DVD Review: American Grindhouse

It was only a matter of time after Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse (2007) that this documentary -- with this specific title -- would come along. And American Grindhouse a most welcome one, given that this is a relatively under-explored and unappreciated facet of American cinema history. I just wish that it had dug a little bit deeper, or been a little bit more daring in its presentation. Even so, it's a good clip show and it made me add a few titles to my must-see list.

Director Elijah Drenner unfortunately chooses to shoot his doc in the old tried-and-true PBS talking head style, in chronological order, which is kind of a tame way to tackle such a dynamic subject. But regardless, we have some old favorites here: filmmakers Joe Dante and John Landis, who are always good for some thoughts and stories about the good old days of horror and exploitation films. We have my friend and colleague Eddie Muller, the tireless author and expert on all things film noir. We have the gorgeous and whip-smart film critic Kim Morgan. And Robert Forster (from Tarantino's Jackie Brown) narrates.

Other filmmakers turn up to discuss specific films: Jack Hill, Ted V. Mikels, Larry Cohen, Jonathan Kaplan, Herschell Gordon Lewis, William Lustig, and others. Even Fred Williamson (Black Caesar) is here. The movie is divided up into neat little chapters, talking about specific developments, such as bikers, "blaxploitation," and the emergence of sex. It goes back a bit for movies that set the stage for the grindhouse, like Freaks (1932) and Mom and Dad (1945).

Then it has some vague thing to say about the way Hollywood took over this formula in the mainstream. Ironic, given that this kind of celebration and study of the grindhouse phenomenon is part of that same trend. Nevertheless, all the old movies shown here (and more) are out there and ready for watching anew. Perhaps American Grindhouse can help point the way.

Extras on the DVD include a gallery of vintage trailers, a "making of" featurette, deleted footage, and photo galleries. Kino Lorber has released it as a single disc, and also in a double-feature with Nightmares in Red, White and Blue.