Notes from The Last Drive-In: S1E2
Welcome again, Drive-In Mutants, to the second week of Drive-In recaps we call “Notes from The Last Drive-In.” As before, we’re covering each double-feature that makes up an episode of Shudder‘s original series The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. We cover some of Joe Bob’s observations, the films themselves, and then provide the Haunted MTL review for each movie.
So, let’s go!
Q (The Winged Serpent) (1982)
We can’t start the recap without noting the memorial to Larry Cohen (July 15, 1936 – March 23, 2019) at the start of the episode. Larry Cohen was a huge figure in independent horror and many of his films are bound to make for great future episodes of The Last Drive-In. Cohen was a brilliant writer, director, and producer and the world of horror has really lost a great icon. Joe Bob has a great deal to say about Larry Cohen throughout the episode.
In Joe Bob’s words, Q, also known as Q – The Winged Serpent, is “the best movie in history about a flying-type lizard.” This film, directed by Larry Cohen, is a strong 4 star drive-in film. Among some of the notable elements Joe Bob talks about during the breaks are the network of old school, tough guy actors Larry Cohen worked with, including Michael Moriarty. We were also regaled with stories of Cohen’s existing friendship with David Carradine (R.I.P.) back in the army as entertainers. Most importantly, however, we learn that Larry Cohen gave no fucks, such as actually firing automatic weapons off the Chrysler Building during the shoot for Q, and even flying a goddamn helicopter between the World Trade Center towers.
Q, released in 1982, is a fantasy horror film about New York City under siege from a deadly, winged lizard that hunts for humans during the day. The film stars Michael Moriarty, David Carradine, and Richard Roundtree. Moriarty is particularly fantastic in the film, and the scene where he extorts the city for the location of Q’s nest is a magnetic performance. It is also unique to have a horror film that takes place near entirely in daylight.
As for the Haunted MTL rating, Q is a 4 star film, hands down. The film is great in its own right with many amazing moments and a certain streak of self-awareness that can be found in a number of Cohen’s films. It is not perfect, after all, few movies are. The ritual sacrifice subplot, for example, is laughably bad and has little impact on the overall film beyond a small twist for the ending. Jimmy Quinn’s piano scene is also just strange. What makes Q such a great movie are the little things, such as Shelly Desai as the cult figure who just sort of pops up at the end. You may recognize him as Charlie’s landlord in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Plus… there is a chase scene with a cop dressed as a mime.
Best line: “New York is famous for good eating.”
Society (1989)
There is just something to the idea of the rich eating the poor as a genesis to a good horror film, isn’t there? Joe Bob points out a number of films with this theme, but this one is the only one on that list the depicts “shunting.” Not aware of what shunting is? You will by the end of Society. Society is another 4 star drive-in entry according to Joe Bob, and he has a lot to say about the film, orgies, and director Brian Yuzna. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this episode may not be a particular factoid from the film, but rather that Joe Bob is possibly a third wave feminist, or that Darcy has seen some really fucked up stuff in some L.A. orgies. Don’t worry, though, there is still a lot of fantastic info to be learned, such as how Brian Yuzna and Stuart Gordon were set to work on Disney’s Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Yep. This was a weird episode.
Society is a 1989 film about a Beverly Hills teenager who makes a horrifying discovery about his family and the social class he is part of. This body horror film features astounding special effects work by legendary artist Screaming Mad George. The film features Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards, and Ben Meyerson. It also features what seems to be about 50 gallons of lubricant for the shunting. This was the first movie directed Brian Yuzna who until this point what best known as a producer.
As for the Haunted MTL rating, Society is good, very good, and we rate it 3.5 stars. The shunting scene is worth the price of admission alone, as is the “tactical fisting” scene. The only issue with society is that there is a lot of plot to get to the main point of the film – the pile of flesh that is the Beverly Hills elite. Some elements of the film are just sort of there and are unexplained, such as Clarrissa’s mom. Still, these are minor quibbles. Any film that features the protagonist pulling someone’s head through their own asshole (we think, it might also have been through his dick) is an automatic drive-in legend.
Best Line: “Paranoid? I’m not paranoid, all my fears are real.” I mean, we’re fudging this a bit. The best line is “First we dine, then copulation,” but Joe Bob already claimed it.
Haunted MTL’s Drive-In Totals
Like last week, we’ve tracked some of our own totals we think you might appreciate:
- 1 Red, white, and blue shirt with bolo tie
- 1 Darcy cosplay (hello, Clarissa)
- 1 fallen sex doll
- 1 Catholic joke
- 1 Medieval joke
- 1 Shelly Desai-ting
- Gratuitous L.A. orgy questions
- Gratuitous claymation cops
- Knocking magnets off the trailer’s fridge fu
- Darcy stalking Clint Howard fu
The Drive-In will never die…
As always, please share your thoughts with us about The Last Drive-In. Also, please check out our other great content here at Haunted MTL.
Let’s close out with Michael Moriarty to serenade us, shall we?
