What do you think?
Rate this book
The Drive-In: A Double Feature Omnibus
Combines in one book the two novels about an alien invasion of a drive-in movie theater in Texas
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published June 19, 1997
9 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Joe R. Lansdale
819 books3,896 followersChampion Mojo Storyteller Joe R. Lansdale is the author of over forty novels and numerous short stories. His work has appeared in national anthologies, magazines, and collections, as well as numerous foreign publications. He has written for comics, television, film, newspapers, and Internet sites. His work has been collected in more than two dozen short-story collections, and he has edited or co-edited over a dozen anthologies. He has received the Edgar Award, eight Bram Stoker Awards, the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Grinzani Cavour Prize for Literature, the Herodotus Historical Fiction Award, the Inkpot Award for Contributions to Science Fiction and Fantasy, and many others. His novella Bubba Ho-Tep was adapted to film by Don Coscarelli, starring Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. His story "Incident On and Off a Mountain Road" was adapted to film for Showtime's "Masters of Horror," and he adapted his short story "Christmas with the Dead" to film hisownself. The film adaptation of his novel Cold in July was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the Sundance Channel has adapted his Hap & Leonard novels for television.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
He is currently co-producing several films, among them The Bottoms, based on his Edgar Award-winning novel, with Bill Paxton and Brad Wyman, and The Drive-In, with Greg Nicotero. He is Writer In Residence at Stephen F. Austin State University, and is the founder of the martial arts system Shen Chuan: Martial Science and its affiliate, Shen Chuan Family System. He is a member of both the United States and International Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He lives in Nacogdoches, Texas with his wife, dog, and two cats.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 2, 2010
3.0 stars. This review is only for the first half of this "double feature" as I have not yet read "Drive In II" (I will update the review when I finish the second book).
This book (The Drive In) was a lot of fun. It is the literary equivalent of a cheesy, midnight horror flick but with much better dialogue and humor. The narrator's "voice" had just the right tone and automatic acceptance of whatever bizarro event were occurring around him to carry this book through.
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel
Nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel
Nominee: World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
This book (The Drive In) was a lot of fun. It is the literary equivalent of a cheesy, midnight horror flick but with much better dialogue and humor. The narrator's "voice" had just the right tone and automatic acceptance of whatever bizarro event were occurring around him to carry this book through.
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel
Nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel
Nominee: World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
October 23, 2017
L'argomento può sembrare banale, ma con lo scorrere della lettura diventa sempre più interessante e con qualcosa "sotto" di maledettamente ossessionante/inquietante.
Alcune descrizioni, che fa Lansdale, sono da veri film splatter di serie-B, in certi frangenti fa venire i conati dalla minuziosa particolarità delle descrizioni. Il mondo fantascientifico che crea lo scrittore rasenta la pazzia più estrema.
Un libro da leggere assolutamente per i cultori del genere e non.
Buona lettura!
Alcune descrizioni, che fa Lansdale, sono da veri film splatter di serie-B, in certi frangenti fa venire i conati dalla minuziosa particolarità delle descrizioni. Il mondo fantascientifico che crea lo scrittore rasenta la pazzia più estrema.
Un libro da leggere assolutamente per i cultori del genere e non.
Buona lettura!
March 31, 2017
A generation or two ago, Texas was known for its sprawling drive-in cinemas and zany monster flicks playing out over the cool summer air. In his 1988 cult classic, Joe Lansdale taps into this nostalgia, turning a lightsome night out at the theater into a grungy galleria of claustrophobic terror. What begins with frights and screams beaming from the sparkling screens ends with panic-stricken mobs dancing to the tune of the B-movie gods. Jack and his three friends dash off to the movies, then become part of one themselves—an insidious twist ensued by barrels of laughs, irreverence and a vomitorium of blood-encrusted popcorn.
A two-shot pulse of comedy and horror, The Drive-In is a goretastic romp through B-movie stardom. Four teenage friends and the moviegoing locals are ejected into the front row of their very own apocalypse. Basic camaraderie is among the first to go as normalcy takes a back seat to survival. Engulfed on all sides by an ink-like substance that promises sure death, the crowd is barred from leaving the drive-in. They have for food and drink whatever remains of the concession supply, and only the looping movies and each other for company. The forces interacting from the outside manifest themselves in mysterious ways, slowly but surely driving the trapped masses to bedlam. The face of humanity slips away as if being sucked into the murk beyond, unmasking an anarchic depravity unseen this side of hell.
Lansdale paints a vivid world wrapped in a narrative economy that allows for just the right mix of action and character progression. In Stephen King's hands, this might have ballooned to 350+ pages, but Lansdale's tight writing forbids any eyes from glazing over. Keeping the chaos front and center puts the reader permanently on edge, while the author's extraterrestrial imagination makes for an unpredictable tale. Around every corner lies a gruesome conflagration or another fantastic one-liner, oftentimes both.
The characters are witty, but not as witty as Lansdale, who reserves the maximal comedic payout for himself. His deadpan descriptions always hit home and blend seamlessly into the unfolding horror. An early scene places the characters in a bar, and a dustup with a patron is foreshadowed thusly:
The vibrant interplay between humor and horror is mostly successful, even if many of the sequences are about as over the top as it gets. Cannibalism? Check. Crucifixions? Check. Sacrilege? Check. One scene features a group of Christian evangelists using their faith as a cover for their cannibalistic jonesing, a swivel rightly qualifying as the nadir of religious experiences. The squeamish and easily offended might look for their fiction fix elsewhere, though the violence is never handled too seriously.
There also seems to be a whole social satire subtext in which the main character spends ample time existentializing amid the bouts of receding humanity arrayed before him. The rollicking lunacy of it all only adds to the absurdity of deep cogitation on things philosophical. Nevertheless, what the narrative seems to be getting at is that for all our pretensions to civility and higher consciousness, the only thing keeping us from reverting to the behaviors of the wild is the distance from our last meal. The collapse of society is only a hunger pang away.
