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Cinemation Industries
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Foundation date 1 january 1965
Cinemation Industries was a New York City-based film studio and distributor owned and run by exploitation producer Jerry Gross. Among other films, the company has distributed exploitation films such as Shanty Tramp (1967), Teenage Mother (1967), The Cheerleaders (1973), The Black Six (1974), and The Black Godfather (1974).
The company, however, also distributed unexpected smash hit independent films like Melvin Van Peebles' Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song (1971) and Ralph Bakshi's Fritz the Cat (1972). Other films released by the distributor include Peter Fonda's Idaho Transfer (1973), Freddie Francis' Son of Dracula (1974), Alain Resnais' Stavisky (1975), and the film version of Oh! Calcutta! (1972). It handled the U.S. rights for the Italian animated feature The Magic Bird, originally titled Putiferio va alla guerra.
The company became bankrupt in 1975, and all of its catalog has been distributed by other companies. Jerry Gross resurfaced (after reportedly working as a clerk at 7-11 store) a few years later with a new company The Jerry Gross Organization.
Filmography of Cinemation Industries (11 films)
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Savage Abduction (1973)
, 1h20Genres Thriller, Horror
Actors Joe Turkel, Sean Kenney, Tom Drake, Stafford Repp
A businessman hires a hitman to murder his wife. After he accomplishes the deed, the killer blackmails the husband into finding young girls for the murderer to torture and kill. The man makes a deal with a motorcycle gang to kidnap two young girls for that purpose.
Distribution
, 1h23Directed by Jan Gissberg
Origin Suede
Genres Adventure, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Film d'animation mettant en scène un animal, Films about insects, Films about birds, Children's films, Mise en scène d'une plante
Actors Thomas Funck, Thorsten Flinck, Peter Dalle, Claes Månsson, Stig Grybe, Åsa Bjerkerot
Something strange has been spotted over the tree tops in the forest where Charlie Strapp and Froggy Ball live, and Sheet-Niklas quickly builds a Binoculars to examine it. It turns out to be an emergency signal and the two friends together with Sheet-Niklas and The Parrot set out on an expedition to resque whoever is sending the signal.While crossing a stream, though, Froggy Ball falls down a small waterfall and ends up in a dark Cave. While looking for a way out he stumbles upon the Isopoda people who live there and quickly befriends King Cone And Queen Cone. In the meantime Charlie Strapp has met up with Princess Cone Green, a young and impulsive female cone, and soon joins Froggy Ball and the others. It turns out that the Cone people are the ones who have been sending the signal, and when elevated up to a tree top Charlie Strapp and Froggy Ball see a helicopter landing, with three evil businessman from the company Tonto-Turbo who are planning to tear down a huge part of the forest. When the businessman leave, Cone Green ends up being with them on the helicopter. Charlie Strapp and Froggy Ball hang on to the landing skids, but eventually fall off high up in the air over a lake. Luckily it turns out that Charlie's tailcoat can be used as a parachute, and Froggy Ball even learns how to steer it by pulling the tails so they can land on a steam boat. On the boat Sheet-Niklas and The Parrot succeed to locate them so they can join them again.The boat takes them to Gripsholm Castle, which turns out to be where the businessmen were heading too, as their full plan is to move the old castle to the cleared space in the forest and turn it into a hyper modern luxury hotel, replacing most of its walls and floors with glass. This will be made possible by hacking the authorities' computers with a special program they are keeping on a floppy disk. Cone Green, who has been hiding in a briefcase, tries to steal the disk but fails. Instead she, Charlie Strapp and Froggy Ball end up on the bottom of the castle well, but are soon resqued by Sheet-Niklas who has the ability to fly. In the meantime the men from Tonto-Turbo leave again in their helicopter. Sheet-Niklas calculates that they are heading to Ericsson Globe, before he flies back to the cone forest with Cone Green. In the city, Charlie Strapp and Froggy Ball walk up to Ericsson Globe and confront them, but are simply laughed at and disregarded. The businessmen then head off to the Nobel party where they have been invited. The two friends, left in the office, discover that the men forgot to bring the floppy disk with them. They try to find out which one of the disks at the office it is that is the real one, and while trying one in the computer the frog ends up inside of a computer game and Charlie has to control him into safety with the joystick. Soon after that, one of the men returns - and takes the right disk with him.Unable to get into the Stockholm City Hall, Froggy Ball is ready to give up when a submarine appears. Out of it come Sheet-Niklas and Cone Green who have returned. Through the kitchen they smuggle themselves into the party by hiding in the dessert - an ice cream parade. When inside Froggy Ball holds a speech where he accuses the men from Tonto-Turbo in public. The atmosphere becomes confused, and the men capture the two friends and decide to get rid of them once and for all. But then suddenly The Fox, who had previously only been seen in a short cameo in the very beginning of the story, arrives and causes disruption. While the men are distracted everybody can escape, and Cone Green steals the floppy disk. After a wild chase though, the men recapture the disk, but only to see an army of cones arrive and chase them into the water, where also the disk is dropped by The Parrot.Back in the cone forest the frog is awarded a prize from the hands of the cone Minister of Flower Pots and the businessman are given a new profession - shaving sheep, which they seem to enjoy.