Movies n TV
“How to Split an Atom,” a Scientific Return to Evil
The assessors return to investigate a particle accelerator with a damning history in “How to Split an Atom.” Season 4 Premiere of Evil.
The assessors return to investigate a particle accelerator with a damning history in “How to Split an Atom.” David (Mike Colter) can’t seem to shake off the dire warning of his vision. Kristen (Katja Herbers) reaches her breaking point. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) sees the light and faces some uncomfortable realizations.
“How to Split an Atom” is the first episode of season 4 of Evil, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. As of this review, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.
What I Like about “How to Split an Atom”
While “How to Split an Atom” does start in season 3’s conclusion, it’s still a satisfying introduction through Kristen’s reaction alone. While it’s less effective and necessary in the era of streaming services, it reminds viewers of the last season’s execution to re-establish tension.
“How to Split an Atom” sets Kristen and Ben to face their most personal challenges. While Kristen often gets a good amount of material to explore, Ben receives the least development of the three assessors. Now that the titular scheme suggests a scientific focus, Ben seems to earn more attention.
- In the final season, Kristen, David, and Ben continue to assess cases that involve wayward technology, possessed pigs, demonic oppression and infestation, a dance muse conjured by alleged witches, and an evil relic
- Throughout, Leland attempts to lure Kristen into raising a baby antichrist who was conceived with her ovum
- David is recruited by the Vatican’s secret service to remote view a paranormal ability to see the unseen to detect evil
- From creators Robert King and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Evil is a critically acclaimed psychological mystery series that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion
- A skeptical female psychologist (Katja Herbers) joins a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a contractor (Aasif Mandvi) as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and hauntings
- This 13-disc collection includes all 50 episodes, along with deleted scenes and more!
Last update on 2025-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In comparison, David takes a step back, but the performance shows a man haunted by his vision. You see this conflict in his performance as he seems more held back and reserved throughout the episode.
Though far from unique to this episode, I haven’t yet found the opportunity to dive into the opening credits. These credits embody the idea of evil as an intrusive force against the good. It visibly displays the famed “problem of evil,” showing how the darkness intrudes against the light.
“How to Split an Atom” prepares the viewer for a new norm across every character. While that doesn’t evoke a truly haunting experience, it remains effective in building the foundation for the final season of Evil.
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Andy (Patrick Brammall) spirals in this episode, induced by trauma and manipulation. His interactions with Kristen showcase several toxic behaviors. While these issues hold merit and other forces manipulate him, this might not matter to some.
Though not directly stated, a minor character seems to suffer a psychotic break, leading to their death. “How to Split an Atom” doesn’t confirm if this is a suicide, a demonically assisted act, or a complete accident.
What I Dislike about “How to Split an Atom”
“How to Split an Atom” explores a similar titular scheme as last season, but it doesn’t resonate as well. It feels like it retreads season 3, focusing instead on science but still lingering in a similar design.
There’s a strange scene where Sister Andrea and David speak in a low whisper despite being alone in her room. If “How to Split an Atom” wants to imply that spies listen in, “How to Split an Atom” doesn’t show this idea effectively. However, I think it’s intended to parallel Catholic confession, but it still doesn’t make logical sense in execution.
As streaming shows become standard practice, starting a new season in the prior season’s conclusion makes the episode more dependent and repetitive. While the execution remains effective in “How to Split an Atom,” I can’t help but linger on that thought.
Final Thoughts
“How to Split an Atom” establishes a definitive timeline where all the forces of Evil will collide. It has its strengths but doesn’t haunt the viewer. The ramifications of Ben’s descent and Kristen’s breaking point keep this episode from blending into the background, but only slightly.
(3.5 / 5)
We’ve reached the end of Goosebumps, The Vanishing. And after eight episodes of quality going up and down, I’m sad to say that the finale held to that theme.
The story
We begin this episode with the teens getting ready to go down into the fort to save their dad. Dr. Pamani gave them serum injections to keep them from being turned into pods. Then she locks them in, intending to never let them out again.
Through a series of quick thinking and bravery, everyone makes it out of the fort, though. Including Matty, Nicole, Hannah and Sameer.
For a time it looks like everything is going to be alright. Until Anthony tells Jen that they’ve got to do something about the alien ship that’s still trapped within the fort.
By the way, watch this with the caption on. It’s fantastic.
Jen and Anthony go back to Dr. Pamani’s lab in time to realize that no one is safe. Least of all, their kids.
What worked
You might notice that the ‘rescuing Dad from the pod’ part of this episode was over pretty fast. That’s because the actual story of this episode was about what came out of the facility rather than what was going on down there. And that was a surprising misdirect. I enjoyed that I didn’t see this misdirection coming. Well done.
I will also say that this episode was fun to watch. The critters were equal parts creepy and kind of cute. The dialog was fun and there were a lot of laughs.
This ending was also satisfying. All the questions are answered. Everyone gets a happy ending and all the people you want to get together do. It was a solid ending with no loose threads.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, that’s all the good things I can say about this episode.
