Editorials
6 Other Faux Grindhouse Horror Films Worth Watching After ‘Dolly’
There’s a really insightful quote from Brian Eno where the English musician muses about how the off-putting limitations of any given medium are exactly what we’ll miss about it when it’s gone. While he’s mostly referring to crackling vinyl and noisy cassette tapes here, the same sentiment applies to other art forms as well – especially film.
And if there’s one specific kind of moviemaking that fans now hold up on a pedestal despite the genre once being considered a wasteland inhabited by low-brow trash, it has to be grindhouse cinema.
However, thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse double-feature back in 2007, the schlocky productions of the 1970s would see a much-needed comeback in the form of neo-exploitation films meant to harken back to the days of grainy photography and over-the-top violence.
In honor of Rod Blackhurst’s Dolly, now streaming on Shudder, proving that this movement is alive and well decades after the release of Planet Terror and Death Proof, today I’d like to highlight six other faux grindhouse thrillers that are definitely worth your time!
For the purposes of this list, I’ll be defining “faux grindhouse” as any modern-day movie that intentionally attempts to emulate the gritty style of low-budget cinema from the late ’60s to the early ’80s. This means no genuine grindhouse films or modern-day productions that only tangentially resemble retro filmmaking. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own neo-exploitation favorites if you think I missed a particularly memorable example.
With that out of the way, onto the list:
6. Father’s Day (2011)
Troma has been producing lovably low-budget schlock since the late ‘60s, so it’s no surprise that one of their more recent films would make it onto this list. What is surprising, however, is that the Astron 6–directed Father’s Day is actually a legitimately fun movie that does a lot more than coast on its retro aesthetics.
An over-the-top action/horror-comedy with plenty of gore and even more style, this bizarre film follows a pair of vengeful siblings as they attempt to track down a maniacal rapist/serial killer years after he targeted their own father.
If you like this edgy masterpiece, don’t forget to check out the team’s equally strange neo-giallo flick, The Editor.
5. The Love Witch (2016)
An authentic cinematic experiment shot on 35mm film and produced using period-accurate effects, Anna Biller’s modern cult classic may take more inspiration from the Technicolor classics of the 1960s than the gory B-movies of the ’70s, but The Love Witch’s sleazy charms still place it firmly in the realm of neo-grindhouse cinema.
In fact, the movie is so convincing in its retro setup that plenty of jaded cinephiles fail to realize that this artsy horror-comedy isn’t actually a long-lost cult film. Of course, it’s Samantha Robinson’s career-making performance as the lovesick spellcaster Elaine Parks that makes this one worth watching.
4. The Barn (2016)
I’ve always been a sucker for retro slasher flicks, but it takes a really talented filmmaker to make these familiar movies stand out from the classics that inspired them. That’s why I admire writer-director Justin M. Seaman for giving us not one but three fully-fledged killers to run from in his underrated The Barn franchise.
Featuring fan-favorite talent like Linnea Quigley and Ari Lehman (with the sequel even boasting Joe Bob Briggs, Diana Prince, and Pinhead himself, Doug Bradley), The Barn boasts a surprising amount of genre pedigree despite its low budget. However, it’s the flick’s charming sense of dark humor that really earns it a spot on this list.
3. The House of the Devil (2009)
From the opening crawl claiming that the film is based on true events to the grainy 16mm cinematography that looks equally beautiful and terrifying, Ti West’s 2009 opus is both my favorite film by the prolific director as well as one of the most authentic-feeling retro experiences on this list.
While the slow-burning tension and Satanic-Panic-inspired story remain divisive among horror fans, I’d argue that this deeply atmospheric thriller is worth experiencing at least once as a form of cinematic time travel back to a simpler (but no less scary) time in genre history.
2. Hobo With a Shotgun (2011)
The absolute best production to come out of the immediate aftermath of 2007’s Grindhouse (and I say this as a fan of Rodriguez’s Machete), Jason Eisener’s Hobo With a Shotgun is one hell of an entertaining revenge thriller that also serves as a theatrical playground for the late, great Rutger Hauer to flex his underappreciated skills as a leading man.
While I’ve written about this daring recreation of exploitation cinema in the past, there’s no way we can discuss faux grindhouse productions without bringing up the film where a disgruntled homeless man engages in practical-effects-driven ultraviolence against the criminal underworld of Hope Town, Canada!
1. Antrum (2018)
By far the scariest movie on this list, David Amito and Michael Laicini’s Antrum is proof that retro filmmaking doesn’t always have to be tongue-in-cheek. Presented as a “real” cursed film from the 1970s, this eerie little nightmare uses its nostalgic aesthetic to tell a surprisingly effective meta-story about the consequences of digging too deep into the occult.
Of course, it’s the grainy visuals that make this such a memorable experience, with the film masterfully recreating the lo-fi cinematography of yesteryear despite not actually being shot on film. And here’s a fun fact: the filmmakers claim that the flick’s sinister vibes were actually inspired by David B. Earle’s infamous short film There Is Nothing – a film that you may remember as a supposedly “cursed” viral video from the early days of YouTube.
