For those of you who are wondering what happened to Joe Bob Briggs, drive-in critic, author and satirist from The Movie Channel in the 80’s and 90’s, keep reading.
Joe Bob Briggs, also known as John Bloom, is a comedian, writer and former host of “Joe Bob Briggs Drive in Theatre” who earned praise and controversy for writing and talking about exploitation films in reverent tones. He called films like “Out of Africa” and “Witness” as “indoor bullstuff” and wondered why the real “best films of the year” like “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Make Them Die Slowly” did not receive recognition. In response, he created the Drive-in Academy Awards and the song “We Are The Weird,” with such luminaries as Leatherface singing about their plight.
I loved Joe Bob with his redneck humor and political incorrectness, He rated films according to such categories as blood, breasts, beasts and the “vomit meter.” He rated his films from one to four stars but only “Halloween 3” got one star because it failed to bring back Donald Pleasance, the Shape, and Jamie Lee Curtis. If Joe Bob Briggs liked a movie, though. you could be sure it was entertaining and outrageous. Check out his book “Joe Bob Goes Back to the Drive-In” https://www.amazon.com/JOE-BOB-GOES-BACK-DRIVE-/dp/038529770X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473298609&sr=8-2&keywords=joe+bob+goes+to+the+drive+in for his reprints of his columns and film criticism.
I wasn’t the only person who liked Joe Bob Briggs; he was cast in the films “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2,” “The Stand,” and “Casino..”
I lost track of Joe Bob in the 2000’s; I couldn’t find him on the web very easily. But recently, he seems to be surging.
First of all, he is writing extraordinarily interesting columns for Taki’s Magazine, http://takimag.com/contributor/JoeBobBriggs/245#axzz4JcAzcojV an online publication that I subscribe to for free. He writes articles about such topics as “Donald Trump, You Ignorant Slut.” “Why the New York Times Will Endorse Donald Trump,”, and Olympic coverage that neglects fascinating people like Kimberly Rhode, who has won medals in six Olympics in categories like skeet shooting but received no coverage because she in pro-NRA. Secondly, he is appearing as John Bloom on September 8 at 7 am at Books Inc. (301 Castro Street by the Caltrain Station) in Mountain View promoting his new fact-based book “Eccentric Orbits,” about a “darkly weird” (his words) NASA project, and he wants all his fans to be there so he can talk to “regular people.” So all Joe Bob Briggs fans like me should be sure not to miss this exciting free event! He is only selling John Bloom books there but if you bring your Joe Bob Briggs material there he will sign it. Don’t miss it! : https://www.facebook.com/JoeBobBriggs/photos/a.10152609996514556.1073741827.162253609555/10153694682714556/
–CoolAC