What is an exploitation film?
As I explore this juicy subject, I will share with you so we can recognize them and add them to our movie watching list!
Jack Hill is a name to remember. He was the pioneer of the 70's Exploitation Movies. He discovered Pam Grier and she starred in his movie "Coffy" (1973) written and directed by Jack Hill. The story is about a black female vigilante played by Pam Grier. What a women hero! She was a powerhouse and no-nonsense woman.
Foxy Brown" also featured Pam Grier and was Quentin Tarantino's inspiration for his third film, "Jackie Brown", which starred Pam Grier. Her character is tough, fierce and does not pull any punches in these roles.
Click this link for a complete review of "Jackie Brown" by Siskel&Ebert. They got it!
"Switchblade Sisters"
Check out the video above and hear Tarantino read part of this script. This movie is a 1975 action and exploitation film detailing the lives of high school-aged female gang members. It was directed by Jack Hill and stars Joanne Nail, Robbie Lee and Monica Gayle. This film is also known as "The Jezebels."
Quentin Tarantino re-released this film in 1996 under his Rolling Thunder Pictures label. This version of the film features a commentary by both Hill and Tarantino. The film's tagline is "So Easy to Kill, So Hard to Love."
Jack Hill allegedly interviewed real-life female gang members before filming "Switchblade Sisters" in order to give small details an air of authenticity. He has stated that "Switchblade Sisters" was broadly influenced by William Shakespeare's "Othello."
What is a grind house?
A grind house is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films.
Why are they called "B" movies?
An Exploitation film is a film that attempts to succeed financially by exploiting current trends and niche genres. Many were considered lower quality than block buster films because of the not-so well-known stars and the fact that they are were made with a low budget; thus called "B" movies.
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| "Walkers, Zombies, Zs" |
Zombie exploitation. . zombie and horror movies are included in the list of film exploitation. Some of these movies such as "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), set trends and became historically important. Scores of zombie movies have been made since Romero's "Night of the Living Dead." He recently received his star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame." Read more about this by clicking this link to my blog about zombies http://earthoceanfire.blogspot.com/2017/06/walkers-zombies-zs.html
"The Undead" was directed by Roger Corman known as "The King of the B Movies." Also known as "The Pope of Pop Cinema." He is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film.
A documentary "Corman's World: Exploit's of a Hollywood Rebel" directed by Alex Stapleton premiered at Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals in 2011. He gave a start to many young film directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, and James Cameron. Corman was highly influential in the New Hollywood film making movement of the 1960's and 70's. His list of films and credits is long. Corman's colorful career is an interesting read!
Chambara exploitation. . . In the 1970's a non-traditional style of samurai film achieved some popularity in Japan. It became known as chambara (the clash of swords.) "Kill Bill" series by Tarantino is a prominent American tribute to this genre. Its origins can be traced as far back as Akira Kurosawa, whose films feature moral grayness and exaggerated violence, but the genre is mostly associated with the 1970's samurai. These films feature revenge-driven antiheroes, nudity, sex scenes, swordplay, and blood. Read more about Akira Kurosawa in this blog http://earthoceanfire.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-golden-age-of-japanese-cinema.html
MORE ABOUT THE MAKING OF THESE "B" FILMS
The individual film-maker was given a certain budget and had the freedom to put his own vision into the film as long as he included the producer's suggested elements. For example, it could be requested to have 3 action scenes, a nudity scene, a certain amount of violence, a love scene, a requested number of sword battle scenes.
Movies included many different subjects and genres: crooked cops, gangsters, women in prison, bank heists, motorcycle gangs, blaxploitation and kung fu films.
Clint Eastwood got his big screen start in Spaghetti Westerns!
Spaghetti Westerns exploitation films include Robert Rodriguez films "Desperado" and "El Mariachi." Read more about this on my blog called "Spaghetti Westerns" click here: http://earthoceanfire.blogspot.com/2016/08/spaghetti-westerns.html
