Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies

"Schlock" is a fascinating, feature length documentary about the "exploitation" films of the 50s and 60s and their lasting impact upon the film industry. It also provides an insightful look into what the word "exploitation" really means.

"Schlock" introduces the viewer to the world of art-house and grindhouse flicks, everything from Nudie Cuties and Roughies right up to the Gore of Herschell Gordon Lewis. Few of these films ever saw a major theatrical release, but nevertheless managed to lure in viewers by the thousands...and dollars by the millions, influencing a whole new generation of filmmakers including Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdonovich and Sam Peckinpah. Among the interviewed are Roger Corman, the legendary Doris Wishman, Forrest Ackerman, Samuel Arkoff and Maila Nurmi, all of whom provide fascinating glimpses into a world of skin, sin and blood which not even the censors could stop.

Films featured and discussed include "The Defilers" "Bucket of Blood" "The Terror" "The Immoral Mr. Teas" "Carnival of Souls" "Kiss Me Quick" and "Bad Girls Go To Hell" to name only a few. The clips themselves are bright with candy colored lights and lots of healthy T&A, or dark with menacing shadows and splattered with blood. Either way, the viewing experience here is much like indulging in a rich feast, and is almost as good as seeing the original films themselves. From the lasting effects of World War 2, the threat of nuclear annihilation and the bloody upheaval of America in the 1960s, "Schlock" shows us the sometimes ugly, sometimes funny but always entertaining truth about the origins of these powerful films and their own lasting influence upon modern day Hollywood.

Absolutely engrossing!

No one documentary could reasonably encompass the full range of the Exploitation Cinema, though SCHLOCK! gives it a decent go. By focusing in on just a few key figures, Director Greene gives us some depth into their careers, but limits the overall breadth of the subject.

For those familiar with AIP & Roger Corman, the first section will probably contain nothing new. The dry, academic narration doesn't help matters. Countless articles, books and interviews with and by Corman and Sam Arkoff leave little room for anything fresh to be said. Some of their "discoveries" such as Peter Bogdanovich and Dick Miller also appear. The ID's on the clips are sketchy during this section as well (But improves for some reason during the rest of the film. The one glaring exception there is that the only example of early sexploitation in the cinema are excerpts from METROPOLIS of all things - AND, they're not ID'd).

The Documentary kicks into gear with the long middle section focusing on David Friedman, Doris Wishman and Harry Novak and the less well known Nudist, Nudie Cutie and Roughie Sexploitation era. Friedman too has made the rounds the past couple of decades, but he's the consummate showman. The Documentary springs to life whenever he's on screen. Though there is a brief afterword on the post-Sexploitation era, the Documentary seems to take the point-of-view that Exploitation cinema ended in the early 70's when mainstream Hollywood began making the pictures that these pioneers had been making for decades (an opinion oft echoed). This short-changes the period of Drive-In Exploitation cinema that flourished in the 70s' and then had a brief revival during the VCR boom of the 80's and early-90's (This despite the fact that Corman was and IS active throughout this latter period. The film dismisses Corman's post-AIP career in a few seconds).

A note on the DVD. The behind the scenes "tour" of Novak's studio/office is a fascinating peek at an era long-gone, and David Friedman shows off his best Carnival barker routine. Both pieces are fully worth the price of the DVD. In just the few years since this doc was made, the Cinema has lost both Doris Wishman and Samuel Z. Arkoff, making their inclusion here even more valuable.

Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies (2001)

**** (out of 4)

Only God himself knows how many documentaries I've seen on "B" movies because I've really lost count over the years. However, I do know this here is probably the best of the bunch as it sinks its teeth into the exploitation flicks of the 30's, the low-budget teenage films of the 50's and more explicit sexploitation films of the 60's. Roger Corman, Forrest J. Ackerman, Samuel Z. Arkoff, Peter Bogdanovich, Doris Wishman, David Friendman, Dick Miller, Harry Novak and even Vampira are interviewed among others. The documentary does a great job at telling how the studio system was bombing at the box office and the likes of Corman were making millions by spending very little. The doc also does a great job at showing how difficult it was to make these films with some of them coming in in just three days. Clips from various classics are shown as well.

Generally well-done, highly introspective detailing of the birth, evolution, rise, and demise of all those exploitation films of the fifties and sixties primarily. Ray Greene narrates, produces, and directs with obvious love for these films and those that made them. Along for informative interviews are Roger Corman, Samuel Arkoff, Harry Novak, David Friedman, and Doris Wishman. The film looks at the rise of these films in an almost clinical/historical approach. Greene tries to relate the film types - gore, nudie cutie, roadshow, etc... - within the historical context surrounding the times. While this undertaking might not seem all that complicated, the films and their distinctive types are legion. Greene does address most of them with enthusiasm and applicable film clips. It was very interesting hearing Corman and Dick Miller reminisce about some of their work in particular, and the documentary definitely got me excited about seeing some films I might not have otherwise seen. That is always a strength of any medium. The DVD has lots of very cool extras which include more interviews and even a weird short from a power company. I wish further examination had been explored into the 70s, perhaps the heyday of these films as far as I am concerned. And though the documentary has a distinct academic nature for a subject you would think could not lend itself to such treatment, everything provided is done so in a most entertaining way. If you love any of these films from the period, the documentary is definitely worth a look or two.

a good look at the whole exploitation phenomenon that began in the 50s. unlike "mau mau sex sex," this film does a really good job of informing the viewer how and why exploitation movies became so popular. it looks at social and political forces that guided the rise and demise of the industry. it looks at landmark films, directors and producers. and rather than focus just on their effect on exploitation films, it looks at their effect on mainstream films as well. if you want to know about exploitation films of the 50s and 60s, this is the documentary to check out. as one reviewer noted, many of the films mentioned are released by "something weird video," another label to explore is "troma" which has many similar titles. B+.