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Starting tonight, I’ll be participating in (my first) #Deucember, courtesy of @GCDB! For the entire month, I’ll be watching one classic exploitation film a day from the drive-in/grindhouse era. I’ll be updating this thread all month long with my film of the day.
In addition, I will also be watching the HBO series THE DEUCE (a show I’ve been wanting to check out for a while now) as well as reading Bill Landis & Michelle Clifford’s love letter to grindhouse-era 42nd Street, SLEAZOID EXPRESS.
Should be a fun #Deucember indeed.
Should be a fun #Deucember indeed.
DECEMBER 1: Eagle-eyed viewers (probably) already guessed my first #Deucember film from the 42nd Street pic I used at the top of the thread (advetised on the Selwyn Theater’s marquee): the #giallo classic THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (dir: Dario Argento)
This amazing shot from the pilot episode of THE DEUCE contains tonight’s #Deucember film on its marquees. Which one could it be? 
DECEMBER 2: As shown in my previous tweet on the marquee of the Rialto 1 Theater, tonight’s #Deucember feature is one of the more well-known works from the Godfather of Gore himself, THE WIZARD OF GORE (dir. Herschell Gordon Lewis, 1970) @GCDB
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street during the weekend of January 30, 1981, according to this Village Voice theater listing. Can anyone guess which one it is?
(Source: https://letterboxd.com/filibus/list/42nd-street-grindhouse-listings-1978-1993/)
(Source: https://letterboxd.com/filibus/list/42nd-street-grindhouse-listings-1978-1993/)
DECEMBER 3: Playing at the Lyric Theater under the alternate title “Behind the Shutters,” tonight’s #Deucember feature is the Spanish giallo THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER (dir. Juan Antonio Bardem, 1973) @GCDB @VinegarSyndrome
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street on the weekend of March 9, 1979. Hmm...any guesses?
(Source: https://letterboxd.com/filibus/list/42nd-street-grindhouse-listings-1978-1993/)
(Source: https://letterboxd.com/filibus/list/42nd-street-grindhouse-listings-1978-1993/)
DECEMBER 4: Playing at the Liberty Theater under the alternate title “Brutal Justice” (and on a double-bill with ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13...foreshadowing?), tonight’s #Deucember feature is the Lenzi #poliziottesco THE TOUGH ONES (dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1976) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
Tonight’s #Deucember film will feature the great Daria Nicolodi, who sadly passed away last week at the age of 70. So many great films of hers from which to choose...
DECEMBER 5: Another #giallo from the great Dario Argento is on tap for #Deucember - featuring the amazing Daria Nicolodi, it’s DEEP RED (dir. Dario Argento, 1975)
For this screening I will be checking out the EXPORT VERSION (a first-time watch for me). @GCDB @ArrowFilmsVideo
For this screening I will be checking out the EXPORT VERSION (a first-time watch for me). @GCDB @ArrowFilmsVideo
“Surely people know, going in, that ‘Caligula’ is worthless. Surely they know there are other movies in town that are infinitely better. Yet here they are at ‘Caligula.’ It is very sad.”
-Roger Ebert
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/caligula-1980
#Deucember
-Roger Ebert
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/caligula-1980
#Deucember
DECEMBER 6: Yep...we’re going there tonight.
Playing at the Liberty Theater on 42nd Street on the weekend of December 7, 1982, it’s the ultimate sleazefest known simply as CALIGULA (dir. Tinto Brass, 1979) @GCDB @ArrowFilmsVideo
#Deucember
Playing at the Liberty Theater on 42nd Street on the weekend of December 7, 1982, it’s the ultimate sleazefest known simply as CALIGULA (dir. Tinto Brass, 1979) @GCDB @ArrowFilmsVideo
#Deucember
DECEMBER 7: It’s time for #Deucember to get acquainted with the great Lucio Fulci!
Kicking off the “Gates of Hell” Trilogy is its first entry, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (dir. Lucio Fulci, 1980) @GCDB @ScorpionDVD
** Released in the U.S. in 1983 as THE GATES OF HELL**
Kicking off the “Gates of Hell” Trilogy is its first entry, CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (dir. Lucio Fulci, 1980) @GCDB @ScorpionDVD
** Released in the U.S. in 1983 as THE GATES OF HELL**
“Woe be unto him who opens one of the seven gateways to Hell, because through that gateway, evil will invade the world."
#Deucember
#Deucember
DECEMBER 8: Playing on 42nd Street at the Apollo Theater ON THIS DAY in 1983 under the alternate title “7 Doors of Death,” tonight’s #Deucember feature is the 2nd film in Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” Trilogy, THE BEYOND (dir. Lucio Fulci, 1981) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
DECEMBER 9: Playing on 42nd Street at the Lyric Theater on the weekend of April 10, 1984, tonight’s #Deucember feature is the final entry in Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” Trilogy, THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (dir. Lucio Fulci, 1981) @GCDB @blunderground
DECEMBER 10: Tonight’s #Deucember feature is the 2nd entry in Dario Argento’s “Animal Trilogy” (after THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE), the #giallo known as THE CAT o’ NINE TAILS (dir. Dario Argento, 1971) @GCDB @ArrowFilmsVideo
DECEMBER 11: Did someone order a plate of spaghetti?
