The recipe for a good time is pretty simple. Your basic ingredient list is something like this – Something to do. Somewhere to do it. And someone to enjoy it with.
But just like cooking up a meal, the occasion is only as good as the ingredients you put in it and how those ingredients work together
So far in 2025, a lot of these proverbial “dining” experiences have been about as delicious and enjoyable as eating sewer stew with a side of “short and curly” fries.
But the recipe for a few weekends ago…oh man...well, that was like eating an exquisitely cooked medium-rare steak topped with tender lobster and juicy butter accompanied with a 6-pack of Lone Star tall boys. Simple. Unfathomably flavorful. Perfectly memorable.
The good time that was served up on Saturday, February 8th was none other than Joe Bob Brigg’s Indoor Drive-In Geek Out (the “something to do”) at the historic Texas Theater (the “somewhere to do it”). And I saw it with my best bud (the top-tier “someone to enjoy it with”). The third bro in our bestie trio wasn’t able to make it, but we were sure to pour one out for him. And when I say pour one out. I mean pour a ton of sips of premium lager straight into our mouths.
You sure get a fine mix of folks at an event like this. You discover moviegoers donning all sorts of interesting dress. Urban cowboys (paying homage to Joe Bob’s signature look), vibrant goth getups, and a wide collection of obscure horror t-shirts – the patrons were as mixed and flavorful as a Vegas buffet. But regardless of what varied apparel you could find in our closets, we all had one thing in common. We love a good under-the-radar, under-appreciated, oft misunderstood movie that tickles our senses with joy. Perhaps we are drawn to these types of movies because the unique personalities and taste that we have may be also considered misunderstood.
The Texas Theater…what a hell of a spot! The venue is a living, breathing character that guides you on an adventure, away from the everyday stress and bullshit you are forced to put up with. At The Texas, you get to choose enjoyment, entertainment, and even generate some everlasting core memories every now and then. Famously known as the spot where Lee Harvey Oswald was caught after assassinating JFK, it’s ironic that such a sad and serious moment in history marks a venue capable of launching you into a world of carefree happiness. Well-kept and maintaining that old school flavor from decades past, the dedicated staff crafts a magical escape that allows movie lovers to fully immerse themselves in the moment.
Now, we bought tickets to see two movies. But the main attraction was the one and only legendary horror host in the flesh, Joe Bob Briggs. For many, he is a cherished memory of childhood. A late-night buddy who wouldn’t judge you for watching some silly sounding low budget horror or action movie. Hell, he was the one who encouraged you to watch it! Having hosted on The Movie Channel, TNT, and now the horror streaming service Shudder – he has always done a legendary job of hitting the circuit of in-person events that gather people from every corner and from under every rock. The mere presence of this man excites a crowd of grown adults like they are kids at Christmas.
Joe Bob’s ever-faithful “partner in slime” – Darcy the Mail Girl – is a vital part of the experience as well. A horror guru and the hardest working woman in showbiz, it’s no wonder her legal name is Diana Prince (Wonder Woman). She adds energy, excitement, and helps curate the experience from start to finish.
Before each flick, Joe Bob Briggs delivers a passionately comical presentation, giving a breakdown of the movie’s plot and some fun background facts about how it got made. And for the show we were about to watch, Joe Bob took us on wild ride of plot description. I will try to do it justice here…
The first movie on the roster was Bubba Ho-Tep. I’d heard of the movie before but had never seen it – nor did I even know about the plot. It was an oddly inspiring treat that I still can’t stop thinking about.
Okay. Let’s try to explain the plot quickly here, because it is weird as shit. A thought-to-be-Elvis impersonator – who actually is Elvis in hiding – finds himself rotting away in an east Texas old folks home that is about as cozy and comforting as a dive-bar toilet. He is joined by an African American man who claims to be JFK – placed in the home by the double-crossing Lyndon Johnson. The coup involved making some cosmetic changes to the former president and even removing a piece of his brain and replacing it with a bag of sand. I know. I said it was weird.
Our two geriatric heroes soon find themselves facing more than just a sad existence and even sadder treatment from the staff. What was this challenging scenario? You guessed it – an ancient Egyptian mummy who is stealing the souls of the aging residents in the home. How the cowboy-hat wearing mummy extracts these souls is a special surprise I will let you discover on your own…but I will give you a hint. One the most oddly-smartly written, laugh-inducing lines of the movie is when JFK delivers this Oscar-worthy line, “Hey Elvis. Watch your ass.”
