Popatopolis

When it comes to B-movies, the modern master has to be Jim Wynorski. While Roger Corman (whom he had previously worked for) will likely be the all-time king, Wynorski is today's reigning master (though Fred Olen Ray may have a chance at the crown).

Having Lloyd Kaufman and Tom Savini praise you must be the highlight of the low budget career. Working with Heather Locklear, Julie Strain... discovering Jennifer Love Hewitt? He may make a lot of terrible films, but he has left his stain on the film industry permanently! And, hey, he made "Chopping Mall". Even if he never made any other film, that alone seals a place in horror, science fiction and film history. That ranks among the all-time greats.

Not sure what his obsession with breasts is, but he knows what he wants and he gets it. So, well done.

My first viewing of 'Popatopolis' was mildly entertaining as it was supposed to be. A light exploration of those sometimes likable T&A flicks & a well known b-movie director. This documentary traces Jim Wynorski's career, actresses within his films and isn't a bad watch for fans of this genre. It's "talking heads" format and a little too much industry back patting I could have done with less though.

Thru clips & interviews you get a quick picture of his start before boobs took over his movies. Back when he wasn't exclusively pumping out softcore romps and also working with a bit more money, imagination. This leads to the loose narrative at the heart of this doc as we follow along as Jim shoots his T&A flick 'Witches of Breastwick' in three days. Thankfully filmmaker Clay Westervelt shows this mock "challenge" to ultimately be a maneuver to make a flick with the least amount of effort, cost in all regards.

Most interesting pieces come courtesy of facts. Technology changed everything. Better cheaper cameras. The internet and more accessible porn. Much smaller b-movie market. Acting "talent" gone and budgets disappear. Sex even more important to sell. A paycheck is a paycheck. 'Popatopolis' hits all these notes and it's edited to be an easy watch.

B Movies are known for their absurdity, weak story, cheesy visual effects, and ... acting, but how does a product like this get made, and more perplexingly, how does it become popular? Somehow we love watching these films BECAUSE of how bad they are.. the worse they are, the more often we watch and talk about them, even making them part of our holiday traditions. Popatopolis gives us at the underbelly of the underbelly of cinema, and the results are, well, not that surprising. You see low budgets, little-no preparation, and an almost nonexistent passion for the art. What truly shines about this documentary are the personalities, which seem so genuine, and how all the arguing, the disorganization, and the minimal forethought defies probability to result in a finished product.

Popatopolois places the audience in the exciting world of film production... well, not the big Hollywood, multi-million dollar productions many dream of, rather the crude, low budget, desperate talent, minimal time, and no hope of stardom or producing a blockbuster. Within this dying world of B-films one man stands apart from the rest, Jim Wynorski's. An obsession for filmmaking and large breasted women catapulted Jim to the top of the B-film world, yet that has done little for the man's personal life.

The concept is simple; Jim is a man who can produce a product for market when all the odds seem to be against him. But, when he is given two days to shoot a feature tension pushes everyone to their limits. The film itself builds a certain fondness for Jim, who comes across as a misunderstood artist, who has made a way for himself but has yet to make it out of the low budget industry. The film is rough and raw, much like Jim. The film will keep you laughing, and keep you questioning the film making tactics of the "legendary" Jim Wynorski.

Popatopolis (2009)

*** (out of 4)

I think it's fair to say that director Jim Wynorski will never win an Oscar but he's become known for being one of the better people out there making low-budget "B" and "C" movies. Some of his films include CHOPPING MALL, BIG BAD MAMA II, SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE II and DINOSAUR ISLAND. This documentary follows Wynorski as he tries to film THE WITCHES OF BREASTWYCK in just three days. I've always been a fan of Wynorski so that helped add to my enjoyment of this film but I think that even if you've never heard of him you can still be entertained by this thing. We've all heard stories about Roger Corman and others making movies in a few days so it was fascinating watching this documentary as it shows someone trying to do this. We get a lot of time with the director as he's having to deal with certain issues that come up and this ranges from actresses forgetting their lines to a porn star doing her first "normal" movie and not knowing how far to go in a simulated sex scene. There's even a funny moment where the director and his actress argue about wearing panties during a sex scene. We get interviews with Wynorski, Corman, Julie Smith, Monique Parent, Julie Strain, Stormy Daniels and Antonia Dorian among others. I think fans of the director are obviously going to enjoy this look at his career but others should also find themselves entertained just by watching someone try to do a hundred different shots in one day.