, 34minutesDirected by Jan Gissberg
Origin Suede
Genres Adventure, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Films about insects, Children's films
Actors Thomas Funck
One day Charlie Strapp's good friend The Chicken is kidnapped by two Villain called Pudding and Karlsson. Charlie Strapp, who has just been invited by Froggy Ball to participate in the virgin ride of his new car, constructed by Sheet-Niklas and himself mainly out of an old shoe and a well-shaken soda bottle, begins the chase. But the start is miserable as their other friend The Parrot also ends up being kidnapped. It turns out, though, that the kidnappers might not be purely evil after all: they work as stage magicians and just happen to need a hen for a trick they are performing. Charlie Strapp and the others continue to chase the kidnappers through air, on the ground and on water skis until the final showndown. Maybe they can find another trick.
Son of Dracula (1974)
, 1h30Directed by Freddie Francis
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Horror, Musical
Themes Films about animals, Films about magic and magicians, Films about music and musicians, Wolves in film, Dracula films, Frankenstein films, Werewolves in film, Vampires in film, Musical films, Comedy horror films, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr, Freddie Jones, Suzanna Leigh, Dennis Price, David Bailie
After the killing of his father (Count Dracula, the King of the Netherworld), by a mysterious assassin, Count Downe (Harry Nilsson) is summoned from his travels abroad by family advisor Merlin (Ringo Starr) in order to prepare him to take over the throne. Baron Frankenstein (Freddie Jones) is also on hand to help in any way he can. Problem is, Downe wants no part of this responsibility, and instead wishes to become human and mortal − especially after meeting a girl named Amber (Suzanna Leigh), with whom he falls in love. He approaches old family nemesis Dr Van Helsing (Dennis Price), who agrees to enable the Count's transformation, much to the dismay of the residents of the Netherworld.
Idaho Transfer (1973)
, 1h26Directed by Peter Fonda
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction
Themes Post-apocalyptic films, Films about religion, Time travel films, Films set in the future, Political films, Dystopian films, Disaster films
Actors Keith Carradine, Ted D'Arms
Teenager Karen Braden (Kelley Bohanon) is a troubled mental hospital outpatient who is taken by her father George and sister Isa to a government facility near the Craters of the Moon lava fields in Idaho. The project there was commissioned to develop matter transference, but made a different discovery: time travel. They also discovered that a mysterious ecological catastrophe will soon wipe out civilization.
The Black Six (1973)
, 1h34Directed by Matt Cimber
Origin USA
Genres Action
Themes Transport films, Road movies
The plot involves an African American veteran of the Vietnam War, played by Gene Washington, who returns home to find that his brother (played by Robert Howard) has been killed. The killing was done by a white supremacist motorcycle gang, led by Ben "Thor" Davidson, who objected to the fact that Howard had been dating a white woman. Washington and his motorcycle gang, known as the Black Six, vow to avenge his brother's death. The Six encounter a number of obstacles, including hostile motorcycle gangs (particularly Thor's), and racist policemen. The movie climaxes with an inconclusive battle royale between the Six and Thor's caucasian-supremist biker gang, in which Thor (apparently) blows them and himself up by igniting the gas tank of his own motorcycle. Rather than "The End", the film concludes with the caption Honky, look out...Don't hassle a brother, or the Black Six will return!. In spite of this, no sequel has ever been produced.
Fritz the Cat (1972)
, 1h18Directed by Ralph Bakshi
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Erotic, Comedy, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Medical-themed films, Films about drugs, Films about religion, Films about sexuality, Erotic films, Films about cats, Political films, Films about Jews and Judaism, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Skip Hinnant, Rosetta LeNoire, Ralph Bakshi, Roger Carel, Serge Sauvion, Jacques Balutin
In a New York City park, hippies have gathered with guitars to sing protest songs. Fritz and his buddies show up in an attempt to meet girls. When a trio of attractive females walk by, Fritz and his friends exhaust themselves trying to get their attention, but find that the girls are more interested in the crow standing a few feet away. The girls attempt to flirt with the crow, making unintentionally condescending remarks about blacks, while Fritz looks on in annoyance. Suddenly, the crow rebukes the girls with a snide remark and walks away. Fritz invites the girls to "seek the truth," bringing them up to his friend's apartment, where a wild party is taking place. Since the other rooms are crowded, Fritz drags the girls into the bathroom and the four of them have group sex in the bathtub. Meanwhile, the police (portrayed as pigs) arrive to raid the party. As the two officers walk up the stairs, one of the partygoers finds Fritz and the girls in the bath tub. Several others jump in, pushing Fritz to the side where he takes solace in marijuana. The two officers break into the apartment, but find that it is empty because everyone has moved into the bathroom. Fritz takes refuge in the toilet when one of the pigs enters the bathroom and begins to beat up the partygoers. As the pig becomes exhausted, a very stoned Fritz jumps out, grabs the pig's gun, and shoots the toilet, causing the water main to break and flooding everybody out of the apartment. The pigs chase Fritz down the street into a synagogue. Fritz manages to escape when the congregation gets up to celebrate the United States' decision to send more weapons into Israel.
