The Incredibly Strange Film Show is a series of documentaries presented by Jonathan Ross focusing on the world of "psychotronic" or B movies.
Each episode was focused on the lives of filmmakers like Herschell Gordon Lewis, Sam Raimi, Doris Wishman, Ed Wood Jr, Jackie Chan and many other notable filmmakers who had their own unique style of filmmaking and have made contributions to the world of cinema. Various movie genres, including such outré types as Mexican wrestling and Hong Kong horror films, were also examined.
The series' first episode featured interviews filmed at the Senator Theater, in Baltimore, during the premiere of Hairspray, including an interview with John Waters and one of the last recorded interviews with Divine.
The show was originally aired on 5 August 1988 on Channel 4. A second series, entitled Son of The Incredibly Strange Film Show, aired the following year.SON OF INCREDIBLY STRANGE FILM SHOW|Channel X Both series aired in the US on the Discovery Channel in the early 1990s. The show was followed by Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only, which featured filmmakers including Alejandro Jodorowski and David Lynch.JONATHAN ROSS PRESENTS FOR ONE WEEK ONLY|Channel X
Episodes
Season 1: The Incredibly Strange Film Show Episode Featured Filmmaker Air Date 1 John Waters 5 August 1988 2 Ray Dennis Steckler 12 August 1988 3 Herschell Gordon Lewis 19 August 1988 4 Ted V. Mikels 26 August 1988 5 Russ MeyerRuss Meyer on "The Incredibly Strange Film Show" - The Criterion Channel 2 September 1988 6 Sam Raimi 9 September 1988
Season 2: Son of The Incredibly Strange Film Show Episode Featured Filmmaker Air Date 1 Jackie ChanSon of the Incredibly Strange Film Show - The Criterion Channel 22 September 1989 2 Fred Olen Ray & Doris Wishman 29 September 1989 3 The Legend of El Santo 6 October 1989 4 Ed Wood Jr. 13 October 1989 5 Tsui Hark & Stuart Gordon 20 October 1989 6 George A. Romero & Tom Savini 27 October 1989
Reception and legacy Film studies academic Dean DeFino described the show as "highly regarded". The Baltimore Sun called it "strangely engaging".
Director Edgar Wright claimed that the episode on Sam Raimi inspired him to become a filmmaker.
Book The Incredibly Strange Film Book, a spin-off written by Ross, was published in 1993.
References
External links
The Incredibly Strange Film Show at channelx.co.uk Son of Incredibly Strange Film Show at channelx.co.uk The Incredibly Strange Film Show at thetvdb IndieWire article about David Lynch episode