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Friday, September 28, 2007
There are all sorts of addictions and I don't know anyone that doesn't have a monkey or two on their back. Tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, gambling, video games...the list is endless.
Of course, I'm not immune and my biggest downfall has been my addiction to buying books and movies. Also, to a lesser extent, music.
Growing up, I always loved reading. I had to get my own books and I never neglected mowing the yard, because I'd miss that week's issues of Marvel Comics. Later, I wearied of comics and moved on to Doc Savage and other pulp fiction. If I skipped lunch for two days and saved the money I was given every morning, I could get myself a Doc Savage paperback. Pretty extreme behavior, I know, and my parents would have been pissed if they had known about it
I had the worst sort of jobs in my early adulthood, but I somehow always managed to get reading materials. I read science fiction almost exclusively and I bought a lot of used paperbacks. I had a hell of a collection.
But I always loved movies too, and when VHS became affordable for almost everyone, I got set up with a player and began taping all the movies I rented. Most of them, anyway. It was instantly an obsession. And I could barely afford the blank tapes and all the rentals I was getting.
Gradually, it became conceivable to buy movies on factory videotapes. I was far from the only one that had caught the movie collecting bug. I had a wall of videos that were my pride and joy.
They're all gone now. A lot of money down the tubes.
In the meantime, I switched gears and stopped reading SF and became a full-fledged horror fiction fan. This was in the early 80's, which was a wonderful time to be reading horror. So many exciting things were happening. I gradually stopped buying used books and bought new paperbacks and even the occasional hardcover. Again, I could barely afford to eat at certain times of the month, but I got my horror fix.
There had been small press books in the horror genre, but I couldn't afford any. Until Cemetery Dance came along and the very first one I bought was Writer of the Purple Rage, by Joe R. Lansdale. I was thrilled when it arrived and I wanted more. I got more too; much more.
Subterranean Press came along somewhere along the way, as did Gauntlet. I loved them and spent far too much on their publications.
Then the home entertainment world exploded with the advent of DVD. I had always wanted a laserdisc player, but couldn't afford it. In 1998, I saw that DVD was going to the The Big Thing and I spent $400.00 on a player. The first discs I bought were Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Starship Troopers. They were far from the last.
That was cool though, if not exactly wise. But I was on my own and I had no one to depend on my but myself. I started buying DVDs like crazy.
Like with movies and DVD, the horror fiction community went nuts with an explosion of small presses popping up. Pricey editions abounded and no one could keep up with it all. Idiots like me tried though.
Then came Shocklines. It was like a fever for a while and everyone seemed to be collecting. New writers and new publishers were popping up every day, it seemed and the buzz told us that they were not to be missed.
After a few years of unparalleled success for writers and publishers, the hype began to grow cold. Many saw the situation like a buddy system, where everybody praised each other, regardless of the actual quality of the work in question. Readers were becoming bitter, cynical. Tired of it.
Not all. Some of the presses still are thriving and selling out titles. I think the buzz has waned though and I wonder how long this prosperity can last.
Through it all, I thought I had some noble purpose to support the things I loved. Movie distributors, publishers, writers, booksellers. I was doing something good for something I believed in.
I was a damned fool.
Now I have a couple of children, one of which has special needs. It costs a lot of money. Feeding the children is a daunting task and add in medication, therapy and countless other expenses that build a young life.
Yet I continued to preorder books and to buybuybuy DVDs. Movie prices were becoming more reasonable all the time. Why not have a huge collection? But as with any other addiction, enough was never enough and the high I got from getting movies, books, in the mail wasn't working any more. It became boring. But expensive.
Prices for small press books are still usually astronomical and the current trend of expensive novellas is getting far too out of hand. I miss the days when I could check out a new writer by spending five bucks for a paperback. And it be a full-length novel or a whole collection of stories.
This past week was financially devastating for me. A series of terrible events escalated and shook me up and made me start to think. With a sober mind and not one deluded with collector's fever. It's time to stop. My priorities have been screwed backward and I have neglected to focus on the things that truly matter.
I'm done. Not 100%, but I'm giving up the weekly purchases. I can't keep it up and I don't even want to. I was some kind of Don Quixote saving the genre with my never-ending support. Well, the genre is going to have to live without me from now on. I don't think I really make much of a dent in things, but this will make my own personal life infinitely richer. And maybe, eventually, when I do make an exception and purchase a DVD or a nice book, that old special feeling of magic will return. The thrill of opening a package and finding a treasure.
I can do this. It will be hard, but I can have resolve when I need to. I never had been one to exercise or workout in my life and last October I made a commitment to better myself and I stuck to it. My brother always ragged me about it and when I felt weak, I thought of him and it gave me the strength I needed to continue. Now I only need to think of my wife and kids, or remember the agonizing sleepless night I just had, to break this addiction I have to books and movies.
