Toxie wants YOU to have your very own building brick bust of the mopper of justice in your home.
.A brand made by fans, for fans, HORROR BRICKS was born with the idea that a million pop culture-influenced LEGO sets get the green light while the horror genre, unsurprisingly, always gets left behind. With Troma founder and Toxie creator Lloyd Kaufman’s blessings, HORROR BRICKS has launched a KICKSTARTER campaign for a one-of-a-kind brick building bust that any fan of the film, or hell, horror in general, will want to have for their amusement and collection. Complete with a mop and a built-in Melvin origin story sequence. BRILLIANT.
And there’s also the Pocket VHS series — inspired by the golden age of video stores. The first wave celebrates two iconic genres: Slasher and Zombie, each packed into a retro 80’s VHS case. Small sets. Big horror energy. Perfect addition for your video store-inspired corner of your home.
The Kickstareter’s stretch goal is aimed at $30,000 to get production moving with some grand rewards and limited early bird packages available for contributors.
Genuine excitement is a rare commodity these days. And by these days, I’m not simply referring to our daily dose of chaos because it stretches back further than any of us care to think about. No, for the purposes of this piece, let’s wind the clocks back to the summer of 2018.
Seventeen years after Joe Bob Briggs was ousted from TNT’s MonsterVision, a gift was bestowed upon Briggs disciples who’d never stopped missing the drive-in totals: Joe Bob was returning for a 24-hour horror extravaganza intended to be the Grapevine drive-in critic’s farewell to movie hosting. And the fervor felt by legions of Mutants was nothing short of electric.
“This is special, Joe Bob.” The T.V. cowboy (you heard that, didn’t you?) has since referred to Felissa Rose’s remarks from that initial marathon on numerous occasions. And for good reason. She was right.
Eight years on, what is most special can be whittled down to a single word: sustained.
To pull a Joe Bob, what is sustained? Something that is maintained at length without interrupting or weakening. And that, folks, is what made The Last Drive-In so special: that our excitement, from the anticipation of that first dusk-to-dawn marathon to the final regularly scheduled double feature, has been sustained.
Whether it was each week, each month, or each special, our giddiness never waned. We woke excited on Joe Bob Fridays, stocked up on snacks and libations after work in preparation, and shared that excitement on social media as we watched the “Joe Bob Begins” countdown tick toward blood, breasts, and beasts. And we have bookended server glitches to prove it.
The Last Drive-In gave us the most overqualified Mail Girl the drive-in has ever seen. It raised money for mental health, battered women, and more. It made “spry as fuck” part of our lexicon. And birthed an appreciation for Walpurgisnacht that borders on national holiday. It offered respite from the horrors of daily life and provided a community for those who didn’t feel seen. And so much more.
Our excitement and anticipation remained the same from that first night through the final night–last night.
And it will carry on to whatever’s next.
In the wake of Joe Bob’s somber social media post, he followed it up with a short video to answer our worried questions and emphatically stated “we ain’t done.”
So, whatever’s next, be it Shudder specials, another streaming service, or somewhere in between, we will be there because as I said following that first 13-movie marathon that we’d originally thought was the end–the drive-in, and our love for Joe Bob, will never die.
It was December 20th, 1996, and a couple of friends and I carpooled to our local movie theater. You know, the kind of theater you don’t see these days anymore, with the brick wall lining on the interior and movie titles proudly displayed on a marquee. Excitement was abound in our group as we were headed for a double feature of two highly anticipated movies of the holiday season: Beavis and Butthead Do America, and Wes Craven’s SCREAM, as they were simultaneously released on the same day. So we figured a little brainless comedy paired with a new horror movie was the best way to kick off our Christmas break.
As a matter of fact, this is the exact theater, thanks to cinematreasures.org for posting these pics that are making me ooze nostalgia from every orifice in my body.
After almost puking from laughing with Beavis and Butthead, it was horror’s turn as we shuffled into the theater room next door for SCREAM; and it was an experience much different than the aforementioned. One that only a horror fan would understand. It was goddamn glorious.
