...Sploitation Thread

[xianjiro]

So, a quick search didn't turn up a general thread, so let's put together a comprehensive list of "...sploitation" film genres. Probably could do two types: recognized and suggested (with suggestions including humorous entries?)

Wikipedia lists:
Blaxploitation
Bruceploitation
Cannibal
Eurospy
Euro War / Macaroni Combat
Giallo
Hippie
Martial arts
Mexploitation
Mockbuster
Mondo
Nazi exploitation
Nunsploitation
Outlaw biker
Ozploitation
Poliziotteschi
Pornochanchada
Rape and revenge
Rumberas film
Sexploitation
Sharksploitation
Slasher
Spaghetti WesternS
platter
Sword-and-sandal
Turksploitation
Vansploitation
Women in prison

I'd add Hagsploitation, and Rebsploitation/Yanksploitation/American Civil War

Other suggestions?

[Torgo]

I wonder when film critics & historians will come up with something like A24splotation ..

[OldAle1]

How'd ya miss hixploitation?

I've also seen Canucksploitation or Canuxploitation but those are even more awkward portmanteaus than most of those you list. And I'm not sure what "Canadian exploitation" really even means, given that so many of their low end exploitation films were really just American filmmakers (I'm looking at you Bob Clark) just going up and making the same shit in Toronto that they would have made in NY or LA if they could have done it as cheaply. In other words I think there's a bit of an identity crisis with Canadian exploitation.

Barbarian films also need to be there.

There's also the legions of ripoffs of Star Wars, Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark (and others, but those are the big three) from mostly Italian producers in the 80s, but I'm not sure exactly how to categorize them easily.

And if you're going to categorize Rumberas as a type of exploitation (I wouldn't personally, but I can see the argument I guess) then you have to have Luchador films as well.

[Torgo]

There's also the legions of ripoffs of Star Wars, Alien and Raiders of the Lost Ark (and others, but those are the big three) from mostly Italian producers in the 80s, but I'm not sure exactly how to categorize them easily.

Oh, true. Or those absurd trashy rip-offs from Turkey.
I think those would best be grouped in a category adjacent to the already mentioned Mockbusters from xian's list, although the genre was truly thriving with Asylum and their hilariously brazen tactic on naming their clones of popular blockbusters almost exactly the same with stolen plots, similar artworks et cetera, something that wasn't done as deceptively in the 80s .. apart from all the "sequels" with the Roman II in their titles which weren't related to the original films in ANY sort ..

[Fergenaprido]

I've also seen Canucksploitation or Canuxploitation but those are even more awkward portmanteaus than most of those you list. And I'm not sure what "Canadian exploitation" really even means, given that so many of their low end exploitation films were really just American filmmakers (I'm looking at you Bob Clark) just going up and making the same shit in Toronto that they would have made in NY or LA if they could have done it as cheaply. In other words I think there's a bit of an identity crisis with Canadian exploitation.

This is the one that came to mind for me too. http://www.canuxploitation.com/review/ is a decent resource, though I wouldn't consider all of the films they list as being exploitation pics.

Also...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitat ... ploitation
https://www.grindhousedatabase.com/inde ... ploitation
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define. ... ploitation

[OldAle1]

I suppose you're right - I do feel like there's a bit of a difference, qualitative and otherwise, between those 80s knockoffs and the Asylum stuff - less brazen, and most of the ones I've seen aren't pure retreads. They're more akin to the spy movies that came in the wake of the early Bond successes - the already-named Eurospy movement - in that they make up for their low budgets by having more sex, sometimes more violence, and a generally lighter, sillier tone. They just don't feel as cynical and mercenary to me as the Asylum things, though perhaps that's merely my own taste at work, and age - I respond better to things like Star Crash or the Lou Ferrigno Hercules films than I do to any of the mockbusters of the current age. And when those films were coming out in the 80s-90s I wasn't really aware of the business side of things, and how they were trying to leech off of ignorant video store customers (even though I was a video store manager for much of that time, and saw plenty of those boxcovers that promised something much more exciting than what the consumer got.

[Torgo]

Let's also not forget this craze:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_party_film

Hard to believe a few decades later if you have never seen any.

[OldAle1]

Let's also not forget this craze:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_party_film

Hard to believe a few decades later if you have never seen any.

