| Runtime: | 40 minutes |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Num Episodes: | 12 |
| Num Series: | 2 |
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,[1] in Baltimore, during the premiere of Hairspray, including an interview with John Waters and one of the last recorded interviews with Divine.[2]
The show was originally aired on 5 August 1988 on Channel 4.[3] A second series, entitled Son of The Incredibly Strange Film Show, aired the following year.[4] Both series aired in the US on the Discovery Channel in the early 1990s.[3] The show was followed by Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only, which featured filmmakers including Alejandro Jodorowski and David Lynch.[5]
| Episode | Featured Filmmaker | Air Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Waters | 5 August 1988 | |
| 2 | 12 August 1988 | ||
| 3 | 19 August 1988 | ||
| 4 | Ted V. Mikels[6] | 26 August 1988 | |
| 5 | Russ Meyer[7] [8] | 2 September 1988 | |
| 6 | 9 September 1988 | ||
| Episode | Featured Filmmaker | Air Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackie Chan[9] | 22 September 1989 | |
| 2 | 29 September 1989 | ||
| 3 | 6 October 1989 | ||
| 4 | 13 October 1989 | ||
| 5 | 20 October 1989 | ||
| 6 | 27 October 1989 | ||
Film studies academic Dean DeFino described the show as "highly regarded".[7] The Baltimore Sun called it "strangely engaging".[11]
Director Edgar Wright claimed that the episode on Sam Raimi inspired him to become a filmmaker.[12]
The Incredibly Strange Film Book,[13] a spin-off written by Ross, was published in 1993.