Grindhouse Experience

Posted by Zac in Entertainment and Pop Culture Movies.

Years ago, before everything became so sanitized, the grindhouse was a place where the theater would literally grind out one film after another. Usually the quality of these films were lacking, with titles and posters which were far better than the movies themselves. Interest in grindhouse theaters and the films they’d show has picked up over the last two years after the release of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s double feature Planet Terror and Death Proof. DVD companies are releasing related boxsets left and right, such as the one I’m reviewing today, Fortune 5 DVD’s 20 film set, Grindhouse Experience.

Womens Camp 119- This is a women in prison film, a sub-genre which I’m not a fan of. It’s set during World War 2 and the Nazi’s are doing experiments on the the prisoner’s. The ending tries to pass it off as a film with a strong message, but in reality Women’s Camp 119 is a film that will offend some and bore most. Directed by Cannibal Ferox’s Bruno Mattei.

Tortured Angels- This one starts off in an Asian girls reform school, but three of them escape to get vengeance on a crooked doctor who got one of them put away. An unintentionally funny film which is great in a bad movie kind of way. Watch for the smiley evil face that appears in the dark.

Raw Force- People on a cruise ship land on an island where terrorists are supplying the native cannibals with women. Like a mix of The Love Boat, Vampire Hookers, and Tombs of the Blind Dead with explosions and kung fu fights thrown in. Starring Cameron Mitchell.

Savage Man/Savage Beast- I’ve been bamboozzeled! What initially looked like a crazy hermit vs careless hippies movie turned out to be a documentary about hunting and the relations between humans and animals. Actually very good.

Confessions of a Police Captain- Martin Balsam and Franco Nero play a police captain and district attorney who piss on each other while trying to put away the evil Debrusio. Besides the two leads, there are loads of Italian character actors on hand here. Despite the title, this is more similar to The Shield than Bad Lieutenant. Not bad.

Executioner 2- A ‘Nam vet goes vigilante. Bad fx, bad acting. I mean really bad. Awful.

Poseidon Explosion- The title clearly rips off of a much bigger film (if you have to ask which one, your hopeless), and they even hired an actor who looked like Ernest Borgnine. I gave up on the plot 23 minutes into the movie. According to this film there are three genders, women, men, and violinists.

Earthquake 7.9- Typical natural disaster film where the scientist predicts what’s coming but nobody listens until it’s too late. There’s a romantic subplot somewhere between the stock footage scenes. It picks up once the mayhem starts, which is what most people watch disaster films for anyway.

The Violent Professionals- A Dirty Harry rip-off where a shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later cop tries to take down corruption. Unlike many films of this type, it doesn’t try to pass itself off as an American film.

Frank and Tony- Lee Van Cleef plays Frank, a tough and seasoned gangster. Tony Labianco plays Tony, a goof with big dreams. After becoming friends in prison, Tony helps Frank seek vengeance. Okay movie with cool power drill murders.

Kung Fu Punch of Death- About a young man’s continual attempts at defeating two kung fu expert brothers. Not as good as the type of movies the Shaw Brothers put out. The fights aren’t nearly as fluid. Featuring the world’s most dangerous ponytail.

Return of the Tiger- Paul Bartel (Pieces) runs a karate school filled with reprobates, while Bruce Li (not a spelling mistake) tries to take him down. Lot’s of double crosses, but the film is dull until the final fight. Bartel’s facial expressions are hilarious, and there are plenty of 70’s soul hits dubbed in.

Go Kill and Come Back- Easily the best title in the entire set. Too bad the movie doesn’t live up to it. A copy of a copy of a copy of A Fistful of Dollars. Starring Ed Byrnes (Wicked, Wicked) as Clayton. Dissappointing.

Bounty Man- Typical western loner Kincaid tries to collect the bounty on outlaw Billy Riddle, but other men are trying to kill Kincaid and collect the bounty on Riddle themselves. Another dull film, notable because it features an early role for Margot Kidder.

Three Tough Guys- Blaxploitation cop movie starring Isaac Hayes, Fred Williamson, and Lino Ventura. A limp film with not nearly enough Fred Williamson.

Mandinga- An insulting film about evil slave owners that plays on base emotions. Filled with rape, torture, racism, and incest. Probably tried to cash in on Roots, but lands closer to a Mondo Cane movie.

The Children- A school bus drives through toxic gas and turns the kids evil. Harry Manfredini did the score, which is why it sounds so similar to Friday the 13th. I like the method of stopping the kids, but the film itself is boring.

Demon Witch Child- The spirit of an evil witch is transferred into the body of an annoying girl. This one looked promising when I saw it was directed by Amando de Ossorio (the Blind Dead series), but I had no sympathy for the child, which is critical to the film. Rips off The Exorcist, among others.

High School Hitch Hikers- Two girls hold up at a mansion and get caught up with some jewel thiefs. While there are some softer-than-softcore sex scenes, the film is not nearly as lurid as the title suggests. I felt cheated because there was no actual hitch hiking.

Carry on Emannuelle- A goofy British sex comedy that opens with a song that would have been right at home on one of those 80’s sitcoms that only lasted for six episodes. Includes nearly every sexual pun and sight gag imaginable.

All in all, I don’t recommend this set, as the bad far outweighs the good. I prefer BCI’s Exploitation Cinema series, which are presented as double features and includes trailers.

Entertainment and Pop Culture, Movies |