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.
Coffey is fantastic