Totally Awesome Video Gaaaaame

Joysticks

Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
The first Sunday night screening this season at the Mahoning was the all time king of cheesy 80's video game comedy films, the 1983 classic Joysticks.

If you've seen this movie even once in your life, its theme song is undoubtedly now stuck in your head.  If you haven't, click play and suffer with the rest of us!

Show banner designed by Andrew Kern

The night was centered around the movie's addition to the MVD Rewind Collection.  It was released on DVD and Blu Ray recently, and it comes packaged in an Atari 2600 style slipcover with a collectible double sided mini poster.  The disc includes a faux trailer for an 80's video game movie called Coin Slots, as well as an interview and directors commentary track from Greydon Clark, and a fan commentary from Eric D. Wilkinson, Heath Holland, and Jesse Nelson.

 

There was an Asteroids cocktail cabinet and a traditional Ms. Pac Man cabinet set up in the concession building.  Both games were set to free play for folks to come in and immerse themselves in 80's arcade gaming culture before showtime.

Before the trailer reel, there was a series of nice video introductions that were sent to the Mahoning.  The first was from Joysticks director and producer Greydon Clark.  Next was from actress Becky LeBeau, who made her film debut in Joysticks.  She also has a small role in my favorite horror comedy of all time, Transylvania Twist.  Last, but not least, there was a very funny intro from my favorite character from Joysticks, King Vidiot, played by the absolutely brilliant comic actor Jon Gries.

King Vidiot - Joysticks (1983)                   Uncle Rico - Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Jon Gries is freakin brilliant in everything that I've ever seen him in.  In addition to his roles in Joysticks and Napoleon Dynamite, he played tunnel dwelling student Lazlo in Real Genius, and he's had roles in TerrorVision, Running Scared, The Monster Squad, Fright Night 2, Get Shorty, Men In Black, The Rundown, and the Taken trilogy.

The trailer reel that was shown before the feature included a 35mm commercial for the release of Dig Dug in arcades.  I never knew that they even had commercials for arcade games in theaters.  Dig Dug first appeared in North American arcades in Spring 1982 and it became a massive success for Namco and Atari.

I wrote about this film last March on the 40th anniversary of its release so I'm not going to write a full review here, but it is the epitome of a cheesy early 80's comedy.  It premiered in theaters when I was two years old so I obviously wasn't able to see it on the big screen during its initial run, but I'm extremely glad to have had the opportunity to see it screened from an original 35mm print at my favorite place in the world to watch movies.

There's No Place Like Home

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory / The Wizard of Oz
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA

It has been a long winter, but we're back at our home away from home.

Show banner designed by Andrew Kern

The season was originally scheduled to start on the weekend of April 26th and 27th, but it was postponed due to the passing of owner and master projectionist Jeff Mattox.  Jeff was an incredible dude who kept this place going as a vintage 35mm drive-in at a time when practically everyone said he was crazy for doing so.  He worked to turn it into what it has become; a mecca for movie lovers, and a place where we can all get together, make friends, enjoy a bite to eat, and relive old favorites (and discover new old favorites) on the big screen under the stars.  He also brought together a team of awesome folks who are dedicated to keeping the Mahoning Drive-In Theater going in his memory.

Show banner designed by Andrew Kern

This weekend, and every show that follows, has been dedicated to Jeff's memory.  He was the man behind the curtain, but you didn't need a little dog to pull back the curtain at the Mahoning.  He would welcome you into the projection booth and show you how everything worked, and he loved chatting about movies and music with anyone who wanted to pop in and say hello.  His spirit is going to live on in this place for as long as people gather here, which I expect to be a very, very long time.

There was a table set up in the concession building in honor of Jeff.  It included photos, personal mementos, and things that he especially enjoyed.  Included in the display was the Lifetime Achievement Award ("the Hubbie") that was given to Jeff by Joe Bob Briggs at the 2021 Drive-In Jamboree.

 

There was also a special item at the concession stand dedicated to Jeff.  His favorite specialty food that the Mahoning served up were meatballs marinated in a pineapple barbecue sauce.  You could get either meat or meatless ones in a bowl with a Wizard Of Oz pick.  They were very tasty!

The concession building was decorated for the traditional Opening Weekend double feature of The Wizard Of Oz and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, including a massive balloon statue of Willy Wonka, and a very cool Willy Wonka poster from Opening Weekend 2017.

The merch table had a lot of very cool things available, including this pin from Geek Boy Press that celebrates the start of the 75th year of movies under the stars at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater.

