Dinners of Death – Heresy and Madness in the Streaming Age
While most of the population of the United States was in a turkey-induced coma or trying to shoo away relatives, the horror community was waiting, rushing to get home, or guarding the remote. We knew that something big was coming. The details were fuzzy but the excitement was there nonetheless. Joe Bob Riggs was returning with a mini marathon to give us all something to be thankful for.
Joe Bob damn sure delivered, too. He gave us helping after heaping helping of knowledge, not only about the movies we were all watching together but also horror in general, the history of Thanksgiving and an in-depth lesson on probiotics; a side of laugher; and some special guests for dessert. That’s the thing about these marathons: you’re not just sitting down to watch some movies. You’re getting a full experience.
Whether you gather for a watch party or participate in live tweeting or streams or whatever. There’s a feeling of connectedness, of community, that we so seldom get in this day and age. That is one of my favorite parts about these marathons: we get to feel the connection of this community that so many of us crave. Joe Bob and Shudder have found a way to bring the communal experience of the drive-in right into our homes. Like he mentioned in our interview with him and in the marathon, this format goes against the religion of the streaming age. These marathons are an act of rebellion, they are heresy and, in the eyes of the streaming services, we are heretics; we are a strange anomaly, we are going against the grain. We are, in short, mutants.
That’s why I’m so excited for the upcoming Christmas marathon and the weekly double feature series that Shudder and Joe Bob are putting together in 2019. Soon, we’ll all be able to gather every week online or in someone’s home or however we can and I think our community will be better for it.
Much like the first Drive-In marathon back in the summer, this one is now available to stream at your leisure on Shudder. It’s still great. The movies are improved by the breaks and commentary. That’s something that doesn’t fade no matter when you watch it. I highly recommend checking out The Last Drive-In and Dinners of Death especially if you’re unfamiliar with Joe Bob Briggs. Go check them out and you’ll see a fraction of why we get so excited for these events and hopefully you’ll join us for the next one.
To Joe Bob, Darcy the Mail Girl, and the whole team behind these things, I thank y’all. Even with social media making the world a smaller place, we remain so divided and y’all have given so many of us a reason to come together and forget all the bullshit for awhile. I don’t think the importance of that can be overstated. That is why we need this madness and heresy. That is why the Drive-In will never die.