But don't waste your time trying to find morals or life lessons embedded here. The Drive-In: A B-Movie with Blood and Popcorn, Made in Texas is raunchy-rowdy fun and a perfect alternative to a night at the movies. It's graphic and gritty in all the right ways and serves as a dark warning to humans everywhere: Grow too peaceable, and the gods get bored.
The Drive-In 2
The sequel, fittingly titled The Drive-In 2: Not Just One of Them Sequels and released a year later in 1989, unfortunately does not live up to its predecessor. Here Lansdale spends much of the time recounting the events of the first novel through the perspective of other characters. These backstories are rambling affairs which drag on entirely too long and pale in comparison to the raw immediacy of the original.
Nor do the new characters and villains do justice to the unique cast crafted in book one. Grace is less dimensional than the teenage wet dream to which she clearly owes her origins, while Popalong Cassidy is a catch-all antihero conceived on LSD and put to print on ritalin. And contrary to the book's cover, dinosaurs do not number among the hazards in this phantasmal caper. (I wouldn't be surprised if Lansdale edited out the reptilian bits after it was too late to change the cover art.)
Moreover, the writing isn't nearly as solid, the narrative as focused, the sequences as memorably scripted or the comedy as chuckle-inducing. Whereas the first book's laughs and vulgarity were well-placed and right on pitch, the raunchiness of the sequel is spread like chipped paint, awash in overspent shock value and bargain-bin cliches. Lansdale either ran out of steam on this one or all but phoned it in. The tension just isn't there, and the ride isn't as fun.
The idea of society-as-cinema felt fresh and thrilling in Lansdale's first outing but fails to breathe enough new life in the second take to keep me coming back for more. While it's even higher on the wonkiness scale than The Drive-In 1, the sequel's disordered pastiche of influences and repetitive nature ultimately terminate in forgettable schlock—like a B-movie you really didn't need to see.
Postscript: Since this edition is a "double feature", the rating above is an average of the original (4 stars) and the sequel (2 stars).
Note: This review is republished from my official website and is also mirrored on Amazon.
A two-shot pulse of comedy and horror, The Drive-In is a goretastic romp through B-movie stardom. Four teenage friends and the moviegoing locals are ejected into the front row of their very own apocalypse. Basic camaraderie is among the first to go as normalcy takes a back seat to survival. Engulfed on all sides by an ink-like substance that promises sure death, the crowd is barred from leaving the drive-in. They have for food and drink whatever remains of the concession supply, and only the looping movies and each other for company. The forces interacting from the outside manifest themselves in mysterious ways, slowly but surely driving the trapped masses to bedlam. The face of humanity slips away as if being sucked into the murk beyond, unmasking an anarchic depravity unseen this side of hell.
Lansdale paints a vivid world wrapped in a narrative economy that allows for just the right mix of action and character progression. In Stephen King's hands, this might have ballooned to 350+ pages, but Lansdale's tight writing forbids any eyes from glazing over. Keeping the chaos front and center puts the reader permanently on edge, while the author's extraterrestrial imagination makes for an unpredictable tale. Around every corner lies a gruesome conflagration or another fantastic one-liner, oftentimes both.
The characters are witty, but not as witty as Lansdale, who reserves the maximal comedic payout for himself. His deadpan descriptions always hit home and blend seamlessly into the unfolding horror. An early scene places the characters in a bar, and a dustup with a patron is foreshadowed thusly:
"His name was Bear and you didn't ponder why he was called that. He was six-five, ugly as disease, had red-brown hair and a beard that mercifully consumed most of his face. All that was clearly visible were some nasty blue eyes and a snout that was garage to some troublesome nose hairs thick enough to use for piano wire...What could be seen of his lips reminded me of those rubber worms fishermen use, and I wouldn't have been surprised to see shiny silver hooks poking out of them, or to discover that the whole of Bear had been made from decaying meat, wire and the contents of a tackle box and a Crisco can." (pp. 10-11)
The vibrant interplay between humor and horror is mostly successful, even if many of the sequences are about as over the top as it gets. Cannibalism? Check. Crucifixions? Check. Sacrilege? Check. One scene features a group of Christian evangelists using their faith as a cover for their cannibalistic jonesing, a swivel rightly qualifying as the nadir of religious experiences. The squeamish and easily offended might look for their fiction fix elsewhere, though the violence is never handled too seriously.
There also seems to be a whole social satire subtext in which the main character spends ample time existentializing amid the bouts of receding humanity arrayed before him. The rollicking lunacy of it all only adds to the absurdity of deep cogitation on things philosophical. Nevertheless, what the narrative seems to be getting at is that for all our pretensions to civility and higher consciousness, the only thing keeping us from reverting to the behaviors of the wild is the distance from our last meal. The collapse of society is only a hunger pang away.
But don't waste your time trying to find morals or life lessons embedded here. The Drive-In: A B-Movie with Blood and Popcorn, Made in Texas is raunchy-rowdy fun and a perfect alternative to a night at the movies. It's graphic and gritty in all the right ways and serves as a dark warning to humans everywhere: Grow too peaceable, and the gods get bored.
The Drive-In 2
The sequel, fittingly titled The Drive-In 2: Not Just One of Them Sequels and released a year later in 1989, unfortunately does not live up to its predecessor. Here Lansdale spends much of the time recounting the events of the first novel through the perspective of other characters. These backstories are rambling affairs which drag on entirely too long and pale in comparison to the raw immediacy of the original.
Nor do the new characters and villains do justice to the unique cast crafted in book one. Grace is less dimensional than the teenage wet dream to which she clearly owes her origins, while Popalong Cassidy is a catch-all antihero conceived on LSD and put to print on ritalin. And contrary to the book's cover, dinosaurs do not number among the hazards in this phantasmal caper. (I wouldn't be surprised if Lansdale edited out the reptilian bits after it was too late to change the cover art.)
