Drive-In Super Monster-Rama is one of my favorite horror events of the year. Since first attending in 2008, I've looked forward to the interesting mix of classic and obscure horror films on the big screen, and this year's Super Monster-Rama starts on Friday night.
The event is the brainchild of DVD Drive-In's George Reis, who talked about his reasons for starting the drive-in marathon. He also told me what we can expect from this weekend's line-up of trailers and classic films.
First off, I wanted to congratulate you on winning the "DVD Reviewer of the Year" Rondo Award. For our readers who are unfamiliar with DVD Drive-In, can you tell our readers how it all started?
George Reis: I started DVD Drive-In in 2000 because I wanted to write about cult horror movies that were being released on DVD. At that time, it seemed like a lot of films I was interested in were coming out on DVD and I wanted to get the word out to other fans.
At the time, the internet was still pretty new and I was originally considering a fanzine, but because of printing costs, I thought the internet was the way to go. I'm glad I went that way, because you can update it whenever you want and I've been able to keep it up because there is so much to talk about.
Even when you hear that DVD sales are slowing down, they really aren't when it comes to films that are of interest to me and my readers. I also welcome Blu-rays with open arms, because it's kind of like DVD+.
I completely agree with you because there are still so many obscure titles that are just being released on DVD or have yet to be released.
George Reis: Yeah, you still see obscure movies coming up left and right. A lot of studios are going with the manufacture on-demand route for their deeper titles, and that has been working out great. Studios have also been licensing their lesser titles to independent companies.
Many companies and individuals are launching horror conventions and screenings events for newer films. What made you decide that a classic horror drive-in marathon was the way to go?
George Reis: This is really different from a convention, because a convention is more of a marketplace and a place to meet celebrities. Revival theaters have become popular in recent years and people want to see movies that they didn't have a chance to see on the big screen.
It was my idea to bring back the older horror, sci-fi, and cult movies and screen them for a whole weekend. I'm in New York and I found a theater that wasn't too far from me and wanted to do a monster movie festival. We decided that we could run it over two nights and show four features each night. It was a while before it really took off, but even from the beginning, we had a good crowd.
How many people attended the first event in 2007?
George Reis: It wasn't an overwhelming amount, but I believe we had 50+ attendees one night and 75+ attendees the other night. It wasn't huge, but enough that the theater owners wanted to try it again. That was my main concern, but it has become so popular that it's now a given that we'll be doing it every year. Last year, I believe we had close to 200 paid admissions each night.
We're driving in from New York each year. What's the furthest someone has driven or flown to attend the event?
George Reis: We've had people take planes to Pittsburgh from California to attend the drive-in and last year we had someone from Florida. My intent is to show fans that this is a unique experience, especially for people who were not around to experience an all-night marathon in the 60's and 70's. I'm trying to bring that back and hoping for more attendees each year.
Is your film selection limited by the amount of people who attend each year?
George Reis: There are other things we could get if I had more of a budget, but I don't think I'm limited. I don't mind putting my own money into it if there is something I really want to see. I want people to really say "wow, what a great line-up" each year. I like keeping each event unique and interesting, and true to the drive-in experience. The number of attendees isn't a limiting factor, but it does allow us to keep doing this each year.
I always look forward to the trailers you show between films. What are some of the trailers we can expect this year?
George Reis: There will be horror films from the late 60's/early 70's, but I'll also be throwing in AIP exploitation trailers, like Little Cigars, Dirty O'Neil, and Heavy Traffic. We will also have a good number of horror trailers, including Corruption with Peter Cushing, that I'm really looking forward to.
How did you decide on this year's line-up?
George Reis: A collector I know had a beautiful Technicolor of Psychomania. He also had Equinox and Son of Blob, which I thought they would go well together for a schlock double-feature. I also gravitate to the British horror films, so I decided to go with a nice restored print of Horror House. That film was a staple at American drive-ins back in the day and so was Raw Meat, with Donald Pleasence. I decided on Theater of Blood with Vincent Price because last year's Dr. Phibes double-feature went over so well.
Twins of Evil and Countess Dracula were Hammer films I had shipped from England. It's kind of costly to ship them, but I thought it would enhance the show that much more. These are the films that put the show over the top.
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I want to give a big thanks to George Reis for taking the time to chat with us. I'll be at Super Monster-Rama both days, so Daily Dead readers should send us an email or Tweet if they are attending. We'll be giving away prizes on Saturday to Daily Dead readers and I'll have plenty of time to chat during the 5+ hours of horror movies each night.
The event is taking place at the Riverside Drive In, located in N. Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit: http://dvddrive-in.com/driveinsupermonsterrama12.htm
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