Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Reserve your spot over at the list thread.

LIST THREAD

As with most challenges, the goal is to reach 100 movies. Your own goal might be higher or lower. Challenge begins April 1, 2014, 12:00 am EDT and ends April 30 at dawn (that is, the morning of May 1).

This might be one of the most challenging challenges to date. What we are celebrating here is trash cinema. The dreck and dross of films.

Flotsam and just plain shit. Cult Movies, B-Movies, Exploitation, Guilty pleasures, all. "Bad" is a relative term. One person's trash can be another one's treasure. We're not here to denigrate these films, but to exult them (of course, if a film really sucks, then it can be fun to acknowledge that, too).

What kinds of films are we talking about? Well, there is no hard and fast rule. This one is largely up to you.

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<td width="700
"><h3>What is a B-Movie?</h3>
<p>A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture conceived neither as an arthouse film nor as pornography. In its original usage, during the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature. Although the U.S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s, the term B movie continued to be used in the broader sense it maintains today. In its post-Golden Age usage, there is ambiguity on both sides of the definition: on the one hand, many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity; on the other, the primary interest of many inexpensive exploitation films is prurient. In some cases, both are true.</p>
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<td><h3><a href="http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Exploitation+Film">What is an exploitation movie</a>?</h3>
<p>Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by &quot;exploiting&quot; often lurid subject matter. The term &quot;exploitation&quot; is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex, violence, romance, etc. An exploitation film, however, relies heavily on sensationalist advertising and broad and lurid overstatement of the issues depicted, regardless of the intrinsic quality of the film. Very often, exploitation films are of low quality in every sense. However, this has not always been the case. Exploitation films sometimes attract critical attention and cult followings.</p></td>
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Rules

The Goal is 100 films. These type of films tend to be short, but they also might be a challenge to get through. Your personal goal might be higher or lower, depending on your tolerance for this type of cinema.

A film can only be counted once per list with the exception of riffed/commentaried films (see below).

This challenge is for Movies. Although we are not allowing TV shows, Made for TV Movies are allowed as are Direct to Video features.

We are allowing documentaries on B-Movies, Exploitation and Drive-ins and those involved with the production thereof. These should be features over 40 minutes.. We are also allowing trailer compilations, such as 42nd Street Forever and Something Weird compilations. Compilations should be at least an hour.
Throw a viewing party and show trailers between movies.

Mystery Science Theater 3000, Riff Trax, Cinematic Titanic, etc. are allowed. If there is a second riffed version (for example, MST3K did one, then Cinematic Titanic did the same movie) you may watch the second and any additional riffed versions for a full credit each, but I encourage you to just watch another movie, instead.

Commentaries. All commentaries count as views.

Films that have been nominated for Oscars are discouraged but not banned. I had originally wanted this to be the only hard rule, but I came across too many exceptions.

Drive-In exception rule: Any film seen in an actual Drive-In during the challenge 2013, regardless of other qualification, counts toward your list.. Please note that it was a Drive-In Movie.

Mini-series and Serials: We will go with the Sci-Fi rule on TV Mini-series (one &quot;night&quot; equals an entry), on Serials (we'll go with an hour's worth per entry), provided they actually were theatrical serials. A serial episode is about 15-20 minutes, so an hour's worth counts as an entry. Four-15 minute ones or Three-20 minute episodes. This goes for other shorts and compilations as well.

There are 3 Wild Cards for non-conforming films. These are ones that are close but may have some doubts about.

For fun, keep a running tally of &quot;before they were famous&quot; appearances in your list.

Please number your lists. Also, it is helpful to put a link to your list in your signature. This makes it easier for others to check out your list.

Please tally your totals including &quot;new views&quot; at the end of the challenge.

&quot;I still don't understand what kinds of movies you are talking about.&quot;

This list is not exclusive nor definitive, but these are the most representative movies for the challenge:

• Biker Films
  
• Blaxploitation
  
• Cannibal Films
  
• Carsploitation
• Cult Movies
• Giallo films
• Mondo films
• Eco-Terror films
• Nazisploitation
• Rape / Revenge films
• Sexploitation
• Shocksploitation
• Spaghetti Westerns
• Women in Prison films
• Martial Arts films
• Eschploitation (religious end times)
• Hixploitation/Moonshiners
• Nunsploitation
• Stoner Films
• Vigilante films
• Financial Bombs
• Critical Bombs (Less than 20% Rotten Tomatoes or
  Metacritic or IMDB Bottom 100 {Bottom 100 archive})
• 1930s and 1940s Cautionary Films
• Juvenile Delinquent
• 60s Beach movies
• Elvis
• Films starring Rock Bands (or Rock stars that didn't become legit actors)
• Eurospy films (not James Bond)
• Depression era criminals
• "Ozploitation (Australian exploitation)
• "Foreign" Ripoff films (like Turkish cinema)
• Bollywood
• "Race" films (early films made specifically for the African-American market pre-1950)
• Films Dealing with "race" (pre-1965)
• MST3K version of a film,
• "Condemned" by the Catholic National Legion of Decency
• Bad Sequels to well-regarded films
• Mildred Pierce-type "Women's pictures" from the 40s-60s
• 3-D films from the 90s and before
• "Hood Films"
• Mexican Wrestling films