Tonight’s #Deucember feature is our first #spaghettiwestern! Starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian, it’s THE BIG GUNDOWN (dir. Sergio Sollima, 1967) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
Tonight I’ll be screening the U.S. Extended Version
Tonight’s #Deucember feature is our first #spaghettiwestern! Starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian, it’s THE BIG GUNDOWN (dir. Sergio Sollima, 1967) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
Tonight I’ll be screening the U.S. Extended Version
“A vile bag of garbage...it is a movie so sick, reprehensible and contemptible that I can hardly believe it's playing in respectable theaters...but it is. Attending it was one of the most depressing experiences of my life.”
-Roger Ebert
#Deucember https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-spit-on-your-grave-1980
-Roger Ebert
#Deucember https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-spit-on-your-grave-1980
DECEMBER 12: Welcome to #Deucember’s #RapeAndRevenge Weekend! To kick it off, tonight’s feature is the notorious I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (dir. Meir Zarchi, 1978) @GCDB @theroninflix
Just wrapped Season 1 of THE DEUCE! Awesome show - especially loved the season finale. Hoping to get the first couple of Season 2 episodes in before tonight’s #Deucember film!
Just started Season 2 of THE DEUCE and I already miss the Curtis Mayfield song (“(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below We’re All Going To Go”) as the opening theme - such a perfect song for the show’s atmosphere and vibe. Not into the Season 2 theme at all. #Deucember
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street on the weekend of May 15, 1981...
DECEMBER 13: We are capping off #Deucember’s #RapeAndRevenge weekend with one of the great Abel Ferrara’s early films (and also one of my personal favorites), MS .45 (dir. Abel Ferrara, 1981) @GCDB @drafthousefilms
Joe Bob Briggs showed tonight’s #Deucember feature earlier this year on #TheLastDriveIn. Given the controversial nature of the film, he felt it was appropriate to give the #MutantFam a heads up on what was in store. Here is the message attached to that episode on Shudder:
Indeed, tonight’s #Deucember feature screened on 42nd Street on 4th of July weekend, 1985. Given the description from Joe Bob that I dropped in the previous tweet, it should be pretty clear which film he’s referring to...
Alright...this is a big one, folks.
Before I officially reveal the film (chances are 999.999% of you have already guessed it), I feel the need to make a few quick points...and these are gonna need more than one tweet.
Yes, tonight’s #Deucember feature is CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
Before I officially reveal the film (chances are 999.999% of you have already guessed it), I feel the need to make a few quick points...and these are gonna need more than one tweet.
Yes, tonight’s #Deucember feature is CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST
1.) I get it. The reputation of this film precedes itself. Similar to what Joe Bob said in the message a few tweets up 
, I’m someone that has the attitude that should anyone even LOOK at a dog the wrong way, that they need to be shunned from society...
, I’m someone that has the attitude that should anyone even LOOK at a dog the wrong way, that they need to be shunned from society...
...especially coming from a family with multiple cats and dogs across our households.
That being said, the animal cruelty in this film is hideous, repugnant, and inexcusable. It’s the one thing that put me off from watching CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST for YEARS, until very recently.
That being said, the animal cruelty in this film is hideous, repugnant, and inexcusable. It’s the one thing that put me off from watching CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST for YEARS, until very recently.
Which is why I appreciate @GrindhouseFilm all that much more for putting together a “Cruelty Free” version of this film on their DVD & Blu-ray releases, so that people who are sensitive to that sort of on-screen cruelty can still have a chance to enjoy such an iconic horror film.
That version has obviously been the preferred choice on my multiple viewings of the film. To date, I’ve only seen the uncut version twice (I’m sure many of you would say that that’s twice too many) - the 1st time to cover on my podcast, and the 2nd time on #TheLastDriveIn...
...until tonight.
In the spirit of #Deucember, tonight’s viewing of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST will be the 3rd and - for all intents and purposes - FINAL time that I watch the uncut version. The same version that the Deuce audience at the Harris Theater endured back in 1985.
In the spirit of #Deucember, tonight’s viewing of CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST will be the 3rd and - for all intents and purposes - FINAL time that I watch the uncut version. The same version that the Deuce audience at the Harris Theater endured back in 1985.
2.) As mentioned earlier, I did cover CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST for a retrospective review in 2 parts on the @FPMoviePodcast (feat. myself, @EssentialFilms, and Brandon Draven) that cover a lot ground concerning why this film has endured for so long. Links for both episodes are below:
@FPMoviePodcast, Episode 92 - Engulfed by the Green Inferno (Part 1)
Stream: http://www.geekdom101.com/forced-perspective-ep-92/
Also available on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-forced-perspective-movie-podcast/id544143192
Stream: http://www.geekdom101.com/forced-perspective-ep-92/
Also available on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-forced-perspective-movie-podcast/id544143192
@FPMoviePodcast, Episode 93 - Engulfed by the Green Inferno (Part 2)
Stream: http://www.geekdom101.com/forced-perspective-ep-93/
(huge thanks to @EmperorBigD for site hosting our episode archive).