Moreover, the writing isn't nearly as solid, the narrative as focused, the sequences as memorably scripted or the comedy as chuckle-inducing. Whereas the first book's laughs and vulgarity were well-placed and right on pitch, the raunchiness of the sequel is spread like chipped paint, awash in overspent shock value and bargain-bin cliches. Lansdale either ran out of steam on this one or all but phoned it in. The tension just isn't there, and the ride isn't as fun.
The idea of society-as-cinema felt fresh and thrilling in Lansdale's first outing but fails to breathe enough new life in the second take to keep me coming back for more. While it's even higher on the wonkiness scale than The Drive-In 1, the sequel's disordered pastiche of influences and repetitive nature ultimately terminate in forgettable schlock—like a B-movie you really didn't need to see.
Postscript: Since this edition is a "double feature", the rating above is an average of the original (4 stars) and the sequel (2 stars).
Note: This review is republished from my official website and is also mirrored on Amazon.
February 19, 2020
"Ci hanno isolati, ci hanno dato il nostro mostro, il Re del Popcorn, e adesso aspettano il gran finale, e non credo abbiano in mente un finale eroico. Secondo me, questo è uno di quei film che finiscono male.
- Devi sempre avere qualcosa in cui credere, eh, Jack?
L’astrologia, il cristianesimo, e adesso gli dèi dei film di serie B."
Un capolavoro divertente, sboccato, truculento e delirante.
Purtroppo il terzo capitolo della saga non è assolutamente all'altezza dei primi due contenuti in questo volume, ma se siete fan dell'autore texano questa esilarante trilogia sci-fi horror è assolutamente un must-read.
"Poi capii che era solo un bluff e che in realtà piangevo per me stesso, per la mia solitudine, la mia delusione, la presa di coscienza della mia mortalità, la consapevolezza che l'universo è un luogo buio, vuoto, e la vita è soltanto un giro in giostra, e quando squilla il campanello e tu devi scendere dalla giostra, metti i piedi sul nulla. E a quel punto, è tutto finito, non c'è piú niente."
- Devi sempre avere qualcosa in cui credere, eh, Jack?
L’astrologia, il cristianesimo, e adesso gli dèi dei film di serie B."
Un capolavoro divertente, sboccato, truculento e delirante.
Purtroppo il terzo capitolo della saga non è assolutamente all'altezza dei primi due contenuti in questo volume, ma se siete fan dell'autore texano questa esilarante trilogia sci-fi horror è assolutamente un must-read.
"Poi capii che era solo un bluff e che in realtà piangevo per me stesso, per la mia solitudine, la mia delusione, la presa di coscienza della mia mortalità, la consapevolezza che l'universo è un luogo buio, vuoto, e la vita è soltanto un giro in giostra, e quando squilla il campanello e tu devi scendere dalla giostra, metti i piedi sul nulla. E a quel punto, è tutto finito, non c'è piú niente."
November 4, 2021
Divertente e folle.
January 12, 2013
What was the highest mountain (in a general sense, not the tallest one from the ocean floor, etc.) in the world before M. Everest? Mt. Everest, we just didn't know it. And just like that, this book is a prime example of bizarro genre, though written years before bizarro genre became a thing. And curiously not that enjoyable. Weird thing is, Lansdale is very talented, he can write and well, he's got a sense of humor and he can plot a story and move it along and because of all that, Drive In books seem to be a waste of his talent and the reader's time. They are just too unpleasant and odd and overdone to constitute a good read. While one might make a valid argument of the general bizarreness to be the point of the book, I believe that any book, regardless of genre, should be enjoyable to read and this one, with all its cheap thrills and blood and gore, just wasn't. Also, however humorously, it does manage to reinforce every negative sterotype about the state of Texas and its residents. Dirty south has never been dirtier. Some seriously disturbing imagery, quick read, since there isn't much to pay attention to.
February 24, 2022
NO SPOILER
Primo libro molto originale divertente (a parte qualche scivolone su delle similitudini un po' forzate), una storia raccontata in modo crudo e sboccato, senza perdersi mai in fronzoli e non focalizzandosi troppo né sui personaggi né sulle dinamiche distopiche: ciò che interessa a Lansdale è il pulp, la violenza, ma anche un’interessante riflessione sulle genesi della nostra fede, sullo sviluppo del dogmatismo.
Secondo libro pessimo sotto diversi punti di vista:
• un filler continuo e approssimativo in cui sembra che Lansdale non sappia più dove andare a parare
• racconti del background di nuovi (e inutili) personaggi
• introduzione postuma del narratore che si rivolge ai “rimasti”
• una narrazione claudicante che in fin dei conti non racconta nulla
• l’interessante tema del cinema che si sostituisce alla vita è solamente accennato
• Il divertimento e l’originalità sembrano aver lasciato posto alla fiacchezza narrativa
Vedremo con il terzo libro...
Primo libro molto originale divertente (a parte qualche scivolone su delle similitudini un po' forzate), una storia raccontata in modo crudo e sboccato, senza perdersi mai in fronzoli e non focalizzandosi troppo né sui personaggi né sulle dinamiche distopiche: ciò che interessa a Lansdale è il pulp, la violenza, ma anche un’interessante riflessione sulle genesi della nostra fede, sullo sviluppo del dogmatismo.
Secondo libro pessimo sotto diversi punti di vista:
• un filler continuo e approssimativo in cui sembra che Lansdale non sappia più dove andare a parare
• racconti del background di nuovi (e inutili) personaggi
• introduzione postuma del narratore che si rivolge ai “rimasti”
• una narrazione claudicante che in fin dei conti non racconta nulla
• l’interessante tema del cinema che si sostituisce alla vita è solamente accennato
• Il divertimento e l’originalità sembrano aver lasciato posto alla fiacchezza narrativa
Vedremo con il terzo libro...