For such a weird, hard-to-explain, out-there movie, the writing was quite incredible. Some jokes were so subtle – yet powerful – they hit your brain a few seconds after they were delivered, and you laughed twice…and even harder the second time. I never thought a movie about an old, fat Elvis battling a soul-sucking mummy could hit me in the feels like this. But a few times, the flick does actually get pretty deep – contemplating such things as finding meaning in advanced age, how we will be remembered – if at all – when we are gone, and how the hell did an Egyptian mummy wind up in east Texas. The elusive answers to life’s age-old questions.
If you like exploring weird movies, see it. You will not regret it. Eh…maybe you will. But I guarantee you will enjoy a minimum of three smile-inducing chuckles.
The intermission included a long line at the bar to refresh libations and a lively Q&A with Joe Bob. Recovering from all the laughs and a few possibilities of tearing up, we took turns replenishing our vitals and emptied our bladders in preparation for Round 2. Someone had to save our premo seats after all!
The second flick that shined its delightful fun across the screen was Rock and Roll High School. This movie could fall in the category of teen sex comedy…musical…I guess? Whatever its classification, Joe Bob described it best when he called it “joyful.” It’s laid back, energetic, and the music had you wiggling in your seat. If you are a Ramones fan, you should stop reading this and go watch it right now.
The plot of this bad little lady is pretty straight forward, silly, and welcome – especially after the complex excellence of Bubba Ho-Tep. In this classic battle between fascist principle and defiant teen, high schooler Riff Randell flexes her rebellious muscles in a valiant effort to keep the “cool” in “high school” by fighting for students’ rights to rock and roll all night and party every day – or at least during P.E. and study hall. Filled with teens seeking their “first time”, jocks questioning their sexual prowess, Ramones-obsession galore, and even a match-making wiz in the place where teens take a wiz …the Boys Room…complete with a fully furnished office.
The movie goes full-on musical towards the end. Rocking from a concert venue all the way back to the school itself, the Ramones and all their new high school friends storm the hallways and reclaim the classroom in the name of rebellious teens everywhere. And in true rock and roll fashion, they blow the high school up afterwards. But not in like a sad, terrorist-y way. In like a you-can’t-keep-our-spirits-down-with-your-lame-overeaching-rules kinda way. And nobody got hurt in the explosion. The movie just sort of ended after that. Anyways, I’m sure insurance took care of it, and everyone lived happily ever after.
Even after the final credits started rolling, we weren’t finished rollin’ in the fun. Now was our chance to wait in line to meet our horror heroes – Joe Bob and Darcy. Contrary to most lines you get to stand in waiting for something, this one was pretty fun. The bar was only a few steps away and still open for business. You could buy some cool Joe Bob and Darcy swag. We made new friends and chatted about the movies with other mutants like us. We really enjoyed the wait and continued to tally up our laugh count.
The prize at the end of this line included briefly chatting with guests of honor, snapping a team picture, and getting their Herbie Hancocks on an item of your choosing. Folks were opting to have a wide variety of things to get signed– horror memorabilia, t-shirts, hats, Zyn cans, and even a live human baby.
Slightly swaying – and probably slightly slurring our words – it was finally our turn to shoot the breeze with JB and D for a few moments. Getting a few unique items autographed and expressing our heartfelt thank yous for producing top tier content that creates so much joy, we soaked in the moment with gigantic grins on our faces.
It really is an amazing and wholesome experience meeting them. You find yourself in awe that “Whoa! they are really here” AND, at the same time, you feel like you’re just reuniting with an old friend after a long time apart. They are down to earth enough where you feel comfortable with them. But they are also mesmerizing enough that you get an out of this world experience. Quite the combo!
That’s what sets them apart from other famous folks you may run into. It’s not just a business transaction – it’s a genuine interaction. It may be brief, but they always put the effort in.
At least Andrew looked good in this pic.
In the middle of our incredible outing – sometime during Bubba Ho-Tep – I took a moment to remember the moment. Too often, we look back on great memories and wish we would’ve made an effort to realize how great we had while we had it. Looking around the theater seeing the glow of the screen splash across the crowd and light moviegoers up with wonder and excitement. Torsos bobbing up and down with laughter. Knowing everyone has a smile on their face…even though you can’t see everyone’s face. I realized this is exactly where I was supposed to be and nowhere else. Here, I had the opportunity to savor a unique event in a time capsule of treasured movie memories with friends I never knew I had alongside the best friend I’ve ever known.
Pure. Simple. Magical!
Can you think of a better way to spend a Saturday than by sitting next to your best bud, laughing too loud, sipping on a cold one(s), inhaling popcorn, and chatting about goofy nonsense for hours on end? I sure can’t.
This good-time recipe was just right!