What do you think?
Rate this book
For One Week Only: The world of exploitation films
I Dismember Mama ... Snuff ... Night of a Thousand Cats ... these and many more like-titled examples of cinematic dementia delighted dozens in the grindhouse movie theaters of the sixties, seventies, and eighties. Now, for the second time ever, For One Week Only reveals the incredible truth behind the most manic movies ever made. Filled with interviews and rare illustrations, it captures the joys of a genre that has to be seen not to be believed. To avoid fainting, keep it's only a book ...!
- GenresFilm
218 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Richard S. Meyers
31Ìýbooks10ÌýfollowersAuthor of more than 70 novels and nonfiction books (under a variety of names, including multiple variations of his own); writer of hundreds of magazine articles, reviews, and DVD blurbs; screenwriter for selected comic books, television, films, and documentaries; consultant at several studios and networks; performer at Medieval Times and the North Pole; teacher of kung fu at universities and seminars around the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 23, 2012
The appeal of this book lies almost entirely in its subject matter. I love cheesy, and not so cheesy, exploitation movies and reading a bunch of reviews of these films is bound to bring back fond memories or give one good suggestions for future viewing.
But Ric Meyers doesn't bring much to the table. He gives a lot of plot summaries, which, in some cases, will take away a good deal of the potential fun if you do decide to watch the film. Why give such a detailed blow-by-blow account of the action in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), a film that virtually every exploitation film fan has no doubt seen several times? In other cases he writes about films which he says are not worth watching even for a laugh. His main reason for writing about such films seems to be to make snide comments about the lack of talent of the director. I have mixed feelings about and , who were the real pioneers of this kind of film writing, but at least their books can be very funny. With only a few exceptions, Meyers gags fall flat. I think that to really enjoy trashy movies one has to approach them on their own level. Sure their obviousness and slapdash qualities can be funny, but I like to laugh about these things like they are the foibles of a friend rather than condescendingly as so many of the "so bad it's good" film writers do.
Another problem is that Meyers often doesn't even get his plot summaries right. He seems to think that most of the action in Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966) takes place at the petrol station which the characters actually only visit briefly in the middle of the film.
What I want from my trash film books is the kind of infectious enthusiasm for the subject matter that you will find in the writing of a , , , , and or the various contributors to .
This edition of the book could also have done with some illustrations - posters, stills, newspaper ads... Given that the Film Quarterly review of the first edition of the book claimed that "virtually all the illustrations are unavailable elsewhere in book form" I assume that it has more in the way of illustrations than the basic background of black and white movie posters used in this edition to illustrate the title pages of the three sections into which it is divided.
But Ric Meyers doesn't bring much to the table. He gives a lot of plot summaries, which, in some cases, will take away a good deal of the potential fun if you do decide to watch the film. Why give such a detailed blow-by-blow account of the action in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), a film that virtually every exploitation film fan has no doubt seen several times? In other cases he writes about films which he says are not worth watching even for a laugh. His main reason for writing about such films seems to be to make snide comments about the lack of talent of the director. I have mixed feelings about and , who were the real pioneers of this kind of film writing, but at least their books can be very funny. With only a few exceptions, Meyers gags fall flat. I think that to really enjoy trashy movies one has to approach them on their own level. Sure their obviousness and slapdash qualities can be funny, but I like to laugh about these things like they are the foibles of a friend rather than condescendingly as so many of the "so bad it's good" film writers do.
Another problem is that Meyers often doesn't even get his plot summaries right. He seems to think that most of the action in Russ Meyer's Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966) takes place at the petrol station which the characters actually only visit briefly in the middle of the film.
What I want from my trash film books is the kind of infectious enthusiasm for the subject matter that you will find in the writing of a , , , , and or the various contributors to .