June 9, 2013
Jack, Bob e Randy sono tre ragazzi che decidono di andare all'Orbit, il più grande drive-in del Texas che proietta per tutta la notte alcuni classici dell'orrore come "Non aprite quella porta", "La casa" e "La notte dei morti viventi". Tutto fila liscio fino a quando uno strano fenomeno atmosferico isola il drive-in dal resto del mondo... chi tenta di uscire si scioglie come cera al sole. Ed è qui che comincia l'incubo: gli ospiti-prigionieri del drive-in, costretti a nutrirsi di hamburger e Coca Cola, diventano vittime della grottesca situazione in cui si trovano coinvolti. All'esaurirsi del cibo si trasformano in belve impazzite che ubbidiscono solamente agli istinti più primitivi e selvaggi. La situazione degenera con omicidi, stupri, cannibalismo e altre nefandezze fino all'arrivo del truculento Re del Popcorn. "La notte del drive-in" (composto da due brevi romanzi "Drive-in" e "Drive-in 2" che descrive l'avventura dei protagonisti fuori dall'Orbit, in un mondo ben diverso da quello che conoscevano) è il libro capolavoro scritto dal visionario Joe Lansdale. Con spietata ironia lo scrittore ci racconta una storia sanguinaria e delirante, fuori da tutti gli schemi. Lansdale, imprevedibile e stupefacente ad ogni pagina, con i mostri e gli incubi dell'Orbit non ha fatto altro che illustrare, a modo suo, gli aspetti più squallidi e bestiali dell'America del consumismo, bigotta, razzista e violenta. Semplicemente stupendo!
November 11, 2007
What I learned from this book:
The book I chose to learn from is THE DRIVE-IN by Joe R. Lansdale. I learned a lot from this book. It was very good. The first thing I learned is not to go to the drive-in without weapons and your friends that you can really trust. At the drive-in they show movies called horror movies. They are called horror movies because there are a lot of killings in them, and if you watch too many of horror movies you will want to kill too. The second thing I learned is that if you eat too much concession stand food at the drive in, you will only be able to eat that food forever, and then you might become a slave to the Popcorn King. The Popcorn King is when your friends eat too much popcorn and one friend decides to go on another friends back. When they become like one big person, they will look like the Popcorn King and he will give anyone who begs popcorn. This can be bad because popcorn is not very good for you. It will make you unhealthy if it is all you eat. Also you should learn to make jerky so that when all there is left to eat is popcorn, yoo still have something besides popcorn. That will keep you healthy and away from the Popcorn King, who is a bad guy. So I would tell all my friends to read The DRIVE IN. At first it is real scary, but if you read my report and learn from what I say, then you will survive.
The book I chose to learn from is THE DRIVE-IN by Joe R. Lansdale. I learned a lot from this book. It was very good. The first thing I learned is not to go to the drive-in without weapons and your friends that you can really trust. At the drive-in they show movies called horror movies. They are called horror movies because there are a lot of killings in them, and if you watch too many of horror movies you will want to kill too. The second thing I learned is that if you eat too much concession stand food at the drive in, you will only be able to eat that food forever, and then you might become a slave to the Popcorn King. The Popcorn King is when your friends eat too much popcorn and one friend decides to go on another friends back. When they become like one big person, they will look like the Popcorn King and he will give anyone who begs popcorn. This can be bad because popcorn is not very good for you. It will make you unhealthy if it is all you eat. Also you should learn to make jerky so that when all there is left to eat is popcorn, yoo still have something besides popcorn. That will keep you healthy and away from the Popcorn King, who is a bad guy. So I would tell all my friends to read The DRIVE IN. At first it is real scary, but if you read my report and learn from what I say, then you will survive.
June 8, 2016
3.5 Stars for Part One. It started off good, and became completely weird. Like a really good Twilight Zone episode.
2 - 2.5 Stars for Part Two. This one was just okay for me, and I was glad when it was over. Twilight Zone gone overboard. Get on with it already!!!
Edit: Total overall, probably 3 solid stars.
2 - 2.5 Stars for Part Two. This one was just okay for me, and I was glad when it was over. Twilight Zone gone overboard. Get on with it already!!!
Edit: Total overall, probably 3 solid stars.
March 15, 2015
Un vero pastrocchio. Praticamente illeggibile. Fa venire il latte alle ginocchia.
January 17, 2019
3.5
This was a lot of fun and had me cracking up. I actually liked Part Two better than Part One.
This was a lot of fun and had me cracking up. I actually liked Part Two better than Part One.
November 4, 2024
la fine del mondo secondo lansdale somiglia a una barzelletta che non fa ridere più nessuno. la bestia che siamo, noi umani, l'hanno già raccontata in molti, molte volte, molto meglio.
April 16, 2025
Geniale, spietato
July 26, 2025
I need a moment to process the last night at the drive-in—what an ending.
September 21, 2025
solo del primo libro
fuori di testa.
fuori di testa.
October 23, 2025
Questo libro m'ha fatto provare sensazioni contrastanti, però è figo e devo dire che scorre davvero bene. Molto intrattenente.
July 19, 2025
Ho appena terminato di leggere La notte del Drive-in (l'edizione che ho io racchiude i primi due romanzi della trilogia) e devo dire che è stato un bel viaggio, a tratti divertente, a tratti disturbante. Quello che è certo è che non è una lettura per chi è debole di stomaco. Le situazioni descritte ricordano moltissimo quei film splatter degli anni '80: è il Regno delle pulsioni, di quelle più aggressive e brutali che si possano immaginare (a volte mi chiedo come si riesca a farlo, a immaginare certe cose), dove l'uomo smette di essere tale e diventa una bestia, tanto da arrivare a creare e portare avanti una vera e propria religione della violenza. Il primo romanzo mi è piaciuto più del secondo, a mio parere un po' più fiacco, eccetto per i capitoli finali... ma forse è la calma prima della tempesta che magari si scatenerà nel terzo romanzo? Si vedrà... Comunque, devo dire che questo primo approccio a Lansdale non è stato male.
July 25, 2016
I’m writing this review both in italian and english, which is not my mother tongue, so forgive my possible mistakes.
