FORMAT: DVD
James Karen hosts this fun and entertaining look at drive-in, horror, and exploitation films. It plays like a mash-up of a trailer compilation and a documentary/celebration of B-movies. Along the way such horror titans as George Romero, Tom Savini, and Linnea Quigley show up and give their insights on the pictures as well as a little background information on themselves.
Russell Streiner and John Russo (who also co-produced) talk about the genesis of Night of the Living Dead and Bobbie Bresee narrates behind the scenes footage of her in the make-up chair for Evil Spawn. Most of the trailers come from Independent-International or Empire Pictures. Independent-International’s head honcho, Sam Sherman is also on hand to tell us how the company got started and how they distributed and advertised films like Satan’s Sadists (“A rebellion of human garbage!”), Dracula vs. Frankenstein, and The Naughty Stewardesses. Famous Monsters of Filmland creator Forrest J. Ackerman is also around to introduce his death scene from Dracula vs. Frankenstein and gives a funny tidbit about the shooting of the film. I wish he was able to give us a tour of his “Ackermansion” while he was at it.
For the most part, Drive-In Madness! is a bit of a hodgepodge, but a rather entertaining one. Since the trailers come from only a handful of sources, there isn’t much in the way of variety (if you’re overly familiar with the companies’ output, that is). They are nevertheless quite enjoyable. The interview segments are informative too. In fact, you’ll probably wish they were longer (especially the stuff with Romero and Savini). I could’ve done without the bits with the couple in a classic car making out at the drive-in while watching clips though. Other than that, this is a breezy little clip package/trailer comp that should appeal to B-movie fans young and old.
The complete trailer list is as follows: Nurse Sherri, Girls for Rent, The Blood-O-Rama Shock Festival (Blood Fiend, Brides of Blood, Blood Creature, and The Blood Drinkers), From Beyond, Horror of the Blood monsters, Night of the Living Dead, a double feature of The Human Duplicators and Mutiny in Outer Space, Troll, Blazing Stewardesses, Dead Time Stories, Ghoulies, Blood of Ghastly Horror, Satan’s Sadists, Dracula vs. Frankenstein, Macabro, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, The Twilight People, Don’t Open the Window, The Naughty Stewardesses, Vampyres, Psychos in Love, The Booby Hatch, Midnight, a double feature of Dracula, Prince of Darkness and The Plague of the Zombies, a double feature of Queen of Blood and Blood Bath, Bloodeaters, The Green Slime, and House of Psychotic Women.
AKA: Screen Scaries.
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