The Top 10 Essential B-Movies #3: Evil Dead, Silent Rage, More
Posted by Chad Webb on 07.14.2006
Troma makes their strongest appearance on the countdown!
The B-Movie Tidbit
A Z-movie (or "Grade-Z movie") is term used to describe low budget films with quality standards far below those of B-movies and C-movies. While B-movies may have mediocre scripts and lesser-known actors, they are typically competently filmed, lit, and edited. C-movies may be thematically or conceptually more unusual, due to the greater latitude afforded to C-movie directors, but C-movies are nonetheless products of the commercial film industry, and so they still adhere to a number of production norms.
In contrast, Z-movies are typically made outside of the mainstream studio system. Without the financial backing of a studio, Z-movie directors usually have very small budgets. As a result, scripts often include errors, continuity errors are made during shooting, and non-professional actors are cast in some roles. As well, the films are typically poorly lit and edited. Z-movies of the 1970s are often characterized by the inclusion of violent, gory, and/or sexual content that is not counterbalanced by redeeming artistic or creative elements in the script or cinematography.
Troma is probably the best-known producer of Z-movies. Since its founding in 1974, Troma has become associated with films that contain shocking imagery, overt sexuality, graphic violence, and gore. Troma film releases include "Redneck Zombies","Surf Nazis Must Die", The "Class of Nuke 'Em High" series, "Sgt. Kabukiman", "NYPD", "Cannibal! The Musical", "Terror Firmer", "Blood Sucking Freaks", and "Vegas In Space."
Some Troma films are produced in-house, and others are purchased from other studios and re-released, especially when such films represent the early work of anactor that subsequently becomes famous. A good example of this is "Sizzle Beach U.S.A.", one of Kevin Costner's first films, which was purchased by Troma and re-released to capitalize on his popularity in "Silverado" and the then-upcoming "The Untouchables." Troma has produced or acquired early films with Samuel L. Jackson, Marisa Tomei, James Gunn, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
3. Ride the High Country
Starring: Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, and Mariette Hartley
Directed By: Sam Peckinpah
1962
Leonard Hayhurst
When people talk B movies they usually think of horror and sci-fi. However, Westerns were a prime genre for B movies for decades. This sleeper stars western stalwarts Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott in a role reversal. Scott was usually the hero, but plays the bad guy who gets redeemed in the end while McCrea was usually a heavy and plays the noble sheriff. McCrea is an ex marshal who is hired by a bank to deliver a gold shipment. He enlists his old partner Scott and his young buddy Heck (Ron Starr) to help, but they plot to steal the gold. On the trail they meet Elsa (Mariette Hartley) who is running away from her father, her fiancée and his outlaw brothers. This is director Sam Peckinpah's second feature and subtly explores timeless themes he would go into more in works such as The Wild Bunch including honor, friendship, aging and the fading code, yet over romanticism of the old West.
3. Cannibal! The Musical
Starring: Dian Bachar, Stephen Blackpool, and Stan Brakhage
Written/Directed By: Trey Parker
1996
Matthew Craggs
Part of the appeal of Trey Parker and Matt Stone is the way they include their favorite cultural products in films and television where they should not necessarily fit. The duo are a fan of musicals and it shows as they frequently burst into musical numbers fit for the stage. In terms of plot they should be talking about a 1870s explorer who gets a group of colleagues trapped in the forest on a hunt for gold. There are not many people who could pump out an infectious musical number to the backdrop of cannibalism and poverty, but Parker and Stone do so with a comic enthusiasm that continued through their following pictures. It is funny, it is irreverent, it is charmingly low budget and it is an inspiring example of a couple of college kids who set out
to make a movie with not much more than a great sense of humor. Plus, there's a cameo from Stan Brakhage.
3. The Toxic Avenger
Starring: Mitch Cohen, Andree Maranda, and Jennifer Pritchard
Directed By: Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman
1985
Ben Moser
I have this here to represent all of the wonderfully awful things that Team Troma has brought us over the years. From Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. to Class of Nuke 'Em High to countless other b-classics, Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman have blessed me with humorous and offensive brilliance chock full of blood, guts, and boobies. The Toxic Avenger remains my favorite, though. Starting with a parody of the origins of countless comic book heroes, this movie starts on high and never slows down. Campier than any 20 1970's episodes of Batman and the kind of politically incorrect that Howard Stern only wishes he could achieve, The Toxic Avenger is pure sophomoric joy.
