American Grindhouse

Feb 4, 2011

1h 22m

★ 6.8

Giving ‘Em What They Want Since the Dawn of Motion Pictures.

Overview

This documentary explores the hidden history of the American Exploitation Film. The movie digs deep into this often overlooked category of U.S. cinema and unearths the shameless and occasionally shocking origins of this popular entertainment.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Lux Digital Pictures

End Films

American Grindhouse Trailers

Cast

Himself - Narrator

Robert Forster

Herself

Allison Anders

Himself

John Landis

Herself

Kim Morgan

Himself

Fred Olen Ray

Himself

Joe Dante

Himself

Herschell Gordon Lewis

Himself

William Lustig

Himself

Lewis Teague

Himself

David Hess

Himself

Bob Minor

Himself

Jack Hill

An insider's account of Jack Warner, a founding father of the American film industry. This feature length documentary provides the rags to riches story of the man whose studio - Warner Bros - created many of Hollywood's most classic films. Includes extensive interviews with family members and friends, film clips, rare home movies and unique location footage.

6.8

Shine a Light

Apr 4, 2008

Martin Scorsese’s electrifying concert documentary captures The Rolling Stones live at New York’s Beacon Theatre during their A Bigger Bang tour. Filmed over two nights in 2006 with an all-star team of cinematographers, the film combines dynamic performances with archival footage and rare glimpses behind the scenes, offering a vibrant portrait of the band’s enduring energy and legacy.

6.5

Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic

Apr 5, 2004

Documentary about the legendary American film director from his introduction to the film industry in its early years to his death in 1959.

6.7

Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light

Feb 2, 2000

Actor/director Sidney Poitier discusses his life and career. He tells of his upbringing in Jamaica; the difficulties he encountered in New York City at the start of his career; his involvement in the US civil-rights movement; and efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. Friends and acquaintances, as well as other performers, give their insights about what makes him so special.

No Image

5.5

Animated Motion: Part 1

Jan 1, 1976

The first part of this series by Norman McLaren deals only with tempo. It starts by showing the disc travelling in one move (1/24 of a second) from A to B, and progressively demonstrates slower and slower tempos.

6.0

Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror

Jun 20, 2014

In the late sixties, Spanish cinema began to produce a huge amount of horror genre films: international markets were opened, the production was continuous, a small star-system was created, as well as a solid group of specialized directors. Although foreign trends were imitated, Spanish horror offered a particular approach to sex, blood and violence. It was an extremely unusual artistic movement in Franco's Spain.

No Image

0.0

The Birth of Children of Paradise

Jan 1, 1967

Documentary about the making of Marcel Carne's 1945 film Children of Paradise (France), interviewing the director, the actors and production designer, as well as other French directors.

0.0

Cesare Zavattini

Jan 1, 2003

Documentary about Italian film screenwriter Cesare Zavattini

7.0

Chishu Ryu and Shochiku's Ofuna Studio

Jan 1, 1988

Documentary about the life and career of Japanese actor Chishu Ryu.

0.0

The Making of "Tampopo"

Jan 1, 1986

Documentary about the making of Juzo Itami's film "Tampopo" (1985).

6.5

Talking with Ozu

Nov 27, 1993

A tribute to the legendary Japanese film director featuring the reflections of filmmakers Lindsay Anderson, Claire Denis, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Aki Kaurismäki, Stanley Kwan, Paul Schrader, and Wim Wenders

8.3

Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us

Jul 1, 2003

This is a documentary about the making of "Wings of Desire" (1987). The director, writer, actors, composer and other contributors speak at length and in detail about how the award-winning film was devised, cast, filmed, scored and edited.

6.7

Counter Shot: Departure of the Filmmakers

Feb 14, 2008

Documentary about filmmakers of the New German Cinema who were members of the legendary Filmverlag für Autoren (Film Publishing House for Authors). Among them are Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Wim Wenders.

No Image

4.1

Samarang

Jun 28, 1933

A pseudo-documentary, “Samarang” tells the story of lowly Ahmang (Captain A.V. Cockle) and his socially superior love, Sai-Yu (Theresa Seth). Both live in the village of Samarang in the Indian Ocean. Because Sai-Yu is the daughter of a chief and Ahmang is but a poor fisherman, he needs to increase his wealth before asking for her hand. Thus he accepts the perilous offer of the wily Chang-Fu, who seeks pearl divers. Ahmang must brave the treacherous waters of the Forbidden Lagoon of Sakai, home to bloodthirsty cannibals, killer sharks, and a monstrous grasping octopus. Sai-Yu and Ahmang’s younger brother Ko-Hai come along for kicks, too. Ahmang finds his pearl, but he and Sai-Yu are stranded on the island, where they befriend a local orangutan. When they return to the boat, a shark kills Ko-Hai, and Ahmang must get revenge.

7.2

The Gig Is Up

Aug 14, 2021

A very human tech doc, uncovers the real costs of the platform economy through the lives of workers from around the world for companies including Uber, Amazon and Deliveroo. From delivering food and driving ride shares to tagging images for AI, millions of people around the world are finding work task by task online. The gig economy is worth over 5 trillion USD globally, and growing. And yet the stories of the workers behind this tech revolution have gone largely neglected. Who are the people in this shadow workforce? It brings their stories into the light. Lured by the promise of flexible work hours, independence, and control over time and money, workers from around the world have found a very different reality. Work conditions are often dangerous, pay often changes without notice, and workers can effectively be fired through deactivation or a bad rating. Through an engaging global cast of characters, it reveals how the magic of technology we are being sold might not be magic at all.

6.5

Hitler's Hollywood

Feb 23, 2017

Film journalist and critic Rüdiger Suchsland examines German cinema from 1933, when the Nazis came into power, until 1945, when the Third Reich collapsed. (A sequel to From Caligari to Hitler, 2015.)

6.7

Robert Redford: The Golden Look

Jul 28, 2019

More than anyone in the cynical film industry, legendary artist Robert Redford embodies the United States' brightest side: perseverance, independence, idealism, and integrity. A champion of active environmentalism and the right to openly criticize any institutional abuse, he has put his artistic work at the service of his political commitments, whether as an actor, director, producer, or founder of the Sundance Festival, a formidable forum for his struggles since 1985.

No Image

7.2

Comrades in Dreams

Oct 15, 2006

Four lives that could not be more different and a single passion that unites them: the unconditional love for their cinemas, somewhere at the end of the world. Comrades in Dreams brings together six cinema makers from North Korea, America, India and Africa and follows their efforts to make their audiences dream every night.

8.0

Walt Disney's 'The Jungle Book': The Making of a Musical Masterpiece

Oct 14, 1997

Documentary about the making of Disney's animated musical adaptation of Kipling's classic.

7.9

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

Nov 27, 1991

A chronicle of the production problems — including bad weather, actors' health, war near the filming locations, and more — which plagued the filming of Apocalypse Now, increasing costs and nearly destroying the life and career of Francis Ford Coppola.