Also available on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-forced-perspective-movie-podcast/id544143192
Stream: http://www.geekdom101.com/forced-perspective-ep-93/
(huge thanks to @EmperorBigD for site hosting our episode archive).
Also available on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-forced-perspective-movie-podcast/id544143192
DECEMBER 14: And now, without further adieu...
Tonight’s #Deucember feature is one of the most controversial films of all time. Screening for the final time in my household in its UNCUT version, it’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (dir. Ruggero Deodato, 1980) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
Tonight’s #Deucember feature is one of the most controversial films of all time. Screening for the final time in my household in its UNCUT version, it’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (dir. Ruggero Deodato, 1980) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street on the weekend of May 1, 1978. Which one could it be?
DECEMBER 15: Playing at the Lyric Theater on the weekend of May 1, 1978, tonight’s #Deucember feature is quite possibly Dario Argento’s most well-known and enduring work, SUSPIRIA (dir. Dario Argento, 1977) @GCDB @synapsefilms
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street on Halloween weekend, 1990. When you look at the films below, which one is actually “Halloween appropriate?”
DECEMBER 16: We are halfway through #Deucember, folks!
Playing at the Selwyn Theater on 42nd Street during Halloween weekend, 1990, the #zombie film that started it all - George Romero’s enduring classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (dir. George A. Romero, 1968) @GCDB @Criterion
Playing at the Selwyn Theater on 42nd Street during Halloween weekend, 1990, the #zombie film that started it all - George Romero’s enduring classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (dir. George A. Romero, 1968) @GCDB @Criterion
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street on the weekend of July 20, 1979...
DECEMBER 17: Playing on 42nd Street at the Anco Theater on the weekend of July 20, 1979, tonight’s #Deucember feature is the 2nd entry in George Romero’s “Dead Trilogy” (and my personal favorite of his films), DAWN OF THE DEAD (dir. George A. Romero, 1978) @GCDB @SecondSightFilm
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street on the weekend of August 27, 1985...
DECEMBER 18: Playing on 42nd Street at the Cine 42 Theater during the weekend of August 27, 1985, tonight’s #Deucember feature is the 3rd film in George Romero’s original “Dead Trilogy.” Strap yourself in for DAY OF THE DEAD (dir. George A. Romero, 1985) @GCDB @Scream_Factory
Tomorrow will be 37 years to the day that MAKE THEM DIE SLOWLY (screening for the 10th consecutive week) was shocking #Deuce audiences at the Liberty Theater.
Well, from what I’ve read, at least they had comfy chairs, unlike some of the other theaters...
#Deucember
Well, from what I’ve read, at least they had comfy chairs, unlike some of the other theaters...
#Deucember
DECEMBER 19: Tonight’s #Deucember feature is yet another entry from the cannibal film genre. Playing on 42nd Street under the alternate title “Make Them Die Slowly,” it’s CANNIBAL FEROX (dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1981) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
*A quick note on tonight’s CANNIBAL FEROX viewing*
This will be my first-time-ever watching this film. Like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, its reputation precedes it - particularly for its animal cruelty. As such, this will most likely also be the last time I watch it. (1/)
This will be my first-time-ever watching this film. Like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, its reputation precedes it - particularly for its animal cruelty. As such, this will most likely also be the last time I watch it. (1/)
Bill Landis wonderfully writes in SLEAZOID EXPRESS that films like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and CANNIBAL FEROX were “quintessential Deuce fare that ventured into the forbidden realm...[they] branded you with its mark for having watched it.” (2/)
Translation: watching these films earns you some street cred.
And with that being said, it’s time to cross CANNIBAL FEROX off of my list for good. (3/End)
#Deucember
And with that being said, it’s time to cross CANNIBAL FEROX off of my list for good. (3/End)
#Deucember
DECEMBER 20: Playing on 42nd Street at the Rialto Theater on the weekend of July 12, 1983, tonight’s #Deucember feature is the slasher flick DON’T GO IN THE WOODS...ALONE! (dir. James Bryan, 1981) @GCDB @VinegarSyndrome
DECEMBER 21: Playing at the Selwyn Theater on Valentines Day weekend 1986 under the alternate title “Creepers,” tonight’s #Deucember feature is the Italian horror film PHENOMENA (dir. Dario Argento, 1985) @GCDB @synapsefilms
Tonight’s #Deucember feature was playing on 42nd Street THIS WEEK in 1983...
(A little late on tonight’s post, but better late than never)
(A little late on tonight’s post, but better late than never)
DECEMBER 22: Playing on 42nd Street at the Rialto Theater THIS WEEK in 1983, tonight’s #Deucember feature is the Spanish slasher film “Mil gritos tiene la noche,” also known as PIECES (dir. Juan Piquer Simón, 1982) @GCDB @GrindhouseFilm
