What Were the Sleaze Movies in the Drive-In Called? A Look at Exploitation Cinema
The term "sleaze" in the context of drive-in movies is a broad one, encompassing a range of exploitation films that thrived in the 1960s, 70s, and beyond. There wasn't one single, universally accepted title for these films, but rather a variety of descriptive terms and subgenres that reflected their content. Understanding what made them "sleaze" requires looking at the themes and marketing techniques employed.
What genres were considered "sleaze"?
The films shown at drive-ins that earned the "sleaze" label often fell into several overlapping categories:
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Nudie Cuties: These films pushed the boundaries of nudity allowed by censorship at the time, often featuring extended scenes of female nudity, albeit without explicit sexual acts. The focus was on titillation and showcasing the female form.
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Sexploitation: This genre featured more explicit sexual content than nudie cuties, though still often skirting the line of what was legally permissible. Plots were frequently flimsy, serving as a framework for showcasing sex scenes.
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Horror/Grindhouse: While not always explicitly sexual, these films often featured graphic violence, gore, and exploitation of societal fears or anxieties. They were designed to shock and disturb, and often blurred the lines between exploitation and art-house cinema.
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B-Movies: Many sleaze films were low-budget productions, relying on suggestive themes and provocative marketing to attract audiences. The quality of production was often lower than mainstream films, but this sometimes added to their charm (or, for some, their repulsiveness).
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Blaxploitation: This subgenre, while focusing on Black characters and themes, also utilized the conventions of exploitation films, sometimes employing sensationalized violence and sexuality to draw audiences.
What kind of titles did these movies have?
Titles themselves were often sensationalistic and suggestive, designed to grab attention and promise more than they delivered. Common tropes included:
- Double entendres: Titles that had both a seemingly innocent meaning and a suggestive one.
- Directly suggestive titles: Titles that explicitly hinted at the film's sexual or violent content.
- Mysterious or intriguing titles: Designed to pique curiosity and entice viewers to find out what the movie was really about.
Think of titles like "The Astro-Zombies," "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!", or other examples that instantly conveyed a sense of the film's outrageousness.
Why were these films shown at drive-ins?
Drive-ins offered a degree of anonymity that suited the often taboo nature of these films. The private environment of a car allowed audiences to watch potentially controversial material without the judgment of a public theater.
Were all drive-in movies sleaze films?
No, absolutely not. Drive-ins also showed mainstream films, family-friendly movies, and a wide variety of other genres. The "sleaze" films were a significant part of the drive-in experience for a specific period, but they certainly weren't the only type of film shown.
What happened to this genre of film?
The rise of home video and changes in censorship laws significantly impacted the popularity of sleaze films. While some aspects of the genre continue to influence modern filmmaking, the era of drive-in exploitation cinema is largely a thing of the past. They remain a fascinating piece of cinematic history, reflecting the social and cultural climate of their time.
