Welcome to the Weekend Drive-In! Some guys spend the weekends watching sports. I, however, dedicate every weekend to B-movies, classic TV shows, rock n’ roll, comics and other “drive-in” style fare.
Stay tuned to this blog for news, reviews and previews of what’s on cable/satellite TV each weekend. Also look for updates from the world of cult films, rock music and similar-minded topics.
So, grab a cocktail, kick back and enjoy your visit to the Weekend Drive-In!
Gotta love Elvira. She's hilarious! Plus, her syndicated "Movie Macabre" continues to introduce horror fans to crazy B-movies. Currently, THIS TV airs Elvira's antics at 4 a.m. (CST) on Sunday mornings and midnight on Mondays. This weekend, the mistress presents 1952 amazon epic "Untamed Women."
Of course, Elvira has appeared on countless movies and TV shoes. Among those features is her self-titled 1988 comedy, "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark." It's rarely shown on cable and definitely worth seeking out on DVD. A sequel, "Elvira's Haunted Hills" followed in 2001.
So, have a cocktail and some cake...and don't forget to set the DVR for the next installment of "Elvira's Movie Macabre."
"Soylent Green" is a classic. Classic premise...classic shock ending...and of course, it stars the classic Chuck Heston!
These days, I couldn't see the highly Republican Heston supporting a sci-fi movie about the dangers of global warming and overpopulation. Luckily, he starred in this 1971 gem that is currently part of Comcast/Xfinity On Demand's Free Movies selections (look under Preferred Collection).
Many die-hard cult film fans have seen this countless times, and it is certainly worth revisiting.
The film is set in the 21st century. Greenhouse gases have ravaged the earth, and populations are out of control. Manhattan itself has more than 40 million people living there. The city is a steamy, dirty hellhole filled with haves and have nots.
One of the haves, the rich Simonson (Joseph Cotten), is brutally murdered. Grunt detective Thorn (Heston) is assigned to the case and discovers that the slain Simonson was a board member of the omnipotent Soylent Corporation. With food in short supply, the Soylent Corporation manufactures wafers filled with vegetable protein that have become the staples of the American diet. The most recent product, "Soylent Green," is apparently rich with harvested plankton.
Anyways, Thorn finds himself in over his head trying to solve this mystery. He's aided by roommate Sol(E.G. Robinson in his final role), a book-smart senior who remembers the days when the air was clean and food was plentiful. Thorne also finds romance with the HOT Shirl (Leigh Taylor Young), Simonson's concubine. On his tail are a gaggle of thugs led by Chuck "Rifleman" Connors.
If you haven't seen this movie before, what are you waiting for? It actually holds up fairly well and explores themes that are still fairly topical.
I won't spoil the ending, but it's one of 70s sci-fi cinema's most iconic conclusions. Check it out, and let me know what you think.
What to do after church...if you actually go...today? Pour yourself a stiff drink and relax with a trio of trash flicks on the best movie channel on cable THIS.
First up is "I Saw What You Did" at 12:30 p.m. starring John Ireland and Joan Crawford. Directed by movie gimmick master William Castle, this is a great thriller about a phone prank gone wrong. Some bored teens randomly call a guy (Ireland) who just murdered his wife and say "I saw what you did..." Bad idea. Ireland, who is having an affair with the kids' wild neighbor (Crawford) tracks these teens down. They should have used the ol' "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?" gag. It's better than you would think thanks to crazed performances by the two senior leads and expert handling by maestro Castle. Castle was a bit of a PR guy and usually had some crazy gimmick attached to his films (life insurance policies in case of fright-induced death, floating skeletons in theaters, vibrating seats). According to Wikipedia, he originally planned seat belts for those who might be scared out of their seats. The idea was apparently abandoned.
Next up is Hammer Films classic "The Brides of Dracula" at 2:30 p.m. starring Peter (Grand Moff Tarkin) Cushing. Drac doesn't appear in this one. Instead, we get lame Baron Meinster (David Peel) and a gaggle of vampire ladies. It's pretty typical Hammer fare, but the action-packed ending is worth the wait.
"The Invisible Woman" at 4:30 p.m. concludes this trio of semi-classics. This is the third movie in the "Invisible Man" series. It focuses on a model (Virginia Bruce) who is fired from her department store job. She winds up being a test subject for an invisibility device designed by a nutty scientist (John Barrymore). Of course, she uses this new power to make life miserable for her former boss.
Back in the day, traveling by air was an experience. Passengers dressed up to board a plane, flight attendants treated people with respect and airports were magnificent structures. NOW, flying is a drag. Planes are too uncomfortable to wear anything more than shorts and t-shirts, flight attendants look as beaten down as the passengers and airports are the most miserable places to spend time.
This weekend, Retroplex takes audiences back to the glory days of flying with a double dose of disaster flicks..."Airport" and "Airport 1975."
First up is "Airport 1975," which is probably the best of the bunch. After all, it stars the almighty Charlton Heston. Chuck has to save the day when a 747 collides with a small plane. Well, the smaller craft is immediately destroyed and the crew of passenger jet is killed (except for the captain who is left blind). Heston and sidekick George (King of the Disaster Movies) Kennedy come up with a plan to lower a pilot into the cockpit of the runaway jet. It's pretty nuts, but entertaining throughout. Read this past review from an earlier edition of the Weekend Drive-In. "Airport 1975" takes off at 5:10 a.m., Sept. 4.
The original blockbuster "Airport" (based on Arthur Hailey's novel) departs at 8:30 a.m., Sept. 4 This was a smash hit back in 1970 and was one of the movies that launched the decade's "all-star" cast craze. Dean Martin is the pilot, the HOT Jackie Bisset is his lover (HOW did that happen???) and Burt Lancaster is the airport manager. The plot centers on a nutjob demolition expert (Van Heflin) who wants to commit suicide so his wife can collect the insurance money. Unfortunately, he wants to do so by exploding a bomb on a plane!! Add a diamond-smuggling Helen Hayes (who won an Oscar for this) and George Kennedy to the mix, and you have a bonafide 70s celebrity smorgasbord.
Update: I just noticed that these movies AND "Airport '77" are on Movieplex On Demand on Comcast. If you missed 'em Sunday, you can experience the "Airport" series at your leisure.
