Joe Bob Briggs and Darcy the Mail Girl returned to The Last Drive-In with a double feature that celebrated a pair of early giallo classics. The evening opened with Dario Argento’s The Bird With the Crystal Plumage followed by Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace. Both films delivered rich style, suspense, and the kind of artistic flair that shaped the entire genre; a welcome shift after several more uneven recent episodes.

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage Soars

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage remains a tense and stylish thriller that walks viewers through Argento’s early mastery of colour, tension, and visual storytelling. Even after decades, it still hits hard. The pacing is tight, and the mystery keeps you invested from the first attack scene to the final reveal. Watching it projected in The Last Drive-In format reminded everyone why this film is so influential in modern horror circles.

Inconsistent Guests On The Last Drive-In

Joe Bob and Darcy brought in guests for the discussion, and while it was nice to see genuine passion from everyone involved, the hype around the surprise lineup went too far. The introductions felt stretched out and the buildup suggested heavy hitters. What we got instead was fine, but nowhere near the fan expectations that had been stirred up all week. The guests gave some solid insight into Argento and Bava’s early work, but the segment never broke into anything deep or surprising, and the energy stayed lukewarm.

Blood And Black Lace Offers Thrills

Blood And Black Lace

Blood and Black Lace is everything giallo fans crave. Lush lighting, striking fashion, vicious murder scenes, and a sense of surreal beauty that few films ever replicate. It looked incredible on the screen, and the Drive-In experience amplified the colour and mood in a way that made the whole thing feel theatrical. Bava’s fingerprints are all over the genre and this was a perfect pick for a night of classic horror appreciation.

Unfortunately, the conversation segments stumbled again. The guests returned, the chat wandered, and the flow never tightened. Joe Bob kept calling the debates a tie every many times and someone tried to make a point which started out amusing but became irritating fast. You could tell the others on screen were growing tired of it as the bit dragged with zero payoff. It killed the rhythm of what could have been a stronger discussion and sucked the life out of the pacing.

The real issue with this episode was not the films; both movies were beautifully chosen and fit the Drive-In spirit. The problem sat squarely with the segments. They meandered, lacked direction, and felt like everyone involved was going through the motions. You expect energy, purpose, and a sense of real curation from Joe Bob and Darcy. Instead, the intermissions felt phoned in and disconnected from the power of the films themselves. It was frustrating because the material was ripe for strong commentary but the conversations drifted without focus.

Conclusion

This double feature was a mixed bag. The movies were outstanding and offered a rare chance to revisit two important pieces of early giallo cinema. The guests were a cool addition in theory, but over hyping them led to disappointment in practice. Joe Bob’s constant tie calls became grating and dragged down the momentum. The segments lacked weight, direction, and intent which made the whole evening feel unfocused. Still, the films salvaged the night, and if you tuned in mainly for the art, you walked away satisfied.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs streams live on Shudder on the first Friday of every month at 6 PM PST and 9 PM EST with episodes available on Sunday.

For more Reviews, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show.

Keep Reading:

‘The Running Man’ Review – Big Ideals And Glen Powell Can’t Carry This Across The Finish Line