Front                                                                              Back

Another cool item to celebrate the Mahoning's 75th year were these 3/4 sleeve baseball shirts.  They were designed by the main drive-in poster artist Tom Bifulco.  There were two versions: grey with black sleeves, and the one that I picked up which was black with red sleeves.

Front                                                                            Back

The other shirt that I picked up was a red and orange tie-dye to commemorate Opening Weekend 2024.  This was designed by illustrator Paige J. Beil (@unearthlymoss).

October 29, 2022

May 11, 2024

Jeff liked to play 35mm reels of vintage cartoons before and between features at the Mahoning.  They aren't played every night, but they're always a welcome surprise when they hit the screen.

Although 35mm film can last for a very long time under proper storage conditions, it doesn't last forever.  Eventually, the film will break down and suffer what is known as vinegar syndrome, so named for the vinegar scent that films give off when this happens.  When it begins, the breakdown is irreversible.  The print is on borrowed time before it becomes too brittle or crystalized to run through a projector.

One of the cartoons that we saw at the Mahoning a few times over the past three years was a 1956 Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies short called Wideo Wabbit.  It was screened for the last time this past season, and it became clear to the team that the film had degraded to the point where it wasn't going to be playable again.  Normally a print is just thrown away when this happens, but Rob decided to save this one, and he and fellow projectionist Krista cut it up into strips to give away to folks on the lot as a souvenir.  They also cut a one second long strip of the film to hang in the projection booth so that when people visit, they have a visual aid to learn exactly how much film it takes to show a single second of film on the screen.  It's touches like this that make the Mahoning Drive-In Theater truly special.  It's a living museum where everyone is welcome to not only enjoy great films, but to learn about every aspect of motion pictures from men and women whose passion for what they do is second to none.

There were a few cartoon shorts played on Saturday night.  The first one, which played before the first film of the night, was a Mickey Mouse short from 1935 called The Band Concert.  It's notable for not only being the first Mickey Mouse cartoon to be produced in color, but for its role reversal in which Donald Duck plays the laid back, fun loving character to a frustrated and angry Mickey.

 

Friday night's double feature began with The Wizard Of Oz and ended with Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, but the Saturday night show that we were in attendance for showed the two films the other way around.  It's not the first time that we've watched these two films at the Mahoning, but it's always nice to get together with our friends after a long winter to take in two of the classics.

There were two different Bugs Bunny cartoons shown from original 35mm prints during intermission.  The first was a short from 1948 called Hot Cross Bunny, and the second was from 1949 (the year that the Mahoning Drive-In Theater opened) called Rebel Rabbit.

Last, but not least, we were treated to a screening of what is probably the most well-known movie of all time, The Wizard Of Oz.  It was released in 1939, and it's still every bit as entertaining and beautiful on the big screen as it was when audiences first watched it 84 years ago.

And that's a wrap on Opening Weekend 2024, but it's just the start of the 75th consecutive year in operation of a little slice of heaven in a small town in Pennsylvania.  We've got a lot of good stuff to look forward to this year!

The Pope Of Pop Cinema

Roger Corman
1926 - 2024
The undisputed King of B Movies passed away on Thursday in his California home.  The great Roger Corman was 98 years old, and cinema would be nowhere near as cool as it is without him.  Thank you for countless hours of entertainment, and for inspiring god only knows how many others to perform and create.  (image source: Comic Book Resources)

It's Shaped Like A Ding Dong

Raspberry Zinger Dingers
Hostess (2024)

The only difference between Raspberry Zingers and these new Zinger Dingers is that the original Zingers are shaped like Twinkies where these Zinger Dingers are shaped like Ding Dongs (basically mini hockey pucks).  I thought that this might have been a scheme to reduce the size of the product, but the net weight on a 10 count box of Zinger Dingers is actually an ounce higher than a 10 count box of traditional Raspberry Zingers.  I can't say that I really understand the point of changing their shape, but Raspberry Zingers are my favorite snack cake and these give you a little more, so.... thumbs up.

Amish Chicken

Steve's Chicken Stand
Hometown Farmers Market - Tamaqua, PA
I've written about this place before, but it's worth repeating because Steve's Chicken Stand really is the best tasting chicken that I've ever had.  It's leaps and bounds ahead of places like KFC.  The prices here have increased over the years, but they don't seem to have gone up as much as the other restaurants in our area, so it's now not only the best tasting option, but also one of the most affordable.

If you live within driving distance of the Hometown Farmers Market, this place is really worth visiting.  They have more than just chicken, but it's so damn good that I haven't wanted to try anything else... yet.