Drive In è da 3,5-4 stelle, Drive In II da 3 (secondo i miei gusti, ovviamente)
Il primo romanzo è un po' lento a decollare, ma non appena inizia a ingranare diventa un gioiello: con rapidità viene descritta la trasformazione dell'Orbit in un inferno dotato di una propria religione distorta. Il tema religioso assume infatti una posizione centrale, tanto che i protagonisti finiscono con l'essere crocifissi per un aiuto non riconosciuto come tale: Lansdale voleva forse mostrarci il bisogno di credere in qualcosa, sia esso il culto del Re del Popcorn o il motore immobile cercato da Jack, senza però nascondere i lati negativi che la religione porta con sé (la violenza incitata dal Re, l'antropofagia e l'opportunismo dei cristiani). Per parte del libro mi sono chiesto cosa rappresentasse la cometa, ed il secondo romanzo mi ha dato una risposta: essa è solamente un deus ex machina, un pretesto (calato dagli ipotetici dei di serie B) per far trapelare la violenza insita nell'uomo e metterla in mostra attraverso una crudezza che mi ha ricordato quella presente in Cecità di Saramago.
D'altro canto, Drive In II fornisce delle spiegazioni al primo romanzo in puro stile "bizarro", ma sostituisce la sopracitata crudezza ad un leggero humor, troppo blando per suscitare ilarità ma, per quanto riguarda me, incapace anche di rivaleggiare con la componente macabra del primo romanzo. La trama è molto breve in quanto intervallata dalle storie di vita dei personaggi e i temi cardine di Drive In non sono altrettanto presenti né sono sostituiti: è una storia carina da leggere ma niente di più.
-------------------------------------------------
Drive In deserves 3,5-4 stars, Drive In II something like 3 (obviously according to my tastes)
The first novel takes off a bit slowly, but it turns into a jewel once it does: Lansdale rapidly describes the Orbit’s transformation from a drive-in to a proper hell, possessing its own twisted religion. Religion has in fact a central role in this novel, as proved by the crucifixion held in spite of the help provided by the protagonists: maybe Lansdale wanted to show us our need to believe in something, be it the worship of the Popcorn King or the unmoved mover searched by Jack, without however hiding the negative aspects of religion itself (the violence demanded by the King, the Christians’ anthropophagy and opportunism). During most of the novel I thought what the comet could represent, and the answer was given to me in the midst of the second novel: it is just a deus ex machina, an excuse (arranged by the hypothetical B-grade horror movie gods) to leak out the human violence and showcase it with a harshness that reminded me Blindness by José Saramago.
On the other hand, Drive In II explains something from the first novel in pure “bizarro” style, but it replaces the aforementioned harshness with a mild humour, too mild to arouse hilarity but, in my opinion, also incapable in rivalling the first novel’s gruesome component. The plot is very short, since it is interspersed with stories from the secondary character’s lives and the key themes of Drive In are not as present nor they are replaced: it’s a nice novel to read, but nothing more.
Drive In è da 3,5-4 stelle, Drive In II da 3 (secondo i miei gusti, ovviamente)
Il primo romanzo è un po' lento a decollare, ma non appena inizia a ingranare diventa un gioiello: con rapidità viene descritta la trasformazione dell'Orbit in un inferno dotato di una propria religione distorta. Il tema religioso assume infatti una posizione centrale, tanto che i protagonisti finiscono con l'essere crocifissi per un aiuto non riconosciuto come tale: Lansdale voleva forse mostrarci il bisogno di credere in qualcosa, sia esso il culto del Re del Popcorn o il motore immobile cercato da Jack, senza però nascondere i lati negativi che la religione porta con sé (la violenza incitata dal Re, l'antropofagia e l'opportunismo dei cristiani). Per parte del libro mi sono chiesto cosa rappresentasse la cometa, ed il secondo romanzo mi ha dato una risposta: essa è solamente un deus ex machina, un pretesto (calato dagli ipotetici dei di serie B) per far trapelare la violenza insita nell'uomo e metterla in mostra attraverso una crudezza che mi ha ricordato quella presente in Cecità di Saramago.
D'altro canto, Drive In II fornisce delle spiegazioni al primo romanzo in puro stile "bizarro", ma sostituisce la sopracitata crudezza ad un leggero humor, troppo blando per suscitare ilarità ma, per quanto riguarda me, incapace anche di rivaleggiare con la componente macabra del primo romanzo. La trama è molto breve in quanto intervallata dalle storie di vita dei personaggi e i temi cardine di Drive In non sono altrettanto presenti né sono sostituiti: è una storia carina da leggere ma niente di più.
-------------------------------------------------
Drive In deserves 3,5-4 stars, Drive In II something like 3 (obviously according to my tastes)
The first novel takes off a bit slowly, but it turns into a jewel once it does: Lansdale rapidly describes the Orbit’s transformation from a drive-in to a proper hell, possessing its own twisted religion. Religion has in fact a central role in this novel, as proved by the crucifixion held in spite of the help provided by the protagonists: maybe Lansdale wanted to show us our need to believe in something, be it the worship of the Popcorn King or the unmoved mover searched by Jack, without however hiding the negative aspects of religion itself (the violence demanded by the King, the Christians’ anthropophagy and opportunism). During most of the novel I thought what the comet could represent, and the answer was given to me in the midst of the second novel: it is just a deus ex machina, an excuse (arranged by the hypothetical B-grade horror movie gods) to leak out the human violence and showcase it with a harshness that reminded me Blindness by José Saramago.
On the other hand, Drive In II explains something from the first novel in pure “bizarro” style, but it replaces the aforementioned harshness with a mild humour, too mild to arouse hilarity but, in my opinion, also incapable in rivalling the first novel’s gruesome component. The plot is very short, since it is interspersed with stories from the secondary character’s lives and the key themes of Drive In are not as present nor they are replaced: it’s a nice novel to read, but nothing more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
Set in the summer of 1968 in East Texas, the story follows best friends Randy and Terry as they plan a night out at the drive-in theater with their girlfriends. However, their plans for a fun evening take a dark turn when they witness a series of bizarre and terrifying events unfold on the big screen.
