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Sex and Violence Sells

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Gaining prevalence in the 1970’s, exploitation films challenged the accepted standards of film at the time. Taking away more power from mainstream Hollywood, audiences were introduced to previously censored, controversial and disturbing content in film for the first times. Multiple factors contributed to the rise of exploitation; some even credit the films with the final decline of the major studio system. Many famous directors of the last decades got their starts in exploitation, using popular culture of the time to advance their influence in the film industry, eventually leading to the rise of independent studios.
Exploitation films owe much of their credit to cautionary films of the 1930’s. Skirting the established morals of the time by showcasing subjects such as drug use and premarital sex in a negative light, films like Reefer Madness were presented as educational pieces, dramatizing the horrible things that would happen to deviant pot smokers of the time. Similar films such as Sex Madness soon followed suit, showcasing the horrors of venereal diseases plaguing those who engaged in premarital sex. Maintaining Hollywood’s wholesome and clean image was a strict production code, devised to censor many films containing content that one might find disturbing. With the total vertical integration of the studio system, it was almost impossible to distribute a film containing anything objectionable.
The Paramount Decree of 1948 forced the major studio to divest their exhibition holdings including their monopoly over theaters. Soon, an increasing number of smaller theatres began appearing. This rise in independent theaters greatly contributed to a growing number of independent productions, and a widespread introduction of European a...

... middle of paper ...

... budget film would manage to bring in audiences. Some moralistic individuals viewed films simply to see just how grotesque they could possibly be, but it didn’t matter to directors—a ticket sale was a ticket sale.
Exploitation didn’t end with the rise of the blockbuster film. Even today we see forms of the exploitation film that are immensely popular with audiences. The Evil Dead remake was one of the most popular films of 2013, despite the fact that it featured hipsters being slaughtered in grotesque ways. Yes, I was offended while watching the film, but it didn’t matter to me, the comedic level of violence was entertaining. Something seemed satirical about watching a group of twenty-something hipsters fighting drug addiction and falling victim to angry poltergeists in the woods. I guess the appeal of watching alt-culture individuals getting wrecked lives on today.

