Post by The Curmudgeon on May 31, 2007 21:19:27 GMT 2
The Curmudgeon meets the exploitation master.
Back when a B-movie actually WAS a b-movie (unlike the movies which are coined "b-movies" nowadays - straight to DVD features that still have a bigger budget than most of us would see in a year), Jack Hill was making inspired, low budget pictures that not only remain popular to a hardcore fanbase, but also inspired a new generation of film makers, most notably your friend and mine - Quentin Tarantino.
He introduced the world to the sultry charms of Pam Grier and the, er, not so sultry charms of Sid Haig. He gave women power, attitude and a killer instinct and he got Lon Chaney Jr to sing on Spider Baby - and The Curmudgeon managed to bag an EXCLUSIVE interview with the man himself.
Here's what he had to say..
Your writing and directing career was steady and consistent up until the mid 70s, when there was a seven year gap in-between Switchblade Sisters and Sorceress in 1982, (which would be the last movie you
would have writing and directing credits for). Did you just reach a point where you didn't want to do it anymore?
Switchblade Sisters was a boxoffice failure, so my distributor couldn't get financing any more. And, yes, I didn't want to
do exploitation pictures any more, but I was so identified with the
genre that I was not taken seriously by the mainstream industry, and
then, too, I was always a bit of a loner, not much for schmoozing and
networking, which is of crucial importance in lieu of good reviews from important critics -- which had eluded me till recently, ironically. I got some mainstream writing assignments, but the only ones that were produced became foreign-financed projects that required directors of the appropriate nationalities. I also wrote several spec scripts -- originals that I felt I could really have my heart in -- but was of course unable to find legimitate takers for them. Also, I met Swami Muktananda in 1980, which changed my life forever and started me on a long and arduous spiritual journey that has since occupied much of my time and efforts. And by the time of "Sorceress" the drive-in market, which was the primary venue for exploitation
films, had already begun to give way to home video.
You're often credited with discovering and launching the career of Pam Grier. What was it like seeing her more than 20 years later in Jackie Brown, itself an homage to your movies?
Well, since Jackie Brown was adapted from a novel, I'm not sure in what way or to what extent it could be considered an homage to my films, other than starring Pam. Of course, I was very happy to
see her playing a lead in a mainstream film, especially for Quentin -- and not to mention winning a Golden Globe award.
You worked with Pam on a number of films. When writing and directing Coffy and Foxy Brown, did you write the parts with Pam in mind, or could the parts have gone to any actress?
I not only wrote the scripts especially for Pam, but even consulted with her about some of the action that she would perform. And that was before AIP had firmly committed to her playing the role. In fact, I had to rather firmly insist that there was no other actress who could do it. Imagine my surprise when, after the picture turned out to be a big hit, certain other executives at the studio managed to get the credit within the industry not only for casting Pam, but even for
creating the character!
Another of your discoveries, Sid Haig, has also reintroduced himself to new movie watchers (as Captain Spaulding in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects) after effectively retiring himself in the 1990s. Do you still keep in touch with Sid, and would you ever let him hypnotise you?
I'm in touch with Sid frequently, and we're even discussing projects that we could do together. No, I wouldn't invite him to hypnotize me, but that's not because I don't trust him...
How do you think exploitation cinema from the 70s differs from the exploitational elements of today's films (Grindhouse etc)? Do you think modern exploitation films could ever have the same
cultural impact as the 70s movies, or are we all too de-sensitised these days?
Well, first of all, I think that today's "exploitational elements" -- if that's the right term -- depend mostly on expensive effects, where on 70's budgets we had to rely more on strong ideas as such.
And more such ideas in a single film, by the way. So many films these
days seem to have very few real new ideas, but a lot of repetition; I find them monotonous and therefore boring, not only within a picture, but from picture to picture. And I was taught by my mentor, Dorothy Arzner, that to bore the audience was the only real crime. Still, I must say that there are apparently a lot of people who get off on "more of the same," and therefore I think that whatever cultural impact might exist is certainly diluted to the point of meaninglessness.
Death Ship is now on DVD, 27 years after it was originally released. This is a movie that you wrote but didn't direct. Is it hard watching someone else take your words and your vision and turn it into something else?
I recorded a commentary for that DVD, actually, which pretty much covers the subject for anyone who might conceivably be interested. Let me say here only that my "vision" was turned into a very
different "vision." At the moment, by the way, I'm working on a new
reworking of my original "vision" for that project, which I hope will be a much more interesting picture.
For Switchblade Sisters, you mentioned that you interviewed real girl gangs. How did they react to you? And, be honest, were any as sexy as your girls?
Actually, I let the writer do the interviewing. I think we used a few as minor players in the picture, though. Sexy? Well, to a certain mindset, perhaps. Not my type. But the movie wasn't supposed to be realistic anyway.
So who DID come up with all those crazy alternative names for Spider Baby?
For those, including the title "Spider Baby" itself, I have to award credit to the genius of Dave Hewitt, the distributor, who also produced such titles as "The Mighty Gorga," "Monsters Crash the Pajama Party," "Hell's Chosen Few," and on and on. We aren't likely to see his like again in our time.
You'll be seen soon in Sugar Boxx, this time in
front of the camera. Is it hard taking directing orders from young directors? Do you find yourself thinking; "hmmm.. well, I wouldn't have filmed it THAT way..?"
I take direction very well, whether I agree with the director or not, and often I don't. If I make a suggestion and the director chooses not to profit from it, I just keep my mouth shut and do my job. That's the kind of actor that directors like, you see.
Quentin Tarantino has called you "The greatest living film director", and his films (Jackie Brown and Kill Bill) both owe significantly to you. Did you ever imagine yourself being such an influence on another generation of filmmakers?
No, he called me "one of the greatest living film directors." I don't know who wrote that article in Wikipedia, and I want to make it very clear that I did not. And, no, I never in my wildest dreams ever imagined such a thing; in those days we never imagined that anybody
would ever even see our movies after the first summer or two of release. So, yeah, it's kind of satisfying to be appreciated by further generations. Unfortunately it doesn't help me much in getting financing for new projects. But it doesn't hurt.
Or maybe it does, now that I think of it.........
Thanks to Calum Waddel for "bridging the gap".
my official book on Jack Hill will be out from McFarland Publishing later in the year.
