Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow

Yess, this is an accurate reflection of its time. At least, when I saw it in 1959, everything in the film seemed pretty straightforward. The characters seemed quite a bit like the people I knew. I must be one of the few people who saw this drive-in classic at an Indoor theatre---on a hot summer afternoon, as a weekday matinee, while I waited for a repair shop to fix my '52 Plymouth in Guntersville, Alabama. And it was not the worst film I had ever seen. Just a couple of months earlier, I saw (at a Birmingham drive-in) the classic double-feature of "Giant Gila Monster" and "Killer Shrew". Drag-strip Hollow was better!

This film is all about good music, good times and good fun. Nothing in it is to be taken too seriously man! At this time, Horror spook films seemed to be on the downward spin in terms of popularity but teen films about dancing, drag-racing and just being cool were just coming into fashion cat! But this one does feature a Monster(a Paul Blaisdell creation) and a ghost albeit all in the good spirits(ha!). Blaisdell actually has the funniest lines in the film. The Funest Man!

This movie has everything it takes to make a great terrible movie: Bad acting, 50's genre, 50's hot rods, no continuity. I love this movie. Only problem is I've fallen asleep 3 times trying to follow it to it's end, and I've never seen who the monster is. I can hardly wait until it comes around again on Friday or Saturday night TV. I'll try again.

Obviously, any movie called GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW, can't be expected to be even remotely serious, and it's not. It is a lot of fun to watch, though! The rockin' music alone makes it worth a viewing or ten.

In addition, there are several beautiful women, an ultra-annoying parrot, a kooky old lady, and an amazing, sentient, talking car!

Annnd, a costume party in a haunted house!

Plot? Well, no, there isn't one of those. However, there is a band that not only plays their instruments, but also fires guns into the air at random intervals! Where else are you gonna see that?...

"Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow" appears to take place in a spotless netherworld, an era long gone by, where the biggest sin a kid could commit would be in defying the law and getting a traffic ticket. It opens with a young female auto fanatic getting the business from her arch rival, who pressures her into a car race. That's about it for the drag-racing--this B-flick is mostly concerned with rock 'n roll, man! The folks at American International were obviously fond of decent, square teens who liked to party and yet didn't mind an adult chaperone. There are a few amusing double entendres and fruity exchanges (Necking Kid: "We thought we'd come out for some fresh air"...Dad: "Where did you think you'd find it, down her throat?"), but the ghost is a little late in arriving. Brief at 65 minutes, the movie cheats us with a climactic car race that actually takes place off-screen and a pre-"Scooby Doo"-styled unmasking which makes no sense. However, for nostalgia buffs, some mindless fun. ** from ****