So, back in the 1970s through the 1980s, there was a genre of low-budget films that sprung up all throughout the US, called “grindhouse” or “auction house” films. These films were typically shown in run-down theaters from the 1930s that were called “grindhouses”. These theaters were struggling to get business, and so, they often showed a wide variety of low-budget films to attract customers, which would gradually rise slowly throughout the day. They often showed double or triple features for very low prices, and some of the biggest names in cinema got their start from these “grindhouse” films, like James Cameron, who went on to make the mega-smashes “Titanic” and “Terminator”. His first work was acting in the Grindhouse film “Pirhana Part 2: The Spawning”, which was his first feature credit. And we wouldn’t get a lot of big name IPs like Mad Max without these types of films, either.
Not only were these films made with a low budget, but they were also cared for less, which caused huge amounts of film grain since they were put on more cheaply made film reels to save costs. And more typically, these “grindhouse” films were often edited using only the raw film, so there would be sudden cuts or scene changes, and some scenes were even missing altogether as there are noticable blank slates where film should be. It wasn’t like a full-on Hollywood production. It was edited in a much more cheap fashion which resulted in film degrading. And that’s not even the most important part about these types of films, either. There’s something that makes them stand out more than anything else, and it is a core element of these kinds of films.
I am, of course, talking about the fact that many, if not all of these “grindhouse” films, were very exploitative in nature. In fact, mostly all of these “grindhouse” films are exploitation films. What is an “exploitation film”, you may ask? Well, it’s a film that mostly contains themes of sex, sensational violence, drug use, nudity, gore, destruction, rebellion, mayhem, and bizarre subject matter. These films are usually low quality “B movies”, and they also contained cheap thrills like car chases, or heavy amounts of blood and gore if it is a slasher film. Unfortunately, the whole subculture of “grindhouse film” would come to an end in the 1990s, and most if not all of these “grindhouse” theaters disappeared from the United States.
If you are one of the many who have seen these types of “grindhouse” films, then I need to ask you - what is your favorite? What is that one “grindhouse” film that you absolutely love? For my personal preference, it’s definitely Quentin Tarantino’s criminally underrated Grindhouse film called “Death Proof”, a movie about a murderer and former stuntman named Stuntman Mike who drives a modified 1970 Chevy Nova called Death Proof, which he uses to kill people. It has the perfect amount of both raw thrills, exploitation, and suspense, all reminiscent of the “grindhouse” era of cinema. It’s a gateway into a long, by-gone era of cinema, and it’s definitely one of Tarantino’s best and most underrated works. Definitely check it out.
Let me know your favorite “grindhouse” film down in the comments.
I literally grew up with these movies, so it’s hard for me to discern exactly what is considered “grindhouse” compared to just “low budget”?l. Here’s what I remember:
Attack of the killer tomatoes
Laserblast
Deathrace 2000
The Stuff
Deliverance
The Hidden
Dead Alive
Troma is terrific. Also, did someone mention “Blood Sucking Freaks”? No? Good, no one should mention that.
I don’t know if they officially count as grindhouse, but when I was a kid I loved a ton of the B-grade action movies that the Cannon Film Group put out in the 1980s. American Ninja, Delta Force, Cobra, Bloodsport, the Death Wish movies, Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, etc. And, of course, the greatest ninja movie ever made:
Ninja III: The Domination.
It’s odd to me that you choose Death Proof as your favorite when it is specifically an homage to those types of films rather than being a true low budget low quality release from the 70’s and 80’s.
I mean the double feature that it premiered in was literally called Grindhouse as well.
I have both movies. They’re fun. Death Proof moreso than Planet Terror, but Planet Terror has its moments.
I’m the exact opposite; I thought that Planet Terror was far more fun than Death Proof. Death Proof just felt like a long, mean-spirited chase scene. It’s one of only two Quentin Tarantino films I didn’t like, the other being Reservoir Dogs.
