Ralph Bakshi’s glorious 1975 animated feature Coonskin and the X-rated 1979 animated Tarzan spoof Shame of the Jungle will be among the films screening in Quentin Tarantino’s Los Angeles Grindhouse Festival, which kicks off this weekend at the New Beverly Cinema. The event will continue through April 30 and will feature more than 50 exploitation films from the 70s, including rare prints directly on loan from Tarantino’s private collection, many of which are unavailable on DVD.
Tarantino conceived the Los Angeles Grindhouse Festival while working on Grindhouse, the new double feature he directe with pal Robert Rodriguez (Sin City). That film opens in theaters nationwide on April 6th.
‘Grindhouse is a tribute to the movies I have loved for decades that have mostly been under-appreciated and forgotten,’ says Tarantino. ‘I’m thrilled to have this chance to show the original works for a new generation to discover, and to give Los Angeles the rare opportunity to see these gems on the big screen.’
Coonskin (a.k.a. Streetfight), is a bleak, brutal and funny tale of Harlem street survival that satirizes thug life and race relations in the U.S. The film uses a unique blend of animation and live-action background footage to chronicle the gangland rise and fall of a black rabbit and his entourage of ne’r-do-wells. The film will be screened as part of a triple feature with Shame Of The Jungle and Tunnel Vision from directors Neal Israel and Bradley R. Swirnoff on March 23 and 24.
Attendees will be treated to an ultra rare 35mm print of Shame Of The Jungle (a.k.a. Tarzoon, la honte de la jungle) from SND Valisa Films. The French/Belgian co-production was originally released in 1975 and later made its way to the U.S., edited for an ‘R’ rating and re-dubbed by American actors including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, Andrew Duncan, Judy Graubart and Johnny Weissmuller Jr., son of the actor who played Tarzan in numerous Tarzan films.
For show times, check local listings or visit the New Beverly Cinema website at www.newbevcinema.com or call for program information at (323) 938-4038.
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