HOLLYWOOD RATED R {AKA "LES DENIERS DU CULTE"} (TV)
Summary
A documentary film about exploitation filmmakers and their work. David Friedman classifies himself as one of the “second generation” of exploitation filmmakers; he notes that exploitation films have their origins in circuses and carnivals, derived from that brand of showmanship and exclusivity. The earliest films classified as “exploitation” go back to the silent film era, where the film crew would distribute their film on a town-by-town basis in a manner similar to a traveling carnival. The nature of exploitation films in the United States changes in the 1950’s, when the French film “Et Dieu…crea a femme” starring Brigitte Bardot was imported by distributors in 1956 as a notable example of nudity in film. Similarly, 1959 saw the first “nudie cutie” film, Russ Meyer’s “The Immoral Mr. Teas.” The exploitation film industry subsequently boomed in America, particularly in the 1960’s, which featured the production of over 900 exploitation films. Friedman notes that after a while, he and his collaborator Herschell Gordon Lewis grew bored with “nudie” films and decided to branch out into horror, creating the 1963 film “Blood Feast,” notable for its excessive use of visible blood and gore. “Blood Feast” would go on to inspire an entire genre of similarly bloody horror films. Another notable contemporary of Friedman is Russ Meyer, known for film such as 1975’s “Supervixens,” characterized by the presence nude, extremely voluptuous women. Actor Charles Napier recounts his first meeting with Meyer and his appearance in “Supervixens,” one of his earliest film roles. “Supervixens” was extremely profitable despite its low budget. Meyer is known for having extreme control over his projects, serving as producer, director, writer, editor, and often distributor of his films. Napier discusses Meyer’s strict directorial style, which included regulations about staying away from the female actors while shooting, and his penchant for shooting in dangerous, remote areas. He discusses the “intense” energy imbued into Meyer’s sexual content, and the nature of the films’ wish fulfillment ideas. Napier credits Meyer for jump-starting his career in more mainstream films. Johnny Legend, filmmaker, musician, and wrestling manager, recounts his youth in the 1950’s, when double-features were still common. He became interested in exploitation filmmakers such as Ed Wood and Forrest Ackerman at a very young age, and experimented with cosmetics and crude special effects with his friends. In the 1980’s, Legend became involved with Rhino Video, known as a distributor of many exploitation films, hunting down and distributing obscure or forgotten exploitation films. Over the years interest in these films has increased, leading to more prints being found and made available to the public. More modern exploitation filmmakers include Titus Moody, who recounts how he used to make a living doing bit roles in major motion pictures before transitioning to making B-movies of his own, and provided assistance on the noted 1964 B-movie “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies.” He had a large role in the 1966 movie “Rat Pfink a Boo Boo,” in which he created his own costume; he notes that the film was very popular with children. Harry Novak used nudity extensively in his work, starting with 1964’s “Kiss Me Quick!,” which proved to be a huge monetary success. He explains that he sees no problem with nudity on screen and that his films “have something for everyone.” He also notes that his films were always intended for young adults, and that by modern standards they would be less salacious than the content of mainstream motion pictures. The actresses in his films were largely cast from lists of standby actresses in the studio system, and he talks about the influence of his wife and his use of comedy, particularly in his “hillbilly comedies.” Barbara Steele, an actress with a long career in horror films, discusses the role of women in exploitation films, and the contrast in “sexual persona” between more mainstream 1950’s films and the exploitation scene. She recounts what would have been her first acting role in the United States for the 1960 western film “Flaming Star;” she believes she was miscast as the love interest and recounts how she was asked to meet with the head of the studio wearing only a bikini. She flatly refused the part and returned to Europe, where she soon got a part in the famous Frederico Fellini film “8 1/2.” She talks about her roles in Italian horror films and the unique “sense of time” and otherworldliness that they embodied. Her most famous of these roles was in 1960’s “Black Sunday.” William Lustig, another exploitation filmmaker, grew