As the night progresses, the teenagers find themselves drawn into a nightmarish reality where the line between fiction and reality becomes increasingly blurred. They encounter strange and otherworldly creatures, including a menacing figure known as the "Gorefather," who seems intent on wreaking havoc on the drive-in and its patrons.
As Randy and Terry struggle to make sense of the unfolding chaos, they must confront their deepest fears and summon the courage to confront the supernatural forces that threaten their lives and the lives of those they love. Along the way, they are joined by a colorful cast of characters, including a tough-talking sheriff and a mysterious drifter with a dark past.
Interwoven with the main narrative are themes of friendship, loyalty, and the loss of innocence, as the teenagers grapple with the harsh realities of the world around them and the uncertain future that lies ahead. Through its blend of horror and nostalgia, "The Night of the Drive-In" offers a thrilling and immersive reading experience that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
In summary, "The Night of the Drive-In" is a gripping and atmospheric novella that captures the spirit of classic horror cinema while offering a fresh and original take on the genre. Joe R. Lansdale's masterful storytelling and vivid characterization make this novella a must-read for fans of horror and suspense alike.
As the night progresses, the teenagers find themselves drawn into a nightmarish reality where the line between fiction and reality becomes increasingly blurred. They encounter strange and otherworldly creatures, including a menacing figure known as the "Gorefather," who seems intent on wreaking havoc on the drive-in and its patrons.
As Randy and Terry struggle to make sense of the unfolding chaos, they must confront their deepest fears and summon the courage to confront the supernatural forces that threaten their lives and the lives of those they love. Along the way, they are joined by a colorful cast of characters, including a tough-talking sheriff and a mysterious drifter with a dark past.
Interwoven with the main narrative are themes of friendship, loyalty, and the loss of innocence, as the teenagers grapple with the harsh realities of the world around them and the uncertain future that lies ahead. Through its blend of horror and nostalgia, "The Night of the Drive-In" offers a thrilling and immersive reading experience that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
In summary, "The Night of the Drive-In" is a gripping and atmospheric novella that captures the spirit of classic horror cinema while offering a fresh and original take on the genre. Joe R. Lansdale's masterful storytelling and vivid characterization make this novella a must-read for fans of horror and suspense alike.
October 17, 2023
The Drive-in: A Double Feature Omnibus, Joe R. Lansdale [Carroll and Graf, 1997]
An omnibus collection comprised of The Drive-in (A B-Movie with Blood and Popcorn, Made in Texas) and The Drive-in 2 (Not Just Another One of Them Sequels), originally published as paperback originals by Bantam Spectre, in 1988 and 1989.
The Drive-in:
After an alien invasion, a group of survivors are imprisoned within a toxic bubble (an “ebony pudding”) in an East Texas drive-in movie theater, where The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Evil Dead, and other similarly outré fare plays on infinite loop. The descent into Splatterpunk madness is rapid, as survivors engage in casual murder, infanticide, and cannibalism. A crazed, would-be messiah, The Popcorn King (“Brother Corn”) arises. The teenaged protagonist hatches a plan to end the Popcorn King’s bloodthirsty reign and break out of the Drive-in.
The Drive-in 2 (Not Just One of Them Sequels), Joe R. Lansdale [Bantam Spectre, 1989].
In the sequel to The Drive-in, the protagonist and friends (Bob and Crier) explore the world outside the Orbit, which has reverted to a prehistoric environ. After meeting a young woman named Grace, who is skilled in martial arts, they journey back to the Orbit to confront Popalong Cassidy [sic], a psychopathic killer with a television set for a head, who has assumed the Popcorn King’s throne.
***
Joe R. Lansdale is “…The last surviving Splatterpunk, sanctified in the blood of the walking Western dead.” (Austin Chronicle) He is most recently the author of a novel The Donut Legion and a collection Things Get Ugly.
An omnibus collection comprised of The Drive-in (A B-Movie with Blood and Popcorn, Made in Texas) and The Drive-in 2 (Not Just Another One of Them Sequels), originally published as paperback originals by Bantam Spectre, in 1988 and 1989.
The Drive-in:
After an alien invasion, a group of survivors are imprisoned within a toxic bubble (an “ebony pudding”) in an East Texas drive-in movie theater, where The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Evil Dead, and other similarly outré fare plays on infinite loop. The descent into Splatterpunk madness is rapid, as survivors engage in casual murder, infanticide, and cannibalism. A crazed, would-be messiah, The Popcorn King (“Brother Corn”) arises. The teenaged protagonist hatches a plan to end the Popcorn King’s bloodthirsty reign and break out of the Drive-in.
The Drive-in 2 (Not Just One of Them Sequels), Joe R. Lansdale [Bantam Spectre, 1989].
In the sequel to The Drive-in, the protagonist and friends (Bob and Crier) explore the world outside the Orbit, which has reverted to a prehistoric environ. After meeting a young woman named Grace, who is skilled in martial arts, they journey back to the Orbit to confront Popalong Cassidy [sic], a psychopathic killer with a television set for a head, who has assumed the Popcorn King’s throne.
***
Joe R. Lansdale is “…The last surviving Splatterpunk, sanctified in the blood of the walking Western dead.” (Austin Chronicle) He is most recently the author of a novel The Donut Legion and a collection Things Get Ugly.
August 27, 2011
Premessa: l'edizione del romanzo che ho letto e che mi appresto a recensire è l'Urania numero 1214 datato 19-9-1993, da quel che so diversa dalla versione Einaudi Stile Libero, che mi sembra abbia accorpato a questo il secondo episodio della trilogia de "La notte del Drive-in".