In this day and age, the word “troll” is often used to describe various online nuisances. Yet as abundant and irksome as the modern troll can be, they aren’t usually as fearsome as their mythological counterparts. I’m not talking about the small and gentler versions that have become more common to see in media. No, there are much bigger and scarier trolls out there—and André Øvredal’s movie Troll Hunter is one of the best places to find them.
It doesn’t take long for Troll Hunter (or Trolljegeren) to dump the Blair Witch Project-esque setup and aim for something a lot fresher. The trajectory of the story is augmented by Otto Jespersen’s character Hans, the titular Troll Hunter. The second he comes barreling out of the deep, dark woods and shouts “troll” at the camera, this movie takes a turn into what feels like uncharted territory. Not only subject-wise, but also conceptually.
For fantastical and made-up subject matter in cinema, found footage is a fast way to add a guise of believability. After all, what we accept to be the most crucial aspect of documentaries—the truth—rubs off on pseudo-documentaries, despite our understanding of the pretense involved. That is what Øvredal delivered with Troll Hunter: a movie so convincing that some viewers wondered if trolls really do exist. So, had this been straightforwardly made, it likely wouldn’t have been as effective. Conventional narratives would be more inclined to treat something like trolls as flat out unreal, and never try to convince the audience to think otherwise.
Hans petrifies the three-headed Tusseladd troll.
The viewers, like the characters trailing Hans, are quickly thrown into the deeper end of that extraordinary story. They have to process all this new information while staying on the go. So, although there is no significant amount of meandering, narratively or physically, there is still a good amount of atmosphere, not to mention tension building. It’s never anything frightful, but then again, Troll Hunter isn’t your standard offering of horror; it’s more on the low end of the dark fantasy spectrum. We aren’t ever spirited away to a faraway world—we stay in rather familiar surroundings, as well as dip into those less so. The outcome is a movie where you’re constantly more in awe than in terror.
As fantasy fiction might do, Troll Hunter prefers not to deal with incredulity. There is no time to waste on doubt, as interviewer Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), soundperson Johanna (Johanna Mørck), and cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) all follow Hans around, recording whatever this character is willing to reveal about his bizarre job. Of course, the Troll Hunter himself is not an open book; in that respect, the diegetic documentary fails to fully capture and unpack the more interesting of its two subjects. Yes, all those giant, monstrous trolls are indeed incredible, but understandably, your mind wanders to their pursuer. What kind of person signs up for this gig and then chooses to stick with it for so long?
Reviews have called out Troll Hunter for its lack of character development. In regard to Thomas and his fellow documentarians, that criticism is valid, but bear in mind, they aren’t the focus of the story, either. Meanwhile, Hans is a well-crafted character. At least better than first realized. Before he was introduced, Hans had already grown tired of the troll grind. Fed up with that low compensation for his services, resentful of the bureaucracy, and wanting to expose his employer on a large scale, Hans’ discontent is glaring.
Then there are those finer details about the Troll Hunter, such as that indifference to both the natural splendor of his everyday surroundings and the affections of an obviously smitten colleague, that also suggest some level of despondency. So it is fair to say this movie doesn’t feature any sizable growth for its characters; however, the namesake isn’t underwritten. No doubt, putting a real-life character like Otto Jespersen in that role is partly why Hans is so fascinating—maybe even relatable.
Otto Jespersen as Hans the Troll Hunter.
There is always a small risk whenever using the term “mockumentary” to describe a found-footage movie, as the word could imply humor where there is none. In the case of Troll Hunter, the term’s usage is appropriate. Some folks have claimed the English-dubbed version has the more comedic tone, however, the Norwegian cut isn’t exactly humorless. Apart from the trolls’ absurd appearances, this is a movie where the characters nearly choke on the monsters’ farts, and Christians are like walking targets. Hans’ complete apathy towards everything is another cause of laughter. Overall, the comedy is intentionally dry and inconsistent. Unfunny, though? Absolutely not.
In a movie where endemic creatures are maltreated, as well as disavowed from living freely and peacefully, it’s hard not to notice the ecological message buried beneath the story. In addition to that is the unmistakable political satire. There is this whole business about intrusive and unsightly power lines—like trolls, they’re big blemishes on the land—that leads to what is perhaps the movie’s funniest moment. The scene in question is that one where certain electric lines, the ones secretly being used to keep the trolls at bay, go in a loop and don’t actually send power to any residents. Yet the monitors of said lines don’t find this at all weird. So it stands to reason that Øvredal was having a go at those who accept the government’s doings without question.
Looking past the fact that trolls aren’t actually real, this movie is an enlightening source of information. And not just for international audiences; Norwegians, too, get schooled about their homeland’s own mythology. It’s also evident from everything on screen that Øvredal and his crew were enthusiastic about the topic. The creature designs are the most indicative of that zeal; those imaginative yet myth-accurate manifestations are equally amusing and grotesque. One second you’re laughing at their phallic noses, the next you’re white-knuckling during a hairy sequence. Most surprisingly is how well the trolls’ visual effects hold up after fifteen years. It’s not all spotless, but on the whole, they remain impressive.
Vouching for a mockumentary about trolls isn’t easy, but those who do come around and give it a shot will more than likely be grateful for the recommendation. For Troll Hunter is a real find in that vast and varied genre we call “found footage“.
A bridge troll reaches up for food and finds Hans decked out in armor.
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