3. Silent Rage
Starring: Chuck Norris, Steven Keats, Ron Silver
Directed By: Michael Miller
1982
Bryan Kristopowitz
Think back, way back when, when Chuck Norris wasn't a big wuss. When he was out in the world, shooting people, drinking beer, and then beating the crap out of anyone in the bar that looked at him, and then have awkward sex with a giant breasted woman because, dammit, he was Chuck freaking Norris. Yeah, those days. That all basically ended after "Top Dog," that movie he did with the dog, and the Chuck went all "religious" on us. Suddenly every other word out of his mouth was "I love Jesus" and "secular lifestyle" and "buy this exercise equipment from the infomercial I did with Christie Brinkley where I don't stare at Christie's breasts." A complete a total wuss.
Now, with that out of the way, lets go back to 1982, the year Chuck appeared in his best pre-Orion Pictures flick, "Silent Rage." "Silent Rage" is essentially a "Halloween" inspired slasher movie with a tough as nails cop (Norris) chasing after an unstoppable killer. The killer, John Kirby (the always scary Brian Libby) is a brain dead mental patient brought back to life by a special serum created by scientist Ron Silver and his pals (Steven Keats and geekmeister William Finley). The serum makes Kirby stronger and even more insane (the opening boarding house murder spree with excellent axe to the forehead and subsequent super thrashing by Big Chuck shows just how insane Kirby was, and that was bad. It couldn't get any worse but it did). Kirby continues his mad killing spree and eventually winds up doing battle once again with Big Chuck. The great thing about this flick is Chuck is vulnerable. You actually think this immortal killer can harm Chuck. And the ending, now technically a cliché, still packs a wallop. The flick also features a great performance by Stephen Furst, Kent freaking "Flounder" Dorfman, as Chuck's partner. Why Paul Haggis and the crew of "Walker: Texas Ranger" didn't try to resurrect this partnership is a mystery. And listen to that end title music. Why isn't that theme on every scary movie music CD (and why isn't John Kirby ever listen in the cinematic pantheon of great slasher movie villains? It's a crime).
3. Evil Dead
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, and Richard Demanicor
Directed By: Sam Raimi
1981
Ryan Latimer
Must I even write a blurb for the Sam Raimi classic? We'll do this. If you need to read this to understand why "Evil Dead" is #3 on my all time favorite B Movies list, you don't deserve to know. If you are the remaining 97.8% of the Internet, movie-loving population, I could say anything I wanted here anyway -- you would have scrolled down to #2 by now.
3. Death Race 2000
Starring: David Carradine, Sylvester Stallone, and Simone Griffeth
Directed By: Paul Bartel
1975
Chad Webb
I won't lie and say I have loved this movie for years because I actually saw it for the first time after it was released on DVD. I didn't know what to expect, but I was amazed nonetheless. The creativity surrounding every scene was unquestionable. The appearance and design of the cars was absolutely terrific. They look so high school playish, but I loved it all the same. This film really does have it all from kills to bad dialogue to nudity. This film is about the future where a cross country death race is the main sport, and you must kill people for points. How can every guy out there not think that storyline is intriguing? David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone are both great entertainment. Carradine stars as the deformed Frankenstein, and Stallone performs as Machine Gun Joe. The navigator women that accompany each racer are wonderful additions to the amusement. It has explosions, satire, romance, humor, and anything else you can think of. This film exists because of Roger Corman, who was well known for his B-movies, but this is his greatest achievement. It is a cult classic for a reason folks. It is low budget, clichéd trash, but those are also the qualities that make it such a marvelous piece of cinema.
Honorable Mention
Animal Instincts 2
Starring: Shannon Whirry, Woody Brown, and Elizabeth Sandifer
Directed By: Gregory Hippolyte
1993
I don't care. I could not have a B-movie countdown without putting Shannon Whirry on here somewhere. The final two are coming! (history provided by Wikipedia.org)
