Drive-In Horror Show is a bloody good time.
I’m not particularly a fan of horror. The ins and outs of the genre are not my forte. And to be completely honest, it isn’t often I appreciate pieces of work that fall into the genre. It’s not because I’m squeamish or I get scared of the dark, it’s simply because there is something about it I don’t get. I don’t know what it is, I may never know. I see monsters killing people, bloody tragedies and creepy protagonists and I think “When is Batman going to show up and kick everybody’s ass?” I don’t know, its just me, I want to see cowboy hats and capes, I want to see epic conflict, not a bunch of teenagers being systematically killed off.
That being said, it’s not like I can’t appreciate good work when I see it. Drive-In Horror Show is a perfect example of this. There are a number of things about that I really enjoyed. As an independent film and comic the level of success they are able to achieve is outstanding, and obvious to someone like myself who basically hates horror.
Drive-In Horror Show is a collection of horror shorts put together on the theme of a drive-in movie theater run by the dead. Each short is about 20 minutes in length, strung together by the undead host of the Drive-In. Even the clips in which our host transitions us from short to short are amusing in their own right. He has certain amount of creepiness to him, and he uses it not to spook you, but to add a small element of comedy to lighten the mood. Not a bad idea when jumping from one unique tale of blood, guts, and creepy horror to the next.
Drive-In Horror Show‘s strongest points are its production values. Although it’s an independent project, the film work, special affects and music are all spot on for genre. The gore, the blood, the guts, all that creepy gross stuff that makes horror fans feel right at home is all done with a very high level of detail. Not once did I have to yell at my t.v. in frustration for dumb or cheesy looking special effects, which is surprising considering that I’m not a huge fan of horror and I usually end up criticizing those things frequently. The camera work does an excellent job of keeping you in the action. Everything for classic horror: slow moving shots, peering around the corner in suspense, and chase and torture scenes are presented so well you might forget this was an independent project. It helps that each set is well crafted and more then detailed enough to be believable. The music is a major factor in this as well. Not only does it help set the mood for each scene but it drives the mood, that unsure and creepy feeling you get when you don’t know what is going to happen next.
Combining all these things together successfully is no easy task, but Drive-In Horror Show does it in spades. Bringing each horrific tale to life in its own creepy and unique way.
The comic book acts as an add on to the movie collection and is handled with the same amount of care and precession. It’s one extra short story, and it actually ended up being my favorite story out of all of them. The art and writing are spot on with the same level of production value put into the movie.
Its very clear that these independent creators have an understanding of the genre and passion for the art that have helped make Drive-In Horror Show a success. We can only hope that there is more great work to come.
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