American Grindhouse (2010)

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

American Grindhouse is presented as a straightforward account of the history of the genre, from inception to demise.

To make a long story short: 

Thomas Edison's company was the first to produce and film exploitation movies. As the works shifted from silent films to talkies, the genre boomed. Especially as this was before the infamous Hayes Code was introduced. Once the Hayes Code collapsed and sex could be shown on screen, the genre crept into to porn. With the release of Deep Throat, the softcore sex was over. The filmmakers had to either adapt or die. Hardcore sex films became the norm. Monster movies were still being produced at this time, but After the release of Jaws, the Hollywood films and the Grindhouse films began to blend into one another.
American Grindhouse reinforces the fact that with the success of Jaws, Hollywood realized that they could take B-movie monsters and present them successfully, and that eventually led to the end. Audiences, flocked to the theaters in droves to see the high budget works and like that, the appeal of the low budget film was over.

What I've Learned:

• Similar to prohibition, which banned alcohol, Once sex was banned via the Hayes Code, the genre exploded. 
• Thomas Edison's company was making exploitative films since they first produced films. (Edison was a smut peddler! Go Team Tesla!)
• The first exploitation film was released in November 24th, 1913. It was a silent film called, "A Traffic in Souls."
• Directors had to find ways to restrain themselves and be subtle in regards to the sexy while grindhouse films just blatantly put it out there. Thus the creation of Film Noire.
• These movies were not allow to be shown in Hollywood theaters, so they were shown in burlesque houses. The name Grindhouse came from the burlesque theaters as to burlesque meant to "jump and grind." (I dont' see nuthiiinnnn' wrooonnngggg...with a little jump and griiiinnddd)
• There is/was a subset of Nazi exploitation films. For a while, the nazi became the go to for images of horror, degradation, sex and murder. Since they were capable of such natural villainy. 
• Because sex was not allowed to be shown on screen, violence was An.accepted substitute, and that still stands true today. (Horrific deplorable violence is okay. As long as you don't use any naughty words!) 
• Above all, the goal was to make money and entertain.

Fred The Hammer Williamson is just about the most famous actor (male) to come out of the era.

Following Machete Maidens, I managed to check out American Grindhouse. A documentary detailing the rise and fall of the exploitation film era. As Women in Prison is a sub genre, there was some overlap, but for the most part, both of these docs and the stories within were different.

Out of Ten? 7

A good documentary for learning the history of the genre, but not as interesting or lively as Machete Maidens.

Violence? Yes
Explosions? No
Nudity? Yes