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Ten “Grindhouse” Films Worth Watching

With the arrival of Grindhouse in the theaters today, a lot of lists are coming out with “Grindhouse” films recommended by professional critics. Some of them are actually pretty good. But, for the majority of them, if you look closely at the lists, you’ll realize the recommenders never actually saw the films listed. Some of the offenders proffer widely known, but rarely actually seen, trash. Take, for example, Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS. I’ve seen this on countless lists. But, aside from its shocking title and amusing film trivia (It was shot on the set of Hogan’s Hero’s), it’s a rather uninteresting film. Those of you who actually have seen it were probably bored to tears (I know I was). And then there are the plethora of inaccurate film descriptions. In the past few days I’ve seen references to Stray Cat Rock as a series of pink films, and I Spit on Your Grave as “The most X-Rated of X-Rated films ever.” Note that for the last one, the same critic referred to Rodriguez’s Grindhouse entry as “Terror Planet.”

In an effort to remedy this rather sad situation, here’s our list of 10 exploitation films worth watching not only because of their outlandish treatments, but because they’re also quality flicks. And the best part? All the films on this list we’ve actually seen. No neo-Cult-enthusiast posing whatsoever. Enjoy.

The Big Doll House
My favorite Jack Hill movie. Pam Grier, Sid Haig, and a bunch of hotties with terrible acting skills. There are infinitely many quotables from this film (”Good for you that son of a bitch”, note the lack of a comma). Great trashy fun. Don’t bother with the sequel.

Black Belt Jones
I won’t pretend to be an expert on Blaxploitation films, but this one’s a blast. Definitely better than Shaft or Dolemite. Features the awesomely afro’d Jim Kelly, of Enter the Dragon fame, kicking ass and taking names.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Okay, so this one’s not technically an exploitation film, but it’s one of my favorite. Sam Peckinpah’s tale of piano player turned “hit-man”, a severed head, a hefty bounty, and a race across the desert is easily his best film ever. Watch it now.

Cannibal Holocaust
This film shocks even today. And, although the Mondo Craze has died down, the advent of Reality Television makes the film’s message all the more important. A warning to animal lovers: This film (and many of the other Cannibal films for that matter) has some very uncalled for violence toward our furry friends. You might want to try to get a British cut of the film that has these bits removed.

Death Race 2000
Sylvester Stallone, David Carradine, a young Mary Woronov, and vehicular manslaughter. How could anyone resist?

I Spit On Your Grave
Don’t believe the naysayers. Most haven’t even seen the film. An awesome tale of revenge, and surprisingly, of female empowerment. If only all rapists received the punishments dealt out by Camille Keaton in this film.

Lady Snowblood
Meiko Kaji in one of her best on screen roles. I love this film too much to review it. The sequel definitely isn’t as good. If you’re feeling adventurous, also check out the Female Prisoner Scorpion films.

Shogun Assassin
Two Lone Wolf & Cub films spliced into one. 98 minutes of non-stop violence and moog synth funkiness.

School of the Holy Beast
I’ve included this one in our Halloween list previously. Watching this film is probably a sin. Norifumi Suziki’s “nunsploitation” film is a ribald mixture of sleaze and stunning cinematography. Crazy crazy stuff. Highly recommended.

The Street Fighter
Another Norifumi Suzuki movie. This is actually the best of the Street Fighter series, and infinitely better than the rather artless Sister Street Fighter films. Sonny Chiba kicks major ass, all the while sounding like he’s hocking the biggest loogie known to man. Fun stuff.

Also worth seeing if the above are not your bag (aka: Cult/Exploitation films worth watching once):
Sex and Fury (with Reiko Ike and Christina Lindberg), The Beyond (one of Fulci’s most vile films), Zombi 2 (the Italian “sequel” to Dawn of the Dead), Tenebre (Kill Bill’s arm chopping scene owes everything to this film), The Return of the Five Deadly Venoms (Better than the first). And, if you find you really do enjoy the exploitation cinema scene, I highly recommend the documentary, Schlock: The Secret History of American Movies.
That’s it. Feel free to post your own recommendations below. Given the bevy of Grindhouse reviews (everyone and their mother seems to have written one) I’m going to sit this one out. Feel free to post your thoughts on the film here as well.