Hi everyone!
I will be the first to admit that I can occasionally be a little moody but tonight, as I sit here typing, I am in such a good, extremely hyper mood. Maybe it’s because I’m wearing my beloved black Pirates shirt. Or it could be because, for once, this house is neither too cold nor too warm. Then again, it could just be because it’s time for me to bring you another edition of Lisa Marie’s Favorite Grindhouse and Exploitation Trailers!
1) I Dismember Mama/The Blood-Splattered Bride (1974)
This is a trailer for a “double feature of horror,” featuring I Dismember Mama and The Blood-Splattered Bride. When I’ve spoken with other grindhouse movie fans on the web, this trailer is often cited as being a favorite. Personally, I think it goes along for about a minute too long but I can understand why it’s so popular. For one thing, it’s nothing like the trailers that are currently playing in theaters across America in that it’s a short film in itself. By the way, the trailer for Blood-Splattered bride sans I Dismember Mamma can be viewed here.
From the wonderful nation of Italy comes this example of the odd little grindhouse genre known as nunsploitation. I can probably count the number of good nunsploitation films on one hand. And yet when confronted with a film like this, I cannot look away. Maybe it’s because I was raised in the Catholic church. Or it could just be because the totally hot and lickable Joe Dallesandro is in so many of them. Along with Dallesandro, Killer Nun features Anita Ekberg of La Dolce Vita fame and Alida Valli of Third Man, Suspiria, and Inferno fame.
(Sidenote: Once when I was going to Catholic school, this really mean, fat girl was jealous of me because I was prettier than her so she whacked me in the face with a ruler so hard that it actually broke the skin right over my right eye and I had to get 3 stitches to close the cut and I’ve still got this little scar and sometimes, when I wink or seductively arch my right eyebrow, it still hurts a little. I hope somebody eventually went all Killer Nun on that girl…)
When I showed my sister Erin this trailer, she said, “You’re not going to jump up and start trying to do any of that stuff yourself, are you?” “Uhmmm…no,” I replied but, to be honest, I was totally about to do it. I don’t know much about Angela Mao but just, on the basis of this trailer, she’s my hero. This trailer is just infectious and, as I watched, I wondered, “How difficult can it be?” Well, apparently, it’s very difficult but that’s a story for a different time.
4) The Bullet Machine (1969)
“He can hack it!” Uhmmm….well, yes, okay then. At first, I thought I had actually found a trailer that was more violent than the trailer for Massacre Mafia Style but, upon careful reflection, I have to say that Massacre Mafia Style is still the king. The two hitmen in Massacre Mafia Style may not fire as many bullets but they still manage to kill everyone else in the trailer. Whereas The Bullet Machine is constantly shooting his gun but doesn’t really seem to accomplish much as a result. Plus, the mafia hitmen had style whereas the Bullet Machine just seems to be kind of a prick. If ever I have to prove the thesis that most men use guns as a substitute for their own limp penis, this trailer will be exhibit one.
I don’t know much about this film other than it’s obviously an Italian attempt to capitalize on the success of the original Alien and it is not — as I originally assumed — the same film as Luigi Cozzi’s Alien Contamination. One of the things that I love about Italian exploitation cinema is just the pure shamelessness of it all. I imagine there had to have been about a thousand remakes of Alien in the early 80s but only the Italians would have the balls to actually name a film Alien 2.
As for this trailer, it has its slow spots but seriously, stick with it for the final shot. And remember — you could be next!
(On the plus side, a young Michele Soavi is in this film. YAY!)
I’m in such a good mood right now that I’m just going to have to end this latest entry with a little Jean Rollin. Now, just in case anyone out there is unfamiliar with the unique cinematic vision of Jean Rollin, you should understand that this trailer is far more explicit than any of the other trailers featured in this post. In fact, I’m surprised that Youtube hasn’t taken it down yet. So, if you’re easily offended, I don’t know why you would be visiting this site in the first place. But anyways, if you’re easily offended, consider yourself warned.
As for Fascination, it’s actually one of the more accessible of Jean Rollin’s vampire films. The image — seen towards the end of this trailer — of Brigittie LaHaie with a scythe has become iconic.
Through the Shattered Lens 
As you well know I am always up for some Brigitte Lahaie. 🙂
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Pretty interesting movies. 🙂 These trailers remind me of how restrictive we sometimes get compared to the age these came out in. Half of that stuff shouldn’t be as taboo as they seem. You wouldn’t see any of these kind of trailers these days unless it was an internet only – direct to video release.
Okay, The Blood Splattered Bride / I Dismember Mama trailer was strange – Did that guy really laugh like a seal? I can see how that’s considered a fan favorite.
Killer Nun – That one I’d watch.
Lady Kung Fu – That one I may have already seen and not have realized it. We used to have old karate movies play on the weekend. 🙂
The Bullet Machine – I could see Monica Bellucci and Vincent Kassel remaking this one. Looks stylish.
Alien 2 – I can see the comparisons to Alien and this, but man does that movie go way off tangent. 🙂
The Fascination trailer is pretty impressive, in the sense it doesn’t hold back from the macabre or socially disturbing. That would be cool to see, and I may need to track that down.
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It’s okay to exploit a nun. Just don’t get into the habit.
I still remember that “Massacre Mafia Style” trailer. I agree, it BANG!…um, anyway, it has the highest body count I have seen. Their whack-per-shot ratio is much better, and the trailer is more fun.
I’ll bet Sigourney Weaver was kicking herself for holding out for “Aliens” when she saw how good “Alien 2” turned out.
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