Let’s start with the continued superficiality of the whole story. I just didn’t feel much of anything for any of these characters. I had a little twinge of bittersweetness when Matty looked through the box of his old things. But that was about it.
The problem here was that everything was going too fast. We jumped from chaos to chaos so fast that the emotions didn’t have time to sink in. It was like rain on a dry field. No matter how much falls, if it can’t be absorbed it’s not going to do much good.
Here’s the real problem I have with this episode, though.
You’ll recall that in the last episode, I was irritated by how quickly Dr. Pamani decided to help the kids. It should surprise exactly no one that she didn’t decide to help them, but to trap them in the facility to be podded forevermore.
- Goosebumps now on Disney+!Jack Archer is convinced something strange is going on at his neighbor’s house
- Mr
- Fleshman always wears all black, hardly ever leaves his house, and never says hello to anyone
Last update on 2025-02-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
While I’m thrilled that Dr. Pamani didn’t just change her mind, I still think it was dumb as shit that anyone, especially our main characters, thought she did. These teens aren’t dumb. Kids aren’t dumb. We shouldn’t be portraying kids as dumb in a show for kids.
I’m not saying this series was pure garbage. I’m not saying it was dangerous or unwatchable. I’m just saying that, if it didn’t have the name Goosebumps, I probably never would have watched it. This story just doesn’t have the same staying power that the original stories do. It was fine to watch, but in the end, just didn’t have enough substance to warrant a rewatch.
(3.5 / 5)
After a shaky start, Goosebumps The Vanishing is still on shaky ground with this penultimate episode. While there were some surprises, a lot of them were rather disappointing.
I feel like I say this a lot, but if you’ve read the original book then you might have a hint about where this is going. But it won’t tell you the whole story. So let’s take a trip to Camp Nightmare and see what’s waiting for us.
The story
We begin this episode with a flashback to the Fort before it was a fort. A group of Camp Nightmoon campers is hiking there with the worst camp counselor ever. It was almost a relief when the mysterious monster reached up from the cliffside and grabbed him.
Back in the present, the teens are putting the pieces together. They track down Dr. Pamani’s father and even find a book he published. They then locate the address of her lab and break in. There, they find her journals that chronicle the discovery of the monster, and how it managed to kill her entire team.
What worked
In this episode, and in fact this season, scientists are not the bad guys. Which is a relief. Science fiction and horror tend to hold up a mirror to society, showing us what we’re really scared of using monsters and ghosts as allegories. So often, when people are wary of science and scientists, we have horror movies that demonize them.
But that’s not what happened here. The scientists are not necessarily the good guys, but the ones who tried to save the world. Even though they failed, they tried.
One good example of this was Dr. Pamani telling her father, “We’re scientists, not soldiers.” This is a great line. And this episode had a lot of great lines. The dialog was on point. Nothing felt forced, but it also felt polished and impactful. It was just overall well done.
I also enjoyed, to a point, the flashback scenes to 1969. It was interesting to see the people who tried to contain this entity. To learn from it. The flashback was also ominous. Because never did the characters explain how this entity got there. They didn’t seem interested in that, only in how to destroy it. Since we don’t know why or how it came to New York, we don’t know if there are more of them somewhere else. And since everyone’s being so secretive, we might never know.
Until it’s too late.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, this episode failed more than it succeeded.
Let’s start with the sudden change of heart Dr. Pamani has. For decades, she’s been controlling and containing this creature. She’s been careful to never take risks that might release it into the world. So when Cece and Devin want to go save their dad, she says no.
At first. Then, after a not-so-passionate plea by Cece, she changes her mind and agrees to help them save Anthony.
Which seems like a really quick departure from her stance just moments before. Honestly, this wasn’t believable at all. It was lazy. It felt like they just didn’t have a good enough reason for her to change her mind, so they just handwaved it away.
This wasn’t the only part of the story that was too easy. This whole investigation went smoothly for them. They wanted to find the book by Dr. Avi Pamani, and they found it at the library. They didn’t even find it. The librarian found it for them. They wanted to find Dr. Pamani’s address. They found it in seconds and also found her credit score. They got into her lab by doing nothing more than cutting a chain holding the door shut. And we’re supposed to believe that no one ever thought to do any of this? Four teenagers vanished in the 1990s, and none of their family members were ever able to put all this together. That just doesn’t make sense to me.
Both of these issues feed into the main problem with this episode. The whole thing felt watered way down. Especially after the hints about some horrific medical experiments taking place at the fort. I love a good horrific medical experiment story, so I was looking forward to that.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, it was a watered-down alien invasion story with a bunch of people who did their best and failed. It just felt like, frankly, not enough. It felt like there could have been so much more, should have been so much more. Instead, we got the Great Value version of what we could have had.
At this point, I think I’m too invested to give up. After all, there’s just one more episode left. But I’d be lying if I said that was something I’m looking forward to.
(3 / 5)
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“How to Split an Atom,” a Scientific Return to Evil