Detto ciò, passo a riconoscere a Lansdale una fantasia degna di Stephen King, al netto di quell'autocompiacimento che a me personalmente fa mal digerire il "Re". Per questo "La notte del Drive-in", nonostante vari difetti, mi è piaciuto. Purtroppo, della sconfinata bibliografia dell'autore texano ho letto solamente questo romanzo e "Mucho Mojo", ma al più presto possibile cercherò di rimediare.
Chiaro omaggio ai "B-movie" che poi fecero la fortuna di Tarantino & Co., "La notte del Drive-in" inizia con una tranquilla serata a base di horror movie all'"Orbit", un enorme drive-in da tempo oggetto del desiderio del protagonista narrante e i suoi tre amici. La serata è quella giusta e tutto sembra filare liscio, quando ad un certo punto un meteorite squarcia il cielo notturno a metà della proiezione di "Utensili per l'omicidio" (il titolo originale americano è "The Toolbox Murders", pellicola diretta nel 1978 da Dennis Donnelly e interpretata da Cameron Mitchell.
Continua su
http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
Detto ciò, passo a riconoscere a Lansdale una fantasia degna di Stephen King, al netto di quell'autocompiacimento che a me personalmente fa mal digerire il "Re". Per questo "La notte del Drive-in", nonostante vari difetti, mi è piaciuto. Purtroppo, della sconfinata bibliografia dell'autore texano ho letto solamente questo romanzo e "Mucho Mojo", ma al più presto possibile cercherò di rimediare.
Chiaro omaggio ai "B-movie" che poi fecero la fortuna di Tarantino & Co., "La notte del Drive-in" inizia con una tranquilla serata a base di horror movie all'"Orbit", un enorme drive-in da tempo oggetto del desiderio del protagonista narrante e i suoi tre amici. La serata è quella giusta e tutto sembra filare liscio, quando ad un certo punto un meteorite squarcia il cielo notturno a metà della proiezione di "Utensili per l'omicidio" (il titolo originale americano è "The Toolbox Murders", pellicola diretta nel 1978 da Dennis Donnelly e interpretata da Cameron Mitchell.
Continua su
http://www.lastambergadeilettori.com/...
May 31, 2015
Joe is a great story teller. He has enough imagination and enthusiasm to come up with a oddly interesting story as the Drive In, despite a few 'weird' missteps.
It starts under all the good auspices: well described characters, captivating storyline etc. but the over the top evolution of the story just doesn't convince.
I had to skip a few passages, too bored or uninterested. I did end up reading till the end but keep having the feeling this could have been an amazing horror novel. The writing is great, the plot can really be attractive but they way the story develops leaves you wanting more or...less...up to you.
Book one is good in its concept but you wished more interaction...book two has its own merits - more original structure, a few pointless chapters but it does incite your curiosity.
Maybe I'm wrong and that's the way it's supposed to be but I found his talent almost wasted in this book. If he was meant to write a gory/sci fi/horror story
with a sort of ironic touch he definitely succeeded. It's a pity though as several features of this book could have potentially been collated together, developed further to create an astonishing piece of work (group of young characters, drive in, horror films, post apocalyptic world, unknown enemy etc). But again probably it was not meant to...
It starts under all the good auspices: well described characters, captivating storyline etc. but the over the top evolution of the story just doesn't convince.
I had to skip a few passages, too bored or uninterested. I did end up reading till the end but keep having the feeling this could have been an amazing horror novel. The writing is great, the plot can really be attractive but they way the story develops leaves you wanting more or...less...up to you.
Book one is good in its concept but you wished more interaction...book two has its own merits - more original structure, a few pointless chapters but it does incite your curiosity.
Maybe I'm wrong and that's the way it's supposed to be but I found his talent almost wasted in this book. If he was meant to write a gory/sci fi/horror story
with a sort of ironic touch he definitely succeeded. It's a pity though as several features of this book could have potentially been collated together, developed further to create an astonishing piece of work (group of young characters, drive in, horror films, post apocalyptic world, unknown enemy etc). But again probably it was not meant to...
November 11, 2023
E' il primo libro che leggo di questo autore e mi è piaciuto molto.
E' una lettura particolare, che mi ha riportato alla mente un po' le vibes di Cecità di Saramago unite alla follia di Palahniuck.
In sostanza questa storia folle ci dimostra che l'essere umano non è altro che un animale. Niente di più e forse molto di meno. La moralità è solo un costrutto sociale e quando la società cade, per sopravvivere l'uomo farà di tutto. Perchè non è un essere buono.
E la vita non ha alcun senso, proprio per questo secondo me il finale non finale. Non ci sono spiegazioni per quanto accaduto, la strada finisce lì dove tutto era iniziato, in questo percorso circolare infinito senza deviazioni possibili.
Ci sarebbe piaciuto credere in un essere superiore che ha architettato tutto, in un Regista-Dio che tira le redini e dà un senso a quanto accade ma se ci avesse dato questo ci avrebbe dato la via di fuga facile: siamo nelle mani di qualcuno e tutto ha un senso.
Invece per Lansdale non è così, la fede è solo l'oppio dei popoli e non c'è alcun bene superiore, il bene non c'è proprio in quando esiste solo l'uomo che è il male.
E' una lettura particolare, che mi ha riportato alla mente un po' le vibes di Cecità di Saramago unite alla follia di Palahniuck.
In sostanza questa storia folle ci dimostra che l'essere umano non è altro che un animale. Niente di più e forse molto di meno. La moralità è solo un costrutto sociale e quando la società cade, per sopravvivere l'uomo farà di tutto. Perchè non è un essere buono.
E la vita non ha alcun senso, proprio per questo secondo me il finale non finale. Non ci sono spiegazioni per quanto accaduto, la strada finisce lì dove tutto era iniziato, in questo percorso circolare infinito senza deviazioni possibili.
Ci sarebbe piaciuto credere in un essere superiore che ha architettato tutto, in un Regista-Dio che tira le redini e dà un senso a quanto accade ma se ci avesse dato questo ci avrebbe dato la via di fuga facile: siamo nelle mani di qualcuno e tutto ha un senso.
