APRIL 6 - JUST BEFORE DAWN

Utilizing authentic, scenic Oregon mountain settings, Jeff Lieberman's (Squirm, Blue Sunshine) rural slasher is a criminally underrated example of how to do a genre film right. That knit caps and aviators didn't become at least a quarter as iconic as a certain hockey mask is a shame.

Other than a ludicrous (yet still fantastic) denouement that squanders some of the tension, Just Before Dawn is an atmospheric slice of woodsy fun and perfect summertime viewing

APRIL 6 - PIECES

Probably my #1 "you have to see this" film, 1982's Pieces boasted the immortal tagline 'YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO TEXAS FOR A CHAINSAW MASSACRE!'. And while JP Simon's opus doesn't troll those realistically psychotic depths, it more than makes up for it in unabashed, over-the-top gore and disarmingly enjoyable genre tropes.

Full of 80's fashion, howling nuggets of dialogue and, yes, some massacring via chainsaw, Pieces is the definition of a grindhouse good time.

APRIL 6 - VANISHING POINT

A bona fide classic that also fostered a cult following, Vanishing Point has the (semi) dubious honor of being the inspiration for Death Proof's second half.

Vanishing Point is a chase movie both literally and figuratively, as an endless torrent of police pursue Kowalski and Kowalski chases an elusive, internal motivator accelerating him toward an unknowable destiny.

For all the praise Cleavon Little receives as the prescient DJ Super Soul, I found Newman's Kowalski to be the more engaging performance, the mix of weary resignation and jittery, ups-induced manic energy a minor revelation to behold.

The definitive carsploitation film and worth a closer look.

APRIL 5 - THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS

3 parts moody indoctrination thriller, 1 part Mad Max-esque car terror, Cars That Ate is Peter Weir's first film, and he hadn't developed the eerie atmosphere he would become known for (see Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave). While it could have done with slicing some deliberate dialogue and upping the brazen thrills, Cars That Ate is a sturdy Aussie cult classic.

APRIL 4 - ROAD GAMES

At one point pegged as 'the Australian Hitchcock', Richard Franklin (Cloak & Dagger) at least partially lives up to that lofty comparison with the tense, sometimes comedic thriller Road Games. As the truck-driving (doesn't make him a "truck driver") Quid, Stacy Keach gives a terrific performance, making up for the non-factor that is Jamie Lee Curtis.

Not as shock (or schlock) heavy as some other Ozploitation films, Games manages the rare feat of being cult worthy and genuinely compelling.

TOMORROW'S BACON!

APRIL 3 - STONE

An absolutely fantastic 'bikie' flick, Stone is the textbook definition of a drive-in film done right; action, drama, flesh, badass soundtrack. Stone has it all.

Even when the film's pace slows, you are captivated. I hate motorcycles, but everything about Sandy Harbutt's opus works. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

APRIL 3 - THIRST

High society 'vampires' who drink blood out of milk cartons and want to indoctrinate a Bathory descendant into their cult.

A relatively minor Ozploitation flick, Thirst never quite comes together. Isolated moments of menace and terror, sure, but overall ... the rare average Aussie cult film. Even David Hemmings doesn't elevate it beyond the only acceptable.

April 1 - DEAD END DRIVE-IN

Post-apoc-lite outing by auteur and candonowrong Ozploitationeer Brian Trenchard-Smith, DEAD END DRIVE-IN is truth in advertising -- you roll in to catch a double feature and a cops/govt/proprietor conspiracy keeps you there ... forever. Then apparently all there is to do is form a post-punk fashion forward community. Oddly essential viewing.

Oi, ockers!

Having a few slices of deep-fried Southern drive-in fare on order has caused me to reschedule the Hicksploitation extravaganza for the end of the month. Instead, I am wallowing in the glorious vulgarity of Ozploitation.

First up is this ESSENTIAL documentary on the Australian drive-in film movement. No matter your film tastes, you need to see this.

This flawlessly crafted and adoringly assembled documentary on Australian exploitation (Ozploitation) films touches on everything from bawdy, boobs-n-beer farces to gruesome horror to stuntman centric, high-octane action films. Genre movie superfan Quentin Tarantino is all over Not Quite, exuding his typical infectiously arrogant charm. He clearly loves (and was inspired by) these films.

Words don't do it justice. Rent it or stream it on Netflix. You will not be disappointed.

hicksploitation

I just ordered:

from SHOCKING VIDEOS and at the expense of sounding like a shill (since this is my first order, and haven't even received the film yet), I implore you to browse the selection. If your tastes skew toward grit, grime, sleaze and slime .. you will be pleased. Your PayPal account may not be though.

The cagey sub-sub-genre affectionately known as white/hicksploitation will encompass the bulk of my first week of viewing for The Challenge. Everyone from HG Lewis to Burt Reynolds is fair game.

2nd Annual Drive-In Exploitation B Movie Challenge

As far as inaugural posts for fresh-from-the-oven blogs go, I figure announcing participation in an ultra marathon, deck-stacked-against film spree is a pretty good one.

An ever-expanding group of intrepid cult film lovers over at DVDTALK.COM are gearing up to try and watch 100 cult and B-movies during the month of April. And seeing as how I have what can only be described as Mt. St. Trash Films piling up on my dining room floor, I figured, to quote Jack Burton, "What the hell?".

So my goal is to watch 100 cult/trash/B/horror/drive-in films in April, and recap mini reviews and impressions. So do follow along as I drift off into a celluloid reverie of grindhousian proportions!

You can also follow along with film lists here and challenge discussion here