I just watched Planet Terror for the first time a couple weeks ago and I thought it was excellent! Tons of fun with a great cast
Hobo with a shotgun, a close slightly less on topic second is the Spy Kids sequel Machete
The Last Dragon, hands down.
You have the balls to name characters Bruce Leroy and Sho Nuff!? I’m in!!!
Oh my gosh. I remember catching a bit of this one when I was flipping through TV way back when. It was AWESOME!!!
I never got the name though, but I remember it vividly as one of those movies that’s so ridiculous but you can just tell everybody was having a great time hamming it up, and it’s just a fun ride.
So…now The Last Dragon is on my list to give a proper watch hahaha.
Just gonna leave this here.
Kiss my Converse…
Sorority House Massacre 2 is one of my absolute favorite films. The final line in the film is my favorite in all of cinema.
After that I’m a big fan of Pam Grier and enjoy most of her movies but I think Coffy is my favorite.
Every Troma movie is worth watching. Toxie is a great superhero and we really need a crossover. Toxie should be in the Justice League, he’s already an Avenger! The Class of Nukem High movies are standouts but I think Surf Nazis Must Die is probably my favorite Troma movie.
Edit to add: Death Proof was good but I preferred Planet Terror. To be fair though I’ve never seen a movie by either Tarentio or Rodriguez that I didn’t enjoy.
That’s a hard one because there’s infinite debate about exactly what movies are and aren’t grindhouse.
Like, some listings include stuff like night of the living dead and phantasm alongside stuff like faster pussycat, kill, kill.
But, going by my own preferences in that regard, it’s a twofer. Blacula and Scream Blacula Scream. The perfect collision of B movie production, blaxploitation, and amazingly over the top acting. Everyone in both movies are playing for the rafters, and doing it serious. Plus, they’re both entertaining as hell. As stories, they hold up to a bunch of people getting high in a villa while it rains and writing books.
The best movie line of all time comes from one or the other (and I need to rewatch because I can’t recall which), “come on, you silly lamp queen”, which quickly became what me and my best friend would say any time we were in public and one of us fell behind. It still is, and we’re fifty lol.
Blacula is legitimately fantastic. It’s full-on a story about the lingering violence springing from European colonialism and the slave trade.
Just one example: The main character is an African prince, and his name is Mamuwalde, but when Dracula turns him, he says “I curse you with my name! You shall be called BLACULA!” For the rest of the film, no one calls him Blacula, because his name is Mamuwalde! Except there was one subtitle that slipped and read something like “BLACULA: I lost her because of you!”, and I immediately thought, “Hey you subtitling asshole, his goddamn name is Mamuwalde!”
By the end of the movie I was rooting for him in the fight with the LAPD.
Maybe not grindhouse, but “The Final Sacrifice” from Mystery Science Theater is my all time favorite B movie.
Rowsdower?
“I wonder if there’s beer on the sun …?” So many great quotes!!!
Please, just one more, pleeeaaassseee??
Oh, alright, but this is the Final Sacrifice
Love that show :-)
“Rowsdower mobile, away!!!”
If you haven’t checked them out, The Mads Are Back at dumb industries is some great riffing action. It’s Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank riffing tons of movies and shorts.
I don’t know if Italian Spiderman counts, but it’s a decent take
Lady Snowblood. So much of that ripped off for Kill Bill.
https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Lady_Snowblood
Trailer:
I see that they have Lone Wolf and Cub, Hanzo the Razor (and if you haven’t seen the Hanzo the Razor series, I highly recommend it!), and Zatoichi, but I don’t see Sleepy Eyes of Death.
I would be that pretty much all of the chanbara films are probably on there. Chanbara is roughly the Japanese equivalent of spaghetti westerns.
Given the same soundtrack, I’d think it was more of an homage than a direct rip
I grew up in a small town that didn’t have a grind house theater, but it did have a very run down drive-in theater that has grindhouse kinds of movies. I saw some regular tits out slasher movie that wasn’t memorable but the second movie was Sleepaway Camp and that ending blew my fucking mind. I still think about that movie.
