My first memory of Jamie is when I used to hit the thrift stores
and record shops. I'd always see him around. I could not tell if he was a fair skinned Latino or just some rockabilly dude(My hypothesis were incorrect for both). I remember he used to work at Music Plus(wow)/Wherehouse records
when it was on Prospect(on the same strip).I really can't talk too much shit, as I was (well...still am) a Bascom Avenue retail employee whore.
It was not till the final days of The Wherehouse, was how I got to know him. If it weren't for my brother Jade (store manager there at the time), we would have never met. I remember Jade saying, "You have to meet this guy Jamie. His music and film knowledge is incredible!!" Funny, I started to laugh when we were formerly acquainted. But with in minutes, we start talking about music,local stuff, movies etc.Jade's confirmation is beyond true and then some.
Jamie is a film and music aficionado.
Never met anyone quite like him. He has this way of describing film and music like in such a way, it almost makes you melt. He truly does appreciate all aspects. Jamie in his time, runs "The Drive-In Connection". A world dedicated to Euro Cult, Spaghetti Westerns, Giallo/Thriller and More. Here is a rare look in to look of not only the world of film but, just the world of Mr. Jamie Edwards. I hope you enjoy this segment.
Adrian : A
Jamie : J
A:So just to let people know who you are, what you do....an Introduction would be nice.
J: Hi, my name is Jamie and I'm a b-movie-a-holic(kidding, bad joke). OK, I'm Jamie and I have a rare movie site called The Drive-In Connection. I love old movies (and music), specially Italian movies from the 60's and 70's (Spaghetti Westerns, Euro Crime, Giallo, Spy, etc.). This has been one of my passions in life since I was a kid. You'll find all sorts of cool DVDs of this type of stuff on the site.
A:I remember one of the first topics we talked about growing up here in the South Bay, there was allot of talent that seemed to have come from these parts. One of the things was you telling me a story about you and Kut Master Kurt from way back.
Care to share?
J: Back around 86 I discovered Kurt's local radio show (on KUSP in Santa Cruz). Hip Hop didn't get huge radio play here back then so I was glad to hear stuff like Ultramagnetic being played. We became friends and hung out on the weekends. Kurt schooled me on breaks and samples and shared a ton of knowledge about records that I still use to this day.
A:What caught your attention toward not only this type of music and culture and also the type of films you have in your collection?
J: Since I was a kid, vintage stuff has always been what interests me. Old music, old movies, and old cars. I see something from the 50's-60's-70's and it just seems so much cooler to me. They did their stuff with style, I like the aesthetics of it all. I'm one of those 'they don't make it like they used to' type of people I guess. You had guys like Mario Bava and Sergio Leone turning out these crazy stylish and entertaining movies at that time, and to me, those guys are masters of their art.
A:Name a couple of records from you collection and give a brief description of these lps and why you like them so much?
J:
1) Power Of Zeus - The Gospel According To Zeus: Monster Psych album with a monster break. One of my favorite (if not #1 favorite) albums. Aside from the break being one of the best, the whole album is awesome from beginning to end.
2) The Stark Reality - Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop: I like off beat things, so a kids album full of heavy fuzz and breaks is right up my alley. The vibes on this album have a one of a kind sound. "The first seven letters of the alphabet is all you need, to make music".
3) Goblin - Roller: IMHO the best Prog group ever. They are well known for their soundtracks to Dario Argento's movies, but I think this non-soundtrack album is their best work.
4) Brigitte Bardot - Special Bardot: What can I say, I love Brigitte. Then you throw in the musical genius of Serge Gainsbourg and that combination = one of my favorite records.
5) Spirit - The Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus: Spirit could do soft & beautiful or heavier stuff and they were equally great at either. "When I Touch You" is one of their heavy songs and it melts headphones.
A:What about movies?
J:
1) Violent Rome - Maurizio Merli was the king of 70's Italian cop movies, and this is my favorite one. He plays a cop fed up with the system and watching criminals go free on technicalities. After his partner gets shot and paralyzed, he joins an underground vigilante group.
2) Cut Throats Nine - The most brutal Spaghetti Western ever. An Army Sergeant (along with his daughter) is transporting a group of violent convicts through the mountains during Winter. The chains they are locked up with are actually made of gold (painted to look like metal). During an ambush, their wagon is overturned and they are left to continue on foot. The men start to turn on each other while trying to gain power. Eyes are shot out, a guy is stabbed in the gut and hoisted on a hook, and all sorts of other various nastiness goes on. This movie doesn't pull any punches!
3) Superargo Vs. Diabolicus - Superargo is a masked wrestler/superhero. He has a bulletproof suit and a cool Jaguar XKE too. Superargo is called into action when an evil mastermind starts hijacking uranium shipments from his island lair.
4) The Etruscan Kills Again - Kind of a Giallo/Mummy movie hybrid. Alex Cord (from Airwolf!) plays an archaeologist who is unearthing an ancient Etruscan tomb. Soon after that, people involved with the dig start getting bumped off. Could it be the Etruscan has risen for his revenge?!
5) Death Steps In The Dark - Giallo about a photographer (Leonard Mann) who is framed for a murder. While he is traveling on a train with his model girlfriend, a woman in the same car is killed when the train goes into a dark tunnel. The passengers discover it was his letter opener used to stab the woman to death. He has to go on the run and figure out who framed him.
A:You have so many obscure titles! Is it along the same lines say, like a record collector? I would assume there has to be allot of networking involved in this?
J: Yeah, I always think of it as 'digging in the video crates'. The two are very similar. You have to do a lot of searching and educating yourself about rare titles. Sometimes it takes years to find something, I've got a few of my most wanted tapes this year that took me forever to find. And I have friends all over the world who keep an eye out and help me too (thanks to you guys, you know who you are).
A:So what made you get involved in the e-community by starting up this site, The Drive-In Connection. I would assume you have allot of emails in regards to certain films and just like anything else of any medium, trading involved?
J: Well, I was laid off my job, got sick, and then was hit in my car and that messed my back up. I figured I could put up the site and do something I love from home. I've always had really positive feedback from the customers and they've always been very nice folks to deal with. I'm glad when I can help them find something rare they've been searching for. People do send emails sometimes asking if I can help find something and I try my best. And sometimes I also get emails from people wanting to trade but I have to keep that at a minimum.
A:So you have any last words or advice for the public reading this?
J: Please visit the site and order a disc or ten! I try my best to give people quality at a low price. One thing I can tell you is you will get your orders quickly. 99% of the time orders go out the same day or next day (unless it's a large order, that can take a few days). It's been that way since the site first went up almost 3 years ago now. So please check it out, there's a lot of cool stuff there to peruse. Thanks Adrian for the interview and thanks to the readers for your time.
**For any additional information on how to contact Jamie and to order films or just to say "Hello" ,Please visit his site below.
www.thedriveinconnection.com
