Sean Lamberger
About as interesting as a loosely-related series of sparse conversations with cult-favorite directors is likely to get. The goal seems to have been the assembly of a "straight from the horse's mouth" oral history of exploitation at large in cinema, but none of the subjects could really nail down the outer limits of what the term meant. So, instead, it became a crash-course history of underground film, decorated at all corners with vaguely familiar old men reminiscing about their glory days. The narrative jumps all over the place, sometimes floating from the '20s to the '90s over the course of a single sentence - that's OK, though, because the sheer breadth of knowledge and a shared recollection of the crazy promotional stunts each film undertook to get noticed makes the journey worthwhile. It's also one hell of a Netflix recommendation engine.
Ben Larson
I love grindhouse films, especially the gore of Herschell Gordon Lewis, horror like The Last House on the Left, and exploitation films, whether they be blaxploitation, women in prison films, and even nunsploitation.I guess that makes me weird, but grindhouse films in various forms have existed from the birth of motion pictures. Films like Maniac, Reefer Madness, and more have titillated moviegoers for almost 100 years.This documentary does an excellent job of reviewing exploitation from the beginning, complete with uncensored clips from the movies they talk about.If grindhouse is something you are not familiar with, then this documentary will enlighten you. It is for all those who want to know more.
tavm
Just watched this fascinating documentary on the exploitation movies of the last 100 or so years on Hulu.com. Many interesting insights from various figures like John Landis, Joe Dante, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Jack Hill, Fred Williamson, and the late Don Edmonds, the last one had died not long after filming his interview. He's the one responsible for that infamous Nazi (or possibly anti-) flick that introduced Ilsa (which I have yet to watch in its entirety). This possibly won't be the last word on the various genres that played in various grindhouse and drive-in theatres over the last several decades but it's certainly one of the most essential that I'd highly recommend. Many quotable lines and interesting clips abound here.
KREEPY
I suppose if you know absolutely zero about exploitation/genre films, this might be a somewhat decent primer...for middle school film class. Sort of a "Genre Film for Dummies" type film, lots of talking heads and deadly dull interviews, etc. Very disappointing film filled with regurgitated information easily found in a million books, magazines, Google searches, etc. A waste of time. Just buy "The Psychotronic Encylopedia of Film," "Nightmare USA," "Grindhouse: The Forbidden World of "Adults Only" Cinema," and "Sleazoid Express: A Mind-Twisting Tour Through the Grindhouse Cinema of Times Square" instead if you're really interested in exploitation film and you'll be good to go. This doc was amateur hour all the way. Blah.
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