Hey everybody, have you heard the news?
The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs is beginning its FOURTH SEASON this Friday, April 29 on Shudder. Whether you’re new to this whole thing and want to see what all the fuss is about, or you’re a die-hard Mutant, read below for everything1 you need to know in order to watch and enjoy.
1 probably. Leave a comment or (gently pls) drag me on Twitter re: what I forgot!
Drive-In Preparedness Plan, Beginner
Here are the absolute basics of what you need to be ready to tackle the premiere:
- Sign up for Shudder. If it’s your first time, you can get a free seven day trial. Maybe you can even find a code for a free month!
- Clear your calendar for 9 PM Eastern Time, Friday, April 29. The show will be up on-demand on Shudder, but not until Sunday. Honestly that’s too long to wait, it’s much more fun to watch it live, stay up late, eat snacks, have a pillow fight, etc., but you gotta do what you gotta do to take care of yourself.
- Tune into Shudder on your app/device of choice at 9 PM and select the “IT CAME FROM SHUDDER” channel. This is their live feed. There will probably be an adorable countdown and then it should kick you into the stream automatically.
- Watch the two movies and learn some things! Have some fun!
That’s it, that’s all you need to do or know. If you want to go deeper (DO IIIIIT!!!) read on to find out how to join us on Twitter and chat along, etc. If you still need to be convinced about how fun this all is, go to the Lore section.
Drive-In Preparedness Plan, Intermediate
If you want to do a few more things and get intimately involved with the community (if you know what I mean and I think you do), here are some additional steps:
- Sign up for Twitter if you haven’t!
- Follow Darcy (kinky_horror) and Joe Bob (therealjoebob) as well as Darcy’s alt account (SetDarcyFree) (because Twitter rate-limits her sometimes, she’s the fastest tweeter alive keeping us all together through these shows!)
- Follow the hashtag #TheLastDriveIn and use the hashtag to tweet along during the show!
- Join the new Twitter community for The Last Drive-In Darcy set up. This is the first time we’ll have this available for the watchalong, so let’s see what happens!
- Check out the twitter accounts of Cafe Mutant, The Mutant Fam, and Monster Movie Happy Hour for recipes and inspiration for celebratory food, drink, and fun! Don’t see your fav listed here? Shout them out on Twitter or in the comments so we can find them!
Drive-In Preparedness Plan, Advanced
ALRIGHT, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. You’ve already been planning your night for months, even before you knew the date. You took the whole day off work as soon as the premiere was announced. You haven’t missed the live showing of TLDI except in extreme events. You’re sure as hell ready for this Friday night. What else can you do!?
- *crackling static* What? Folks I’ve just been given word that there’s a chill Q&A voice chat with Joe Bob & Darcy this Wednesday night on The Lost Drive-In Discord. If you want to join in, become a Patron Saint of the Drive-In on Patreon and link up your Discord information! Check out my review of the The Lost Drive-In Patreon. We’re also forecasting that Darcy will join us there after the premiere!
- Set your alarm for Friday, April 29 at 10 AM EDT because Fright Rags is releasing a set of Last Drive-In TALKING PLUSHIES and a koozie.
- Put on one of your twenty Drive-In tee shirts and your Fright Rags Joe Bob lounge pants. I know you have them. If you don’t have them, they’re on sale right now.
- Set up your projector screen (maybe indoors, it’s still cold here) so you can pretend you’re not watching this fine drive-in fare in an indoor-bullstuff kind of way.
- If you can get some Lone Star beer, don’t forget to stock up. If you don’t have it near you, maybe you still have time to find a trucker who can cross some state lines and get some back in time? Just an idea.
- Post pictures of what you’re eating/drinking/your setup/etc. so we can all live vicariously.
Here’s a little gallery of my past setups. The show truly is a highlight of my life!
I hope you all have a great week and I’ll see you Friday! The Drive-In Will Never Die! 🖤📽️
Appendix: The Last Drive-In Structure & Lore
Originally, The Last Drive-In was supposed to be a one-and-done marathon in July of 2018. The response was so overwhelming (the Shudder servers had problems — the Mutants broke the internet) that it is now in its fourth season of regular episodes and has a fair number of additional marathons and specials to its name. The people demanded it, and now it’s here!
This premiere includes The Last Drive-In’s HUNDREDTH MOVIE. This is a big deal! There’s a lot of speculation about what it is. I’m going on record with my prediction of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and I could not be more ready.
The format of the show has been unchanged since Monstervision on TNT. If you remember that, you’ll be right at home! Joe Bob Briggs does an intro to the evening and gives the Drive-In Totals and rating (out of four stars) for the first selection. We cut to the movie, watch a bit, then ***STATIC*** and we’re back with Joe Bob to do a recap of what we just saw, drawing on his decades of drive-in movie expertise and probably Aristotle. Repeat! It’s wonderful.
Darcy brings the fan mail later in the show and sometimes Joe Bob cries. It’s the best show ever.
Darcy does one (or more!) cosplays based on the movies shown, which Pizopop has immortalized in this beautiful graphic.
They rarely tell us what they’re showing in advance! Sometimes I wish they would, because it would make it easier to plan themed snacks and not accidentally watch one of the movies on Thursday night, but being surprised has its own merits!
Sometimes there are GUESTS! One time it was BARBARA CRAMPTON!
Yuki Nakamura, the art director, is the coolest cat on the show honestly. How flawless are these sets!?
John Brennan (badtechno) wrote the theme song and a bunch of original songs during previous seasons. They are unparalleled in their humor and catchiness, flippy dippy dip and meow meow meow beep beep backseat at the drive-in.
The bearded dragon, Ernie, is named after a Monstervision producer (aww!) and lives with Austin Jennings (RadioParfait), the director of The Last Drive-In. He’s been on since he was a wee lizardling during the first marathon in 2018. We love Ernie.