I've seen a handful, mostly due to TCM showing them occasionally. Not sure any of them have been any good but the ones I've seen all run together in my mind. Those films seem to come out of studios consciously trying to make "youth films" i.e. teenager-oriented films, really for the first time, and they tried several different things. At about the same time, or actually preceding those films - perhaps the one led into the other? - were a series of "American girl goes to Europe and falls in love" pictures, stemming from the massive success of Roman Holiday in 1953. I wouldn't call these exploitation films really but many of them do seem to have the thinnest of plots and are just excuses for nice European scenery and a dumb romance involving, say, Suzanne Pleshette and Troy Donahue. Usually characters in their 20s, or maybe pushing 30, not teens. And you also have all these melodramas like A Summer Place appearing at the end of the 50s, usually with at least some focus on teens or 20somethings. And really at the apex of all of this was the rock-and-roll film, often starring Elvis or some other big name musician. All these trends were pretty short-lived though; and while they are "exploitation" films in the strictest sense - exploiting a particular taste and trend in mostly younger audiences - they're nearly all very tame and G/PG-rated, so really they're as much the descendants of older family film genres (Andy Hardy for example) as anything else.

[OldAle1]

Looking closer at the main Wiki article...

Ninja films. That was a big one, again back in peak video-store days, in the 80s and early 90s. I remember the name Sho Kosugi being really big, though I confess I never saw any of his films at the time, much as I enjoyed low-rent action films. It's interesting to think that in those days foreign action films were heavily "Americanized" on our shores - you had American actors like Cynthia Rothrock working in Hong Kong, and schlock directors like Godfrey Ho facilitating an exchange between HK and American low-rent martial-arts folderol. And that's the stuff you'd see on the shelves in a video store in Evanston, IL where I lived and worked. If it were actually a HK film it would be dubbed for sure; if it were Japanese, it might be. Italian - definitely dubbed. A Swedish film was probably subbed - unless it was a sex film in which case it was dubbed. There was this dividing line, which I wasn't really conscious of at the time - exploitation films were dubbed, "serious" foreign films tended to be subtitled (with exceptions like most Italian films). And of course anime was all dubbed. The idea that Americans would watch subtitled genre films hadn't occurred to anybody yet I guess, though we were already watching subtitled arthouse films; the assumption obviously was that people who watch action, animation, sexploitation, etc, are lowbrow people who don't want to read while watching a movie, but people who are willing to watch Bergman or Rohmer, sure, no problem.

Any of this ring a bell to anybody not American, out of curiosity?

[OldAle1]

doublepostsploitation

[peeptoad]

Hicksploitation
eta. didn't see Ale already mentioned this... diff spelling - same 'sploitation.

[xianjiro]

Let's also not forget this craze:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_party_film

Hard to believe a few decades later if you have never seen any.

yeah, definitely seemed like bikinisploitation should be a thing, as would teensploitation (with or without the blood)

[xianjiro]

How about Hacksploitation? Trying to figure out where to put Michael Bay.

Capesploitation? (low budget superheros and knockoffs)

[xianjiro]

I also want there to be Crapsploitation, but can't decide if that's for Happy Madison Productions and The ______ Movie-s or films that excessively rely on bodily functions for 'humor' -- as I said, Happy Madison Productions

Babesploitation/Kidsploitation/Bratsploitation -- Baby Geniuses anyone? Look Who's Offspring's Still Talking

[Torgo]

I also want there to be Crapsploitation, but can't decide if that's for Happy Madison Productions and The ______ Movie-s or films that excessively rely on bodily functions for 'humor' -- as I said, Happy Madison Productions

They're called Lammcore. Never understood why ..

[xianjiro]

Fadsploitation -- any movie with a dance in the title (think lambada, break dancing or twerking -- wonder how we missed out on Gangham Style: The Movie) and the subsubgenre Tagsploitation -- any movie with a hashtag title

$ploitation -- most sequels

[Minkin]

Fadsploitation -- any movie with a dance in the title (think lambada, break dancing or twerking -- wonder how we missed out on Gangham Style: The Movie) and the subsubgenre Tagsploitation -- any movie with a hashtag title

$ploitation -- most sequels

You laugh but Breakin 2 Electric Boogaloo is a top tier cinematic masterpiece. Those fadsploitations were quite numerous - like Rappin', or that Vanilla Ice movie, or whatever the fuck is going on with this movie (Vibrations).

I'd say rip-off-sploitation / "what's-the-name-again?-sploitation" is the ultimate sploitation - like all the found footage films after Blair Witch, etc etc. And yes, if you dig deep enough you find absolute gems - like I can't sing the praises of Starcrash enough. The Asylum got this down to a fine science but then pivoted into making those one-up each other giant absurd monster vs some narwhal-brained thing.

There has to be an LGBT-sploitation - I'm thinking of all of those Eating Out movies. Sure maybe that's just an offshoot of sexploitation, just specifically targeted at queer people - with the most outlandish covers to bait you in, just like those "lesbian kiss" episodes from the 90s. I've no clue of the current state of the genre, but I find the whole thing amusing.

The only other thing that I could think of was how Thai director Sampote Sands had his own genre of Ultraman-spolitation films, which he lost a copyright claim over - for recycling footage, but the movies are still quite a lot of fun, but I suppose this is more of just rip-off territory than anything else.

