The 70s Cinema of Jonathan Kaplan: A Cinematic Void Tribute

Few filmmakers have mastered as many genres and mediums as Jonathan Kaplan, who has crafted countless cult classics as well as helming award-winning prestige pictures. Having studied film at NYU, Kaplan was working at the Filmore East rock venue with future New World Pictures alumni Jon Davison and Allan Arkush when he got the chance to make a feature. At the suggestion of one of his NYU teachers – Martin Scorsese – producer Roger Corman tapped the aspiring director for the sex comedy NIGHT CALL NURSES, which became a smash hit.

Throughout the ‘70s Kaplan created memorable films in exploitation subgenres including Sexploitation (NIGHT CALL NURSES and THE STUDENT TEACHERS), Blaxploitation (THE SLAMS and TRUCK TURNER) and even Trucksploitation (WHITE LINE FEVER, from a major studio no less). He closed out the decade with the iconic tale of youth gone wild OVER THE EDGE. Negative backlash to other youth gang movies such as THE WARRIORS cut short its theatrical run, but in the years that followed, video rentals and heavy rotation on HBO eventually brought OVER THE EDGE the audience it deserved.

In the ‘80s, Kaplan focused on television, doing made-for-TV movies and well as music videos. But in 1988 he got the opportunity to direct THE ACCUSED; when star Jodie Foster won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance, Kaplan found himself in demand. He followed up THE ACCUSED with a string of high-profile releases including UNLAWFUL ENTRY, starring Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta, and LOVE FIELD, which garnered Michelle Pfeiffer a Best Actress nomination.

Cinematic Void salutes Jonathan Kaplan’s early years with the action-packed TRUCK TURNER (starring and scored by Isaac Hayes), the rarely screened shocker THE STUDENT TEACHERS and the cinematic anthem of misunderstood youth and teenage rebellion, OVER THE EDGE.