See below a list of filmmakers and actors that by their very presence make a film "safe". While some of these people (actors especially) might have some exceptions in their credits (like Star Trek for William Shatner), generally films with the listed creative talent are safe for the challenge. Questions? Ask in the thread.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Safe Lists
The following lists are Automatic Safe lists. They are not definitive and there might be exceptions therein. Generally, the presence of those on the lists in an actual creative capacity (that is, more than just a cameo or bit part. For instance, Bruce Campbell appearing in Spider-Man does not make Spider-Man safe) is enough to make a film safe. Got more? Post them and I'll update the list. Obviously, films not including these participants are safe, too. Update: I added several new names to the actors list. Some of these actors appeared in actual big budget Hollywood fare, but most of their career was in B-Movies, then obviously discard the Big Hollywood movies and just watch the B's (For example, William Shatner. Ignore Star Trek movies but anything else is fair game. Or Patrick Swazye. Ghost is probably not right, but most of his other films were B-Movies).

Automatic Safe list:

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-Q2khyuC6Ac" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Some notable April birthdays and deaths.

Passings since last challenge:

Mike Vraney
Harry Novak
Liu Chia-Liang
Damiano Damiani
Harry Reems
Del Tenney
Karen Black
José Ramón Larraz
Tony Musante
Jim Kelly
Hal Needham
Fred Lincoln
Michael Winner
Giuliano Gemma
Eddie Romero
Tom Laughlin

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Sweet!

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

This will give me a good reason to get through some discs I haven't watched for whatever reason

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Old Business? New Business?

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Anyone interested in being 1st Lieutenant? I am, as usual, overwhelmed at work this year. I work 11am to 7-9pm and have not as much time available as when these challenges started. I need someone with a knowledge of the genres to help make calls on eligibility and other general questions that come up in the thread.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

How about Alan Steel? I believe that's the name. He did some Hercules movies in the era of the Steve Reeves Hercules movies. Also, I don't know if this makes the movie safe or not, but I get a channel devoted to B movies/Cult films/Exploitation films called Epix Drive In, and lately, Star Trek III has been airing on it.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

next month is pretty busy for me - I'll participate to the best of my ability - but I can tell you know my list will be pretty sparse.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Same as Giles. Just a bad/good year depending who you ask I guess.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Oddly enough, same here. I'm trying to take weekends off so I can get through a good chunk then.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I think this might be the first challenge where I won't be buying a Mill Creek set to watch (Looks like the end of Crown International for me!)

Last year was also my first time participating in the checklist and I had a mostly good time with that. Looking forward to it again.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Same here. I've got lots of unwatched movies in the Mill Creek sets I already own, and some sets are completely unopened.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Back in January, after hearing that SWV founder Mike Vraney had passed away, I decided to make this year's Drive-In Challenge an all SWV Challenge. I still have a few unopened SWV/Image DVDs to watch, and lots of the ones I have seen I've only watched once, several years back, so I'm looking forward to re-watching those.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Other than the occasional monster movie, I plan to focus on my Mill Creek and Asylum movies.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I salute you for this. :thumbsup:

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I cheated last night and watched The Chilling
http://i.imgur.com/ubfBXht.jpg
Linda Blair vs. Cryo-Zombies
It was horrible, yet somehow so enjoyable.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I've been watching a lot of B Movies too for the current Action/Adventure Challenge.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I downloaded a bunch of crap for this...

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I recently bought a used copy of Revenge of the Ninja from GoHastings. Been debating watching it for the Action/Adventure Challenge now, or holding it for next month.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I've had my hard-drive wiped out in two challenges thanks to the D-word. I'm strictly relying on youtube viewings, netflix rentals/streams, discs in my collection and whatever will be on TV here on out.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I think I'll finally have proper time to devote to this challenge! :)

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

I've been ordering a lot of Arrow Blu-rays off Amazon UK among others. Bloodsucking Freaks Blu-ray is due the last day of the challenge.

Re: Fifth Annual Drive-in/Exploitation/B-Movie Challenge April 1-30 2014
 

Quick question. I know the Showa era Godzilla and Gamera films are ok, but what about the later ones. I have a good collection of Heisei and Millenium era Godzilla, and I have the Heisei Gamera movies on Blu Ray