M-O-O-N... That Spells Thirty Years

The Stand
ABC (1994)

The first and best screen adaptation of my favorite book premiered on ABC Television thirty years ago today.  The Stand mini-series aired from May 8 to May 12, 1994 and was nominated for six primetime Emmy awards.

One reason for the success of the original mini-series is the incredible score by W.G. Snuffy Walden.  When I was in college, I had a study music playlist on my iPod that I'd listen to when I was reading or working on a paper.  The first half of it was made up of instrumental tracks from Eluvium, The American Dollar, and other instrumental artists, and the second half was scores from movies like The Karate Kid and Flight Of The Navigator.  Music from The Stand mini-series score was sandwiched in between.  I listened to it so many times at the Wilkes University library that I can almost smell the place when I hear those songs today.

The only place that it's available to stream as a part of a subscription package is Apple TV, but it is available to purchase on Amazon Prime Video.  The complete mini-series in HD is $9.99 with the standard definition selling for $4.99.  My recommendation is to skip the streaming services altogether for this one and track down a copy to purchase on DVD.  You can find it on Amazon and eBay for between $5 - $15 bucks, and it's worth it for the commentary track alone.  It fills the entire 366 minute runtime of the mini-series, and it features Stephen King, director Mick Garris, editor Patrick McMahon, and actors Rob Lowe (Nick Andros), Ruby Dee (Mother Abigail), Miguel Ferrer (Lloyd Henreid), and Jamey Sheridan (Randall Flagg).  Just be sure that you're getting the 1994 ABC mini-series and not the 2020 CBS mini-series.  That one was pretty awful.

The Spring of Fruit Soda

Mountain Dew Baja Laguna Lemonade and Pepsi Peach
PepsiCo (2024)

There's a lot of new limited edition flavors in the soda aisle this spring.  Unfortunately, most of them don't seem to have a Diet or Zero Sugar version, so they're going to end up being something that I only try once, if at all.

There have been so many variations of Mountain Dew Baja Blast that I've lost count.  Every one that I've tried has been pretty good, and Baja Laguna Lemonade is no exception.  It's a little too sweet for my taste, but it has a pleasant mango lemonade flavor.  It was released along with a tropical punch Baja Blast flavor called Point Break Punch which I haven't had an opportunity to try yet.

There's also two limited edition fruit flavors of Pepsi Cola that are on store shelves this Spring.  I didn't try the Lime one yet, but the Peach flavor is one of the best colas that I've ever had.  If they made a sugar free version of Pepsi Peach, I would probably stock up on a few cases of this.

You've Got To Wrap The Message In Sexy Bacon

The Fall Guy
Universal Pictures (2024)

This movie is equal parts action adventure, romantic comedy, and a love letter to the hardest working and most underappreciated people in the credits of every film, the stunt performers.  Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt are both fantastic and have excellent chemistry, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson is flawless as the cluelessly narcissistic star of the film within the film.  This is one I'd recommend to anybody.  Go see it on the big screen if you can.

Play The Hand You're Dealt

Tarot
Sony Pictures (2024)

This movie is getting destroyed by the reviews.  It's sitting at a 58% audience score and a 12% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.  I'm not going to pretend that it's a five star classic or anything, but it's not bad.  It kind of reminded me of a late 90's middle-of-the-road horror flick, like Urban Legend or I Know What You Did Last Summer.  The cast performances were good, and it told a good story that was fairly predictable but never strayed into the territory of not making sense.  It also made good use of music, especially their use of Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better.

I'm not really sure how realistic this film is from the perspective of someone who believes in or practices tarot readings because I am neither.  My ex-girlfriend was very into this, but it didn't rub off onto me.  I was respectful of her beliefs, or at least I tried to be.  After all, it's really no more outlandish than any other religious or spiritual beliefs out there, but I don't feel connected in any way to any kind of spirituality.  If it makes people feel good and it doesn't hurt anybody, more power to you.  Nothing in this movie jumped out at me as being deliberately disrespectful towards people who believe in tarot readings, or anybody else for that matter, but I can't say for sure.

The movie delivered a cliche that I knew it couldn't resist from the first time that I saw the trailer.  Every single movie or television show that I have ever watched that involves tarot cards in any way has some version of this scene:

• Person One reveals the Death card from the deck.
• Person Two reacts to the card with shock and/or fear.
• Person One reassures Person Two that it doesn't necessarily mean literal death, but the end of something and the start of something new.

I'll give the filmmakers credit that they at least presented it in a way that was fun, but it was still there.  I guess it's hard to pass up the low hanging fruit.  Incidentally, when I searched for an image of the death card that was used in this movie, I found that the title of this film in some overseas markets is Death Card.

