How Rednecks Saved Hollywood with Joe Bob Briggs

Joe Bob Briggs is here to school us on the importance of the redneck to the cinematic canon in an evening event he’s dubbed “How Rednecks Saved Hollywood.” A persona invented by John Irving Bloom as a reporter at the Dallas Times Herald, Briggs made a name for himself in the ’80s and ’90s as a prolific reviewer of B movies (which he dubbed “drive-in movies”) and went on to host the late-night movie show Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater on TCM, followed by TNT’s MonsterVision. Almost two decades after his hosting stint originally came to a close, Briggs is enjoying a bit of a renaissance — horror-streaming service Shudder brought him on board for the 13-film marathon The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs in 2018, which was such a hit that they renewed the series in a recurring format, with a new double feature released weekly. For “How Rednecks Saved Hollywood,” Briggs will lend his expertise not only as a cult film connoisseur, but also a Texas native, covering topics ranging from the “existential difference between Forrest Gump and Slingblade” to “why the redneck is the scariest monster in all of film history” (if you don’t have the Deliverance banjo riff in your head by now, we’d be pretty surprised). Speaking of Deliverance, while Briggs’ presentation will certainly be educational, it is definitely not kid-friendly, so admission to the event is 18 and up only.