Grindhouse Trailer Classics 2 (1965 - 1980)

The Collection

The Grindhouse film has attained an almost legendary status in recent years and was homaged in a multi-million pound tribute film in 2007. However there is really no such thing as a Grindhouse genre, the exploitation cinemas which became known as the Grindhouses (in reference to their predecessors, the burlesque houses with their "bump & grind" dancing) would show anything that would attract the young male audience - so usually breasts, blood and explosions. At least as interesting as the films themselves were the trailers used to promote them - usually trying to cram all of the sex or blood in the whole film (and occasionally adding some more from other films) into a three minute runtime. The producers would desperately try and outdo each other with trailer voice-overs and catchy titles to make sure that they stuck in the minds of the impatient cinema patrons and they became an icon of the Grindhouse era in themselves.

This DVD presents 55 trailers from the early days of the era in the late 1960s to its last hurrah in the 1980s when horror films started to target an even younger demographic and cities began to clean-up their act, relegating the Grindhouse cinemas to the wrecker's ball. The films chosen represent most of the favourite genres that made up most Grindhouse playbills. Although not the all out porn that became popular in the later days of the era, the disc includes both the light hearted sex comedies and the darker sexploitation films, including the notorious Women-in-Prison films such as Women in Cages and Wanda the Wicked Warden. Horror is represented in all of its forms from the low budget slashers like Don't look in the Basement to the more cerebral Vampyres. Imported films were always popular, when dubbed of course - Sonny Chiba turns up in a couple of the ever popular Kung-fu films while European cinema is represented with Giallo, Euro-crime and Euro-horror, including Paul Naschy, Franco Nero and Dario Argento productions. Home grown exploitation comes in the form of the Blaxploitation films, mostly starring Pam Grier, including Foxy Brown. The producers of the DVD have also managed to dig up a couple of really obscure titles, in the form of the improbably low budget looking Criminally Insane and the indescribable Worm Eaters (yes the title explains the film's "plot" very well).

The trailers show some wonderful attempts to outdo each other - many of them warning the audience at the opening that they are about to witness the most shocking film they have ever seen, although only Cuthroats Nine goes as far as to offer the audience a 'horror mask' to hide behind - a throwback to the classic William Castle promotions of the 1950s and 60s, many of them do however boast that they cannot show all the scenes they want to in the trailer, while the Undertaker and his Pals trailer actually cuts off half way through so the 'producer' can warn the audience about what they are about to see. The titles are equally memorable and instantly make it clear what sort of film they are - it would be impossible to mistake Jailbait Babysitter or Blood Orgy of the She Devils for much else than they are.

The trailers are each seperated by a brief pause that help to make it clear when they start and end. They are well arranged on the disc to help avoid too much repetition being obvious and although not many will make it through the complete two hour runtime in a single sitting, each trailer has its own chapter stop and is named on the chapter menus so it is easy to jump to where you want to start. This is a very well put together DVD and a wonderfully ecclectic mix of trailers from all of the different genres that made up the era. For any fans of the Grindhouse era then this collection is a must-have, making a wonderful wishlist for films to track down. It will certainly be worth picking up for any fans of cult cinema in general and would make a great conversation piece and background noise for the right sort of party. Recommended.

Films Included

In Brief

The DVD

Summary

• A wonderfully diverse selection of trailers from the Grindhouse era, a must have for fans.

• A very well put together DVD - the print quality is as good as it can look and the trailers are well arranged to avoid too much repetition.

Links

• For explanations of technical terms, see the DVD Dictionary.

All text in this review written by Timothy Young - 3rd September 2008.
Text from this review not to be used without authorization.

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