MonsterVision
Encyclopedia
MonsterVision is an American variety series that aired on TNT
from March 1, 1993 to September 2000. The series was hosted by Joe Bob Briggs
from 1995 to 2000, and featured classic B and cult film
s from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Penn and Teller guest-hosted MonsterVision marathons before Briggs came on board as the full time host. Late in its run, the show changed formats, discarded "Last Call," and became Joe Bob's Hollywood Saturday Night and Monstervision.
When Joe Bob Briggs came on board in '95, MonsterVision would typically only show two films per night, with the more well-known movie usually getting top billing. The second movie was billed as Joe Bob's Last Call. After commercial breaks, Briggs would talk about the films and other subjects. Briggs would host the segments from inside and outside a trailer and was visited by his mail girl, Rusty (played by Renner St. John). Occasionally, the program featured guests, such as rapper, actor and blaxploitation
film buff Ice-T
(Surviving the Game
), cult director John Waters
(Hairspray) and Mel Stuart
, director of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
and the documentary Four Days in November
(both shown on MonsterVision).
Before each film, Briggs would usually give the "drive-in totals," a list of what he considers the high points of the movie. For example, in his introduction to Phantasm II
, Briggs said:
MonsterVision would occasionally stray from horror and science fiction in showing western
, blaxploitation
, kung-fu, dramas, comedies and other film genres. Trivia given by the host during commercial breaks might include controversy associated with a film, such as when John Carpenter
was accused of racism by Asian activists for Big Trouble in Little China
, a Kurt Russell
film almost exclusively co-starring Asian actors and well-known martial artists imported from Hong Kong. Or how the 1979 movie The Warriors supposedly promoted gang violence. After both movies were shown, TNT would air a third film presented as 100% Weird, which Briggs did not host.
The show often featured Briggs giving a monologue
about certain things in life, including his four ex-wives (usually "Wanda Bodeine"). He often made fun of the "scissoring" (editing) of the films, saying "Has Ted (Turner) been crackin' down on us again?" This led to a famous running gag
during a Halloween marathon of Friday the 13th movies in which strange occurrences kept happening throughout the night, leading up to Joe Bob realizing that it was Ted Turner
trying to kill him, the final scene of the event led to Joe Bob giving an impassioned apology to Turner, claiming he was an amazing person, before the video feed cut off eerily. A similar stunt was staged in Blair Witch-themed host segments for a marathon showing of Carrie, Child's Play and Phantasm
one night, with the host mysteriously missing. For Super Bowl Sunday
in 1997, he hosted a 16-hour marathon of monster movies from New Orleans starting with The Omen
.
Before joining TNT, Briggs hosted a similar program on The Movie Channel
called Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater. Briggs went on to host MonsterVision for four years, before TNT executives decided to change the station's format.
Since the cancellation, Briggs has remained an active speaker and writer, and has contributed commentary tracks to several DVDs. Briggs is planning on hosting a similar program on the yet-to-be-launched network HorrorNet.
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
from March 1, 1993 to September 2000. The series was hosted by Joe Bob Briggs
Joe Bob Briggs
John Irving Bloom , who uses the pseudonym Joe Bob Briggs, is a syndicated American film critic, writer and comic performer.-Early years:...
from 1995 to 2000, and featured classic B and cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
s from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.
Penn and Teller guest-hosted MonsterVision marathons before Briggs came on board as the full time host. Late in its run, the show changed formats, discarded "Last Call," and became Joe Bob's Hollywood Saturday Night and Monstervision.
Format
When MonsterVision first began in the early 90s, it was just a marathon of horror, science fiction or fantasy films starting at 8 p.m. EST and ending well into the early morning. Usually the films were unrelated, but sometimes it would be a marathon of like movies, such as a Harryhausen night, a Godzilla night, or monsters in general night. MonsterVision would sometimes have special events, such as their Hammer "Dracula weekend" with a mini-interview with Christopher Lee in honor of the release of "Bram Stoker's Dracula" in November, 1992.When Joe Bob Briggs came on board in '95, MonsterVision would typically only show two films per night, with the more well-known movie usually getting top billing. The second movie was billed as Joe Bob's Last Call. After commercial breaks, Briggs would talk about the films and other subjects. Briggs would host the segments from inside and outside a trailer and was visited by his mail girl, Rusty (played by Renner St. John). Occasionally, the program featured guests, such as rapper, actor and blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
film buff Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
(Surviving the Game
Surviving the Game
Surviving the Game is a 1994 action film directed by Ernest R. Dickerson, starring Ice-T, Rutger Hauer, and Gary Busey. It is loosely based on the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell.-Plot:...