[xianjiro]

have watchlisted Starcrash and have been actively working through occasional 'bad' movies since I've seen so many of the good ones and let's not forget all the average down to middling ...

[blocho]

Here's a complicated question: What is an an exploitation movie? What makes it different from non-exploitation movies?

[Perception de Ambiguity]

Just go through any film Tarantino ever talked about on record, junk film is his main diet. That dude is still watching films dubbed...and on VHS. If you want to learn about terrible cinema that you didn't know was a thing he is the go-to guy.

@Minkin
Vibrations - Now what's this - amazingsploitation? Dope "Pop Corn" (see "Moogsploitation") rendition of "Blue Monday". Looks like a must-see, a highlight even among the amazingsploitation genre.

[cinephage]

I feel we should add a rather exotic subgenre, as I recently watched Mad Heid, a true swissploitation film... A category of one, I'm afraid...

[Torgo]

I feel we should add a rather exotic subgenre, as I recently watched Mad Heid, a true swissploitation film... A category of one, I'm afraid...

I thought I'm through with this kind of shit, but this looks rather great! Love the fondue scene!

[xianjiro]

Here's a complicated question: What is an an exploitation movie? What makes it different from non-exploitation movies?

An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become historically important, and even gain a cult following.

- from the intro to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_film

[cinephage]

I feel we should add a rather exotic subgenre, as I recently watched Mad Heid, a true swissploitation film... A category of one, I'm afraid...

I thought I'm through with this kind of shit, but this looks rather great! Love the fondue scene!

There's no way I can defend such a film, and you definitely should avoid it. But, if cornered, I will admit I had a lot of fun...
It received the Audience Award at the BIFFF this year.

[magnusbernhardsen]

Any of this ring a bell to anybody not American, out of curiosity?

How different countries deal with subbing/dubbing/voice over is a very interesting topic.
I think the cut-off for subbing versus dubbing is around 15 million people. So, movies are dubbed in France, Spain, Germany, Italy - but subbed in the Nordics and the Netherlands. Portugal is also a subbing country, but from what I remember the Salazar regime banned dubbing to make foreign films less available. In Eastern Europe it was common with a single actor voice over which read all the lines.

In Norway only children's movies are dubbed, and there is often a choice of original language or dub at the cinema. I can't stand Ray Romano in Ice Age, the Norwegian dub is much better.

[magnusbernhardsen]

Bikesploitation is a thing.

[Torgo]

I'd say rip-off-sploitation / "what's-the-name-again?-sploitation" is the ultimate sploitation - like all the found footage films after Blair Witch, etc etc. And yes, if you dig deep enough you find absolute gems - like I can't sing the praises of Starcrash enough. The Asylum got this down to a fine science but then pivoted into making those one-up each other giant absurd monster vs some narwhal-brained thing.

I won't act like most of these Asylum cash-ins aren't garbage - not "so bad it's good" ironic shit, just mass-produced garbage - but I still have to be amazed how they handled this:
Top Gunner (2020)
This was a mockbuster of Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which was first intended to be released in 2019, and then rescheduled to June 2020, before being rescheduled to December 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and then again to 2021 before being delayed to 2022. Because of the numerous delays, the mockbuster saw home video release two years before the movie it was meant to cash in on had a scheduled release date.

Top Gunner: Danger Zone (2022)
The first Top Gunner film was released to capitalize on the release of Top Gun: Maverick, but that film was delayed repeatedly due to Covid. This sequel was released to capitalize on the actual release of the much-delayed blockbuster.

[xianjiro]

What Sharknado are they up to at this point? I've only seen the 'original'. Can't think of another Asylum film I've seen though there might be one -- wait, let me find a list on ... what's that site? https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/the+ ... catamenia/ Crap! Only 127 titles. Can't believe it hasn't been updated since 2017! An IMDb list that's 8 months old and credits 282 titles. And there's something else called "List Challenges" with only 149. Letterboxd claims a "Complete Filmography" dated Dec 2021, but only lists 200 tiles -- is that a limit they impose? Such a round number. The Asylum website claims, "Since its founding in 1997, The Asylum has released more than 500 films and has built a library of over 300 original productions..." All I can say is, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THOSE LISTMAKERS?!?

Anyway, best take, I've seen 7.

[blocho]

Here's a complicated question: What is an an exploitation movie? What makes it different from non-exploitation movies?

An exploitation film is a film that tries to succeed financially by exploiting current trends, niche genres, or lurid content. Exploitation films are generally low-quality "B movies", though some set trends, attract critical attention, become historically important, and even gain a cult following.

- from the intro to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploitation_film

It's a decent definition, other than the first part. Most movies are trying to cash in on current trends.

