March 1, 2007–Quentin Tarantino and the New Beverly Cinema are teaming to host the Los Angeles Grindhouse Festival 2007, which will showcase more than 50 exploitation films from Tarantino’s personal library.
The event coincides with the release of Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s “Grindhouse,” a pair of picturess made in tribute to the genre. The double-bill showcases a feature film by each director, both of whom were influenced by exploitation films that reached their zenith in the 1970s.
Dimension Films opens “Grindhouse” in the U.S. on April 6. Rodriguez’s film is “Planet Terror”; Tarantino’s, “Death Proof.” A number of trailers for fake titles were shot to run at intermission, including one by helmer Eli Roth (“Hostel”).
There are currently no plans to take the festival on the road to other cities, although there have been discussions.
In keeping with the tradition of exploitation films, the New Beverly will run double and triple features, with roughly seven different films rotating in and out each week.
Tarantino is programming the festival. He’s set up several theme nights, including the “Euro Sex Comedies Triple Feature,” “Back-to-Back Kung Fu Superstar Angela Mao Double Feature” and “All Blood Triple.” The work of cult directors such as John Hayes also will be featured, including Hayes’ “Grave of the Vampire,” written by David Chase.
Films by “Barbarella” helmer Roger Vadim will get billing, along with pictures by Al Adamson, Fernando Di Leo and Cirio H. Santiago. Many of the movies will be uncensored and uncut, including “Grave of the Vampire” and blaxpoitation films “Brotherhood of Death” and “The Mack.”
A number of rare 35mm prints also have been selected, including “Slithis,” “Shame of the Jungle” and “Chinese Hercules.”