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!
Not quite ready to close your own weekend drive-in. Tune to IFC for a pretty cool double feature.
Underrated western vampire flick "Near Dark" kicks things off at 5:45 p.m. (CST). This cinematic bloodbath is pretty much the anti-"Twilight." A group of roving vamps travel to small towns in a sun-proof van for feeding frenzies and fun. Along the way, they turn unsuspecting farm kid Caleb (Adrian Pasdar) into a blood sucker. The gang includes "Aliens" stars Jenette Goldstein, Bill Paxton (now the star of HBO's "Big Love") and Lance Henriksen. It also stars B-movie king Tim Thomerson. It's directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow.
Today is indeed a holy day for Trekkies. SyFy is celebrating Star Trek today with a marathon of movies.
The journey begins at noon with "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" at noon (CST). I clearly remember the hype surrounding this film when it was release. Thanks to "Star Wars," fans were hungry for sci-fi movies. "Star Trek" was still super popular even though it had been off the air for a decade. So, people went nuts when this cerebral G-rated epic was released. I loved it, but many audiences were mixed. There wasn't a lot of action and the plot is recycled from the original series episode "Changeling." Check out and let me know what you think.
Next up is "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" at 3 p.m. This was a huge hit in the 1980s. It's pretty kooky, but audiences loved seeing Kirk, Spock and crew stumbling around the 20th century trying to save whales.
"Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country" at 5:30 p.m. was the last film to feature all of the original crew. It's one of the least memorable Trek movies, but it's still pretty good. Shatner gets to make out with one last alien chick in this one.
The Trek marathon concludes with "Star Trek: First Contact." This is the only 'Next Generation' movie that fans love. It's pretty awesome and pits the Enterprise crew against the Borg (depicted here as robotic zombies).
Get ready for some old school creature features on THIS.
Actually, it's more of an early morning fright fest that kicks off with Roger Corman classic "The Raven" at 2:30 a.m. (CST). This is not aired very often, so set the DVR or get the coffee brewing. The cast alone is worth it: Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre (the "titans of teror") and Jack Nicholson. It's loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe work and focuses on three rival sorcerers.
Next up is voodoo flick "I Eat Your Skin" at 4 a.m. as part of Elvira's Movie Macabre. The Mistress of the Dark is worth watching alone, but it's a Del Tenney movie ("The Horror of Party Beach"), so it has to be great.
The film had a few other titles including "Zombies," "Zombie Bloodbath" and "Voodoo Bloodbath." According to Wikipedia, the movie was part of a double bill with "I Drink Your Blood." Classic.
I'll admit. I love Lifetime and the Lifetime Movie Network. These channels used to be known for chick flicks. Now, they're home to some GREAT B-movies about stalkers, ghosts, psychos and killers.
The first film "Devil in the Flesh" focuses on Debbie (McGowan), an ultra hot and ultra disturbed teen orphan. When she's sent to live with her domineering grandmother, it's lights out for anyone who crosses her path...except her teacher Mr. Rinaldi (Alex McArthur...whom you might remember from Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" video). This is a classic teen stalker flick.
The sequel (also known as "Teacher's Pet") features O'Keefe as the disturbed Debbie, who escapes an insane asylum and wreaks havoc at a university. McArthur returns in a cameo...as a different character !? She falls for her writing professor (who also plays the blues) and destroys her dorm-mates. It's almost the same story as the first film, but I'm not complaining. O'Keefe is awesome, and so is this movie.
Whether you're a Packers fan or a Steelers maniac, tune in to both of these movies...the perfect kickoff for Super Sunday.
Well, "Green Hornet" fell to numero dos at the box office. "No Strings Attached" edged it out of the top position. I guess more dudes probably wanted to see Natalie Portman in her panties than Seth Rogen in a mask.
If you need a super fix, then turn on the TV. NBC has "The Cape," which is getting decent press, but HBO and Showtime have some classic old school super hero movies.
My favorite of the bunch is Dino De Laurentis' "Flash Gordon" on HBO Family! I can't say enough about this classic. I originally saw this in a packed two-screener in Corpus Christi, Texas and was thoroughly blown away. Some of the effects are rough, but the costumes and backgrounds are very trippy. The cast kicks ass. Max Von Sydow is excellent as Ming the Merciless. Also look for a pre-Bond Timothy Dalton (T-Dalt!) as Prince Barin. Sam J. Jones is not a master thespian, but he pulls off the title role. Queen's soundtrack rocks..."Flash! AH AH!! Savior of the universe!" This underrated gem runs throughout February. Check listings.
Like "The Green Hornet?" Meet his great uncle, the Lone Ranger. Although this tidbit is not mentioned in the movie, the Lone Ranger is the great uncle of the Green Hornet. Anyways, Showtime is airing "Legend of the Lone Ranger" this month. Look for it On Demand. This film was a bomb when it was released. I liked it! In the 1980s, a kid had to appreciate ANY comic book/super hero flick that was released.
Also on Showtime is 1987's "Masters of the Universe." This is another forgotten film of the 80s. It did decent box office business, and a sequel was planned. Due to licensing squabbles with toy manufacturer Mattel, it was scrapped. You can see the costumes that were to be used in the Jean Claude Van-Damme dud "Cyborg."
Too often, however, everyone celebrates the same old songs: Isaac Hayes' "Theme from Shaft," Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" and Bobby Womack's "Across 110th St." Don't get me wrong. All of these are indredibly cool songs, but let's give credit to some vastly underrated tracks:
1) James Brown: "Black Caesar" The Black Caesar soundtrack is mind blowing. In addition to solid tracks from Soul Brother #1, Lyn Collins contributes the the killer "Mama Feel Good."
The lead-in song "Down and Out in New York City" sets the pace for this morality tale. Brown's vocals steal the show on this one:
My favorite track, however, is this funker "The Boss." The song is perfect for the movie and remains an anthem for players everywhere.
2) Roy Ayers: "Coffy" Vibesmaster Roy Ayers delivers a very groovy score to a very raw movie. This great song, "Coffy is the Color," opens the movie...as does an exploding skull scene.
And this song needs to be played when any pimp enters the room.
3) Willie Hutch: "The Mack"
Any would-be pimp or player needs to check out "The Mack." Story-wise it's very similar to "Black Caesar." Willie Hutch who penned Jackson 5 classic "I'll Be There" (and the "Foxy Brown" score) contributes some fine songs to this morality tale including this upbeat number.
4)Billy Preston: "Slaughter" "Slaughter" is one of my favorite movies from the blaxploitation genre. James Brown did songs for the sequel, "Slaughter's Big Rip Off." Billy Preston, however, is in very fine form with this title track. The lyrics are badass, and the music is fantastic. What else could you expect from a guy who jammed with the Beatles and the Stones?? This song also made a comeback as part of the "Inglorious Basterds" soundtrack.
5) Marvin Gaye: "Trouble Man" The crown prince of soul got in on the "blaxploitation" game. His "Trouble Man" soundtrack is vastly underrated and underplayed. Here's a live cut from the man himself.
