season kicks off with a special, The Last Drive-In Live: A Tribute to Roger Corman, followed by all-new watch parties every other Friday at 9pm. The episodes will also be available on demand on Shudder and AMC+ each Sunday following the Friday broadcast premiere.
Recorded live from Las Vegas, Joe Bob celebrates legendary filmmaker Roger Corman’s first 70 years in Hollywood with The Last Drive-In Live: A Tribute to Roger Corman, featuring guests of honor Roger and Julie Corman - and a surprise visit from one of Roger’s oldest friends and collaborators, Bruce Dern. After the special, The Last Drive-Incontinues with Joe Bob’s signature movie watch parties on a biweekly schedule, featuring single feature spotlights and surprises.
About Shudder:
AMC Networks’ Shudder is a premium streaming video service, super-serving members with the best selection in genre entertainment, covering horror, thrillersand the supernatural. Shudder’s expanding library of film, TV series, and Original Content is available on most streaming devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Over the last few years, Shudder has introduced audiences to groundbreaking and critically acclaimed films including Rob Savage’s HOST, Jayro Bustamante’s LA LLORONA, Phil Tippett’s MAD GOD, Coralie Fargeat’s REVENGE, Joko Anwar’s SATAN’S SLAVES, Josh Ruben’s SCARE ME, Kyle Edward Ball’s SKINAMARINK, Christian Tafdrup’s SPEAK NO EVIL, Chloe Okuno’s WATCHER, Demián Rugna‘s WHEN EVIL LURKS,and the latest in the V/H/S film anthology franchise, as well as the fan favorite TV series THE BOULET BROTHERS’ DRAGULA, Greg Nicotero’s CREEPSHOW, and THE LAST DRIVE-IN WITH JOE BOB BRIGGS.
When it comes to the Roger Corman produced cult classic Humanoids from the Deep (1980), the above poster and it's tagline:
They're not human.
But they hunt human woman.
Not for Killing.
For mating.
tells you a lot about what you need to know about it. A favorite of mine since I first saw it, there maybe movies with bit and pieces like it. But, as a whole it really does stand on its own, in particular as far as what happens on screen.
Tensions are rising in a fishing village in California, between the local racist and fisherman, Slattery (Vic Morrow) and his boys and Johnny Eagle (Anthony Pena), who is against their hatchery. These only escalate when they blame each for the deaths of their dogs. Slattery and his guys gang up on Eagle, as they fist fight. Jim Hill (Doug McCloure), all around good guy and fisherman, and his brother Tommy (Breck Costin) join in to give Eagle and even chance.
What they don't know is that the culprits of these brutal dog killings, and other attacks, are really a group of monsters from the depths. Mutated thanks to a process to grow fish faster, they are also horny, on top of being bloodthirsty and violent. They kill men, but the nubile women they rape(!). The sexy Dr. Susan Drake (Ann Turkel) already knows this, though, and soon she joins and helps our heroes to spot the rapey and hideous monsters, who are heading to crash the village's annual festival.
Humaniods from the Deep is directed by Barbara Peeters, but when the movie was finished producer Roger Corman felt that it lacked the sufficient amount of exploitative material. He hired an uncredited Jimmy Murakami to add more skin and make the monster rape on women much more explicit. He also tacked on the awesome ending, which gives it one final kick in the ass. The result picture is pure exploitation, one that only could have come from the mind of Corman, who always knew what it took to make money in the B-movie world.
It is to movie's testament that despite its righteously exploitative nature, it manages to throw in important and thoughtful socio-political ideas. On top of that old sci-fi/ horror adage of how one shouldn't use science to fuck with nature, it also touches on racism and the environment. These are themes that are as relevant as ever today, helping to give the movie a timeless and much deeper feel that one might think a movie like this would have.
"Hey, guys I'm over here! What's up?"
It also helps that the cast is rounded off with a talented group of actors. Everyone is great in their roles, in particular our leads. McCloure makes for a very likable in hero in Jim. While Pena is equally likable as Eagle, a man who is victim to much of the town's racism, and whose desire to protect the environment makes him a hero that we can further cheer. Slattery is played with believable villainy by Murrow. While, the gorgeous Ms. Turkel's Dr. Drake is smart and sexy, the perfect character to explain to our heroes, and us, what the fuck it is that is going on. It should also be noted that the chilling score is handled by James Horner, who would go to bigger budget terrors in the classic Aliens.
It is safe to say that had Universal continued with their Dark Universe, NOTHING remotely like this would have happened in their "Creature from the Black Lagoon" remake...
