A Slasher Theater Weekly Top 10: Grindhouse Cinema

My apologies for this being so long overdue, my bad.

But anyway, this week's Top 10 is a tribute to the gritty, dirty, and downright awesome films of the grindhouse era. Mostly low budget and overly violent, grindhouse/exploitation films are the backbone of the modern horror genre. These films truly pushed the boundaries of cinema in a way no one had before. So here we go

10. Grindhouse (2007)

Tarantino and Rodriguez's double feature film was an awesome tribute to the genre made many years after the golden age of exploitation cinema, yet still managed to capture the feel of a true grindhouse film with its stylized depictions of violence, gritty look, and unrealistic tone.

9. Hobo With a Shotgun (2011)

Much like Grindhouse, Hobo With a Shotgun (which was only made thanks to the previously mentioned Grindhouse) is a tribute to over the top exploitation that thrived in seedy, dark move theaters.

8. Black Dynamite (2009)

I promise, this is the last tribute movie on this list. Black Dynamite captured to groovy feel of blaxploitation cinema (a genre that was also a huge part of grindhouse culture) and also managed to be extremely funny at the same time.

7. Coffy (1973)

Pam Grier became the queen of blaxploitation cinema after this classic grindhouse film.

6. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Many people forget that Romero's zombie films first sprung to life in grindhouse theaters.

5. Suspiria (1977)

A classic of Italian horror by Dario Argento. Grindhouse theaters are what first brought this and other giallo films to the United States.

4. I Spit On Your Grave (1978)

Roger Ebert (most of my readers already know my opinion of him) calls this revenge themed film about a rape victim "a vile bag of garbage...without a shred of artistic distinction." so naturally you know it's a great exploitation film.


3. Halloween (1978)

Much like blaxploitation, the slasher genre also has its roots in grindhouse horror.

2. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Much like blaxploitation AND slasher films, the zombie genre ALSO has its roots in grindhouse cinema.

And the grittiest, dirtiest, most vile of them all is...

1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Quentin Tarantino and I both agree that Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest grindhouse film of all time. Everything about this film screams exploitation. The characters, the plot, the yellow-tinted look of the film, the deranged lunatic in a human-skin mask. A masterpiece of cinema.




Honorable mentions: Vanishing Point, the fake trailers in Grindhouse (2007), The Devil's Rejects and House of 1000 Corpses