Stone Cold Dead (1979)

Directed by George Mendeluk

Starring Richard Crenna, Paul Williams, Linda Sorenson and George Chuvalo

IMDB

Portrait of a Hitman (1979)

Directed by Allan A. Buckhantz

Starring Jack Palance, Rod Steiger, Bo Svenson, Ann Turkel and Richard Roundtree

IMDB

Malibu High (1979)

Luckily for us, in lieu of a proper trailer, someone on Youtube made a compilation of some of the best scenes from this mostly unknown masterpiece (with a few helpful captions). Forget what the poster tells you. There's no lighthearted fun in this flick except the unintentional laughter when you witness shocking scene after another. Do yourself a favour and track down this film.

Directed by Irvin Berwick

Starring Jill Lansing (in her one and only role)

IMDB

Killer Fish (1979)

Directed by Antonio Margheriti.

Starring Lee Majors, Karen Black and James Franciscus.

IMDB

Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979)

Directed by William A. Levy.

Starring Scott Baio, Patrick Swayze, Flip Wilson and Billy Barty.

IMDB

"Famous" mostly for being Patrick Swayze's film debut, Skatetown U.S.A. fits the term "exploitation" perfectly, as it was created solely as a way to cash in on the roller disco craze with a paint-by-the-numbers script to make it widely accessible. Another film that did the same thing was Roller Boogie starring the one and only queen of exploitation, Linda Blair.

It's the Saturday Night Fever formula. Take a popular culture trend and insert a young man (or woman) defying all the odds to conquer the form and get the girl at the end.

That's what "exploitation" is all about.

Van Nuys Blvd. (1979)

Directed by William Sachs.

Starring Bill Adler and Cynthia Wood.

IMDB

Another great Crown International drive-in teen flick. Watch alongside other 70's fare like The Van, Pinball Summer and The Cheerleaders.

Penitentiary (1979)

Directed by Jamaa Fanaka.

Starring Leon Isaac Kennedy.

IMDB

This film seems to split people down the middle: they either love it or detest it. I'm in the former and I think it belongs on any list of tragically underrated films. There is so much grit coming at you that you'll be chiseling it off your shoulders for weeks.

This is some real low-budget fare but it's worth the ticket if you like prison films.

The Shark Hunter (1979)

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

Starring Franco Nero.

IMDB

Phantasm (1979)

Directed by Don Coscarelli.

Starring A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury and Reggie Bannister.

IMDB

Up from the Depths (1979)

Directed by Charles B. Griffith.

Starring Sam Bottoms and Susanne Reed.

IMDB

Buio Omega (1979) aka Beyond The Darkness

Directed by Joe D'Amato.

IMDB

Buio Omega (1979) Main Title Theme - Music By Goblin

Main Theme


Movie Grooves Info

IMDB

Roller Boogie (1979)

Directed by Mark L. Lester.

Starring Linda Blair.

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