Drive-in Madness!

Just watched this on the Dailymotion site. It has actor James Karen narrating about the drive-in experience and telling of his part in a small film called Hercules in New York which starred someone named Arnold Strong (actually Schwarzenegger) and Arnold Stang. He also intros plenty of trailers shown either on movie screens or television (those that mention the letter rating are most likely for the latter). And then there are interviews with actress Linnea Quigley, producer Samuel M. Sherman of Independent-International, and the crew of Night of the Living Dead: producer/actor Russell Streiner, writer John A. Russo, makeup artist Tom Savini, and director George A. Romero. Quite interesting, this documentary is, especially when many marquees of drive-in's are shown whether still operating or not. So on that note, Drive-In Madness! is well worth a look.

Drive-In Madness (1987)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

James Karen plays host and narrator to this "documentary" that has interviews with several famous faces wrapped around countless trailers from "B" movies. Tom Savini, Linnea Quigley, George Romero, John Russo, Bobbie Bresee, Forrest J. Ackerman, Russell Steiner and Samuel M. Sherman are among the people interviewed.

There are dozens of trailers show including those for: Dracula VS FRANKENSTEIN, SATAN'S SADIST, BLOOD CREATURE, BLOOD DRINKERS, BRIDES OF BLOOD, GIRLS FOR RENT, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS, NURSE SHERRI, FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR, PSYCHOS IN LOVE, a few Hammer double features and much more.

If you're a fan of watching trailers then there are some pretty good items here to be viewed. The ones that really stand out were the Al Adamson films produced by Sherman. If you've seen these movies then you already know how bad they are yet when you see these trailers you really want to go watch them again. Say what you want about the films but the trailers are actually well-done and certainly build up an interest in the film. FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR, the alternate title to ASSIGNMENT TERROR is also well-made and sells the film perfectly.

As far as the interviews go, it's nice to have them but there's certainly nothing ground-breaking to them. Savini and Romero talk about what they remember of the drive-ins and they also talk about NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Quigley talks about how she got into the business and tells a couple stories about SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT. Russo and Romero also talk about their second feature THERE'S ALWAYS VANILLA.

Drive-In Madness is a weird one, it's essentially 90 minutes of classic movie trailers ranging from the 1940's-1990's with the occasional documentary moment/interview interjected.

The interviews include the likes of Forrest J. Ackerman, Tom Savini & the late great George Romero. The interviews are great but be aware they are very very brief! I was awash with nostalgia watching the trailers but the majority are extremely obscure movies and not the b-movies you may be familiar with.

Narrated by the great James Karen (Who is somehow, someway still acting) he neatly wraps everything up and makes this a decent enough effort.

Despite it's glaring flaws this is watchable but don't go in expecting either a movie or a documentary as this simply isn't!

Honorable mention to Linnea Quigley in her interviews, a lady most well known for playing Trash in The Return Of The Living Dead (1985) the punk queen who spends half the movie nude dancing around in a graveyard. As you can imagine my young adolescent self really appreciated that performance! Entirely for her acting ability though, to suggest anything otherwise is unwarranted and I shall bid you a good day sir!

DRIVE-IN MADNESS is two things: a documentary, and a collection of old trailers for exploitation films. There are ads for Independent International pictures (NURSE SHERRI, BLAZZING STEWARDESSESS), and other assorted odd-ball fare(THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, MASOULEUM). There are also interviews with scream queens (Bobbie Breesse and Linnea Quigley) and filmmakers(George Romero, Sam Sherman, Joh Russo). There is a fairly long piece on NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, and what the makers of that film have done since.

My favorite part of this docu-paste-up was when George Romero talks about the state of films today. Romero says he feels that films are much more disposable nowadays(because of video), and it makes it harder for people trying to make something unique. Tom Savini, next to him, agreed, and so do I. Alot of films are very genre-based currently, and you very rarely find a renegade director like Romero anymore. (Incidentally, I think DAWN OF THE DEAD is a classic.)

DRIVE-IN MADNESS is a cheaply made, shoddily edited affair, but it is well-worth seeing for film buffs. The narrator (POLTERGEIST star James Karen) has a perfectly pleasant voice, and he obviously has respect for his subject.

If anyone can grab a copy of BLAZZING STEWARDESSESS, let me know, because that one looks like a hoot.

Hosted / narrated by James Karen, and packed with genre luminaries (George A. Romero, Tom Savini, Linnea Quigley, Forrest J. Ackerman, et al.), DRIVE-IN MADNESS is a retrospective of classic horror and exploitation film trailers. Whether you remember the good old drive-in theater days, or you just wonder what it was like, this will give you an idea.

Filled with inside stories and anecdotes, it's informative and fun to watch. Of special interest to yours truly is the saga of Independent International Pictures, as well as the origin of ultra-schlock director, Al Adamson.

Plus, if you're looking for a list of terrifying, terrible, or just plain crazy movies, this is a great place to start! The "Previews of Coming Attractions" are the real stars. Many of the trailers are far better than the actual movies they promote!

Highly recommended for the cult / exploitation / horror / etc. Fanatic!...