A Camaraderie of Mutants: Joe Bob’s Jamboree
Joe Bob Briggs is known for hosting The Last Drive-In on Shudder and AMC+. From October 6th-8th, hundreds of his fans (known as mutants or the mutant family) descended upon the West Wind Drive-In Theater in Las Vegas. They all came together to experience the Third Annual World Drive-In Festival. This is my Jamboree story.
The City of Sin
Flying into Las Vegas from the midwest feels like entering into an entirely different dimension. Flashing lights and chimes from dozens of slot machines greet you as you step off of the plane. I’m not superstitious but I am a little stitious, so I plunk twenty dollars in the first machine I see and win five dollars.
After picking up our rental car and checking into our hotel, all plans of adventuring in the big city went out the window. We order room service and I scroll through the platform formerly known as Twitter. Watching everyone arrive for the Jamboree filled me with a mixture of excitement and dread.
Jamboree Jitters
I didn’t know what to wear. What if people didn’t like me? Will I overheat and pass out? My husband hands me a drink and tells me to stop spiraling. But according to my therapist, I’m the best at spiraling. After a few sips and even more deep breaths, I veer back towards excitement.
Waking up at 6:30 AM is not ideal while you’re in town for a movie festival that runs from 2 PM – 2 AM. Alas, my east coast circadian rhythm doesn’t give a shit about what is ideal. Though waking up early on Friday did give us a chance to gather our needed supplies from a local store called Wal-Mart.
Flying in meant we had to bear the additional expense of purchasing a cooler, folding chairs and an FM band radio. We also bought blankets and pillows to create a cozy viewing area in the back of our rental SUV. I knew we would want these items to have the best possible experience, but I also knew we would have no way of bringing most of the items home. For a trip that already cost us thousands in terms of the hotel, festival tickets + add ons, rental car and flights – it stung.
Ticket prices for the Jamboree itself are reasonable, especially if you purchase them early. However, it’s hard to ignore that many mutants were priced out of attending this year due to the location. My husband and I combined our birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gifts for our two-day experience. The ability to camp onsite helped to lower costs for many attendees, but camping on a blacktop without shade or showers is not my particular idea of fun.
They Paved Paradise, Put Up a Drive-In Lot
However, pulling into the West Wind Drive-In makes its location choice very apparent. Growing up, the drive-in theater I attended had one screen. The three screens at my college drive-in are dazzling. The West Wind has six screens. And we took over five of them. (The sixth screen was playing Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie with a double feature I was unable to determine. I can only imagine what those parents were thinking.)
With a combination of Jamboree volunteers and West Wind staff scanning tickets and directing parking, arrival was smooth and easy. We spotted filming for Charles Band’s Barbie & Kendra Crash Joe Bob’s Drive-In Jamboree immediately, and would continue to see them filming the rest of the weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to watching it when it comes out, and hopefully it has its world premier on The Last Drive-In.
Approaching a gathering of people in the camping area, I was nervous. Meeting people in real life that you’ve only previously known online is intimidating. For about half a second. When you’ve bonded with anyone over a love of movies, there’s never a shortage of conversation topics. There’s also apparently never a shortage of trinkets. I was given pins, stickers, and a friendship bracelet ala Taylor Swift spelling out the word “breasts.” I felt somewhat bad only being able to offer name tags in return, but it turns out those are valuable currency.
The Jamboree Line Experience
Waiting in line for our photo opportunity, we heard the sweet dulcet sounds of Mutant Karaoke. The entertainment was appreciated as Joe Bob and Darcy were roughly an hour late for photos. Thankfully the line formed under the shade of the concessions building, so the wait was not unbearable. Meeting Joe Bob and Darcy, although very briefly, was incredible. I’ve already framed the photo.
Our next wait-in-line experience was for the Welcome BBQ dinner. Unfortunately, this line was not shaded and I cursed myself for not buying an umbrella to bring. We went through the line and were given plates of food and sent on our way. The food was good, but I’m pretty confident in saying that it wasn’t worth the $50 per person price tag. The concession stand is reasonably priced and fast, so we could have fed ourselves dinner for $30 total without the long wait.
If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old!
As John Brennan and the Bigfeet took the stage, my husband and I made our way back to our vehicle. We were blessed with a good spot that had a great view of the stage and one of the screens. A bad parking spot didn’t exclude anyone from a good view, as the first few rows of parking spots in front of the stage were cleared for chairs.
