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Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad September 3, 2005 In praise of the 'B' movie By Chris Honore Tidings Correspondent Going to the movies some 60 years ago meant you got a lot of bang for your buck. A typical bill would include a news reel, cartoons, and two features. The first film screened was considered the “A” film, the main attraction, and the “B” film followed. It was usually the more obscure of the two movies, shorter, with a thin plot, and staring relatively unknown actors. The “B” movie was Hollywood’s response to what were declining cinema audiences during the last years of the depression. Two of the big New York theater chains, RKO and Loew’s (the holding company for MGM), adopted the double feature in all of their theaters. Within a year, three-quarters of all movie houses in America were featuring double bills. Many of these “B” movies, shot in black and white, often dark and obscure, are now characterized as noir films, “Double Indemnity,” “The Maltese Falcon,” “The Big Sleep,” “Shadow of Doubt” and “D.O.A.” being classic examples. And, of course, there was sci-fi/horror noir, such as “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “Creature From the Black Lagoon,” or “The Tingler.” And so “B” movies became a type of cottage industry in Hollywood, turned out, specifically, to fill the second tier spot. Warner’s was known for its G-men films. Paramount offered fast-paced melodramas and thrillers. And MGM produced some classy “B” movies that had aspirations to the “A” list. Republic Pictures did serial pictures and a slew of westerns. In fact, many of the “B” films became the movies of choice for kids who went to Saturday matinees. Often a “B” movie, such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” or “The Thing,” would be preceded by a fifteen minute serial, such as “Don Winslow of the Navy.” Each Saturday, the young audience would be treated to an installment of Don, slugging it out with the bad guys, and saving a damsel in distress (sometimes known as a femme fatale). And just as that day’s installment was about to end, Don’s out of control sedan plunging over a cliff or stuck on the railroad tracks with a locomotive bearing down, the words “To Be Continued” flashed on the screen. Not one kid took a breath for at least five minutes afterward. However, by the mid-1950s, the “B” movie was in decline. Almost overnight, television captivated the country. Movie theater attendance began to fall off as folks were treated to nightly western, thriller, dramatic and comedic small screen fare. And so gradually Hollywood focused on the single feature, increasing its length and budget. “A” list features of the ’40s and ’50s were often no more than 90 minutes and “B” movies even shorter. Now the expectation is that a feature-length film should have “A” list actors and be close to two hours, with many going well over that. Blockbusters, the mega feature, break all time and budget constraints. Hollywood still makes a bevy of “B” movies (billed as “A” movies, of course), and usually the “B” stands for bad. A recent example would be the just released “Cave,” currently playing in Ashland. The actors are from the “B” list, all doing their best to prop up a weak script that is hugely derivative of “Alien.” An example of an excellent “B” movie, in its third week at the Ashland Cinema, is “Red Eye.” It’s a rocket. Only 85 minutes long (ideal for a “B” movie), it has a sense of urgency and tension often lacking in movies that are billed as thrillers but run much longer. As well, it’s a classic container film, meaning that with the exception of the setup and the climax, the entire movie takes place in a very small space. Everything feels compressed. “Speed” would be another example, as would the fairly recent film, “Phone Booth.” Both topnotch “B” movies. Haunted house movies also use this template. In the case of “Red Eye,” the drama takes place in the fuselage of a commercial airliner at 30,000 feet, and the sense of claustrophobia is palatable. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It also features the damsel in distress (Rachel McAdams), of course with a contemporary tweak, meaning McAadam’s character is independent and courageous, and her survival depends on those qualities. Everything about a good “B” movie is minimalistic, as is “Red Eye.” The screenplay’s premise is straightforward, the dialogue informational, the intent of the film being to ratchet up the tension, focusing on how the protagonist will fight back in order to solve the problem. It can be a harrowing formula, and in the hands of a masterful filmmaker, such as Wes Craven, it can make for a fine filmgoing experience, proving that “B” can indeed stand for bodacious. --> Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.