Going into this event I wasn’t quite sure what to expect considering I knew nothing about the speaker Eric Schaefer. I actually realized upon entering that I knew even less about exploitation films and exploitation cinema for that matter. However, I was glad that I went because I learned a lot from Dr. Schaefer. I felt that he knew his subject area very well (which happened to be in exploitation and low budget films) and he seemed to like what he does as a film and media historian. After introducing a couple of low budget films in the presentation, I realized that each movie has so many different price ranges and genres and I couldn’t believe the difference that a couple decades had on movie making. For instance, I didn’t know that in the 1930’s and 40’s films were produced even as low as $10,000 as opposed to now where the most average movie calls for 70 million. This made me curious about the current horror films being made today and how much they cost to make. Although I’m not a huge fan of black and white movies, Schaefer’s film showings from the 1920’s to the 1960’s was interesting to watch along with the censorship of high and low culture that they brought. A couple of the movie clips that he showed I thought were very awkward though like “Mismated” but then I saw it as part of the “Body Genre” films that he mentioned where they are supposed to elicit physical responses. I just found it annoying how the people next to me were laughing and giggling over a pair of tits. As far as the other clips that were shown I think I would actually be interested in watching The Defilers just because of how much it was off the beaten path.
Before attending High-Low Lecture, I didn’t know what type of course it is. The part surprising me most in the lecture is about the low cost of movie making. Dr. Schaefer has a throughout knowledge about the development history of media and the low budget cost. With the ten early movies introduced by Dr. Schaefer, I found that they are in different schools and have different cost. I am deeply impressed that the average production cost of the movies at present is as much as 40 million US dollars. But in 1919-1959, the average cost of a movie was only 10 thousand US dollars. This reminded me that the movie market is really built on the basis of money. Some present movies put lights on the shocking images and extremely beautiful scenes, while the early movies and the low-cost movies are of more original sense. From the lecture, I understand that the low-budget movie is in recession because of quality and actors’ experience. Some subterranean movies such as “The Black King,” “Murder on Lenox Avenue,” and “Glen or Glenda” convey a story in their own ways. This lecture taught me to appreciate the early movies from different views. The low cost movies are quite different from mainstream movies. Whether they are weird, contentious, shameless or funny, they are made in the social conditions and reasons in a special time or a special area. Finally, I understand that from the movies I have never seen, I can learn a lot of suggestions about the history and development of movies.
Going into this event I wasn’t quite sure what to expect considering I knew nothing about the speaker Eric Schaefer. I actually realized upon entering that I knew even less about exploitation films and exploitation cinema for that matter. However, I was glad that I went because I learned a lot from Dr. Schaefer. I felt that he knew his subject area very well (which happened to be in exploitation and low budget films) and he seemed to like what he does as a film and media historian.
ReplyDeleteAfter introducing a couple of low budget films in the presentation, I realized that each movie has so many different price ranges and genres and I couldn’t believe the difference that a couple decades had on movie making. For instance, I didn’t know that in the 1930’s and 40’s films were produced even as low as $10,000 as opposed to now where the most average movie calls for 70 million. This made me curious about the current horror films being made today and how much they cost to make.
Although I’m not a huge fan of black and white movies, Schaefer’s film showings from the 1920’s to the 1960’s was interesting to watch along with the censorship of high and low culture that they brought. A couple of the movie clips that he showed I thought were very awkward though like “Mismated” but then I saw it as part of the “Body Genre” films that he mentioned where they are supposed to elicit physical responses. I just found it annoying how the people next to me were laughing and giggling over a pair of tits. As far as the other clips that were shown I think I would actually be interested in watching The Defilers just because of how much it was off the beaten path.
Eric Schaefer’s presentation on exploitation cinema was an interesting view into early cinema and low budget film. The films looked at were known to push the envelope of the film industry, which I thought to be intriguing. The “Saw” franchise and “The Last Exorcism” along with the directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are all modern day examples having pieces of exploitation film interwoven in them. I realized that there was nothing like exploitation film today because the movies he listed were merely films that displayed shocking imagery and gore. In the 1920’s to 1960’s many exploitation films had a vase variety of subject matter from vice, nudity, violence, sexuality and other topics considered off limits .
ReplyDeleteLow budget films tend to be degraded due to quality, actor experience and technical disadvantages. In exploitation cinema there are these negative qualities, but they also display unique ways dealing with space, narration, time and spectacle. From this presentation I received this better understanding and appreciation for low budget film that comes from my new discovery of exploitation film. I am left with wondering how movie goers would view a risqué underground film if most productions were being viewed “off the beaten path”. These less appreciated films must have been difficult to be seen. All in all, I left the Cosford Cinema with a new understanding for a very interesting type of film I have never heard before, exploitation film. Exploitation cinema makes me wish to have been alive during the 1920’s-60’s to feel mischievous and edgy while in a theater. I feel as if this prohibited feeling, rather than an “R” rated movie”, when watching film is not seen in modern film today. Eric Schaefer’s presentation was informing, but he didn’t connect with the audience as much as I hoped. He was interesting only by the subject matter surrounding this provocative and attention-grabbing topic.
Before attending High-Low Lecture, I didn’t know what type of course it is. The part surprising me most in the lecture is about the low cost of movie making. Dr. Schaefer has a throughout knowledge about the development history of media and the low budget cost. With the ten early movies introduced by Dr. Schaefer, I found that they are in different schools and have different cost. I am deeply impressed that the average production cost of the movies at present is as much as 40 million US dollars. But in 1919-1959, the average cost of a movie was only 10 thousand US dollars. This reminded me that the movie market is really built on the basis of money. Some present movies put lights on the shocking images and extremely beautiful scenes, while the early movies and the low-cost movies are of more original sense.
ReplyDeleteFrom the lecture, I understand that the low-budget movie is in recession because of quality and actors’ experience. Some subterranean movies such as “The Black King,” “Murder on Lenox Avenue,” and “Glen or Glenda” convey a story in their own ways. This lecture taught me to appreciate the early movies from different views. The low cost movies are quite different from mainstream movies. Whether they are weird, contentious, shameless or funny, they are made in the social conditions and reasons in a special time or a special area. Finally, I understand that from the movies I have never seen, I can learn a lot of suggestions about the history and development of movies.