R.I.P. Ben Barenholtz, inventor of the midnight movie

[Rev. Powell]

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/06/ben-barenholtz-dead-david-lynch-coen-brothers-1202153774/

Very influential, to me. Supported, discovered and/or distributed a lot of my favorites, including David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, the Coen Brothers, and more. Also a Holocaust survivor.

[Allhallowsday]

Fantastic character!  I think BLOOD SIMPLE was just the beginning of a stunning run of films for the COEN brothers and BARENHOLTZ made it possible.  Good night BEN ! 

[316zombie]

sleep well, ben, and thank you!

[Svengoolie 3]

Man this is ironic.

I once read an interesting  explanation of how america's 24 hour world was started by ww2 and perpetuated by the nazi invention methamphetamines.

The war effort and it's  global nature really put america on a round the clock open 24 hours basis. So a lot of things that used to be 9-5 were  now round the clock.

During ww2 nazi scientists developed the first amphetamine drug used as a combat stimulant to keep soldiers awake and fighting on a long basis.

(See the documentary "high hitler and the nazi supermen" for more on this.)

After ww2 people brought meth back to america as a "pep pill" and diet aid. Soon housewives we're doing laundry at 4AM regularly.

The mindnight movie scene was a spin off of this.

[Allhallowsday]

 

[Allhallowsday]

 

[Svengoolie 3]

Ww2 did change american culture permanently. Before amercia was largely a country where all decent people were in bed by 10-11pm and those  up past then were "different",  somehow.  Either criminal miscreants PR people fibbing them.

The american artwork "night hawks",  painted at abut the entry of america into ww2 and conceived before then, became famous precisely because it opened a little window into the world of these strange,  nocturnal creatures for the masses to peer thru safely.


http://mentalfloss.com/article/63967/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-nighthawks

In the 50's we started the 24 hour a day businesses, and meth, which attained wide use in ww2 became big then. So did addiction to it.

All night pharmacies, eateries and other businesses opened up to accommodate more than the graveyard shift police  and other rtyoes.

Eventually, all night stores and finally even theaters followed.

One of the biggest early successes of the midnight movie circuit was the rocky horror picture show, a wave of porn followed years later,  with deep throat  being one of the most well known.

[Allhallowsday]

 

[Svengoolie 3]

Suffered a brain ijusry and forgotten how to type letters so you're using emojis?  Hmm,  kinda ironic there.

[Allhallowsday]

...
Eventually, all night stores and finally even theaters followed.

One of the biggest early successes of the midnight movie circuit was the rocky horror picture show, a wave of porn followed years later,  with deep throat  being one of the most well known.

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)
DEEP THROAT (1972) 

One should not go on about a subject one doesn't know... and condescend to those of us that do.   

[RCMerchant]

I thought the midnight movie thing started with EL TOPO...

[Rev. Powell]

I thought the midnight movie thing started with EL TOPO...

It did. EL TOPO, 1970. Showing it at midnight was Barenholtz's idea.

[RCMerchant]

I also believe REEFER MADNESS was an early midnight movie. I know NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was. And of course PINK FLAMINGOS.

[316zombie]

my MIL was an usherette in southeast kansas during WWII, they were a 24 hour theater. the mines ran 3 shifts, so the theater did too.