DATE: April 24, 2002


First I want to thank you for taking time to answer a few questions for me, and all the fellow horror movie lovers.


1)A lot of people probably think "Joe Bob" is your real name, does that bother you?

Nope. I answer to both names. I don't imagine that Sting minds being called Sting, and I don't mind being called Joe Bob. It's a good solid Texas name.


2)Will the character of Joe Bob Briggs be coming back to TV any time soon?

Well, there aren't any TV executives breaking down my door. I was on for 14 years straight, and we're currently in a period where cult movies aren't that popular, even on cable networks. But I've seen this cycle come and go before, and I'm sure eventually someone will wanna make another stab at it.


3)What have you been up to lately career wise?

I'm almost finished with a book called "Profoundly Disturbing: Twenty Shocking Movies That Changed History," and I write four articles a week for United Press International. One is my "Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In" column. I also do a column called "The Vegas Guy," which is about casino gambling, and a humor column called "Joe Bob's America." And then my alter-ego John Bloom does a "special assignment" from somewhere in America. John Bloom is UPI's reporter-at-large. I'm also developing a new TV show.


4) Did it annoy you as much as it annoyed the fans when they switched the format of Monstervision and eventually ditched horror movies all together?

Yeah, it bugged the hell out of me. There were two things I didn't like. The first thing is that they moved me from late night to prime time. If you're on before 10 o'clock, you can't say the same things you can say after 10. I got heavily censored. And then they stuck me with those crud mainstream Hollywood movies. I tried to make the most of it, but it was a pretty miserable experiment. They were trying to make the network more "female-friendly," and this was part of their plan. I never understood it really.


5)I've found it extremely hard to write reviews for dumb plot less movies such as Slumber Party Massacre and Sorority House Massacre; what's the key to staying awake through these?

Well, it's not that they don't have plots. They just have predictable plots. "Slumber Party Massacre" was written by a feminist, so there's your problem. If you can't find anything to talk about, then concentrate on an entertaining plot description.


6)What's the best movie you ever had to review?

That would definitely be "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." "Saw" is still the king after all these years. It's the movie that made cannibalism what it is in this country today.


7. What is the dumbest movie you ever had to review?

"A Chorus Line." Best horror movie of 1985.


8)The age old war of "Who's Better Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers?" still rages on. Who's your pick?

Jason Voorhees had to overcome being the son of Betsy Palmer, then spend 20 years on the bottom of that damn lake. He has a right to be pissed. I listened to every speech Donald Pleasence ever made, and I STILL don't know what Michael Myers is pissed about.


9)Since Drive-ins are dead, now it's all about DVD, full digital surround, perfect picture and so on; do you think movie's are somewhat less enjoyable to watch?

The drive-in will NEVER die. Let's get that straight right away. And there's no reason modern technology can't be adapted to the drive-in experience.


10)One of my favorite new releases is Jeepers Creepers. Did you see it, or were you among those that refused to watch because of the controversy behind the director?

I wasn't concerned about the controversy surrounding the director. I was concerned that all my friends said it sucked. So I was waiting for it to come out on video, and then I forgot.


11)Last question: Jason X is debuting on April 26 and Halloween 8 is coming soon. What are your predictions? Box Office Hit Or Huge Failure?

I don't think they'll be huge hits OR huge failures. Those movies never are. They'll have good opening weekends and then taper off quickly. They're too EIGHTIES to be that exciting, though.



Special thanks to John Bloom for taking time to answer a few questions. Visit his site here