The idea behind the recently launched "Trailers from Hell" website is simple and fun. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there's a new video segment in which a renowned movie director comments over one of their favorite b-movie / exploitation / grindhouse flick trailers. Lots of personal memories, inspiration revelations -- it's like having a beer with a filmmaker whose work you dig, and fessing up about crappy movies you're both ashamed to admit loving.

One of this week's uploads is Mick "Masters of Horror" Garris waxing poetic about "The Vampire Lovers": Link.

What's extra cool here is the fact that each trailer is offered both with and without commentary. Great picks, and the commentaries I've watched are most watchable.

For instance, John Landis pointing out people he went to high school with who appear in "The T.A.M.I. Show," the musical variety epic filmed in "Electronovision" in 1964: Link.

Or Joe Dante on the sciencesploitation crapsterpiece "Incredible Petrified World": Link. ("You gotta hand it to [Jerry Warren] -- he made Ed Wood look like Bernardo Bertolucci, but he got these things made and people paid to see 'em!").

The commentaries feel authentic. You can't really fake this stuff, so there's a lot for fringe movie buffs to enjoy.

The only criticisms I have about the project are nitpicky UI issues -- I can't subscribe to an RSS feed (opt-in email updates, but that's kinda lame) Hey look, an RSS feed!; the website has a big-ass noisy Flash intro at the front gate; audience comments would be nice; and I wish the content were available on some of the web video networks I get most of my daily video pickins from.

Still, I'm totally bookmarking it and planning to come back regularly. Here's hoping they'll make these very good goods a little easier to access as time goes on. (Thanks, Elizabeth Stanley!)

posted by Xeni Jardin at 06:52:31 PM permalink | Other blogs' comments

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