Spanning over 30 years, Wes Craven’s Scream has slashed its way into the hearts of horror fans, becoming a beloved franchise entry into the Kingdom of Horror Legends. Spawning now four sequels, with SCREAM 7 being released this week, I figured what better time to go back to the original that was heavily influenced by the prior 20 years of phenomenal horror films, of which many are referenced in Scream itself.
Obviously, I had to go back and rewatch the original so as not to miss any references here, but it’s possible I did anyway- and if so, make sure to comment down below what my dumb-ass didn’t catch the first few 100 times.
HALLOWEEN
It goes without saying that John Carpenter’s Halloween is pretty much the gold standard for slasher films, and here is no exception, as not only is the movie used as a set-up for one of horror hero Randy’s rants, but mentioned several times throughout the film as well.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Is that the one where the guy had knives for fingers?I liked that movie. It was scary– Ghostface Yeah, the first one was, but the rest sucked. – Casey
I would have felt bad for Casey had she not made that statement. Did she not ever seeDream Warriors or The Dream Master? Pfft…
CARRIE
“Corn syrup. Same thing they used for pig’s blood in Carrie.”- Billy
I appreciate that kind of attention to detail when planning the crime scene.
PSYCHO
“We all go a little crazy sometimes–Anthony Perkins, Psycho.” – Billy
And umm, yeah he certainly did.
WHEN A STRANGER CALLS
1996’s SCREAM did a fantastic recreation of the 1979 horror, where the movie’s babysitter is tormented by a mysterious caller until she discovers the calls are coming from inside the house. In all fairness, it’s also an old urban legend, but one that never loses its edge.
FRIDAY THE 13TH
“Name the killer in Friday the 13th?” -Ghostface
I’d say that was a dirty trick, but for anyone who knows better, it really isn’t. Sorry, Casey.
THE EXORCIST
“I was home watching television. The Exorcist was on. It got me thinking of you.” – Billy
Now if that ain’t a red flag that your boyfriend ain’t right in the head, I don’t know what is.
THE HOWLING
“What’s that werewolf movie with E.T.’s mom in it?”– Random Video Store Customer
Even though Randy gave the wrong title, it’s still a fun little Easter egg.
PROM NIGHT
“If they’d watch ‘Prom Night,’ they’d save time!” – Randy
Seriously, always listen to the horror movie nerd in a real-life murder scenario, OK?
Added Jamie Lee Splendor; THE FOG/ TERROR TRAIN
“‘The Fog,’ ‘Terror Train,’ ‘Prom Night’… How come Jamie Lee Curtis is in all of these movies?”– Sydney
Because, like Randy answers, “She’s the Scream Queen.” The end.
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
“What’s Leatherface doing here?” – Randy
Once again, Randy wasn’t too far off on this one.
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
“Cute. What movie is this from, ‘I Spit on Your Garage’?” – Tatum
You wish, Tatum. Unfortunately, you won’t get revenge like in the referenced film.
THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN
“Look at this place. It’s the town that dreaded sundown.” -Sydney
I really love that reference more than almost anything on this list. Perfect placement.
THE BAD SEED
I’m afraid I’ll turn out just like her—the Bad Seed or something.” – Sydney
A fear we all have as teenagers, Syd.
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
It’s like Jodie Foster in ‘Silence of the Lambs’ when she keeps having flashbacks of her dead father.”– Billy
Ironically, a sociopath manipulating his female counterpart is something Billy and Hannibal have in common.
CANDYMAN
Oh, you mean after you branded him the Candyman? No, his heart’s broken.” -Stu
Good. Fuck you, Billy.
FRANKENSTEIN
One of the oldest horror films in the genre, and respectively, the one that paved the way for so many on this list, Frankenstein can be seen playing at Randy’s video rental workplace in the background.
Welp, I think that about covers it. And in case you need a refresher on how to survive a horror movie, listen to wise Randy here. No one else did and all this bullshit could have been avoided had they done so. We salute you, Randy.
