Joe Bob Briggs has been educating and entertaining horror fans for decades. Although we mostly think of this particular genre when his name is mentioned, the man has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cinema in general. His new live show, How Rednecks Saved Hollywood with Joe Bob Briggs, gives us a taste of that knowledge.
The event at South by Southwest Conference & Festivals (SXSW) began with the beautiful Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) introducing the Drive-In host legend. Briggs takes the stage in his signature western wear and starts in a bit of an unexpected direction: the history of the redneck. He doesn’t just go back through southern roots, however, he takes the audience all the back to 1500s Ireland and Scotland. The history of the redneck can be summed up as this: it all comes down to the Protestants. (Trust me, he explains it much better than I ever will.)
While a lesson about the history of the redneck may sound yawn-inducing, it was anything but because, after all, this is Joe Bob Briggs we’re dealing with here. It was both interesting and informative with a good dose of humor mixed in.
From there, our host takes the audience through the history of redneck cinema in Hollywood. The films discussed are accompanied with over 200 movie stills, posters, clips, and trailers. Briggs touches on everything from the classics, like Deliverance (1972) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977), to more obscure titles like Child Bride (1938) and Truck Stop Women (1974). He spoke about movies and franchises which have made film studios big bucks over the last century, but never gets proper recognition due to the fact that they are, indeed, redneck flicks. This is something every horror fan and filmmaker can relate to, being a good enough genre to make Hollywood money, but without the deserved credit for doing so.
By the end of the event, Briggs successfully breaks down the history of the redneck, how and why redneck films work, and why, of course, God loves rednecks. How Rednecks Saved Hollywood was an absolute highlight of SXSW and event that fans of Joe Bob Briggs and redneck movies alike should check out. Even if you are only a fan of one or the other, there is no doubt you’ll be entertained and enlightened for the duration of the event.
How Rednecks Saved Hollywood with Joe Bob Briggs is now on tour, so check out the official site for dates and locations.
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