Down and Dirty: Hollywood's Exploitation Filmmakers and Their Movies

by Mike Quarles

Exploitation filmmaking has seen it all. Russ Meyer, John Waters, Andy Milligan, Doris Wishman, and many others are covered. "Classic" films such as The Immortal Mr. Teas, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Nude on the Moon are examined. Production techniques and innovations are also discussed.

Genres: Film

193 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[Allen Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Approaching 20 years since it's publication date, one is likely to find newer, more relevant and in-depth books on the filmmakers discussed in Mike Quarles book DOWN AND DIRTY, but you aren't likely to find a more friendly introduction to the world of cult cinema. DOWN AND DIRTY is an excellent primer for the cult cinema novice that's written with a genuine affection for key directors and their films working the drive-in and roadshow eras of exploitation cinema. Quarles is most effective when he breaks from a historical context and writes about how the films and directors affected him on a personal, memoir-like level, such as his introduction to Toby Hooper and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and how it opened Quarles' mid-western eyes to a whole new world. The only real quibble I can muster is there really isn't much of an order to the chapters, with the book jumping around historically to reference works that aren't discussed until much later.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers all the usual suspects in not much depth. Perhaps good as an introduction to some of these filmmakers, but not very informative to anybody who already knows their stuff.