Invece per Lansdale non è così, la fede è solo l'oppio dei popoli e non c'è alcun bene superiore, il bene non c'è proprio in quando esiste solo l'uomo che è il male.
August 30, 2017
Un libro che unisce i due romanzi del Drive In di Lansdale, entrambi macchiati di sangue, merda, film di serie - b, pop corn, esseri umani che tirano fuori il peggio di sé una volta chiusi in quel Drive - in nel bel mezzo del Texas.
Lansdale descrive il tutto con feroce ironia, con una funzionale narrazione in prima persona e mettendo in scena un universo che attinge molto dai b-movies e che un po' ricorda anche certe cose di Stephen King, come scrive anche Ammaniti nella divertente (e ottima) postfazione che si trova nell'edizione Einaudi.
I personaggi sono ben delineati, la scrittura riesce, anche con poche parole, a far presa sul lettore e a descrivere situazioni ai limiti dell'assurdo, sospese tra brutali scene di sangue, risate a bocca larga o momenti d'innegabile tensione erotica.
Lansdale descrive il tutto con feroce ironia, con una funzionale narrazione in prima persona e mettendo in scena un universo che attinge molto dai b-movies e che un po' ricorda anche certe cose di Stephen King, come scrive anche Ammaniti nella divertente (e ottima) postfazione che si trova nell'edizione Einaudi.
I personaggi sono ben delineati, la scrittura riesce, anche con poche parole, a far presa sul lettore e a descrivere situazioni ai limiti dell'assurdo, sospese tra brutali scene di sangue, risate a bocca larga o momenti d'innegabile tensione erotica.
December 18, 2011
WOW! Gran bel libro. Mi ha fatto fare belle risate, incubi tremendi, e disillusi pensieri. Adoro la fantasia di Lansdale a briglia sciolta che sguazza nell'immaginario collettivo da B movie. Gli avrei dato 4 stelle se non avessi sentito la seconda parte un po' ripetitiva. Ma regala comunque grandi momenti di orrore e comicità. Indimenticabili due terribile e patetici mostri, Popalong e il Re dei Popcorn: abiteranno la nostra fantasia per sempre, in compagnia dei classici cattivi: Dart Fener, Faccia di Cuio ecc.
Un appunto: non leggetelo in autobus o in treno, o le vostre improvvise e solitarie risate vi faranno passare per matti.
Un appunto: non leggetelo in autobus o in treno, o le vostre improvvise e solitarie risate vi faranno passare per matti.
September 8, 2019
Delirante, sopra le righe e disgustoso quanto basta per diventare un libro cult. Nella prima parte ("La notte del drive-in"), Lansdale mette in scena un microcosmo di violenza, sangue, vomito e antropofagia, il tutto perfettamente incarnato dalla mitica figura del Re dei Popcorn.
Trama ben calibrata nel primo romanzo breve, molto più raffazzonata nel secondo ("Il giorno dei dinosauri"), dove l'eccesso è portato oltre ogni limite e il Re dei Popcorn è sostituito da Popalong Cassidy, uno di quei villain che non ti dimentichi facilmente.
Sebbene siano entrambe spiazzanti, bislacche e cattive, io la mia preferenza la do alla seconda parte. Più ironica, più incisiva... più tutto.
Trama ben calibrata nel primo romanzo breve, molto più raffazzonata nel secondo ("Il giorno dei dinosauri"), dove l'eccesso è portato oltre ogni limite e il Re dei Popcorn è sostituito da Popalong Cassidy, uno di quei villain che non ti dimentichi facilmente.
Sebbene siano entrambe spiazzanti, bislacche e cattive, io la mia preferenza la do alla seconda parte. Più ironica, più incisiva... più tutto.
December 21, 2011
Romanzo alla Grindhouse che racchiude in sè due romanzi veri e propri scritti da Lansdale alla fine degli anni Ottanta, l'uno il seguito dall'altro. Il primo non è male, delirante al punto giusto, arguto, brillante, scritto con la consueta maestria. Ma il secondo è una tragedia. Inutile come solo uno stantito sequel hollywoodiano sa essere, e non lo salva nemmeno la capacità di Landsale di creare situazioni, personaggi, suspance e di giocare con le parole. Le due stelline sono una media ponderata del primo romanzo (bello) e del secondo (inclassificabile).
February 18, 2016
disturbante quanto basta, specie nei parallelismi tra l'horror B-movie che sta alla base della storia e quello che in buona sostanza è il mondo reale.
n certi punti la differenza è solo scenografica, e l'attimo in cui te ne accorgi è quello in cui ti si ribalta lo stomaco dalla nausea, e quello in cui ti rendi conto che Lansdale è geniale. anche e soprattutto quanto ti piazza incollato davanti a un qualcosa che - se non ci fossi inciampato per caso - io non avrei probabilmente mai letto. troppo fuori dalla mia zona di comfort.
e invece chiusa la storia sembra quasi che ne serva ancora un po'.
n certi punti la differenza è solo scenografica, e l'attimo in cui te ne accorgi è quello in cui ti si ribalta lo stomaco dalla nausea, e quello in cui ti rendi conto che Lansdale è geniale. anche e soprattutto quanto ti piazza incollato davanti a un qualcosa che - se non ci fossi inciampato per caso - io non avrei probabilmente mai letto. troppo fuori dalla mia zona di comfort.
e invece chiusa la storia sembra quasi che ne serva ancora un po'.
August 25, 2011
Lansdale finishes up the Trilogy with a bang. This series will really stick with me. It's gruesome, and over the top, but packed with great, imaginative ideas. The ending was killer in my opinion, and fits with the rest of the story.
I think this could have been a little more effective if he had packed all the best ideas into one book, rather than three, but this is still a great, absurd horror, Sci-fi nightmare journey.
I think this could have been a little more effective if he had packed all the best ideas into one book, rather than three, but this is still a great, absurd horror, Sci-fi nightmare journey.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews