B movie
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| + | "When [[United States|America]] found itself having a hard time facing the future, they looked for people like [[John Wayne]]. But since John Wayne was no longer available, they settled for [[Ronald Reagan]]."--[[B-movie (song)|"B-movie"]] (1981) by Gil Scott-Heron | ||
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| + | "In many ways [[Roger Corman]] is to [[Cinema of the United States |American cinema]] what [[Jesús Franco|Jess Franco]] is to [[Cinema of Europe|European cinema]]. They both directed low budget, [[B movie]] style films that attracted minority cultures." --[[Sholem Stein]] | ||
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| + | "I don't want anybody to use the words '[[good taste]]' around here." --Roger Corman, spurious | ||
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| + | "In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new generation of low-budget film companies emerged that drew from all the different lines of exploitation as well as the sci-fi and teen themes that had been a mainstay since the 1950s. Operations such as Roger Corman's [[New World Pictures]], [[Cannon Films]], and [[New Line Cinema]] brought exploitation films to mainstream theaters around the country."--Sholem Stein | ||
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| + | "Throughout the 1960s, “[[Underground film|underground movies]]” were synonymous with all [[avant-garde film|avant-garde]] or [[experimental film|“experimental” films]]."--''[[Midnight Movies]]'' (1983) by Hoberman and Rosenbaum | ||
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| + | [[Image:The Raven.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Poster for ''[[The Raven (1963 film)|The Raven]]'' (1963)]] | ||
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| - | :"In many ways [[Roger Corman]] is to [[American cinema]] what [[Jesús Franco|Jess Franco]] is to [[European cinema]]. They both directed low budget, [[B movie]] style films that attracted minority cultures in the United States and Europe respectively. | + | A '''B movie''' or '''B film''' is a [[Low-budget film|low-budget]] commercial [[motion picture]]. In its original usage, during the [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Golden Age of Hollywood]], the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a [[double feature]] (akin to [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]] for recorded music). However, the U.S. production of films intended as '''second features''' largely ceased by the end of the 1950s. With the emergence of commercial television at that time, film studio B movie production departments changed into television film production divisions. They created much of the same type of content in low budget films and series. The term ''B movie'' continues to be used in its broader sense to this day. In its post-Golden Age usage, there is ambiguity on both sides of the definition: on the one hand, the primary interest of many inexpensive [[exploitation film]]s is prurient; on the other, many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity. |
| - | [[B]][[-]][[movie]]}} | + | |
| + | In either usage, most B movies represent a particular [[Film genre|genre]]—the [[Western (genre)|Western]] was a Golden Age B movie staple, while low-budget [[science fiction film|science-fiction]] and [[horror film|horror]] films became more popular in the 1950s. Early B movies were often part of series in which the star repeatedly played the same character. Almost always shorter than the top-billed feature films, many had running times of 70 minutes or less. The term connoted a general perception that B movies were inferior to the more lavishly budgeted headliners; individual B films were often ignored by critics. | ||
| - | # A [[low-budget]] [[motion picture]], especially one with poor [[production values]]. | + | Latter-day B movies still sometimes inspire multiple [[sequel]]s, but series are less common. As the average running time of top-of-the-line films increased, so did that of B pictures. In its current usage, the term has somewhat contradictory connotations: it may signal an opinion that a certain movie is (a) a '''genre film''' with minimal artistic ambitions or (b) a lively, energetic film uninhibited by the constraints imposed on more expensive projects and unburdened by the conventions of putatively serious [[independent film]]. The term is also now used loosely to refer to some higher-budget, mainstream films with exploitation-style content, usually in genres traditionally associated with the B movie. |
| - | The term '''B movie''' originally referred to a [[film]] made on a [[low budget|low or modest budget]] and intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a [[double feature]] during the so-called [[Cinema of the United States#Golden Age of Hollywood|Golden Age of Hollywood]]. Although the U.S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s, the term ''B movie'' continues to be used in a broader sense, referring to any low-budget, commercial motion picture meant neither as an [[art film|arthouse film]] nor as [[pornography]]. In its post–Golden Age usage, there is ambiguity on both sides: on the one hand, many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity; on the other, the primary interest of many inexpensive [[exploitation film]]s is prurient. In some cases, both are true. | + | From their beginnings to the present day, B movies have provided opportunities both for those coming up in the profession and others whose careers are waning. Celebrated filmmakers such as [[Anthony Mann]] and [[Jonathan Demme]] learned their craft in B movies. They are where actors such as [[John Wayne]] and [[Jack Nicholson]] first became established, and they have provided work for former A movie actors, such as [[Vincent Price]] and [[Karen Black]]. Some actors, such as [[Bela Lugosi]], [[Eddie Constantine]], [[Bruce Campbell]] and [[Pam Grier]], worked in B movies for most of their careers. The term ''B actor'' is sometimes used to refer to a performer who finds work primarily or exclusively in B pictures. |
