Exploitation films are a type of film that relies heavily on marketing that exploits or takes advantage of topics that are taboo, forbidden, or sensational and will attract a lot of popular attention and word of mouth without traditional marketing.
Exploitation movies have been around since the early days of Hollywood. For example, two movies that can be seen on my site are exploitation movies from the 1930s.
“Reefer Madness (1938). It’s considered THE archetypal tabloid anti-drug movie, but it’s really an exploitation film made to capitalize on the hot taboo issue of marijuana use. Like many exploitation movies of the time, “Reefer Madness” tried to making a quick buck on a prohibited subject while flouting the 1930 Motion Picture Production Code. The Code prohibited the depiction of immoral acts such as drug use, use or dealing of such drugs, nor will scenes depicting the use of such drugs be approved of illegal drugs, or their effects, in detail.)
“The film toured across the country for many years, often being re-edited and retitled (“Tell Your Children”, “Dope Addict”, “Doped Youth”, “Love Madness”, “The Burning Question”). rediscovered in the early 1970s by the NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and projected again as an example of the government’s demonization of marijuana Esper, tried before the Arizona Supreme Court that “Reefer Madness” was not an exploitation trash movie, but was actually sponsored by the US government, a convincing lie, but a lie nonetheless.”
And “Sex Madness” (1938). This is another typical 1930s sexual exploitation movie, with wild parties, sex outside of marriage, lesbianism, etc. Exposure of a showgirl to the “casting couch” also exposes her to syphilis. he hoped to capitalize on the taboo subjects of venereal disease, sex before marriage, lesbianism, etc., while avoiding the 1930 Motion Picture Production Code, which prohibited a motion picture containing such content from being released in theaters dilapidated and marginal. re-edited and retitled (“Human Wreckage”, “They Must Be Told”, “Trial Marriage”, “About Trial Marriage”) many times to attract the same audience to the film, to tap into a taboo topic that may have received recent press or to appease local censors who disapproved of the film’s content.”
Exploitation films generally rely heavily on tabloid promotion, regardless of the quality of the film. Very often exploitation movies are low budget and low quality. But this, however, is not always true. Exploitation films sometimes attract critical attention and even a cult following.
Exploitation films often exploit events occurring in the news and in short-term public consciousness that the major movie studios may not pick up on due to the production timeframe of a major film.
Sometimes anti-government movies will also tap into growing minority sentiment. For example, many war movies about the Korean and Vietnam wars were made before the major studios became interested in those subjects.
Some exploitation movies also exploit major studio projects. Lower-budget films often use a faster production schedule and can take advantage of major studio hype on a particular subject or film. For example, Edward L. Alperson produced William Cameron Menzies’ “Invaders from Mars” to beat out Paramount Pictures’ prestigious George Pal version of “The War of the Worlds” in theaters. Pal’s “The Time Machine” was also surpassed in theaters by Robert Clarke’s Edgar G. Ulmer film “Beyond the Time Barrier” (1960). As a result, many major studios, producers, and stars are keeping their projects under wraps.
If you are interested in the rich and unique American history of exploitation movies, there are two excellent books on the subject:
“Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Film”, Felicia Feaster and Bret Wood, Midnight Marquee Press, 1999.
“Bold! Daring! Shocking! True! A History of Exploitation Films, 1919 – 1959” Eric Schaefer, Duke University Press, 1999.