This edition of the book could also have done with some illustrations - posters, stills, newspaper ads... Given that the Film Quarterly review of the first edition of the book claimed that "virtually all the illustrations are unavailable elsewhere in book form" I assume that it has more in the way of illustrations than the basic background of black and white movie posters used in this edition to illustrate the title pages of the three sections into which it is divided.
March 5, 2012
While Meyers obviously knows quite a bit about exploitation movies, you'd think that a guy who would write an entire book about the subject would like them a little more. This is a collection of plot synopses (the best part) and Meyers' dashed off personal opinions (the worst part) of a random collection of horror, sexploitation, and blaxsploitation movies of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. While nicely indexed, the book would have done better if it had more illustrations and a more appreciative author. Most of these films are so bad they're good, but Meyers tends to only see the bad.
March 5, 2025
Here’s something : there are film fans who would see that a movie about a housewife mostly doing household chores in real time which lasts 3 hours 20 minutes called Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) is currently considered the best film ever by a bunch of critics and they would say who on earth would want to see a movie like that? And the same film fans would also notice a movie called I Dismember Mama and another one called Orgy of the Blood Parasites and they would say who on earth would want to see those movies?
*
The gospel according to Ric Meyers :
Even the worst of them were somehow better, and more vindicating, than the hundreds of soulless, pandering, cynical junk-heaps the major studios were grinding out.
The exploitation movies were those totally independent productions that played in drive in theatres or grindhouses. These movies were bottom of the barrel ultra low budget sex ‘n� horror efforts, you know, like
Doctor, Butcher, Medical Deviate
Girl on a Chain Gang
Shriek of the Mutilated
Tower of Screaming Virgins
That kind of thing. Ric is fond of them, and even fonder of the loopy frantic culture they emerged from, and is sad that they don’t exist anymore, and this is because
the entire industry this book was created to celebrate was wiped out by the establishment’s embrace. There was no longer any need for marginalized grade Z movies once blood and boobs were being supplied by grade A powers-that-be.
And this happened because of the unignorable success of the famous slasher movies Halloween (1978) , Friday the 13th (1980) and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
But I’m not so sure that exploitation movies are dead. The euphemistic term people now bandy about is “disturbing movies� and they are with us today, some recent examples
The Human Centipede (parts 1 to 3)
Pig
Megan is Missing
Snuff 102
Murder Set-Pieces
The Bunny Game
These are unlikely to be streamed on Netflix any time soon.
Did I really need a few dozen slightly jokey plot summaries of movies I have no intention of watching? Probably not. But Ric did remind me I should see The Corpse Grinders (1971)
*
The gospel according to Ric Meyers :
Even the worst of them were somehow better, and more vindicating, than the hundreds of soulless, pandering, cynical junk-heaps the major studios were grinding out.
The exploitation movies were those totally independent productions that played in drive in theatres or grindhouses. These movies were bottom of the barrel ultra low budget sex ‘n� horror efforts, you know, like
Doctor, Butcher, Medical Deviate
Girl on a Chain Gang
Shriek of the Mutilated
Tower of Screaming Virgins
That kind of thing. Ric is fond of them, and even fonder of the loopy frantic culture they emerged from, and is sad that they don’t exist anymore, and this is because
the entire industry this book was created to celebrate was wiped out by the establishment’s embrace. There was no longer any need for marginalized grade Z movies once blood and boobs were being supplied by grade A powers-that-be.
And this happened because of the unignorable success of the famous slasher movies Halloween (1978) , Friday the 13th (1980) and Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).
But I’m not so sure that exploitation movies are dead. The euphemistic term people now bandy about is “disturbing movies� and they are with us today, some recent examples
The Human Centipede (parts 1 to 3)
Pig
Megan is Missing
Snuff 102
Murder Set-Pieces
The Bunny Game
These are unlikely to be streamed on Netflix any time soon.
Did I really need a few dozen slightly jokey plot summaries of movies I have no intention of watching? Probably not. But Ric did remind me I should see The Corpse Grinders (1971)
August 31, 2020
Read in 1983. The world of exploitation films of the 60's, 70's and 80's.
