On America’s birthday, Mike takes a few minutes to remember another historical milestone — the 20th anniversary of “Fred’s Oasis,” the low-budget, low-class exploitation film he made with some friends in college. Listen along as I recount its conception, production and aftermath, which lingers with me to this day, and forces me to ask that eternal question: am I right to be overwhelmed with shame?
Also, I recount my disastrous history with fireworks, which may be the result of a genetic disorder, and review the new trash can from Target I bought my wife for her birthday.
Music for this episode: “You Shake Me” by Stompin’ Riff Raffs; “Toxic Revenge” by Shannon and the Clams ***Backing Music: “The Stevie Shuffle Remix” and “Be Cool” by Mr. Smith; “Beer Blues” by Koi Discovery.
Video Street Video Store: “Satanic Cults and Ritual Crime” (1990); “The Making of The Monster Plantation” (1981)
Remember to check out bigger, longer episodes of the VIDEO STREET VIDEO STORE every Tuesday over at mikesbonfire.substack.com.
…And be sure to join the Facebook page and find me on Instagram! …”Base Up You Blockheads!.”
Watch video of this week’s show over at the Youtube channel.
Join Mike on an epic excursion of summer slacking. After returning from a long delivery trip for Amazon that took him deep into the country and the town where he grew up, he sits out back and reflects on growing up in small town Alabama, and wonders what might have happened if he’d stayed there. Prison maybe?
The next day, I venture out into the world to work, but end up at the mall drinking coffee and playing pinball, then go hunting for discounted movies from the Criterion Collection.
Be sure to join the Facebook page and find me on Instagram! …”My little black medical book!”
Mike’s out of the studio this week, but he’s not lettin’ that stop him. He’s got a guest! Hang out with him and his friend Dave in the backyard, as they discuss all things past and present — how they met as roommates in a mutual friend’s “home of wayward children”, the spaceship in the basement of that house that became a favorite drinking spot, Dark Rides, ghouls, memories of Six Flags Over Georgia in the 80s and 90s, and way, way more! Well, maybe just “way” more…
Be sure to join the Facebook page and find me on Instagram! …”Take a good look at that sign… Those proportions are correct.”
Join Mike in the studio late at night, where he wonders why kids aren’t taking summer jobs as much as they used to, and if this means that child labor should be reinstated? Chick-Fil-A tried it this week, and got some mixed responses.
In other news, I tried some child labor of my own the past couple weeks, running a playwriting sweat shop in a theater summer camp. There were also some sharks in the Gulf that attacked two teenage girls from Birmingham, and I recount my eerie experience walking through the quiet and unsettling “backrooms” of an old country church last weekend (what the Internet kids now call a “liminal space”).
See my discussion with Bob LeMent on his show STATIC RADIO!
Music for this episode: “Gee, I Really Love You” by Heavy Trash; “Hey Lowdown” by Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys ***Backing Music: “Balanced” by 1st Contact; “Country Boy” (Instrumental) by Lobo Loco; “Late Nite Train” by Vans in Japan; “Double Tunnel” by Checkie Brown; “Swampland” by Chris Haugen
Video Street Video Store: Saturday Night Live — Albert Brooks — “Fall Preview” (1979); “Terminator 2 3D” Discovery Channel Excerpt
Remember to check out bigger, longer episodes of the VIDEO STREET VIDEO STORE every Tuesday over at mikesbonfire.substack.com.
…And be sure to join the Facebook page and find me on Instagram! …”I can’t believe I used to like these guys.”
Join Mike out back for a drink as he decompresses from a hectic week of teaching summer camp and remembers the life and times of Wayne Newton, who’s still alive, but, ya know, kinda forgotten these days…
In other news: we’re watching Joe Bob Briggs host “Donnie Darko” (2001) on his late night horror show, “The Last Drive-In”. Also: what the h-e-double-hell is “Donnie Darko” about anyway? And recounting the career resurgence of Drive-In movie critic Joe Bob Briggs — how he’s gone from a forgotten 90s TV celebrity to doing personal appearances for 10 people in Corn Country to suddenly being on top again — at least, in the so-called “horror community”.
Join the Facebook page and find me on Instagram! …”Sometimes I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion!”