up with an appreciation for so-called “genre pictures,” recounting the movie theater scene on 42nd Street in New York City. He notes that even if the films were bad, marquees were good at utilizing the often outlandish titles these films would have for great effect. Filmmakers such as Larry Cohen believe that in modern times, major studios make films that are similar to exploitation pictures, distinguished only by a much larger budget. Many discuss the work of Roger Corman, whose work includes 1960’s “Little Shop of Horrors” and 1959’s “A Bucket of Blood.” Corman is known as filmmaker of great financial intelligence, and as someone who recruited a great number of people in the industry who went on to great success in more mainstream filmmaking. They believe that thriftiness and emphasis on scheduling forces those working under him to improvise and be creative, essentially teaching people how to be filmmakers. Actors such as Bob Burns recount how often the titles and posters for these films would be made far in advance of the actual film, and that the filmmakers would have to shoot something to fit the concept. Films such as “The She-Creature” and “It Conquered the World” were often shot in only a week’s time, with virtually no retakes and hastily made monster costumes. They discuss the work of production company American International Pictures, which produced films covering topics deemed unsuitable for major studio films such as teenage sexuality. The mid-1960’s saw the rise of the so-called “psychedelic era,” beginning with films such as 1967’s “The Trip” and 1968’s “Psych-Out.” This era featured films revolving around drug use, including the short 1968 documentary film “Marijuana,” hosted by Sonny Bono. The influence of producer Samuel Arkoff is discussed; he would have enough clout in the studios to allow filmmakers to make their films about virtually any subject, encouraging the proliferation of B-movies, such as Cohen’s 1973 film “Black Caesar,” considered an early film of the “blaxploitation” sub-genre. Cohen believes that the genre died out due to the exceptionally poor quality of many blaxploitation films. Despite their racist content, and the racist attitudes of the studios producing these films, the actors themselves, including Fred Williamson and Pam Grier, were grateful for the work they were doing, and directors recount good experiences working with them. One of the most notable science-fiction exploitation filmmakers, Ackerman recounts that he was an avid moviegoer in his youth who recounts seeing his first exploitation film, the 1924 silent film “Dante’s Inferno,” featuring scenes of nude women being whipped by demons. He also recounts seeing the 1931 “Frankenstein” film, which used theater gimmicks to drum up audience interest. These films, often ones directed by figures such as William Castle, used such gimmicks, such as “The House on Haunted Hill” or “The Tingler,” which used a ghost puppet and electrified seats respectively, as a means of frightening unwary audience members. Filmmaker Charles Band notes his lifelong affinity for science-fiction and horror films, discussing the concepts behind exploitation and the nature of modern movie distribution and production. Finally, Ed Wood, perhaps the most well-known exploitation filmmaker in the United States, is examine. Wood famous for low-budget films such as 1953’s “Glen or Glenda” and 1959’s “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” While his films are noted for their poor quality, Wood is remembered for his extreme passion for filmmaking and his infamously boundless optimism about his work. Some go so far as to call him a “genius” for his unique sensibilities and “raw” filmmaking technique.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: June 19, 1997
- RUNNING TIME: 1:29:59
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:73871
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Dominique Barneaud … Executive Producer, Researcher
- Kalamazoo Films Production … Executive Producer
- Fabrice Roux … Executive Producer
- Doug Headline … Director, Writer
- Dominique Cazenave … Director, Writer
- Jean-Baptiste Leonetti … Researcher
- John Landis … Interviewee
- David Friedman … Interviewee
- Charles Napier … Interviewee
- Johnny Legend … Interviewee
- Titus Moody … Interviewee
- Harry Novak … Interviewee
- Barbara Steele … Interviewee
- William Lustig … Interviewee
- Larry Cohen … Interviewee
- Joe Dante … Interviewee
- Bob Burns … Interviewee
- Jack Hill … Interviewee
- Forrest J. Ackerman … Interviewee
- Charles Band … Interviewee
- Samuel Arkoff
- Brigitte Bardot
- Sonny Bono
- William Castle
- Roger Corman
- Herschell Gordon Lewis
- Pam Grier
- Russ Meyer
- Fred Williamson
- Ed Wood