Future attendees should include some hearing protection in their packing lists, as the sound from the stage was very loud. Luckily, I always carry ear plugs with me so the sound was not an issue for me. John Brennan and the Bigfeet put on an energizing and entertaining show as a skunk must have wandered around the parking lot.
Charles Band then took the stage and announced they would be filming the final scene of their aforementioned movie during their allotted time. As someone who has never been a part of a film’s production, it was really cool to get such a behind the scenes look at the process. I won’t spoil the ending, but this is sure to be a very amusing film.
You’re Just a Filmmaker
The night truly began as Joe Bob took the stage to wild audience cheers and applause. He discussed the importance of filmmaking before showing his famous speech to “aspiring” filmmakers he made while hosting One Cut of the Dead (2017) in the second season of The Last Drive-In. The speech is incredibly inspiring and I recommend watching it if you haven’t already done so. It was the perfect lead-in to a celebration of truly independent filmmakers.
The film festival then kicked off with David Liban’s feature Publish or Perish. The film covers exactly what lengths a professor will go to receive tenure and is more dark comedy than outright horror. It does an excellent job of building tension and leaves the audience asking “Can he really get away with this?” up until the very end.
The second film of the night was Buddy Cooper’s Mutilator 2, the long awaited sequel to his 1985 film The Mutilator. Cast and crew were onsite at the Jamboree selling merch and interacting with fans, building the excitement before airing. The movie fully delivers with a bloody and funny meta-horror experience.
Keep Them Coming
Sean Haitz’s Cannibal Comedian rounded out the feature length films, with a movie about -you guessed it- a cannibal comedian juggling his roadside human meatball stand and his burgeoning career as a comedian. Two vehicles featured in the film were on location at the Jamboree along with the cast and crew, which I did not realize until they appeared on screen. The movie is laugh out loud funny and delivers when it comes time for the kills.
The night finished with eight short films, several of which are now available on YouTube:
- Above the Staircase written & directed by Dennis Sema
- Baby Fever directed by Hannah May Cumming and written by Hannah May Cumming & Alex Hartwig
- The Casting Couch directed by Matt Thiesen & Justin Lee and written by Milly Sanders
- That Damned Yellow Raincoat written & directed by Jason Huls
- Hideous Heart directed by Nicholas Camp & Don Thiel and written by Nicholas Camp
- Satanimation directed by Gregory Garrett Boone & Jason Hooper and written by Jason Hooper
- The Mages of Rage and the Desecration of the House of Mimicry directed by Jason Sheedy and written by Brett Brooks & Jason Sheedy
- We Forgot about the Zombies – written & directed by Chris McInroy
Well-Deserved Awards
All films shown as part of the film festival were introduced by Joe Bob with his signature drive-in totals and awarded a Drive-In Academy Award, also known as a Hubbie. The award is inscribed on a vintage Chevy hubcap and was given in-person on stage to those who were able to attend the Jamboree. I hope those involved in making these films felt the love the audience poured into them as we felt the love they poured into their craft.
After midnight, sound ordinances require a switch from stage sound to radio. My husband and I did our best to stick it out for as long as possible, but the soft droning of the radio and the softer pillows piled in our backseat told us it was time to head back to the hotel.
Deal Me in Again
Despite arriving at roughly the same as we did on Friday, our parking spot on Saturday was unfortunately at one of the screens facing away from the stage. Thankfully, we were able to set our chairs up near friends near the front of the stage. We wanted the best possible view for the live taping of The Last Drive-In and ended up being right in front of the central teleprompter. Someone moving our stuff was a concern, but as we checked in throughout the day it remained in the same spot.
Since we had not purchased add-ons for Saturday, we had more free time to shop at the merch tables. Every vendor was super friendly and there was a good variety of items to choose from at multiple price points. All of the tables were also under shade which was greatly appreciated, despite Saturday being slightly cooler than Friday.
I also conquered a small piece of my nerves to introduce myself to Yuki Nakamura, who is behind production design on The Last Drive-In!
We also had more time to spend with fellow attendees on the second day. The mutant family is a diverse group of people who are all brought together by their love of Joe Bob and horror, but they also have something else in common. They’re cool as fuck. We met so many kind and funny and thoughtful people who welcomed us right into their spaces without hesitation. It made all my earlier fears and anxiety seem so silly.
