The Drive-In

A B-Movie with Blood and Popcorn, Made in Texas

By: Joe R. Lansdale

Narrated by: Matt Godfrey

Length: 5 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Book one of the Drive-In series by Joe R. Lansdale.

The end of the 1980s. Drive-in movie culture is mostly dead with one significant exception: The Orbit Drive-In. A drive-in theater so large it houses screens multiple stories high that fill the sky and can hold 4,000 cars and all the people who can squeeze in them. It’s a lit city that fills to the brim on Friday nights; crowds gather for the Dusk-to-Dawn Horror Shows. Horns honk, BBQ grills sizzle, people yell and act the fool, ready for the marathon of one low-budget horror film after another. But then suddenly the world changes in front of their eyes, not on the screens. A comet, red and smiling with jagged teeth, flashes across the sky. People try to leave but find they are trapped by some acidic goo surrounding the entire drive-in. They grow hungry, homicidal, and suicidal. Then along comes the Popcorn King, a jiving, rhyming creature formed by blue-white lightning, with four arms and a popcorn bucket on its head. A monster as strange and dangerous and mesmerizing as the creatures and villains on the screens. It offers the starving masses food, but there’s always a price to pay for survival. And then things start to get wicked....

©1988 Joe R. Lansdale (P)2020 Joe R. Lansdale

Extremely Intriguing

This is honestly one of the most interesting stories I have experienced. I was hooked from start to finish with a small car ride pause. The way things went were not how I expected they would go at all. I wish there had been a bit more interaction from the monsters/beings of the story but loved how they catalyzed the events that went on. When the story was coming to a close all I could think was "I want more," and "What would happen from here."

Horror Genre Classic

I was so thrilled to see this genre classic that has been mentioned by so many of today’s top authors get the audiobook treatment. I have read and enjoyed THE DRIVE-IN by Joe R. Lansdale multiple times and revisiting again, this time via the excellent narration of Matt Godfrey was a total pleasure!

All Hail The Popcorn King!!!

This book was very unique and found a way to mesh the lightness and the dark in a very interesting way. It was light hearted, yet dealt with some of the darkest topics of human nature. It was cheeky as hell while dealing with deadly serious subject matter. It poked fun at humanity while at the same time lifting a mirror to show us it's ugly reflection. Kind of like a morbid version of a tuxedo T-shirt. This book means business, but it's here to party.

Seminal

Essentially a commentary on the affect of pop culture on society, this proves a true gem and just as lovely as I recall.

Check out “The Bus Tour” for more Drive-in fun.

Awesome!

Outrageously delicious. I enjoyed this gem so much. Nostalgic, brutal, humorous, and very very gory.

Weird horrific fun.

Such a weird horror gem that didn't run out of gas. Entertaining horror adventure.

I’ve just found my new favourite writer

Such a fun book! Has all the allegory you might want for a lively book club discussion, but is also entertaining enough on the face of it, to just enjoy the listen without overthinking.
I’ll be reading sequels 2 and 3 very soon! Don’t hesitate!

Just Plain Fun!

Coming off of an audio that dealt with the Holocaust, I needed my next read to be something light. Matt Godfrey performing this old favorite of mine was the perfect solution!

Written back in the late 80's, The Drive-In is just plain horror fun. Sure, there's a bit of commentary in there, if you want to give the story some depth, but there's plenty of horrific gore, insane circumstances and a big bunch of Lansdale's brand of humor to round it all out.

What happens to people in dire circumstances is brought out into the light and examined from all different angles. Imagine if you will, a huge drive-in with 6 different screens and nearly 4,000 cars. Then imagine that everything goes black, (except for the movies), and no one can leave. For months. How long will the food last? What will people do when no more popcorn is left? You'll have to read this to find out.

Joe R. Lansdale is a go to author for me, and I'm thankful that I have a lot more of his work to catch up with. Matt Godfrey is one of the very first narrators I got to know when I started on my audio adventures and he remains one of my favorites. Together, these two make an unbeatable team! If you're looking for something to fill out your October reading, I highly recommend the audio of The Drive-In!

*Source: I downloaded this from Audible with my hard earned cash. It was worth every single penny.*

Short, but... Wow.

Spoiler kinda: Gruesome AND Graphic. I really wanted to slap the guy that recommended this... until it was over. That was a good book and the narration was excellent.

Trippy!

I’m older and can definitely relate to the drive-in experience. I love B movies and Schlock films. Based on a recommendation, I picked this up as part of my annual Halloween reading. AND it was great! This book took me back and made me feel like a teenager again (only breaking the fourth wall stuck in a horror film and knowing it.) 😎 Many good audio books are ruined by the ‘wrong’ narrator; not this time, he was great! All in all 5 out of 5, and we’ll worth the listen.