| - | In either usage, most B movies represent a particular [[Film genre|genre]]—the [[Western (genre)|Western]] was a Golden Age B movie staple, while low-budget [[science-fiction film|science-fiction]] and [[horror film|horror]] films became more popular in the 1950s. Early B movies were often part of series in which the star repeatedly played the same character. Almost always shorter than the top-billed films they were paired with, many had running times of 70 minutes or less. The term connoted a general perception that B movies were inferior to the more handsomely budgeted headliners; individual B films were often ignored by critics. Latter-day B movies still sometimes inspire multiple [[sequel]]s, but series are less common. As the average running time of top-of-the-line films increased, so did that of B pictures. In its current usage, the term has two primary and somewhat contradictory connotations: it may signal an opinion that a certain movie is (a) a genre film with minimal artistic ambitions or (b) a lively, energetic film uninhibited by the constraints imposed on more expensive projects and unburdened by the conventions of putatively "serious" [[independent film]]. | ||
| - | From their beginnings to the present day, B movies have provided opportunities both for those coming up in the profession and others whose careers are waning. Celebrated filmmakers such as [[Anthony Mann]] and [[Jonathan Demme]] learned their craft in B movies. B movies are where actors such as [[John Wayne]] and [[Jack Nicholson]] became established, and the Bs have also provided work for former A movie actors, such as [[Vincent Price]] and [[Karen Black]]. Some actors, such as [[Béla Lugosi]] and [[Pam Grier]], worked in B movies for most of their careers. {{GFDL}} | + | {{GFDL}} |
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"When America found itself having a hard time facing the future, they looked for people like John Wayne. But since John Wayne was no longer available, they settled for Ronald Reagan."--"B-movie" (1981) by Gil Scott-Heron "In many ways Roger Corman is to American cinema what Jess Franco is to European cinema. They both directed low budget, B movie style films that attracted minority cultures." --Sholem Stein "I don't want anybody to use the words 'good taste' around here." --Roger Corman, spurious "In the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new generation of low-budget film companies emerged that drew from all the different lines of exploitation as well as the sci-fi and teen themes that had been a mainstay since the 1950s. Operations such as Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Cannon Films, and New Line Cinema brought exploitation films to mainstream theaters around the country."--Sholem Stein "Throughout the 1960s, “underground movies” were synonymous with all avant-garde or “experimental” films."--Midnight Movies (1983) by Hoberman and Rosenbaum |
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A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature (akin to B-sides for recorded music). However, the U.S. production of films intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s. With the emergence of commercial television at that time, film studio B movie production departments changed into television film production divisions. They created much of the same type of content in low budget films and series. The term B movie continues to be used in its broader sense to this day. In its post-Golden Age usage, there is ambiguity on both sides of the definition: on the one hand, the primary interest of many inexpensive exploitation films is prurient; on the other, many B movies display a high degree of craft and aesthetic ingenuity.
In either usage, most B movies represent a particular genre—the Western was a Golden Age B movie staple, while low-budget science-fiction and horror films became more popular in the 1950s. Early B movies were often part of series in which the star repeatedly played the same character. Almost always shorter than the top-billed feature films, many had running times of 70 minutes or less. The term connoted a general perception that B movies were inferior to the more lavishly budgeted headliners; individual B films were often ignored by critics.
Latter-day B movies still sometimes inspire multiple sequels, but series are less common. As the average running time of top-of-the-line films increased, so did that of B pictures. In its current usage, the term has somewhat contradictory connotations: it may signal an opinion that a certain movie is (a) a genre film with minimal artistic ambitions or (b) a lively, energetic film uninhibited by the constraints imposed on more expensive projects and unburdened by the conventions of putatively serious independent film. The term is also now used loosely to refer to some higher-budget, mainstream films with exploitation-style content, usually in genres traditionally associated with the B movie.
From their beginnings to the present day, B movies have provided opportunities both for those coming up in the profession and others whose careers are waning. Celebrated filmmakers such as Anthony Mann and Jonathan Demme learned their craft in B movies. They are where actors such as John Wayne and Jack Nicholson first became established, and they have provided work for former A movie actors, such as Vincent Price and Karen Black. Some actors, such as Bela Lugosi, Eddie Constantine, Bruce Campbell and Pam Grier, worked in B movies for most of their careers. The term B actor is sometimes used to refer to a performer who finds work primarily or exclusively in B pictures.
