The Kiwi Farms Grindhouse - Exploitation, B Movies, Extreme Cinema, Old-School Shlock and Sleaze

[Syaoran Li]

Okay, I already made a thread earlier about old-timey monster movies and B-Movies, but I figured I should expand the scope a bit more and start a general thread. I know we've probably had a few threads about this topic before, but I think it's time for a general all-purpose thread on exploitation flicks, modern-day throwbacks like Death Proof, Hobo With A Shotgun, or The Green Inferno, similar movements like the "OVA Boom" of anime in the 80's and 90's, and figures like 42nd Street Pete or modern-day companies like The Asylum, Full Moon, Troma, and Blumhouse.

What are some of your favorite exploitation flicks? Any specific sub-genres you like?

Do you think a more genuine and concerted effort at reviving exploitation flicks could be possible in the 2020's? Low-budget and self-indulgent movies that are unabashedly "degenerate" and "problematic" but still fun to watch would probably be a hot commodity in a post-COVID world.

There was the brief fad of "neo-grindhouse" in the late 2000's and early 2010's but the problem was that it was often too self-aware for its own good and would border on Whedonist bullshit at times. The only ones that really held up were Eli Roth's Green Inferno and the 2007 "Grindhouse" double-feature that kicked off the fad to begin with.

TLDR- @BrunoMattei GET IN HERE!!!

 

[BlueArmedDevil]

Massacre Gun is a 1967 Japanese yakuza film directed by Yasuharu Hasebe. It has a yak hitman trying to go straight after his boss has him off his girlfriend.

 

[Madam Nekromantik]

You can get a lot of grindhouse DVDs at New Moon's website if your interested. To be honest I really can't say what sub-genres are my favorite. It really depends on what I'm in the mood for. Personally I couldn't really get in to Green Inferno only because Roth has a habit of making his characters so unlikable I don't want to watch them.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

First, I don’t care what anyone says, Hobo With A Shotgun is an absolute blast. That scene where he eats the glass, that was brutal. But that scene where Ivan and Slick are marching down the hall, in ice skates, the camera pans up, and Ivan says that it’s a beautiful day for a skate rape. That, that scene is magnificent. That’s what I mean when I think ‘grindhouse’.
Second, both grindhouse cinima and Hong Kong / Kung Fu action are closely related to me. Especially when they go into comedy. In that vein, you cannot beat Kung Fu Hustle. Somehow, this goofy movie has not just some of the most hype action scenes, but also the perfect soundtrack to back it up. The fight between the harpist assassins and the two masters is probably one of my favorite scenes of all time, because the soundtrack is provided by the battle itself. It was beautiful.

Spoiler: I mean, check this out

But it’s because both grindhouse and Kung Fu action are usually genre movies. The details are different film to film, but typically the usual tropes are relatively constant as well.

 

[REGENDarySumanai]

Something Weird video always has some good exploitation films to buy.

 

[BrunoMattei]

"Do you think a more genuine and concerted effort at reviving exploitation flicks could be possible in the 2020's? Low-budget and self-indulgent movies that are unabashedly "degenerate" and "problematic" but still fun to watch would probably be a hot commodity in a post-COVID world."

It's always been a thing. It just manifests in different forms and in different places. In the mid/late 00's we got Christian exploitation movies. They just keep coming.

@Syaoran Li I've been asked before what my favorite genre of film is and it's honestly Art House Horror. Which is vague enough that you can list something like Cannibal Holocaust under. But films I love that are most definitely Art House Horror are: Eraserhead, The Beyond, Begotten, Subconscious Cruelty, Dr. Caligari (1989), Beyond the Black Rainbow, Mandy, Pinochio 961, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Last House on Dead End Street, Death Bed, Nekromantik 2, etcetera.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

"Do you think a more genuine and concerted effort at reviving exploitation flicks could be possible in the 2020's? Low-budget and self-indulgent movies that are unabashedly "degenerate" and "problematic" but still fun to watch would probably be a hot commodity in a post-COVID world."

It's always been a thing. It just manifests in different forms and in different places. In the mid/late 00's we got Christian exploitation movies. They just keep coming.

@Syaoran Li I've been asked before what my favorite genre of film is and it's honestly Art House Horror. Which is vague enough that you can list something like Cannibal Holocaust under. But films I love that are most definitely Art House Horror are: Eraserhead, The Beyond, Begotten, Subconscious Cruelty, Dr. Caligari (1989), Beyond the Black Rainbow, Mandy, Pinochio 961, Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Last House on Dead End Street, Death Bed, Nekromantik 2, etcetera.

If you want some questionable quality, retarded, found footage, shlock horror, may I introduce you to some things.
The Europa Report is, quite possibly, one of the worst sci-fi horror movies I have seen that I believe they tried to make a good movie out of. It made no money whatsoever, the plot was beyond an idiot-plot, and you don’t even see the monster until the end. And even then, it was not worth the build up, to a point that it is hilarious. It got generally positive ratings, but that’s never meant much.
Another film that I genuinely recommend is The Dinosaur Project. The general idea is that a bunch of dudes go searching for the cryptid Mokele-Mbembe. Then they deadass find a bunch of dinosaurs, one dude goes crazy and tries to kill people, and it just gets more intense from there. This one actually made money, and was surprisingly fun to watch.

 

[BrunoMattei]

Tusk is one that’s actually pretty good for a story about a man being turned into a walrus. It goes from goofy to actually pretty chilling from scene to scene, sometimes both.

Wut

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

Wut

Apparently I went full retard. Could’ve sworn Tusk was in your post.
Edited.

 

[The Token Ethnic]

You can get a lot of grindhouse DVDs at New Moon's website if your interested.