Let’s Get it Started
Pre-show entertainment on Saturday included a very entertaining Mutant Rap Battle. The one and only Gringo Fantastico took the stage alongside a handful of other talented mutants as they gave it their all to win copies of Troma films. The contestants are all crowned winners and walk away with movies in hand.
John Brennan and the Bigfeet then took the Jamboree stage again, this time with a special surprise just for The Last Drive-In superfan Eric Butts. The band learned an original song written by Butts and brought him on stage to perform it with them. Dave Sheridan (known for his character Officer Doofy and in character as Blow Job Briggs) joined them and they put on a performance I will never forget. Seriously, who knew a song about Waffle House could be so damn catchy?
Viva Las Vegas
I will also never forget Joe Bob taking the stage to kick off the live-episode filming with a “mutated” rendition of Viva Las Vegas. Hearing his musical stylings is always an unexpected treat. I think he narrowly missed out on a career as a prolific lounge entertainer. With energy levels at all time high – we were officially part of a live studio audience.
I will be providing an in-depth review of this episode when it airs on Shudder next year, but I can say with absolute certainty that audiences are in for a treat. It is astounding to me how similar watching the taping felt to watching an episode at home. Joe Bob and Darcy are naturals on stage. Darcy has mentioned how anxious events like these make her, but you would never guess from watching her.
Roger and Julie Corman are the featured guests of the Jamboree, with both receiving their own Hubbie awards. Julie receiving separate honors for her contributions to film was a thoughtful gesture by Joe Bob in a night that could have easily been all about her husband.
Can You Say That on TV?
The interview takes place during the first showing of the night, Corman’s 1959 film A Bucket of Blood. It is an entertaining take-down of beatnik culture in black and white and felt like a perfect film to experience at a drive-in. The interview is full of fascinating stories, and the story-telling goes to 11 when Bruce Dern appears as a surprise guest.
The second film of the night is 1983’s Deathstalker. Joe Bob seems delighted to be showing this movie, and I have absolutely no idea why. It’s a sword and sorcery movie and whenever I try to describe it all that comes out is “It’s a movie about attempted rapes.” It was entertaining enough, although I was more entertained by audience reactions.
The night did not end when the live-taping ended, though. Once stage sound was cut and switched to FM, the drive-in played The Wild Angels (1966) about the Hell’s Angels. As well as The Trip (1967) about an LSD trip. Surprise guest Dern appears in both of these Corman films, making them a logical choice to finish the night. We seize the opportunity to sneak out during The Wild Angels.
Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on what accounts you read, we were not present for Sunday shenanigans at the Jamboree. Sleepaway Camp day featured a cast reunion and Chris Jericho alongside an all-night marathon of the full series of movies.
Jamboree Camaraderie
So, what do you call a gathering of hundreds of members of the Mutant Family? A group of crows is a murder. It’s tempting to borrow that name for a group of people who relish in watching on-screen death. However, after spending two days baking under the Las Vegas sun at the 3rd Annual World Drive-In Movie Festival (also known as Joe Bob’s Jamboree), I’d like to propose something entirely different: a camaraderie. I’ve seen first hand the solid foundation of trust and friendship, so no other word makes sense to me.
(One experience I did not have, due to sheer nerves, was meeting Joe Bob and Darcy outside of my purchased photo opportunity. This does not mean they were not available, as they spent countless hours meeting mutants and signing autographs free of charge. I know many people were absolutely thrilled at the chance to have a few moments of dedicated time with the hosts of the show that brought us all together.)
Amazon Prime’s Fallout has continued to be a suspenseful delight. And with the last episode’s dramatic cliffhanger, I was certainly looking forward to this one.
Thankfully, it did not disappoint.
The story
We start our story with Lucy and Maximus waking up in a decontamination room in Vault 4. They’re welcomed guests, once they’re done with decontamination.
Vault 4 at first seems very much like Vault 33 to Lucy. She’s surprised, however, to find that a lot of people who live there are actually from the surface. And the people who live in this vault are, well, a bit mutated. Their overseer, named Benjamin and played by the hilarious Chris Parnell, has just one eye in the middle of his face. Some people have extra limbs or missing ones. And yet it’s clear that everyone’s living together in peace and companionship.