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Monday, September 10, 2007
 In a small town in the Shenandoah Valley, there exists a community that resembles something out of the past.
Lexington is a beautiful town that is ripe with American History and it has some of the most gorgeous scenery I've ever seen. But most importantly, Lexington, Virginia is the home of Hull's Drive-In.
Take a glance at this site and you can see that drive-in theaters are one of my favorite things. I went to local ones hundreds of times when there were three of them here in Hampton, VA. But they closed down due to lack of interest and escalating real estate values. Though I hadn't been to one in ages before last year, I never lost my love of outdoor movies and I dedicated this site to them. Along with my love of all things horror.
We went to a wonderful drive-in theater in Durham, NC a few times, but the owner passed away earlier this year and the future of that theater is in question.
This past weekend my family and I went to Staunton, VA for a combined trip. One reason was to see some dear friends of ours. Another was to visit Hull's Drive-In.
Hull's is a unique drive-in. It is the only non-profit, community-owned drive-in theater in the United States.
Hull's began its life in the year 1950. Right in the thick of America's drive-in mania. It was started by Mr. Waddey C. Watkins, who operated it until 1957, when Sebert Hull assumed ownership and changed the theater's name into the one it still has. Mr. Hull and his wife ran the drive-in successfully until he regretfully passed away in 1998. A neighboring business purchased the property, but was daunted by t he high cost of improvements and repair that was necessary. The screen stayed dark, like so many others across the land. Until...
Eric and Elsie Sheffield, who loved the theater and the legacy of Sebert Hull, took action. They spearheaded a movement to resurrect Hull's Drive-In, and with the combined support of Lexington and other surrounding communities, formed a group called Hull's Angels. A group that I proudly am a member of.
Imagine it, brothers and sisters...a community bound together, giving their love, money and time to a cause that may seem insignificant to many. To the spirit of the drive-in theater.
Those that know about this spirit, know it in their bones. It's like something alive; something divine. Good people together, with their kids and their cars. Enjoying a movie or two, under the majestic night sky. There's nothing like it, my friends, and if you haven't felt it, then you either haven't been to a drive-in or you've got ice water in your veins.
We tried to cram a lot of activities into one day last Saturday, and we ended up getting to Hull's later than we hoped to. It was just about dark when we arrived and by the time we were settled in, it was dark. I wanted to be there as early as possible, to really experience it and to get some better photos than we did.
It's hard to imagine, especially in a town like Hampton...people there at that drive-in, working, for no pay. I'd say working for free, but that wouldn't be accurate. They are compensated all right, but it is with riches far more precious than gold. The rewards the volunteers at Hull's Drive-In get are greater than any other, with the exceptions of family and true love.
If I lived any nearer to Lexington, I'd be out there, every weekend. Working, helping out, doing what it took to keep the ship afloat. For isn't that what made America? People sacrificing in pursuit of their dreams?
The movies we saw were a slight disappointment. Underdog wasn't bad, for a family film, and I actually liked it. It's not the kind of film I'd cover in these pages, but it's good family fare. The other film was called Hot Rod, and I'll suffice to say that it is the worst movie I've ever seen. But that's okay...I go to the drive-in to see movies, yes, but there is a bigger picture and I'm not merely talking about that big screen. It's something that is lost, or nearly lost in America. And that's called community.
I mentioned Hull's Angels before and that I am a member. That means I am officially a part owner of the drive-in. I only wish I would be able to utilize it more and be able to get out there more than I'll be able to do. I do plan to make the trip several times each year.
Some of you, my friends, have made generous offers to me in regards to this website. I've turned down money that was offered to me to help defray costs of keeping this surrogate drive-in up and running. I've gratefully declined each individual that asked me about it. But if there is anyone reading this that wishes to chip in a pittance to help, I ask you to become an Angel. A Hull's Angel. It costs a mere five bucks to join and you too can be a part owner of a drive-in theater. Your dream come true, eh?
http://www.hullsdrivein.com/
The vast majority of those reading this will never get a chance to go to Hull's. And that's sad. It's a beautiful place. Think of it: A mountain setting, cool breezes blowing, people bustling all around and a movie much larger than life in front of you. It's like being in Heaven.
I've talked about the joys of the drive-in. In my life there has been one constant that has made going to outdoor movies so wonderful. I'm talking about friends. I've always gone with a group or with my family and it is that togetherness that makes it so magical. Thanks to my family and extra big thanks and love to my friends Matt and Deena Warner, who came with us (and put up with us) and made it so special.
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