, 1h37Directed by Melvin Van Peebles
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Action, Crime, Romance
Themes Films about children
Actors Melvin Van Peebles, John Amos, Mario Van Peebles
A young African American orphan (Mario Van Peebles) is taken in by the proprietor of a Los Angeles brothel in the 1940s. While working there as a towel boy, he loses his virginity at a young age to one of the prostitutes. The women name him "Sweet Sweetback" in honor of his sexual prowess and large penis. As an adult, Sweetback (Melvin Van Peebles) works as a performer in the whorehouse, entertaining customers by performing in a sex show. One night, a pair of LAPD officers come in to speak to Sweetback's boss, Beetle (Simon Chuckster). A black man had been murdered, and there is pressure from the black community to bring in a suspect. The police ask permission to arrest Sweetback, blame him for the crime, and then release him a few days later for lack of evidence, in order to appease the black community. Beetle agrees, and the officers arrest Sweetback. On the way to the police station, the officers arrest a young Black Panther named Mu-Mu (Hubert Scales). They handcuff him to Sweetback, but when Mu-Mu insults the officers, they take both men out of the car, undo the handcuff from Mu-Mu's wrist, and beat him. In response, Sweetback uses the handcuffs, still hanging from his wrist, to beat the officers into unconsciousness.
Johnny Got His Gun (1971)
, 1h51Directed by Dalton Trumbo
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Horror
Themes Films about euthanasia, Medical-themed films, Politique, Films about disabilities, Political films
Actors Timothy Bottoms, Jason Robards, Donald Sutherland, Kathy Fields, Diane Varsi, Marsha Hunt
Joe Bonham (Bottoms), a young American soldier hit by an artillery shell during World War I, lies in a hospital bed. He is a quadruple amputee who has also lost his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. He remains conscious and able to reason, but his wounds render him a prisoner in his own body. As he drifts between reality and fantasy, he remembers his old life with his family and girlfriend (Kathy Fields). He also forms a bond, of sorts, with a young nurse (Diane Varsi) who senses his plight.
I Eat Your Skin (1971)
, 1h24Directed by Del Tenney
Origin USA
Genres Horror
Themes Medical-themed films, Zombie films, Films about viral outbreaks, Disaster films
Actors Robert Stanton, Walter Coy
Writer Tom Harris arrives on a beautiful island in search of material on voodoo legends for his novel. He unfortunately stumbles onto the secret laboratory of a mad scientist who is experimenting on reversing the aging process.
The Night God Screamed (1971)
, 1h25Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Horror, Crime
Themes Films about religion
Actors Jeanne Crain, Alex Nicol, Jack Donner, Barbra Hancock, James Sikking, Corinne Conley
In the seven-and-a-half-minute pre-credits sequence, a faceless hooded figure, dressed like a monk and carrying a six-foot cruciform staff, walks through a forest, stopping on a hill overlooking a lakeside baptismal ceremony conducted by a Christ-like figure (Michael Sugich) who starts making a speech/plea to God, expressing gratitude for being shown the light and receiving "a chance to be saved". He then thanks God for giving him the power and for making him "Your son". He tells God that all those present "were just a bunch of sinners", but "I saved them", because "I made them see that using dope was the way to turn on to you". Continuing, "we got trouble, Lord — the heat won't leave us alone — they want to bust us for being hooked on you", he then declaims that "they don't dig our kind of faith — they put us down cause we ain't one of them uptight establishment churches with one of them phony moneymaking ministers, lying and stealing…" He tells God and the assembled young followers that one among them was sent to "spy on us and try to bust us". He focuses on one of the girls and announces, "there's a chick that don't want to be baptized — she don't want to follow me" and finishes by pronouncing, "Oh, yes, Lord, in our happy flock, maybe we got us a Judas". When the girl (Andrea Darvi) gets up and tries to run, she is quickly caught and held, as the Christ-like figure, now revealed to be the leader of a Charles Manson-styled cult, calls for "The Atoner" who, appearing from the bushes, is the initially-seen silent hooded figure with the tall cross/staff. The cult leader, whom the girl addresses as "Billy Joe", forcibly "baptizes" her, with The Atoner holding her underwater, in front of all assembled, until she drowns.