I accidentally DVR’d Haxan from IFC (Independent Film Channel) not TCM. I visited the IFC Web site later, I noticed that the network is celebrating “Grindhouse” month; three horror films every Thursday in June. Although this isn’t Lang’s cup of tea (rather slickly done slasher fare, or “para-paracinema” -- more on that later), I thought it appropriate to advertise, should anyone have an interest. And though several of the films are not technically “Grindhouse” (Scream 3 and a few others on the bill were made after the Slasher Sweetspot of the 1970’s and 80’s), I might advise you to at least watch “The Evil Dead”, co-starring Berkley neighbor Ellen Sandweiss.
Film scholars have coined the term “Paracinema” to describe cult films or films that live “outside of the mainstream”. Exploitation films (like Mom and Dad) made between 1918 and 1960 fall into the Paracinema category. Early Drive-in horror films like “Blood Feast” (1963), too gory at the time of release to be considered mainstream, fall into the category of Paracinema. But as tastes changed in the late 60’s, audiences adjusted to graphic violence (as they adjusted to pornography), and the border between cult and mainstream became blurred. Films like “Friday the 13th”, because of their professional production qualities, were considered mainstream by Paracinemasts, and hence, did not qualify as Paracinema. Debate about the classification of these films continues, and film scholars have recently rebranded the genre as “Para-paracinema”. (Really!)
Film scholars have coined the term “Paracinema” to describe cult films or films that live “outside of the mainstream”. Exploitation films (like Mom and Dad) made between 1918 and 1960 fall into the Paracinema category. Early Drive-in horror films like “Blood Feast” (1963), too gory at the time of release to be considered mainstream, fall into the category of Paracinema. But as tastes changed in the late 60’s, audiences adjusted to graphic violence (as they adjusted to pornography), and the border between cult and mainstream became blurred. Films like “Friday the 13th”, because of their professional production qualities, were considered mainstream by Paracinemasts, and hence, did not qualify as Paracinema. Debate about the classification of these films continues, and film scholars have recently rebranded the genre as “Para-paracinema”. (Really!)
At any rate, information on Paracinema on the Internet aligns more to the IFC Grindhouse era versus the Exploitation era (1918 to 1960), which means the IFC films are really more Para-paracinema than Paracinema. I also subscribe to Paracinema Magazine which recently contained features on “A Clockwork Orange” (Mainstream), Divine (Paracinema), and Herschel Gordon Lewis (Paracinema)
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