Isaac recently appeared on an Origins episode of Dear Final Girl, the horror and advice podcast that dishes on life and other scary movies. Dear Final Girl is a newer horror podcast hosted by gratuitous The Last Drive In official blogger Laura Beerman and writer Tamara Scott. Isaac recorded an essay about the importance of Tom Holland’s 1985 film Fright Night in making horror something that was acceptable for a much younger Isaac to enjoy.
“Origin Stories is about how specific memories and people are so intertwined with why we love horror and seek community with other people who love it too,” Beerman says of the segments. “We horror fans can tell you where we were and who we were with when we first saw films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Those experiences are seared in us. They make us fans and form fixed points from which we figure out our world. I truly believe that.”
“I’m always happy to discuss Fright Night,” Isaac says of the experience. “It’s my all-time favorite vampire flick, and it’s great to be able to share my thoughts about the movie that really did make it OK for me to like horror movies. I’d seen slasher fare on late-night cable by the time I caught Fright Night, and I enjoyed them. But Fright Night was more.
“Suddenly, vampires were no longer creatures that inhabited ancient castles on mountaintops far from civilization. They were our suburban neighbors who were able to watch us from across the yard or befriend our lonely and blissfully unaware single mothers while we weren’t looking. They were also cool in a contemporary way, dancing seductively in nightclubs to an appealing MTV-ready 1980s soundtrack.”
The new Origins episode isn’t all about Isaac, though. After sending Beerman his essay about the film, she decided to watch it. Following Isaac’s thoughts, Beerman discusses the contents of the film from her perspective and discusses with Scott how Isaac’s early horror experiences mirror those of so many other horror fans.
“I actually met Laura for the first time at the Nashville stop on Joe Bob Briggs’ How Rednecks Saved Hollywood tour,” Isaac says. “She valiantly fought and won the task of getting my debit card to process correctly when I bought a copy of one of Joe Bob’s books and a The Last Drive In T-shirt. After I reviewed the show for TNHorror.com, we connected on Twitter, where many of Joe Bob’s fans continue to share their love for drive-in style horror movies.
“I’m enjoying the Dear Final Girl podcast and look forward to hearing future origin stories from other members of The Mutant Family.”
In addition to being 1/2 of the Dear Final Girl podcast, Beerman is Joe Bob’s gratuitous blogger at http://joebobbriggs.com. She also writes for Diabolique Magazine, 25 Years Later, and Creepy Lovely. You can find her on Twitter @LauraBeerman72.
Scott is the other 1/2 of the Dear Final Girl podcast. By day, she writes about software and marketing for Technology Advice, and by night she reads and writes across genres, makes pottery, and hangs out with her family. You can find her on Twitter @T_Scottie.