Careful on what movies you do get. Some of the Full Moon grindhouse flicks are VHS rips that are transferred onto DVD, so you'll be suffering during any scenes that take place in the dark or night time.

As for a favorite genre? I wouldn't say I have one in particular. Each (sub) genre can bring something interesting to the table. Some of my favorites are Mad Foxes ( Spanish rape-revenge movie with Nazi bikers, naked kung-fu, Krokus on the soundtrack and an amazingly stupid ending), The Psychopath (A Mr. Rogers type goes on a rampage killing parents that abuse/hurt their children), We Are Going to Eat You (Cannibal/horror kung-fu flick from Tsui Hark with a pilfered Goblin score from Suspiria) and The Burning Moon (Gory and ambitious shot on video horror trilogy from Olaf Ittenbach). There's tons more out there, of course. But that was just a few.

There are still a few filmmakers that make these sorts of films, but they're few and far between. I'm not sure that mainstream audiences will approve or like them, but there is a fanbase. For every Bloodline, Purge: Anarchy or Upgrade that Blumhouse releases, we get tons of dreck such as the Craft "sequel" or the Black Christmas remake. Oh, and check out Lowlife. It's a newer film that has the modern exploitation film vibe without being too Tarantino/self-aware.

 

[BrunoMattei]

Careful on what movies you do get. Some of the Full Moon grindhouse flicks are VHS rips that are transferred onto DVD, so you'll be suffering during any scenes that take place in the dark or night time.

I still remember when Band tried selling cardboard packaging of the old big box Wizard VHS tapes for upwards of $50-70 a piece, you don't even get a tape but just the box, where it was heavily suggested that the cardboard was reprinted.

As for a favorite genre? I wouldn't say I have one in particular. Each (sub) genre can bring something interesting to the table. Some of my favorites are Mad Foxes ( Spanish rape-revenge movie with Nazi bikers, naked kung-fu, Krokus on the soundtrack and an amazingly stupid ending), The Psychopath (A Mr. Rogers type goes on a rampage killing parents that abuse/hurt their children), We Are Going to Eat You (Cannibal/horror kung-fu flick from Tsui Hark with a pilfered Goblin score from Suspiria) and The Burning Moon (Gory and ambitious shot on video horror trilogy from Olaf Ittenbach). There's tons more out there, of course. But that was just a few.

Don't forget the (sadly) aborted Maniac sequel Maniac 2: Mr Robbie.

 

[Imperial Citizen]

I've been a fan of the Cinema Snob for years and I follow him in loving Caligula. He wasn't lying when calling it big budget sleaze. Though my favorite scene has to be when Caligula (played by Malcolm McDowell) fucks a guy's virgin wife on their wedding day and then fists the husband, leaving an imprint of his signet ring in the guy's ass. I don't know how the hell they got the actors to do that scene.

Though another one that comes to mind which really shows off the madness of Caligula is when Caligula is lying sick in bed and a Roman Senator says that he will offer his life to Jupiter if only to save his beloved Emperor. Caligula then bolts right up, looks at the Senator with a stone cold face, and says "Jupiter accepts your offering" and the Senator is escorted to be killed. McDowell portrayed Caligula as just a pure psychopath and the film is better for it.

 

[Commander X]

Deadbeat at Dawn, a true grindhouse DIY masterpiece, directed by and starring Jim Van Bebber. Punk action flick from 1988. A street gang leader decides to quit the life for his girlfriend's sake but when two members of a rival gang beat her to death he goes on a rampage. Some of the hardest, gnarliest stuff I’ve ever seen. Hella scuzzy home video feel but the vibe is infectious.

The soliloquy from rival gang member "Bonecrusher" alone is worth the price of admission.

 

[Jimjamflimflam]

Thriller: a cruel picture (They Call her One Eye) is a Swedish rape and revenge flick. Story of One eye. A girl who gets kidnapped,pimped out, eye slice as punishment (hence the name) and escapes only to return for revenge. Depending on the cut there might be hardcore porn scenes spliced in.

Additionally, when her eye is sliced, a real body was used. Friend of the director who committed suicide and willed his bodies use to the director.

Trailer:

Footage edited over lofticry by purity ring:

 

[BrunoMattei]

The soliloquy from rival gang member "Bonecrusher" alone is worth the price of admission.

Sampled here:

 

[Syaoran Li]

Sorry to bump an old topic but I've been rewatching some martial arts grindhouse flicks lately, namely some titles from the infamous "Brucesploitation" trend of the 70's where studios all over would grab any Asian actor who was somewhat physically fit and try to bill them as "the next Bruce Lee" after Lee's death in 1973.

A lot of the later ones pretty much were about bringing back Bruce Lee in a literal sense, one of them was even called "The Clones of Bruce Lee"

 

[Oats12345]

Sorry to bump an old topic but I've been rewatching some martial arts grindhouse flicks lately, namely some titles from the infamous "Brucesploitation" trend of the 70's where studios all over would grab any Asian actor who was somewhat physically fit and try to bill them as "the next Bruce Lee" after Lee's death in 1973.

A lot of the later ones pretty much were about bringing back Bruce Lee in a literal sense, one of them was even called "The Clones of Bruce Lee"

Honeslty my favorites have to be The Beyond, Last House by the cementary and Hasel and gretel gets baked

 

[SojuDrnkr]

Sorry to bump an old topic but I've been rewatching some martial arts grindhouse flicks lately, namely some titles from the infamous "Brucesploitation" trend of the 70's where studios all over would grab any Asian actor who was somewhat physically fit and try to bill them as "the next Bruce Lee" after Lee's death in 1973.

A lot of the later ones pretty much were about bringing back Bruce Lee in a literal sense, one of them was even called "The Clones of Bruce Lee"

You should check out Six String Samurai