Documentaries

AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE

Elijah Drenner
USA 2009
81 min
V'10

American Grindhouse explores the history of exploitation film. Elijah Drenner digs deep into this often overlooked category of US cinema and unearths the shameless and occasionally shocking origins of this popular entertainment. Exploitation Cinema has left an indelible mark on American culture, and this informative and amusing documentary proves that its principles – and popularity – endure to this day.
It was not my idea to put Grindhouse clips by Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror) and Quentin Tarantino (Death Proof) in the movie. I lost that fight. I preferred John Landis’ comments about Passion of the Christ and American Gangster as being the real exploitation movies of today – which do remain in the film. I can see the Grindhouse clips as a bridge for viewers, but it’s pretty obvious to anyone watching. I loved Grindhouse, but not many people understood the concept. The fact that it flopped but Passion of the Christ and American Gangster were huge hits proves our point. That’s what our movie is about: the evolution of exploitation, audiences flocking to see it, and how it is a part of our cultural heritage. Like it or not. (Elijah Drenner)

Credits
  • Joe Dante
  • John Landis
  • Allison Anders
  • Judy Brown
  • Larry Cohen
  • Don Edmonds
  • David Hess
  • Jack Hill
  • Jonathan Kaplan
  • Jeremy Kasten
  • Herschell Gordon Lewis
  • William Lustig
  • Ted V. Mikels
  • Bob Minor
  • Kim Morgan
  • Eddie Muller
  • Fred Olen Ray
  • Eric Schaefer
  • Lewis Teague
  • James Gordon White
  • Fred Williamson
  • Elijah Drenner
  • Calum Waddell
  • Dan Greene
  • Dan Greene
  • Elijah Drenner
  • Elijah Drenner
  • Andrew Goldenberg
  • Dan Greene
  • Jason Brandt
  • Robert Forster
Lux Digital Pictures

ContentFilm International

Video (Digi Beta)
bwcol
Related Movies