September 21, 2011
by is a wonderful history of exploitation films. Meyers divides the films into three categories: Sex, Drugs, & Rock 'N' Roll, Violence, and Horror. He then proceeds to alphabetically describe significant exploitation movies in each categories. Note that he describes "significant" movies, not "best" movies. This is not a top ten list of exploitation movies, but a tribute to the actors and filmmakers who made these movies. Meyers also does a magnificent job introducing each of the three categories, and sprinkled throughout the book are his biographies of some of the most influential exploitation filmmakers.
As Myers states in the postface "To be honest, most of the movies made during this convulsive era were far better to read or hear about than actually see (you're welcome)." Having seen a number of the movies described in this book, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement.
This book is an excellent introduction to exploitation movies, and may actually serve to cause you to add to your Netflix queue. (However, no matter how much you're tempted, please stay away from the Ilsa movies. Really.)
Thanks to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program for a chance to read this wonderful book.
As Myers states in the postface "To be honest, most of the movies made during this convulsive era were far better to read or hear about than actually see (you're welcome)." Having seen a number of the movies described in this book, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement.
This book is an excellent introduction to exploitation movies, and may actually serve to cause you to add to your Netflix queue. (However, no matter how much you're tempted, please stay away from the Ilsa movies. Really.)
Thanks to LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program for a chance to read this wonderful book.
June 5, 2016
I'm not really a fan of the exploitation film genre but I find them and their culture fascinating so I always find books about them at least interesting.
Overall this book is pretty slight in any significantly detailed coverage of what makes up exploitation films but it does cover a large variety of films and I did find the descriptions of each at least intriguing and I did enjoy how he made some connections between such different topics as actors, writers, producers and themes with each movie and never really seemed to repeat himself.
As is my usual with books such as this, I wish there had been more photos but I did enjoy how each section had poster art from the movies as their front pages.
This book may be best for fans of the genres who are more interested in a casual reference book than for those looking to really delve into and understand the draw and appeal of movies such as this.
Overall this book is pretty slight in any significantly detailed coverage of what makes up exploitation films but it does cover a large variety of films and I did find the descriptions of each at least intriguing and I did enjoy how he made some connections between such different topics as actors, writers, producers and themes with each movie and never really seemed to repeat himself.
As is my usual with books such as this, I wish there had been more photos but I did enjoy how each section had poster art from the movies as their front pages.
This book may be best for fans of the genres who are more interested in a casual reference book than for those looking to really delve into and understand the draw and appeal of movies such as this.
September 29, 2012
For One Week Only: The world of exploitation films by Ric Meyers was originally published in 1983, and now it's back, updated for the 21st century. Meyers has expanded things to include more recent history of some of the directors he talks about and perhaps a little more closure to the death of the exploitation era.
I'm a fan of B-movies and exploitation films, as well, so I enjoyed the read. While it's nothing fancy--really just an encyclopedic listing of films with some directorial essays scattered about--Meyers writes about what he knows in a humorous style that kept me engaged. I'm also going to be seeking out some of the film he listed that I'm sorry I've missed up until now. Thanks to Librarything's Early Reviewers for giving me the opportunity to read this.
I'm a fan of B-movies and exploitation films, as well, so I enjoyed the read. While it's nothing fancy--really just an encyclopedic listing of films with some directorial essays scattered about--Meyers writes about what he knows in a humorous style that kept me engaged. I'm also going to be seeking out some of the film he listed that I'm sorry I've missed up until now. Thanks to Librarything's Early Reviewers for giving me the opportunity to read this.
September 7, 2012
Though I was already interested in the genre, this is the book that truly set me on my path as an enthusiast for exploitation movies. Highly recommended, though you should get your hands on the original edition if you can find it. The recent version does not include any of the pictures and ads found in the original.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.