Something Weird Video’s Lisa Petrucci will lead a lively illustrated lecture on genre film mavericks Roberta Findlay and Doris Wishman, two larger-than-life ladies who were making sexploitation films at a time when it was not common for women to be behind the camera. We will look at their comparable trajectory from nudies and roughies in the 1960s to porn and horror films in the 1970s and 80s, as well as their unique and quirky vision and styles of filmmaking. Both lived in New York City during the mid-1960s, and worked with a lot of the same actresses. They both also used pseudonyms, initially not taking credit for their own films or involvement in making them. The class will begin with a visual overview of each of their careers through a clip and trailers video program, followed by an illustrated lecture about their sleazy and often unsettling subject matter, distinctly unique camerawork and artistic vision, and overall significance to exploitation film history. Doris and Roberta have publicly claimed to not have a feminist agenda (and verge on female misogyny with some of the things they’ve actually said and depicted in some films), but their overall oeuvres often speak otherwise, so we will examine and debate this. The class will conclude with a Q&A session.

Lisa prefers to keep things light so she will try to regale you with fun factoids and anecdotes from her years of being involved with Something Weird Video. There also may be a surprise guest speaker or two. And brace yourselves, all participants will receive a delightfully depraved FREE ARTIFACT – a genuine piece of sexploitation history from the Something Weird Archive that you will cherish for years to come!

This event is in collaboration with the UCLA Film and Television Archive‘s series Catch a Thrill! Celebrating Ten Years of the American Genre Film Archive, which runs July 12-Aug 17, 2019.