''American Grindhouse'' is a 2010 documentary directed and produced by Elijah Drenner. The film made its world premiere at the

South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...

film festival in Austin, Texas on March 13, 2010.

Overview

The documentary chronicles the history of the American exploitation film from the days of Thomas Edison to contemporary films of the 21st century. The film features interviews with John Landis,

Joe Dante Joseph James Dante Jr. (; born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably ''Gremlins'' (1984) alongside its sequel, '' Gremlins 2: The New Batch'' (1990)—often mix 1950s-style B movies wit ...

Jack Hill Jack Hill (born January 28, 1933) is an American film director in the exploitation film genre. Several of Hill's later films have been characterized as feminist works. Early life Hill was born in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Mildred (n� ...

, Don Edmonds,

Fred Williamson Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938), also known as The Hammer, is an American actor and former professional American football defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League during the 1960s. Williamson is perhaps ...

, Allison Anders, James Gordon White, Larry Cohen, William Lustig, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Judy Brown, Jeremy Kasten, Jonathan Kaplan, Bob Minor,

Lewis Teague Lewis Teague (born March 8, 1938) is an American film director, whose work includes ''Alligator'', '' Cat's Eye'', ''Cujo'', ''The Jewel of the Nile'', '' The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!'', ''Navy SEALs'' and '' Wedlock''. Biography Teague was b ...

David Hess David Alexander Hess (September 19, 1936 – October 7, 2011) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director. He came to prominence for his portrayals of murderous villains and gruff characters in several films in the 1970s and 198 ...

and Fred Olen Ray. The documentary also features film historians Eddie Muller, Kim Morgan and Eric Schaefer. Robert Forster narrates.

Films referenced

Many film titles and posters get shown in passing, but this is a list of the films that are commented on or analyzed in the voiceover or by the interviewees. The list is in chronological order, but some of the films are mentioned in the documentary out of that sequence to fit with the themes. The main films referenced in the documentary are: *'' The Great Train Robbery'' (1903) *''

Traffic in Souls ''Traffic in Souls'' (also released as ''While New York Sleeps'') is a 1913 American silent crime drama film focusing on forced prostitution (white slavery) in the United States. Directed by George Loane Tucker and starring Jane Gail, Ethel G ...

'' (1913) *''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' (1931) *'' Frankenstein'' (1931) *''

Freaks Freak has several meanings: a person who is physically deformed or suffers from an extraordinary disease and condition, a genetic mutation in a plant or animal, etc. Freak, freaks or The Freak may also refer to: Fictional characters * Freak (Ima ...

'' (1932) *''

Maniac Maniac (from Greek μανιακός, ''maniakos'') is a pejorative for an individual who experiences the mood known as mania. In common usage, it is also an insult for someone involved in reckless behavior. Maniac may also refer to: Film * ' ...

'' (1934) *''You Can't Beat the Rap!'' (1936) *'' I Wake Up Screaming'' (1941) *'' Mom and Dad'' (1945) *''Because of Eve'' (1948) *'' Creature from the Black Lagoon'' (1954) *''

Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks. I ...

'' (1955) *'' I Was a Teenage Werewolf'' (1957) *''

The Tingler ''The Tingler'' is a 1959 American horror film produced and directed by William Castle. It is the third of five collaborations between Castle and writer Robb White, and starring Vincent Price. The film tells the story of a scientist who discover ...

'' (1959) *'' The Immoral Mr. Teas'' (1959) *'' Psycho'' (1960) *'' Scum of the Earth!'' (1963) *'' Blood Feast'' (1963) *'' Two Thousand Maniacs!'' (1964) *''Olga's House of Shame'' (1964) *'' The Wild Angels'' (1966) *''

Lord Love a Duck ''Lord Love a Duck'' is a 1966 American teen black comedy film produced, directed and co-written by George Axelrod and starring Roddy McDowall and Tuesday Weld. The film was a satire of popular culture at the time, its targets ranging from progres ...

'' (1966) *
The Lusting Hours
' (1967) *'' The Trip'' (1967) *''

She-Devils on Wheels ''She-Devils on Wheels'' is a 1968 American exploitation biker film about an all-female motorcycle gang called The Man-Eaters, directed and produced by Herschell Gordon Lewis. Actual female motorcycle club members were cast for the film, who ...

'' (1968) *'' Easy Rider'' (1969) *'' Midnight Cowboy'' (1969) *'' Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song'' (1971) *'' The Corpse Grinders'' (1971) *'' The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant'' (1971) *''The Tormentors'' (1971) *'' The Big Doll House'' (1971) *'' The Big Bird Cage'' (1972) *''

The Last House on the Left ''The Last House on the Left'' is a 1972 American exploitation horror film written, directed and edited by Wes Craven in his directorial debut. The film follows Mari Collingwood (Sandra Peabody), a hippie teenager who is abducted, raped, and ...

'' (1972) *''

Night of the Lepus ''Night of the Lepus'' (also known as ''Rabbits'') is a 1972 American science fiction horror film directed by William F. Claxton and produced by A. C. Lyles. Based upon Russell Braddon's 1964 science fiction novel '' The Year of the Angry Rabbit' ...

'' (1972) *'' Deep Throat'' (1972) *'' Schlock'' (1973) *'' Black Caesar'' (1973) *'' Coffy'' (1973) *''

Truck Turner ''Truck Turner'', also known as ''Black Bullet'', is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Leigh Chapman (under a pseudonym, Jerry Wilkes), ...

'' (1974) *'' Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS'' (1975) *''

Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...

'' (1975) *''

Eaten Alive ''Eaten Alive'' (known under various alternate titles, including ''Death Trap'', ''Horror Hotel'', and ''Starlight Slaughter'', and stylized on the poster as ''Eaten Alive!'') is a 1976 American horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, and written ...

'' (1977) *''

Piranha A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, ...

'' (1978) *'' Alligator'' (1980) *'' The Passion of the Christ'' (2004) *''

Hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared b ...

'' (2005) *'' Grindhouse'' (2007) *'' American Gangster'' (2007) *'' Hell Ride'' (2008) *''

Black Dynamite ''Black Dynamite'' is a 2009 American blaxploitation action comedy film starring Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, and Salli Richardson. The film was directed by Scott Sanders and co-written by White, Sanders, and Byron Minns, who also co-star ...

'' (2009)

Reception

It had earned positive reviews from critics with some like Village Voice's Mark Holcomb saying "nitpicky enough to please film-history nerds but lively in a way that should tickle the merely curious". Rotten Tomatoes, the review aggregator, gave the film an 86%.

References

External links

''American Grindhouse''
at the Grindhouse Database * * *{{mojo title, americangrindhouse
''American Grindhouse'' on MUBI

Elijah Drenner, director
2010 documentary films 2010 films American documentary films Documentary films about films 2010s exploitation films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films

Overview

Films referenced

Reception

See also

References

External links