But, the movie is first and foremost a true exploitation horror movie. Thanks to talents to those behind the scenes, it knows what the audience wants and delivers in strides. It wastes no time in showing us the monsters in full detail. They come in different sizes and with different arm lengths, but are all frightening. Well lighted and shot with building tension by director Peeters, they are further complimented by their shrill and horrific screeching. This is excellent sound design which in the awesome Shout Factory Blu-ray are particularly nerve-shredding (more on that later). They also look great thanks to the flawless make-up of Rob (Robocop, Total Recall) Bottin. Done, before his ground breaking work on classics like The Thing and The Howling, this was a clear representation of the genius work that we would be seeing from him in the years to come.
As mentioned before, Corman added the more graphic rape scenes, saying "fuck that" to whole leave it to one's imagination thing. The creatures attack the movie's beautiful and naked actresses with violent and graphic abandonment. On top of that a kid and the aforementioned dogs are killed, pretty much not caring about what a movie should or not show or do, for that matter. The doggy deaths are the only part I wince at, but then anytime a dog dies onscreen that is my reaction. The gore is graphic and bloody as the monsters rip and tear into male human flesh, including a jaw dropping scene where a dude's head is pulled off (found in the European cut and in the above mentioned Shout Factory release). The monsters, themselves, are shot, immolated, stabbed, hacked at, and impaled.
"Hey dude, can you give me hand here?"
I first saw Humanoids from the Deep, when I blind bought the old DVD. Having read beloved horror/ gorehound critic Chas. Balun's glowing reviews of it for years, I had been meaning to see it forever. When, I did, I was blown away! The combination of a solid plot, great acting, strong directing, excellent FX and music with gore, monsters, and babes, made it a movie that was definitely right up my alley. I actually bought the DVD over to my friend's house, when they were having a B-movie movie marathon. Needless to say he and our friends jaws dropped as the monsters began their rapey ways.
I recently got around to finally picking up the aforementioned Shout Factory Blu-ray. This is an unrated cut that was previous, to this release, only seen in Europe. Titled over there the highly uninspired moniker Monster, it features that above referenced decapitation which is a real winner. The disc also look phenomenal with a kick ass sounds that brings the horrific screeching of the Humanoids and killer soundtrack along with the victim screams and explosions to furious and unnerving sonic life. There are new interviews, as well interviews and extras ported over from the old DVD. It should be noted that this was before the days of Shout's Scream Factory subsidiary, so it is under the Shout line.
Their is a 2006 remake of it produced by Corman's company themselves. It was part of a series of Corman produced remake of Corman produced movies for Showtime. I actually skipped this one, and from what I have heard I made the right move...
Humaniods from the Deep remains a wild experience. Unfettered in its desire to be pure exploitation, yet accompanied by socio-political messaging, there really is few if anything like it. Well made and well done, this exercise in monsters, blood, and boobs fucking rocks. If last year's Shape of Water asked the question, "What if the Creature from the Black Lagoon's Gill-Man had the girl he fell for love him back?"; then this one asks, "What if there were a bunch of Gill-Men, all made my man's experimentation with nature, sexually violating hot, human women?". If you have never sat through this classic, and love well made exploitation movies, monsters, and a good amount of blood and boobs, I ask you, "What the fuck are you waiting for?!"
Title: Death Race 2050 Director: G.J. Echternkamp Writer: G.J. Echternkamp, Matt Yamashita Cast: Manu Bennett, Malcolm McDowell, Marci Miller, Burt Grinstead, Folake Olowofoyeku Year: 2017 Min: 90
In the year, 2050 the latest Death Race, a race in which one gets extra points by running over pedestrians, is happening in a large arena. Reigning champ and cybro-gentically enhanced Frankenstein (Manu Bennett) is among the competitors. But, he has some stiff competition including the vein and genetically enhanced Jed Perfectus (Burt Grinstead) and the insane and deadly Tammy the Terrorist (the lovely Anessa Ramsey) who has her own religion/ cult that centers around her. Helping Frankenstein out is his proxy the gorgeous Annie Sullivan (Marci Miller), though from the get-go he is annoyed by her presence. The rebellion try to stop Frankenstein, because of the fact that he is loved by the spectators. Meanwhile, the evil Chairman (Malcolm McDowell), who is running the whole race, is treacherous scum. This all leads to what will be the most difficult and dangerous race of Frankenstein's career.
Death Race 2050 is the sequel (yes sequel, not remake) to the Roger Corman (who also produced this flick, of course) produced cult classic Death Race 2000. Unlike the more serious tone of the wild and ultra-violent big-budget remake from 2008 (which was also co-produced by Corman), this film is much closer in tone to the original movie. It's campy, bloody, and filled with political satire. The later, of which, is very welcome in the current political climate. It should be noted that you do not need to see the first movie to see this one, but why the hell wouldn't you see that movie? It's fucking awesome!
That being said, it is never as good as either of those two movies. I can't compare it to the two sequels the 2008 film had, though, as I never saw those. But, I digress. 2050 is wonderfully blatant in its proudly campy manner. This doesn't necessarily work all the time, as the humor, sometimes, comes off a little forced or is just not funny. However, a good amount of it does work and is really quite hilarious.