At least, that’s what it’s supposed to look like. There is, after all, the matter of the weird cult the surface dwellers seem to have formed. And, the small matter of the vault level no one is supposed to go to. It should come as no surprise that, of course, that’s exactly where Lucy finds herself before the episode is over.
Of course, this episode wouldn’t be complete without checking in with the Ghoul. And his part of the story is, honestly, more compelling.
We see him apprehended by people referring to themselves as The Government. And while he appears to be a prisoner, it’s clear soon enough that he’s the one in charge.
Far more compelling are his flashbacks to his past. While his wife, Barb, is starting to be more secretive, he learns more than he wants to about Vault Tec. He also learns that the Communist party in Hollywood might know more about what Barb does for a living than he does. And it’s clear soon that she never wanted him to know.
For good reason.
What worked
I first want to draw attention to the excellent way we are learning about the Ghoul. As we learn more and more about his past, we can see how he’s become the monster he is today. It’s clear that once upon a time he had everything he could want. A lovely home, a family he lived for, and a successful career. And he lost all of that, even his dog. And with those losses, he lost his humanity in more ways than one.
But I also think we’re seeing signs that his humanity at least isn’t as lost as he thought it was.
On a lighter note, I loved Maximus’s response to the vault. While he’s apprehensive at first, he is swept away by the welcome basket. He’s lived his whole life hungry, barely surviving, and suddenly he has food. Good food. Caviar and oysters. He has a warm robe and TV and a safe place to exist. It must have been like stepping into a fairy tale for him. And while it wasn’t exactly helpful for Lucy, it’s completely relatable that he decided to sink into a chair and have a snack in front of the TV for a while.
What didn’t work
While this episode was mostly good, I do have one complaint. When Lucy is first meeting with Overseer Benjamin, we see him accidentally drinking a cup of coffee that has gotten moldy.
Now, this makes perfect sense in our world to convey someone too busy and forgetful to clean up old mugs. But it’s hard to fathom someone living in a Vault in which every resource is carefully monitored, letting something like coffee go bad. It’s a small detail, and it was funny. Also more relatable than I’d like to admit. But in this instance, in this world, it was jarring.
So far this season has been intense. There’s a lot of intrigue and mystery. There’s a lot of high emotions. And there’s a lot on the line for everyone. Maybe, for one character, more than we’ve ever realized before.
Good thing we still have two episodes to discover what’s happening.
(4 / 5)
If you like my work, you can check out my latest science fiction/horror novel, Nova, launching on May 17th. Pre-orders are available now on Amazon.
Episode four of Amazon’s Fallout wasn’t the best-liked. Of course, that’s relative to the rest of the season. While this is the second-to-last-ranked episode, it’s still an 8.1 on IMDB.
So let’s talk about why it might have slipped a bit but was still a great episode of TV.
The story
Let’s start our discussion of this episode with Maximus.
After he and Thaddeus successfully retrieved the head from the Gulper, they’re in high spirits. Together they celebrate around a fire, giving a lovely impression of two people who have been drinking despite not seeing a bottle in sight. Thaddeus even convinces Maximus to brand him.
While having a good time, Maximus’s consciousness gets the better of him. He admits to Thaddeus that he’s not Knight Titus, but he is Thaddeus’s old punching bag.
Rather than responding to this act of honesty with an equal measure of grace and brotherhood, Thaddeus immediately disables Maximus’s suit, taking the power source and the head. He then leaves Maximus trapped in the suit that he wanted so much, doomed to die in it.
Lucy isn’t in a much better place. If you’ll recall, last episode she drank radiated water out of desperate thirst. She’s now suffering from radiation poisoning. Fortunately, before she succumbs to this poison, she finds Maximus. He has the medicine she needs, and she can free him from his suit before he’s eaten by giant cockroaches. It seems like a win/win. If that is, the two of them can trust each other. And haven’t they both learned that trusting other people might be the most dangerous thing in this very dangerous world?
What worked
The first thing I want to draw attention to is the relationship between Lucy and Maximus. A lot has happened since the last time the two saw each other when there were some sparks but no time to do anything about them. Both have been betrayed and hurt. So while they’re instinct is clearly to trust each other, it’s also to be cautious. And that makes sense. They are both good people, driven by the desire to help others. But both are cautious of being hurt again.