), cult director John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
(Hairspray) and Mel Stuart
Mel Stuart
Mel Stuart is an American film director and producer.Stuart directed the fantasy-musical Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory...
, director of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
and the documentary Four Days in November
Four Days in November
Four Days in November is a 1964 American documentary film directed by Mel Stuart about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.The film includes Dallas radio and television coverage of:...
(both shown on MonsterVision).
Before each film, Briggs would usually give the "drive-in totals," a list of what he considers the high points of the movie. For example, in his introduction to Phantasm II
Phantasm II
Phantasm II, also known as Phantasm II: The Ball is Back! is the 1988 sequel to Phantasm. It was written and directed by Don Coscarelli, starring Angus Scrimm, James LeGros and Reggie Bannister...
, Briggs said:
MonsterVision would occasionally stray from horror and science fiction in showing western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
, kung-fu, dramas, comedies and other film genres. Trivia given by the host during commercial breaks might include controversy associated with a film, such as when John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
was accused of racism by Asian activists for Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 American martial arts comedy film directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell as truck driver Jack Burton, who helps his friend Wang Chi rescue Wang's green-eyed fiancee from bandits in San Francisco's Chinatown...
, a Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell
Kurt Vogel Russell is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters...
film almost exclusively co-starring Asian actors and well-known martial artists imported from Hong Kong. Or how the 1979 movie The Warriors supposedly promoted gang violence. After both movies were shown, TNT would air a third film presented as 100% Weird, which Briggs did not host.
The show often featured Briggs giving a monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
about certain things in life, including his four ex-wives (usually "Wanda Bodeine"). He often made fun of the "scissoring" (editing) of the films, saying "Has Ted (Turner) been crackin' down on us again?" This led to a famous running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
during a Halloween marathon of Friday the 13th movies in which strange occurrences kept happening throughout the night, leading up to Joe Bob realizing that it was Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
trying to kill him, the final scene of the event led to Joe Bob giving an impassioned apology to Turner, claiming he was an amazing person, before the video feed cut off eerily. A similar stunt was staged in Blair Witch-themed host segments for a marathon showing of Carrie, Child's Play and Phantasm
Phantasm (film)
Phantasm is a low-budget "cult classic" horror film produced in 1977 and released in 1979. The film was directed, written, photographed, co-produced and edited by Don Coscarelli...
one night, with the host mysteriously missing. For Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl Sunday, sometimes referred to as Super Sunday, is the Sunday on which the Super Bowl is played. Typically occurring in late January or early February, it is considered a de facto national holiday in the United States. On Super Bowl Sunday many people gather to watch the Super Bowl...
in 1997, he hosted a 16-hour marathon of monster movies from New Orleans starting with The Omen
The Omen
An original score for the film, including the movie's theme song Ave Satani, was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, for which he received the only Oscar of his long career. The score features a strong choral segment, with a foreboding Latin chant...
.
Cancellation
Late in its run, the program changed formats to show mainly Hollywood films. Briggs has said he believes TNT showing fewer horror and drive-in movies may have led to the program's fall. Briggs' last time hosting the show was in July 2000, but the last time the show aired was in September of that year.Before joining TNT, Briggs hosted a similar program on The Movie Channel
The Movie Channel
The Movie Channel is an American premium channel owned by Showtime Networks, Inc., a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, which shows mostly movies, as well as special behind-the-scenes features, softcore adult erotica and movie trivia....
called Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater. Briggs went on to host MonsterVision for four years, before TNT executives decided to change the station's format.
Since the cancellation, Briggs has remained an active speaker and writer, and has contributed commentary tracks to several DVDs. Briggs is planning on hosting a similar program on the yet-to-be-launched network HorrorNet.