B-movies found a loving home with drive-in audiences who lapped up the outrageous shocks, raw humor and the inevitable shoestring budgets.

It may have been an acquired taste for some, but the era of drive-in shockers still resonates today, and "Chillerama" has taken up its flag to prove the entertaining power of a film that flaunts its freedom from the Hollywood studio grind and the laughably inept MPAA.

Presented in a four-part anthology format, "Chillerama" was written and directed by Adam Rifkin ("Detroit Rock City"), Tim Sullivan ("2001 Maniacs"), Adam Green ("Frozen," "Hatchet") and Joe Lynch ("Wrong Turn 2: Dead End," "Knights of Badassdom").

Lynch's segment, titled "Zom B Movie," binds the anthology together as it centers on the Kaufman Drive-In's final night before going out of business. Several rare movies are screened for its audience that include Rifkin's "Wadzilla," a tale of a massive mutated sperm rampaging through New York City; Sullivan's "I was a Teenage Werebear," a musical reflecting the teen beach party comedies of the '60s; and Green's "The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein," a story about Adolf Hitler's attempt to create the ultimate undead killing machine.

As the drive-in's screenings conclude, Lynch's bridging segment kicks into high gear as a bloody and particularly gooey zombie outbreak overtakes its audience.

Black and white Universal monster films, '50s sci-fi, and Roger Corman and John Waters flicks all receive serious love in "Chillerama." And the end result is a wildly fun ride!

Points Of Interest

1. Crafted to be an audience experience event, the film is currently on tour around the country and will hit DVD and On Demand on Nov. 29. Showings include midnights Sept. 23-24 at the Village East Cinemas in New York, Sept. 30 at the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas and Sept. 30 at the River Oaks Theatre in Houston. For October showings, visit chilleramafilm.com.

2. "Chillerama," which is a ripe concept for showcasing future anthologies, may receive sequels if audiences show enough interest, according to Rifkin.

What Worked

This film is a riot. Brash, self-aware, disgusting and rarely serious, "Chillerama" gleefully tosses audiences on a maniacal and playfully offensive plunge into B-movie goodness. Plus, Lynch stages a zombie invasion on a drive-in, who wouldn't love that?

Rifkin's "Wadzilla," in which he also stars, is a highlight. It's a hilarious spoof of black and white monster films. A gigantic sperm chasing New Yorkers through the city streets is obviously an image that will produce guffaws. And it does -- many in fact, with Rifkin milking every moment. He delivers a humorous performance struggling with his rapidly growing sperm, which races out of control with destructive results, battles the Army and sexually assaults the Statue of Liberty!

Another highlight is Joel David Moore's ("Bones") portrayal of Adolf Hitler in Green's "The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein." He is loud, obnoxious, speaks a gibberish version of German and is so animated with outlandish expressions that he seems primed for a major stroke.

Green also gives this segment nice nods to films that truly had no budget and were forced to make laughable concessions with sets and effects.

Finally, Sullivan delivers a mash of campy werewolf-style fun and beach party hilarity laced with gay themes and a surprising number of musical sequences. The horror genre could use a few more excursions into song and dance; I've been hooked in since Joss Whedon shocked the television world with his deliciously fantastic "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical in the Season 6 episode "One More With Feeling."

What Didn't Work

Pointing out the faults of a movie that lovingly embraces the limitations of the films it pays homage to can be a bit problematic. After all, B-movie budgets are tight and "Chillerama" embraces that too with addictive vigor. A gigantic sperm wreaking havoc in New York City, for example, isn't going to be rendered with the same precision as a summer blockbuster, but that is a significant part of this film's charm.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Chillerama" stars Adam Rifkin, Richard Riehle, Ray Wise, Joel David Moore, Eric Roberts, Kane Hodder, Gabby West, Lin Shaye, Brent Corrigan, Anton Troy, Kristina Klebe. The film was written and directed by Rifkin, Tim Sullivan, Adam Green and Joe Lynch.

For more on "Chillerama" see our interview with the directors here.

View the film's trailer here.