The Last Drive-In Part 1: Tourist Trap (1979) - Review 07-20-18

In part one, we're treated to old bumpers that are made to look like the ones that proceed the old MonsterVision shows.  It starts off with Joe Bob doing so witty commentary on a split screen next to the credits of the proceeding movie.  Shudder ever puts a watermarked logo in the bottom right hand corner of the screen.  What's even funnier is Shudder uses a VHS tape filter, to give a grainy look and an annoying tracking line.  This was clearly a nod to the MonsterVision and Drive-In Theater clips that manged to make it to YouTube.

Next, we get one of the intros Joe Bob did for Wizard Video.  In the middle of the dialogue, the logo for the marathon comes onto the screen in full glory. Then it cuts to the man hisself, who is slowly dressing himself and giving a rundown on why he has been to television in seventeen years.  Because of the amount of time, he makes a comparison to one of my favorite 1980s horror flicks, The Beast Within.  He goes on a couple m

ore rants, oddly enough with the F-bomb thrown in for good measure.  On a side note, I had noticed recently that he has picked up swear word usage quite a bit. Gone are the days when he was say words like "golddang" or "bullstuff."  It's quite hilarious to say the least.

So finally, he dons the hat after twenty-plus years (he hadn't actually donned the Stetson since the TMC day).  And he introduces the film in the only Joe Bob can.  If I were a more emotional person, I would've cried the minute I saw the classic drive-in totals font show up on the screen for the first time since the year 2000.


When talking about  Tourist Trap, Joe Bob really gets into form.  He dishes a ton of information about Chuck Connors, of whom he is clearly a large fan.  He also starts dishing on the supporting cast, which includes the illuminous Tanya Roberts.  Today, Tanya Roberts is a best known as Donna's bubbly mom on That 70s Show.  But before those days, Roberts had made her name in the 80s at the sexpot starlet of such shows like The Beastmaster, Sheena and several other films.  JBB keeps the pace going with the lesser known actors, including Jocelyn Jones (she's one of the most sought after acting teachers in Los Angeles).
It's specific information like this that only JBB can provide in his host segments.  It's definitely not the kind of information that's readily available on IMDb or Wikipedia.



Four Stars.