I remember a film class in grad school, where the professor defined exploitation movies as those that seek to attract audiences by depicting taboo topics.

[xianjiro]

While I understand that professor's definition and don't dispute that many sploitation films depict taboo topics, a taboo topic doesn't necessarily an exploitative film make. For example, both Longtime Companion and Philadelphia dealt with then taboo topics -- both in terms of entertainment coverage and popular perception -- of HIV and gay men, but I wouldn't say they qualify. After all, they weren't made to titillate or humiliate (for financial gain) but to elucidate the lives of those effected by HIV or who were gay. Likewise, Boys in the Band, while on some level might qualify, it's intent was to discuss gay themes and the intended audience was the gay community. While I can't think of a title off-hand, in general women in prison films have generally used a fair amount of titillation and those films were clearly advertised with that in mind. No one would accuse them of trying to show the real trials and tribulations, successes and loves, of women spending years incarcerated. It was clear it was a way to make money.

Is there anything in The Asylum's catalogue that is meant to inform or is it all meant as entertainment, sometimes based on jokes made at the expense of others, with occasional artistry but not seeking to be artistic, and an overriding desire to turn a profit? Yes, probably 90 - 99% of films (depending on how wide a net is cast and what is defined as film and art) seek to make 1) enough money to pay expenses and 2) turn a bit of a profit, but it's in perceived motivation and methodology that makes a movie exploitive for me.

Not sure how I feel about the "niche genre" part of the definition I shared especially when we look at the early black films made for black audiences. That was clearly a niche genre (that ended up having some mass appeal) and something like Sweet Sweetback... was made by blacks and meant to entertain black audiences, but just about everything I've heard about that production was they were always desperate for cash and no one went into it with dollar signs in their eyes. I know it's often considered Blaxploitation, but I'm not sure I'd give it that label if I was composing a list of such films. But what followed, studio bosses seeing there was a market and then deciding how best to cash in ... well, that seems pretty exploitive to me.

[gromit82]

I remember some years ago reading a comment by some critic that the "blaxploitation" genre should be understood to mean not that the films exploited black people, but rather that what the films exploited was sex and violence, for an audience of black people. Unfortunately, I don't have any information about whose opinion that was.

[OldAle1]

Came across this video today. I knew this was a large genre, but I don't think I had quite an idea of just how large...we must be talking many hundreds of films by now, maybe thousands...

[flavo5000]

Let's also not forget this craze:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_party_film

Hard to believe a few decades later if you have never seen any.

yeah, definitely seemed like bikinisploitation should be a thing, as would teensploitation (with or without the blood)

These were referred to usually as JD (juvenile deliquent) films back in the '50s and were one of the oldest exploitation genres. This list does a good job of capturing a lot of them: https://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/i+wa ... flavo5000/

I also don't see another one of the earliest exploitation genres listed, drugsploitation. Hippie is on there and there's definitely overlap, but drug movies existed WAY before hippies ever burst on the scene (Reefer Madness, Marihuana, Cocaine Fiends, etc.).

[xianjiro]

Krampusploitation (a sub-genre of $ploitation)

[xianjiro]

ugh, I'm somewhat dreading Mondo Cane -- not sure if this is my first foray into mondo-sploitation or not.

edit: according to this list, it will be -- virginity be damned!

[Torgo]

ugh, I'm somewhat dreading Mondo Cane -- not sure if this is my first foray into mondo-sploitation or not.

edit: according to this list, it will be -- virginity be damned!

It's MUBI-certified, so it's high art!

Yeah this shit makes you feel bad being a human.

[flavo5000]

Eh, Mondo Cane isn't as bad as some of them. It's still got animal killing it but in general much tamer than a lot of the mondo movies that would come after it. Goodbye Uncle Tom for instance is fucking miserable trash.

[xianjiro]

Eh, Mondo Cane isn't as bad as some of them. It's still got animal killing it but in general much tamer than a lot of the mondo movies that would come after it. Goodbye Uncle Tom for instance is fucking miserable trash.

I know. I always dread this shit way more than I need to. I'm sure I've seen worse though animal cruelty, when not faked, just bugs me if it's gratuitous. I don't like chicken killing, but if it's a documentary about homesteading or Candomblé, it's in context and I muscle through it. One of the bigger issues is I need to watch when I know I won't be falling asleep or will be able to do things to cleanse my mind afterwards. I've noticed a lot of my recent watches seeping into my dreams as of late. When have I ever been to Hong Kong for instance? But after watching a detective comedy I dreamt I was running around HK. It's fine with things like that, but I don't need any more dark shit in my mind.

BTW,

not gross or anything like the discussion

[Torgo]

BTW,

not gross or anything like the discussion

[flavo5000]

not gross or anything like the discussion

Noice! I didn't even notice!