Join Mike in the studio late at night, where he remembers the time he met the cast of 1987’s “The Monster Squad,” and how they took off with his social security number. Also, are movies over? That’s the question after the mega-budget “Mad Max” movie bombed last week. Mike investigates, though he gets sidetracked by how much a Youtuber talking about the same subject looks like a werewolf. Anyway…
In other news: the real-life “Dennis the Menace,” awaiting trial for terrorizing his neighborhood with a slingshot, dies at 81; remembering “Creepfest,” my late-night horror hosting show; making a whiskey sour (sans egg white); how to pick up girls with magic!
Music breaks: “Garden Sounds” by Lobo Loco; “St. John’s Cemetery” by Secret Lover.
Video Street Video Store: “Super Dave Osborne’s Wrecking Ball Stunt”; “Flirting with Magic” (1990).
Backing Music: “Balanced” by 1st Contact; “Sunset Drive” by DayNightMorning; “Double Tunnel” by Checkie Brown; “Harley Davidson” and “Lonesome Nights” by Beat Mekanik; “Small Steps” by Mr. Smith.
Join the Facebook page and find me on Instagram! …”Wolfman’s got nards!”
Join Mike in the studio late at night, where he mulls over the mental gymnastics of playing violent video games. Does good karma extend to the virtual world also?
In other news, I’m sequestered in my house lately due to (yet another!) car issue; my absurd back-and-forth with a service lady at the dealership; a new “Adults Only” library in Idaho; what the Kevin Bacon movie “White Water Summer” (1987) can teach teachers about teaching; the collatoral tragedy of Sean Young’s firing from Batman, and much more!
Backing music for this episode: “Lonesome Nights” by Beat Makanik | “Abstract Technology” by Scott Holmes | “Get Your Kicks on Future 86” by Blue Wave Theory | “Anemoia” by Sedative” | All music for this episode is Creative Commons (CC/BY/SA) and is available at freemusicarchive.org.
Join Mike outside for a whiskey on a mild May night, and, later, on a drive through the streets of Birmingham, where he remembers the old 90s joke about how RadioShack wanted to know all your personal business.
Also: how I got fired from my new job this week; all about my basset hound Izzy’s risky surgery to remove a mass; Larry Sanders; “The Jinx: Part II”; Roger Corman.
Join Mike in the studio late at night, where he recounts his nightmare adventure of getting his fingerprints taken for a new job, and how the great cyber hack of Birmingham’s City Hall is still going on three months later. It’s a good example of “analog horror” that the kids are all talkin’ about!
Also: what is “analog horror,” and why is it everywhere on the Internet? How it’s evolved from films like Ghost Watch (1992) and The Blair Witch Project (1999) to creepypastas, Slenderman, and whatever the heck “the backrooms” are. I also talk about how we’ve gone in one generation from vehemently not selling out to aspiring to pimp out Hello Fresh and Squarespace. Plus much more, including a quick discussion of “The Quarry” video game.
Video Street Video Store: “Absolutely Rose Street” | “Night Trap” | Check out the full videos on my Youtube playlist — also, future edited episodes coming to Youtube and Substack.
Backing music for this episode: “Small Steps” by Mr. Big | “Lonesome Nights” by Beat Makanik | “Abstract Technology” by Scott Holmes | “Get Your Kicks on Future 86” by Blue Wave Theory | “Anemoia” by Sedative” | All music for this episode is Creative Commons (CC/BY/SA) and is available at freemusicarchive.org.
1:43:37 Join Mike in the studio late at night, where he recounts his protest-free graduation day, and also dives shallow into his first post English-degree book, “Gravity’s Rainbow” by Thomas Pynchon.
Also: How I profited from my motorcycle gettin’ stole’d; paranoid dreams of secret societies; “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999); Sanford Strong g
`Music Break: “American English” by the Canoes; “Spontaneous Disappearance” by Blue Lotus. All music is played under a Creative Commons License (Attribution, noncommercial, no derivatives) and is available at the Freemusicarchive.org.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share-Alike US License. Attribution by Mike Boody. Released May 2024 on Mike’s Bonfire and The Overnightscape Underground.