This was not only relatable, but it gave a much different feel to a standard will they/won’t they relationship. Will they be able to trust each other enough to let their feelings out is the real question. Which is a lot more interesting, in my opinion.
I also found the giant, mutated bugs to be fantastic. They were the perfect blend of cute and terrifying. At first glance, they seem like a larger version of Hal from Wall-E. Then, you realize how few of them it would take to eat someone trapped in place. And how little time it might take.
And how long it might feel like while it’s happening.
We don’t need to see that happen to feel the terror there. And to feel some concern about the tiny pests that sometimes share our homes.
Of course, the highlight of this episode was the political intrigue surrounding Vault 33, and how its leaders always seem to be from Vault 31. This storyline is quickly becoming my favorite part of the season. It’s a dark and creepy mystery, which is always fantastic. But it’s also fascinating to see the character of Norm blossoming into someone whose life has meaning. Because at the start of the season, he was lacking that.
All in all, while this was a slower episode it was still a good one. And its ending certainly left me excited for what was to come.
(4 / 5)
If you like my work, you can check out my latest science fiction/horror novel, Nova, launching on May 17th. Pre-orders are available now on Amazon.
Movies n TV
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022), a Film Review
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) is a horror comedy directed by Halina Reijn. This R-rated horror film stars Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) is a horror comedy directed by Halina Reijn. This R-rated horror film stars Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la, Rachel Sennott, Chase Sui Wonders, Pete Davidson, Lee Pace, and Conner O’Malley. The film is currently available on fuboTV, Netflix, Hoopla, and Showtime.
Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) brings her girlfriend (Maria Bakalova as Bee) to her friend’s hurricane party. Lasting resentment and toxic relationships infest the group, leaving Bee to witness increasingly uncomfortable situations. Soon after, bodies start dropping.
What I Like about Bodies
The chemistry between these toxic friends gives me anxiety. If toxic friendships aren’t a universal experience, toxic traits certainly make themselves apparent in any friend group, and this film maximizes this experience. It’s not revolutionary, but effective and uncomfortable.
Several subtle clues hint at the relationships of these friends, building up as the story progresses and chaos ensues. I love these moments, though the film doesn’t seem confident that the viewer picks up these clues. This decision hinders execution, an unfortunate point for later.
While the performances are strong throughout, Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova remain the main characters and receive the most opportunities to perform. However, almost every character has a moment, or several, and lives up to those moments once given.
The twist seems obvious, but that doesn’t hinder the viewing experience. While not the biggest fan of the execution, I enjoy the spiraling chaos it creates.
The opening scene shows the two leads making out for viewer engagement. However, I think the contract toward the end gives this scene added context and plot relevance beyond simply sex appeal. While it is unavoidable that so well, many films will go no further. So, added relevance deserves a nod.
Far from the bloodiest film out there, but it doesn’t hesitate to bleed its cast. It uses this blood and limited gore to add weight to the deaths as opposed to haunting or nauseating its audience.
Tropes, Triggers, and Considerations
As previously hinted, toxic relationships remain key points in the plot. Falling in line with this are points of spousal abuse (physically and mentally) that should remain a consideration.
Idiocy to push the plot along certainly plays a role in the plot. In this case, I consider it a feature. However, it’s still a required taste for viewer consideration.
Addiction and recovery drive several characters. I’ll avoid pointing to them so as not to give away plot details. However, usage and relapse deserve a mention in this section.
If any of these are deal breakers, give this film a skip.
What I Dislike, or Food for Thought, about Bodies
Bodies shifts between a mindless and clever horror comedy, never comfortably sticking to one or the other. It pulls off elements of both with expertise, but the tugging and pulling of these different elements limits the execution of either. Because of the above friction, Halina Reijin gives us all the clues to piece everything together and still tells us. Pick an audience and trust them.
As a horror comedy, this film leans on the humor over the horror. The unraveling of characters certainly earns respect but expect a comedy for a better experience. It’s not a particularly scary film, and it doesn’t try to occupy that space.
Final Thoughts
Bodies Bodies Bodies spirals into a chaotic horror comedy, banking on the toxic chemistry of its cast to deliver both. The film never makes a strong stance in either claiming a mindless or clever horror comedy, shifting between both at the expense of the whole. It remains a bumpy but engaging viewing experience, nonetheless.
(3 / 5)
