END Films

Herschell Gordon Lewis in American Grindhouse

Fred Williamson in American Grindhouse

Judy Brown in American Grindhouse

From top to bottom: director Jack Hill, director
Herschell Gordon Lewis, actor Fred "The Hammer"
Williamson and actress Judy Brown being
interviewed in AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE.

In the ensuing time, Drenner delved headfirst into a world of Exploitation films and filmmakers, reading, watching, consuming anything he could find in order to learn more. “I watched more movies than I might like to admit—sometimes as many as three or four a day—but more than just low-budget Exploitation movies. I needed to get the whole picture of cinema.

In the beginning, AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE was a completely different picture than what has finally ended up on-screen. The documentary was originally conceived as a project that would tell multiple stories of filmmakers who had worked during the heyday of Exploitation filmmaking and what happened to their careers when the film industry changed. “It was—admittedly—lackluster. I was the only one who found these stories fascinating,” Drenner laughs. And so it was decided that the film would, in fact, chronicle the very foundation of Exploitation in show business, from Thomas Edison right up to the present day.

To make sense out of the previously-shot footage—which included hours of interviews with Jack Hill, Herschell Gordon Lewis and many others—Drenner sought the assistance of contemporary filmmakers, writers and historians to recount the story of Exploitation. Enter the likes of Dr. Eric Schaefer, historian Eddie Muller and such Hollywood legends as John Landis, Joe Dante and Fred Williamson—all of whom were willing and eager to celebrate this neglected side of cinema. As Drenner puts it, “To tell the story of Exploitation in American cinema is to tell the story of Show Business itself, and everyone we talked to understood that.”

AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE is the greatest documentary about the history of American Cinema ever made. Shameless ballyhoo, or certifiable fact? Watch the doc and decide for yourself!

Useless Movie Trivia!
Shot over the course of 1 year, three interviews with filmmakers never made the final cut: Ray Dennis Steckler (THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES), Joseph Ellison (DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE) and Tim Sullivan (2001 MANIACS).


American Grindhouse



"When you would go into these theaters, there was an ever-present feeling of danger."

Production Notes: From top to bottom: director Jack Hill, director Herschell Gordon Lewis, actor Fred "The Hammer" Williamson and actress Judy Brown being interviewed in AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE. AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE is the end result of nearly ten years of passion and research by producer/director Elijah Drenner. In 2000, Drenner sought out filmmaker Jack Hill while attending film school in Minneapolis, MN. “I really loved Jack’s movies (FOXY BROWN, SWITCHBLADE SISTERS) and I was so surprised by how unlike his films he was in person when we finally met. He was gentle, compassionate and deeply spiritual—hardly how I pictured the guy who directed Pam Grier blowing off a drug pusher’s head in COFFY!” And so it began, an ill-fated but determined attempt by a film school dropout to make a documentary about his hero, Jack Hill. The project was never completed, despite the helpful participation of such luminaries as actor Sid Haig and producer Roger Corman. In the ensuing time, Drenner delved headfirst into a world of Exploitation films and filmmakers, reading, watching, consuming anything he could find in order to learn more. “I watched more movies than I might like to admit—sometimes as many as three or four a day—but more than just low-budget Exploitation movies. I needed to get the whole picture of cinema. In the beginning, AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE was a completely different picture than what has finally ended up on-screen. The documentary was originally conceived as a project that would tell multiple stories of filmmakers who had worked during the heyday of Exploitation filmmaking and what happened to their careers when the film industry changed. “It was—admittedly—lackluster. I was the only one who found these stories fascinating,” Drenner laughs. And so it was decided that the film would, in fact, chronicle the very foundation of Exploitation in show business, from Thomas Edison right up to the present day. Easier said than done. To make sense out of the previously-shot footage—which included hours of interviews with Jack Hill, Herschell Gordon Lewis and many others—Drenner sought the assistance of contemporary filmmakers, writers and historians to recount the story of Exploitation. Enter the likes of Dr. Eric Schaefer, historian Eddie Muller and such Hollywood legends as John Landis, Joe Dante and Fred Williamson—all of whom were willing and eager to celebrate this neglected side of cinema. As Drenner puts it, “To tell the story of Exploitation in American cinema is to tell the story of Show Business itself, and everyone we talked to understood that.” AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE is the greatest documentary about the history of American Cinema ever made. Shameless ballyhoo, or certifiable fact? Watch the doc and decide for yourself! Useless Movie Trivia! Shot over the course of 1 year, three interviews with filmmakers never made the final cut: Ray Dennis Steckler (THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES), Joseph Ellison (DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE) and Tim Sullivan (2001 MANIACS).


Filming director Ted V. Mikels at his TVM Productions studio.	Screenwriter James Gordon White ruminating in the desert sun.


Truck Turner's got director Jonathan Kaplan's back.	Director Lewis Teague gets wired by DP Dan Greene.


AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE director Elijah Drenner averts his eyes out of respect for director John Landis.


Play a preview of AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE


Please be sure to visit the official website AmericanGrindhouse.com


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