In a fort made of old plywood and two-by-fours, a tween-age Steve Jencks and his buddies used to stay cooped up in his backyard for hours watching B-movies.
“We stayed up all night watching these cinematic wonders while snacking on glazed doughnuts and pop,” says Jencks. “Hey, this was the ‘80s. People smoked, didn't wear seatbelts and ate steaks for breakfast.”
Today, Steve Jencks is the creator and founder of the successful blog,
Lost Highway – A Detour Through B-Movies and Cult Films. Since 2006, he's been reviewing horror, science-fiction, grindhouse and cult films from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as any newer films the editorial team deem worthy of the B-movie title.
Although there were a plethora of horror and sci-fi movie review sites available when Jencks created Lost Highway, he felt they were all missing the satirical approach.
“I was raised on shows like
Mystery Science Theater 3000 and
Joe Bob Briggs Monstervision, which really took these type of films and ran them through the ringer,” says Jencks. “It's all about the snarky, as we like to say on the Highway.”
Lost HighwayB-movies reviewed on Lost Highway are evaluated on three essentials as defined by Joe Bob Briggs: Blood, Breasts and Beasts.
The reviews also highlight comedic moments in a film by combining snapshots from the movie with Lost Highway’s own snarky captions.
“B-movies generally don't take themselves too seriously," says Jencks. "They sort of wink at the audience, like 'We know there's no way that much blood can come out of a zombie if you stab it with a #2 pencil, but we're going to do it anyway.'"
Jencks works with a team of three editors and B-movie aficionados known as Drive-in Dan, Donna Bleed and The Doktor. Jencks is known as Retroman Steve to his Lost Highway fans.
And they certainly do have fans. “We have about 200,000 visitors monthly and are number one on Google for B-movie and cult film reviews,” says Jencks. “It's a far cry from the nine people a day I used to get.”
The site also recently won
Total Film Magazine’s 2010 Best Cult Film Blog and a 2008 Muck Award for B-movie blogging from
BadMovies.org.
Lost Highway taps social media to generate more traffic and create conversations with others who share the B-movie passion. “The real Tom Cruise actually follows my tweets, despite my cracks about alien invasions.”
B-Movie EndeavorsA talented illustrator, Jencks also creates custom illustrations that showcase his favorite B-movies. He's currently working on a book called
The B-movie Survivalist Handbook: a Guide to Blood, Breasts, and Beasts.
“It's pretty much your definitive resource if you ever find yourself trapped in B-movie situations," Jencks says. "It has charts and graphs, too, so you know it's gotta be legit. We're looking at publishers now and hope to see the books on the shelves early next year."
I had to ask Jencks for the five crucial tips to survival in a B-movie, and he was kind enough to share his list:
1. Never do drugs, have sex or listen to hard rock. Geeks and virgins have an excellent chance of surviving in a B-movie.
2. Steer clear of graveyards, summer camps, sewers, secret government labs and abandoned houses.
3. Always carry holy water and a crucifix … and never try to kill a vampire just before sunset.
4. Surround yourself with people more attractive than you, they will be killed first.
5. Never double-check if you killed the monster, shoot it again or get a bigger gun.
Steve in Real LifeWhen he’s not lost on the highway, Jencks works as a creative director at
Artemis Solutions Group in East Lansing, doing web design, interface and usability design and visual branding.
“I went to
Michigan State University (MSU) where I studied graphic design and learned how to incur large amounts of student loans,” jokes Jencks.
Jencks also enjoys time with his wife, Maribeth, and their three young children.
Maribeth is one of the
Lansing Derby Vixens roller derby team (Jencks won their logo contest!) and goes by Evil Irene when she’s wearing skates.
The Jencks kids aren’t privy to how cool their parents are at the moment.
“My kids are ages four, eight and 11, so we don't let them see any scary stuff, except the occasional
Fright Rags t-shirt I wear. They can only watch TV for a bit on the weekends and we have a Friday family movie night, usually something Disney-ish. My [oldest] son probably thinks we're Amish.”
If he’s not cheering Evil Irene on at a derby scrimmage, Jencks and his family are at the
Potter Park Zoo or the
East Lansing Aquatic Center in summer when the gila monsters head back to the lakes. “We also like to visit all the wonderful parks in the area, despite the potential hiding spots for zombie ambushes,” he says.
Jencks loves being in Lansing, albeit, for some unique reasons.
“Besides having some of the nicest people in the country and its great cultural diversity, it's also a strategic location for setting up a defense parameter for any zombie outbreaks,” says Jencks. “[There are] plenty of nearby water sources as well as coffee places, so I can stay frosty for any sneak zombie attacks. MSU is also doing some amazing research in undead behavioral studies.”
The Jencks family have plans to celebrate Halloween in style by partaking in many of the festivities on offer.
First, there’s the Haunted Hay Ride at
Sundance Riding Stables in Grand Ledge. Then, they make a trip out to
Frankenmuth and get aboard a Halloween train ride . . . and then of course they Trick-or-Treat in the neighborhood.
“[That’s] so I can stock up on Kit-Kats for my long winter hibernation. I tell the kids it's my supervisor payment fee.”
Jokes aside, Steve Jencks is just your average guy who makes time for his family, his career and his passion. Whether you’re a B-movie fan or not, Lost Highway is definitely worth perusing for a good laugh.
Suban Nur Cooley is the managing editor of Capital Gains. Unless the blood in a B-movie looks like ketchup, she will have her eyes closed during the entire thing.
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of Trumpie Photography.
Photos:
Steve Jencks with his B-movie friends, custom illustrations, and website.
All Photographs © Dave Trumpie