You have laid your plans carefully. You stopped 50 yards from the drive-in to transfer your beer from the shopping bag to a space just big enough under the hood of your car because they never look there. You have carefully chosen something scary so that your date will need you to put an arm around her at the crucial moment. You have picked your spot, gotten you dogs and popcorn from the place by the thing. The sun is now fully down. The burnouts and Frisbeetarians who have been hanging out in the kiddie playground have returned to their vehicles. The beer has been moved back into hand-reaching range. You have carefully placed the 80 pound iron speaker in the window.

You are good to go.

Then John Carpenter gathers you around a literal campfire to tell you a ghost story, and about an hour later your notice that your beer remains unopened and you have forgotten to put your sweet I-will-protect-you moves into action.

Damn you, John Carpenter!

The cast of this underrated horror gem from back in the day includes Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, John Houseman, Janet Leigh and Hal Holbrook.

Enjoy!