JOE BOB’S INDOOR DRIVE-IN GEEK-OUT: The Cockeyed World of Russ Meyer

Joe Bob Briggs returns to the Colonial Theatre for another Joe Bob’s Indoor Drive-In Geek-Out.

Before and after this event, Joe Bob will sell exclusive merchandise and host a meet-and-greet with autographs for ticket holders in the Colonial’s Garden Suite.

THE SHOW

A double feature of Russ Meyer’s signature films. At a time when Americans were alarmed by increased sex and violence on screen, Meyer gave us satirical sex and satirical violence and created a genre all his own. These zany, lusty drive-in classics were almost impossible to access for three decades, but now they’ve been lovingly restored by Severin Films so that the dazzling images of this rebellious cinematographer/writer/director/producer/editor/distributor and his bosomy stars can be preserved forever. Vixen (1968), the first film ever to be rated X, was Meyer’s breakthrough to the mainstream as he toyed with the Supreme Court’s rules on obscenity, even though today it would be regarded as a soft R, and Supervixens (1975) was the apex of his worldview, sort of a sexy version of It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Briggs will open each film with his usual deep-dive analysis, showing where these films fit into American culture, and there will also be a Q&A session plus meet-and-greets both before and after the show!

EVENT SCHEDULE*

6:00 PM – Doors Open and Meet-in-Greet in the Garden Suite
7:00 PM – VIXEN! (Intro with Joe Bob Briggs)
9:00 PM  – Outro and Q&A with Joe Bob Briggs
9:30 PM – SUPERVIXENS (Intro with Joe Bob Briggs)
11:00 PM – Outro and Q&A with Joe Bob Briggs
11:30 PM – Meet-in-Greet with Joe Bob Briggs in the Garden Suite

*Times are relative and subject to change.

ABOUT JOE BOB BRIGGS

Joe Bob Briggs is a nationally syndicated “drive-in movie critic” whose wisecracking take on B-movies was featured on two long-running late-night television shows; first on The Movie Channel and then on TNT. That tradition continues with his latest series, The Last Drive-In, currently featured on AMC’s Shudder streaming platform.

TICKETS

General Admission: $40.00
Colonial Members: $35.00

Ticket prices include the $5 per ticket Processing Fee for non-members. Tickets are available with cash, check credit card at the Colonial Theatre Box Office, or online. Please note that the seats in the rear balcony have limited legroom.

THE FILMS

Restorations by Severin Films

VIXEN! (1968, Rated X,1h 10m, Russ Meyer, USA)

“THE QUINTESSENTIAL RUSS MEYER FILM.” – Roger Ebert

Amid the cultural chaos of 1968 and armed with a budget of only $70,000, producer/director/cinematographer Russ Meyer transcended sexploitation by crafting this “bosomacious melodrama” (Time Magazine) about racism, communism, bush pilots, draft dodgers and a ferociously free-spirited wife named Vixen (the incredible Erica Gavin of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and CAGED HEAT). Despite attempts at censorship that included one of the first-ever X ratings and 23 separate U.S. prosecutions for obscenity, it became one of the year’s top-grossing movies, forever transformed independent film and remains the creative template for Meyer’s unapologetic vision of American cinema. VIXEN is now scanned in 4K from the original negative restored by The Museum of Modern Art with over 3 hours of new and archival Special Features curated by Severin Films in conjunction with The Russ Meyer Trust.

SUPERVIXENS (1975, Rated R,1h 46m, Russ Meyer, USA)

“RUSS MEYER AT HIS OUTRAGEOUS BEST.” – Los Angeles Herald-Examiner

Following the ‘serious’ features THE SEVEN MINUTES and BLACK SNAKE, this 1975 return to form written, photographed, edited, produced and directed by Russ Meyer remains perhaps his most over-the-top and savagely entertaining epic of all: When a hot-blooded wife (Shari Eubank) and a psychotic cop (a startling performance by Charles Napier of THE BLUES BROTHERS fame) come together, it will ignite a cross-country odyssey of violence, vengeance and relentless coitus. John Lazar (BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS), Uschi Digard (BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS) and Haji (FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!) co-star in Russ’ “super-sexy live-action Road Runner cartoon” (Empire), now restored by Severin Films in conjunction with The Russ Meyer Trust and scanned in 4K from the original negative stored at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.