Drive-In Horrorshow is a fun mix of different horror sub-genres tales that uses a haunted drive-in as the framework for the five other stories. Even though a drive-in staple, the exploitation flick, is surprisingly missing.

The film's opening was filmed in super 8 and really sets the stage well. I wouldn't watch movies at a drive-in where the specials were eyeball poppers and brainburgers w/ cheese. And I don't think that's just me, no one shows up at this place. No one living, anyway. It's not unusual for the movies I watch to have role titles like "Hooker #3" or "Dead College Girl" But when "Teenage Axe Victim" appears in the opening credits, I have to laugh. Very nice touch.

Our five twisted tales, in order of appearance, are:

“Pig” - Frat boy vs sorority girl in a horror yarn of revenge.

“The Closet” - A touching tale of a boy, his family, and a closet monster.

“Fall Apart” - An old school doctor stumbles upon something he shouldn't have.

“The Meat Man” - An exploration of an urban legend style cannibal killer.

“The Watcher” - Two couples try to elude something, or someone, in the woods.

As with all anthologies, you always walk away liking some segments more than others. And this one is no different. The ones that worked well for me are “The Meat Man” and “Fall Apart.” The kids were believable and carried the story well in “The Meat Man.” “Fall Apart” was a well-executed, smart sci-fi story. And both of them have a good amount of gore.

“Pig” didn't have quite the impact of the other two, but was good first segment and I enjoyed watching it. It was interesting seeing a segment filmed in mostly one room. I've never seen a frat house that was half of a duplex. I wonder what the neighbors think?

The remaining two just seemed to miss their marks. “The Closet” resembled a bad Twilight Zone episode more than anything I ever saw at a drive-in. You could see the ending coming a mile away, but I was happy when it finally got here. “The Watcher” is introduced by the projectionist as “saving the best for last.” It had the potential to be a really great closer, but no real thought was given to a plot at all. As far as mutant cannibal stories go, it did have the gore requirement covered, but it adds absolutely nothing new.

The flick as a whole, is an enjoyable viewing experience.(Though I will be ending it after “The Meat Man” in my future viewings.) It is definitely above par, especially when compared to other low-budget anthologies. The nods to different sub-genres are easily identified and, for the most part, work successfully. So crack open a couple of frosty beverages, hang your surround-sound speakers off the couch arms and get ready for some drive-in horror.