In this essay, the author

  • Analyzes how television became the new "family friendly" medium of choice, with art film houses and grindhouses gaining popularity. independent, low-budget studios beat their big-studio counterparts to market violent films based around popular culture.
  • Analyzes how roger corman's bucket of blood was an early example of exploitation that featured a plot centered around the period social movement, the beatniks.
  • Opines that exploitation films had ridiculous levels of violence, sex, and bizzarity — they were satirical or comedic because of their low budgets and limited production design.
  • Opines that the popularity of exploitation films continues today. the evil dead remake featured hipsters being slaughtered in grotesque ways.
  • Explains how exploitation films challenged the accepted standards of film in the 1970's, and credited them with the decline of the major studio system.
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    • Explains that kennedy's life was fraught with tragedy during the 1940s. his eldest son joseph jr., was killed in action during world war ii, and his favorite daughter, kathleen, died in a plane crash four years after the death of her husband.
    • Describes how kennedy concentrated his efforts on getting his sons elected to political office. he began by working on jack's campaign for representative in the 11th district of massachusetts.
    • Explains that kennedy's strategy for getting his son elected as the first roman catholic president of the united states was launched in the late 1950s.
    • Explains that kennedy remained active and interested in the lives of his grown children despite suffering a stroke in 1961 that left him incapable of speech. however, tragedy continued to curse his last years.
    • Analyzes how kennedy bore his sorrows with stoicism and courage until his death on november 19, 1969, at hyannis port, massachusetts. cardinal cushing's words best express kennedy’s importance in american life.
    • Explains that when joseph kennedy was named chairman of the hollywood studio pathe in 1926, many industry insiders took an immediate dislike to him.
    • Explains that kennedy was one of the first eastern businessmen to take hold of hollywood's potential. by the mid-1920s, the american film industry was turning out 800 films a year and employed as many people as the auto industry.
    • Explains that kennedy was in hollywood engaged in his notorious liaison with gloria swanson, who was by no means kennedy's first extramarital escapade, but she was the ideal trophy to symbolize the great worldly success
    • Describes how kennedy convinced guy currier to finance his plans to enter the movie business. he bought the film booking offices of america, sight unseen, from its british owners, and received $75,000 from the trading company.
    • Narrates how kennedy used the profits from fbo to purchase the radio corporation of america (rca) who had a new system for making motion pictures with sound.
    • Explains that kennedy made an offer to buy the pantages theater chain, the second biggest in california, from its owner.
    • Explains that kennedy's arrogance was rampant, and when pantages rebuffed his offers, kennedy threatened him by boasting of his influence in the banking and movie businesses.
    • Describes how a hysterical lady in red emerged from the janitor's broom closet on the mezzanine screaming: "there he is, the beast! don't let him get at me!"
    • Describes how eunice pringle, of garden grove, california, told police that she had come to pantages looking for work as a dancer. he pushed her into the broom closet, wrenched her underwear loose and raped her.
    • Explains that pantages was convicted and sentenced to fifty years, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. the court found her testimony improbable as to challenge credulity.
    • Analyzes how pantages' lawyers reenacted the alleged rape and showed that it could not have occurred in the small broom closet the way pringle had described it.
    • Explains that pantages was acquitted by the second jury, but his business had plummeted because of his notoriety. he was forced to sell out to kennedy's rko for $3.5 million.
    • Narrates how pringle confessed to her mother and a friend that joseph kennedy had set up pantages in exchange for their perjured testimony.
    • Explains that kennedy had purchased kao (keith-albee-orpheum theaters corp), a chain with 700 movie theaters in the us and canada, and more than 2 million patrons daily.
    • Describes how joe was asked to serve as a special advisor on the board of pathe exchange inc. in 1928. kennedy became chairman of the production company and began implementing his own ideas.
    • Explains that kennedy merged fbo with his chain of theaters (kao) to form the famous rko. kennedy then had rca trade its stock for stock in the new company, which brought him $2 million.
    • Describes how joseph kennedy became so entranced by gloria swanson and hollywood that he wouldn't leave california to attend his father's funeral. his cousin joseph kane confronted him saying, "you son of a bitch"
    • Opines that nothing illuminates kennedy's character as his decision to remain in california while the rest of the family and many notable citizens paid their last respects to the man who had been responsible for so many of joseph’s early successes.
    • Describes how joseph kennedy plundered pathe exchange and arranged for rko to pay him $80 a share, while the rest of the stockholders received just one dollar and fifty cents. kennedy doubled his investment in less than two years.
    • Analyzes how kennedy crafted the transaction to enrich himself. he took advantage of privileged information from the files of major stockholders in the movie companies who were clients of guy currier, his partner at rko.
    • Narrates how wisconsin congressman schafer denounced kennedy as the "chief racketeer in the rko swindle." sirovich called for an investigation of the movie industry, but the probe was mysteriously halted
    • Analyzes how doris kearns goodwin found letters from anguished stockholders of pathe. anne lawler of jamaica plain in boston said she lost her life savings.
    • Explains that joseph kennedy had been chairman of fbo for two years and nine months. he was special adviser to first national pictures, rca, and paramount pictures for seventy-four days.
    • Analyzes how the american film industry developed into a strong oligopoly in the 1920s by adopting the strategy of the chain store.
    • Explains that the public's enthusiasm for sound film was another defining change in the motion picture industry. production companies rushed into the production, distribution, and exhibition of talkies, hoping to make up for lost time.
    • Explains that the 1920s and 1930s were the true beginning of what would later be known as the hollywood studio era.
    • Explains that in 1927 the motion picture academy of arts and sciences was formed and began an annual awards ceremony. the academy awards asserted a definable quality of excellence analogous to literature and theater.
    • Explains that the studios sponsored a host of talented actors from the 1930s until the early 1950s. producers and directors such as david o. selznick, darryl f. zanuck, mervyn leroy, william wyler, george stevens, and billy wilder made significant contributions to cinematic art.
    • Explains that the medium of film had converted legitimate theaters into movie houses. during hollywood's golden age, sumptuous movie palaces were erected all over the united states.
    • Explains that the film industry was managed by a number of omnipotent studios, including metro-goldwyn-mayer, warner brothers, rko, paramount, twentieth century-fox, and universal.
    • Opines that the coming years will demonstrate a transformation of the motion picture and entertainment industry, not seen since its inception.
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