The CGI is pretty bad, but somehow it just adds to the camp factor. It helps it look and feel cheap, which in this case is a welcome. I would venture in saying that I enjoyed the bad CGI here, more than I enjoy a lot of the shitty CGI featured on movies that air on SyFy. The cars look wild and are very much in tone with the first film. The gore FX are wonderfully over-the-top. Included among the mayhem are bodies getting run-over (of course!), exploding bodies, impaling, decapitations, splattering blood, flying entrails, and more. Nothing is ever done in a serious tone or manner so there is never a morbid or mean-spirited feel to it.
Being a Corman movie you will wanna know if it succeeds in the other exploitation staple: nudity. And, I can happily say that it does! Various babes show ample T&A, but the only central character to show the goods is the quite nice ass of Anessa Ramsey in her as Tammy. That said, Marci Miller does wear a sexy, tight outfit that shows off her ample curves.
The acting is, admit ably, good. Manu Bennett, best know for Spartacus and playing Deathstroke on Arrow, seems to be having a hell of a good time playing Frankenstein. He is great at both the action scenes and playing with the humor of the movie. Malcolm McDowell is equally fun as the evil Chairman, who is an excellent and welcomed parody of now President Donald Trump, right down to the ridiculous, parted hair. Like I said this movie has great social commentary for our current state! Miller adds some bombshell sex appeal, and killer curves, with her role of Annie. She, too, is great at combing said sex appeal with humor. The rest of the cast is equally fun and good at their roles.
Death Race 2050 doesn't always work or hit all of its goals. But, when it does it is quite a good time. With its campy and silly feel, it can be quite funny at times. Throw in some wild bits of ultra-violence and some welcome babes, it succeeds in its exploitation based heart. The biting social commentary is funny and scarily fitting today's world. Despite this, much of the movie has a breezy mentality that is perfect to just lie back and chill with it. The fact that it is currently on NetFlix means there is no reason you shouldn't being see it.
John McCarthy made a series of short docus on horror filmmakers that was based on his book of the same name: The Fearmakers. This first of two volumes, this one complies the first half of them and is more centered around classic horror. Each of them deal with one director per segment, as various experts, including fellow horror filmmakers, as well as writers in the horror world, talk about the filmmaker, and McCarthy narrates giving us some history on each director. The segments/ directors are as follows:
Tod Browning- One of horrors first masters, Browming's career is documented here. It's interesting to see where he started from and where he went on to. Of course, Dracula is his best-known film, but it's a shame that his actual best movie, Freaks, was the one that killed his career. This was due to all the controversy it caused. This is covered in depth here and is one of the highlights of this volume.
Roland West- The only filmmaker I wasn't aware of before watching this was West. And, this was a fascinating introduction to him. Especially in terms of his lost film The Bat. Finding out what happened to it was definitely a highlight for me. Then we learned about his remake of it, which was called The Bat Whisperer. The cinematic breakthroughs that he came up with here are really interesting, even if the movie itself wasn't an actual success. Most fascinating, though, is the telling of the tragic death of his wife and his possible or not involvement in it.
Jacques Tourneir- Here they discuss this great filmmaker who is sometimes overshadowed by his producer/partner Val Lewton (which is discussed here). Most fascinating, to me, is when they talk about his masterpieces like Cat People and my personal favorite of his Curse of the Demon. The talks with the horror experts on these movies are excellently done.
William Castle- This one is about one of horrors greatest showman, if not the greatest one: William Castle. That said, I wish they talked a little more about the movies and not just focused on the gimmicks. But, they do talk about them, nonetheless, just not as much as I would have liked. Since, I do think he made some solid movies during his career. Still the most fascinating talk here really comes in discussing Roman Polanski's classic Rosemary's Baby, which Castle produced.
Jack Arnold- The classic sci-fi/horror director Jack Arnold is lovingly discussed in this segment. I really enjoyed hearing them talk about movies like Creature from the Black Lagoon, which is my favorite of his. Talks about other classics of his like Tarantula are also fun and captivating.
Robert Wise- Unlike the other segments, this one just has one interview only, that takes up the whole segment, and it's with Wise, himself. I would have loved getting interviews with others in following the same format as the other segments in this volume. Regardless, it is intriguing to hear him talk about his movies like Star Trek: The Motion Picture and my absolute favorite of his, The Haunting.
Roger Corman- My favorite director of the ones featured here, ends up being on my favorite segment. I loved hearing the horror experts talk about all of his classics like Not of this Earth and, of course, his Poe movies.
This is a fun, informative, and well constructed documentary series. I have been a long time fan of John McCarthy thanks to both volumes of his review books The Official Splatter Movie Guide. I highly recommend this documentary for fans of classic horror.
