THAT'S HICKSPLOITATION: THE ORIGIN OF SOUTHERN CINEMA

Cinemavixion Review

Daniel Griffith's "That's Hicksploitation: The Origin Of Southern Cinema" offers a compelling deep dive into a fascinating, often overlooked corner of film history. The documentary meticulously unpacks the rise of "hicksploitation," a subgenre that, despite its reliance on often outrageous stereotypes, carved out a significant niche by reflecting and distorting rural Southern life. C. Courtney Joyner's narration guides viewers through a rich tapestry of early independent filmmaking, highlighting how economic realities in smaller Southern theaters inadvertently fostered a space for unique, boundary-pushing cinema. From silent-era oddities to the more sensationalized features that followed, the film effectively demonstrates how these low-budget productions not only entertained but also profoundly influenced broader pop culture and even inspired later, more mainstream cinematic successes. It's a vital exploration for anyone interested in the evolution of American film outside the traditional Hollywood studio system.