I just learned of this festival, starting tonight at the New Beverly Cinema. I thought I should tell you about it in case you’re able to go. Also, it’s just fun to remember some of the movies in this genre, or some of the modern movies that celebrate, quote from, or were otherwise influenced by them. The festival should be a lot of fun!
It’s a Quentin Tarantino project, and there’s more at the cinema’s website, and an truly excellent post about it at the blog “Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule”, which early on has this excellent paragraph:
The director has responded to the New Beverly’s generosity by lining up a gut-bucket cornucopia of authentic grindhouse trash cinema to celebrate not only his
upcoming movie, but the whole experience of seeing sleazy cinema classics in the only movie house left in L.A. (outside of the Vine on Hollywood Boulevard) that feels physically, spatially and, yes, spiritually related to the downtown second-run trash palaces that fed Tarantino’s (and everyone else’s) desire for this kind of rotgut, low-rent fun to begin with.
…and then goes on to do a wonderful thing by finding as many of the original movie posters (or related artwork) for each movie. It’s great to look at, and there’s a rather interesting discussion in the post’s comments about a number of things, but rather interesting is the chatter about where Tarantino’s true talents lie, suggestions about where he might go with his career, etc.
If you’re in town, try to make some of the double-bills on offer!
-cvj
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The list doesn’t goes as far back as i would prefer to see. There were some real classic trash films made in the late 50’s and early 60’s. The studios (near or at their peak) would take excess film stock not used in various final edits, and proceed to make really cheap turn around stuff with thinly written scripts and minimal extra filming. We knew what films to see in those days because the better the movie poster the trashier and more horrendous the movie (much like today, when you view a trailer and realize you have just seen the entire movie). As i recall, these productions (calling them films or movies just doesn’t seem appropriate) ranged across three broad genres: biker and gang, sci-fi monster thriller, and of course women in prison. That last category was particularly bizarre and trashy. Well, good luck and enjoy the popcorn.