I’ve made it relatively clear that I am a fan of genre films, up to and including exploitation films. I grew up on these movies and they have helped shape my future movie watching habits, so I have enjoyed quite a bit the recent bit of mainstream love for grindhouse films.

Now, coming on the heels of the outstanding Ozploitation documentary Not Quite Hollywood, comes a film devoted to the American exploitation films of the same time. Now the film does not look to have quite the same level of frenzied adoration as its Australian counterpart, but with its massive cast of interviewees it should prove to be a fascinating look at one of my favorite parts of cinema history.

Official Site
Title: American Grindhouse
Director: Elijah Drenner
Starring: Allison Anders, Larry Cohen, Joe Dante, Don Edmonds, Robert Forster, Jack Hill, John Landis, Herschell Gordon Lewis, William Lustig, Bob Minor, Kim Morgan, Fred Olen Ray, Lewis Teague, Fred Williamson
Release Date: March 2010 (SXSW Film Festival)

Tags: Allison Orr, Australia, bob minor, cinema, cinema history, exploitation, exploitation films, film, films, fred olen ray, Fred Williamson, genre film, genre films, grindhouse, grindhouse films, herschell gordon lewis, Hollywood, Interview, Joe Dante, john landis, kim morgan, larry cohen, movie, Movies, Not Quite Hollywood, One to Watch, ray lewis, robert forster, sxsw, sxsw film festival, william lustig

The young people of today may not realize just how scary the word Satanist used to be here in the United States. You see, being a Puritanical society most people had a fear of God. But if there was one thing that could scare them even more then God it was Satan. And thanks to Hollywood hits like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby those fears were suddenly rationalized in celluloid.

Yes those kindly old neighbors are trying to stealthily allow Satan to rape you in your sleep. And yes, the reason your daughter has started cursing and crab walking everywhere is because she is possessed by a demon. And yes, that scary blind man constantly sitting in that chair in the attic is guarding the gateway to Hell.
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