Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies

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+.

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.

It says a lot about my movie collection that I could identify the movie before it was mentioned, and I own the vast majority of them. This probably wasn't meant to be a promotional piece for Something Weird Video, but if you like the movies talked about in this excellent documentary, the vast majority are available from SWV.

This documentary is loaded with fascinating clips and interviews with people involved with exploitation films of the 50's and 60's. Such people as Roger Corman, Doris Wishman, Harry Novack and others give insight into the making of horror, sex, and other low-budget movies that makes one wish that era was still around.

It's great to see a clip of the beautifully strange Pat Barrington in The Agony of Love (an interesting film you should check out). Someone should make a film of Ms. Barrington's life. Vampira even pops up here! I recommend this highly and have seen many of the films mentioned. Drive-in movies had a special quality of their own and it's a shame there are so few left in America.

What a weird and revealing documentary this is! Lots of clips from old exploitation sci-fi and Russ Meyers-ish nudie movies, but with interviews and commentary that makes you stop laughing at the pictures and then start reflecting on them. A truly unique and evocative experience, and one that will be full of surprises for anyone who isn't already a big cult movie watcher.