If you like horror movies and you're not the overly critical type, I think there's a pretty good chance that you'll enjoy watching this, even if you forget about it entirely a month later.  If you don't like horror, or if you tend to approach movies with an especially critical perspective, it's probably one that you'll want to skip.

May The Fourth Be With You

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
20th Century Fox (1999)
Well, it's not my favorite, but I'll take any opportunity to see a Star Wars movie on the big screen.  It's a lot better than I remember it being the first time around.

May the Fourth be with you.

Fate Up Against Your Will

Ocean Rain
Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)

The fourth studio album from a band that I am looking forward to seeing later this month was released forty years ago tomorrow.  Ocean Rain was released across Europe on May 4th, 1984 with a US release following ten days later.  I don't necessarily agree with lead singer Ian McCulloch's assertation that it's "the greatest album ever made", but it is a damn good record and one of the best of the 80's.

The song that it's best remembered for gained new life 17 years after its release when it opened the 2001 cult classic Donnie Darko.  It's one of the greatest uses of music in film that I've ever seen.

The Killing Moon
Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)

Under blue moon I saw you

So soon you'll take me

Up in your arms; too late to beg you

Or cancel it though I know it must be

The killing time

Unwillingly mine

Fate

Up against your will

Through the thick and thin

He will wait until

You give yourself to him

In starlit nights I saw you

So cruelly you kissed me

Your lips a magic world

Your sky all hung with jewels

The killing moon

Will come too soon

Fate

Up against your will

Through the thick and thin

He will wait until

You give yourself to him 

Let's Move To The Beat Like We Know That It's Over

Disintegration

The Cure (1989)
One of the greatest and most influential goth rock albums of the 80's is turning 35 years old today.  Disintegration was written and recorded during a dark time in the life of Robert Smith.  He was overwhelmed with the band's recent success on the pop charts and suffering from depression which he treated with LSD.  This resulted in an album that is both dark and beautiful from start to finish.

The Cure wasn't on my radar at all when this album was released.  I heard some of their songs on the radio, but it wasn't until 1994 and their opening cut on The Crow soundtrack that my awareness of their music grew.  The tipping point when I discovered Disintegration and became a fan of The Cure came five years when Napster hit big.  Pretty much every mix cd that I made to play in the car included at least one of their songs.

The entire album is great, but it's probably best known for Lovesong, Pictures Of You, and Lullaby.  Those three songs are each incredible, but my favorite track off of this album was its first single.  I don't remember ever hearing it on the radio after this album came out, but it froze me in my tracks the first time that I listened to it as a teenager.  It sounded like a conversation that could have taken place between a poorly matched couple who are headed out on a Friday night during the apocalypse.  

Fascination Street

The Cure (1989)

It’s opening time down on Fascination Street

So let’s cut the conversation and get out for a bit

Because I feel it all fading and paling

And I’m begging to drag you down with me

To kick the last nail in

I like you in that like I like you to scream

But if you open your mouth then I can’t be responsible

For quite what goes in or to care what comes out

So just pull on your hair

Just pull on your pout

And let’s move to the beat like we know that it’s over

If you slip going under slip over my shoulder

So just pull on your face

Just pull on your feet

And let’s hit opening time down on Fascination Street

So pull on your hair

Pull on your pout

Cut the conversation

Just open your mouth

Pull on your face

Pull on your feet

And let’s hit opening time down on Fascination Street

A Bit Of Aardvark Snark

Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries
Taco Bell (2024)
This used to be the place where you could stop and get a bag of food that would fill you up for five dollars with plenty of leftovers to munch on after you've sobered up.  Those days are long gone.  The prices have risen to being roughly equivalent to what you'd pay at a Mexican restaurant or a food truck in my area, and their food tastes a lot better than anything I've ever had at a Taco Bell.

The latest thing that I've tried from Taco Bell are these Secret Aardvark Nacho Fries.  They're not terrible, but they sure aren't worth damn near six dollars.  Even as I was eating them, I regretted not stopping at the McDonald's next door to pick up a large fries from them instead.

Dracula's Tiger

Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Tiger Electronics (1998)

The Playstation version of Symphony Of The Night is one of my favorite video games that I ever played, but I never knew that they made a handheld LCD version of it until it was mentioned on the Castlevania Games Konami Forgot video.  I doubt that I'll ever get a chance to play it unless someone has an old one for sale at a flea market.  The lowest price for one on eBay right now costs more than my first car.