Jim Morton (American writer)

Jim Morton
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
CitizenshipUnited States
SubjectB-movies, Grindhouse, Exploitation films, East-German cinema
Years active1983–present
Notable worksIncredibly Strange Films
Website
jimmortonwriter.com

Jim Morton is an American writer based in San Francisco, California, known for his writings on American B-movies, grindhouse, exploitation films, and East German cinema.

Biography

In the early-1980s, Morton self-published a 'zine about B-movies called Trashola.[1][2][3] Following Trashola, Morton co-authored and guest-edited the 1985 RE/Search Publications book Incredibly Strange Films.[4][5][6][7]

Morton interviewed necrophile Karen Greenlee for Adam Parfrey's 1987 collection Apocalypse Culture.[8][9][10] Greenlee later reportedly regretted the interview, changed her identity, and relocated.[11] A year later, Morton co-edited the 1988 collection on obscure and bygone pop culture, Pop Void: A Journal of Popular Culture.[12][13]

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Morton contributed essays to several American and British film books, including Lost Highways: An Illustrated History of Road Movies,[14] Sex and Zen and a Bullet in the Head: The Essential Guide to Hong Kong's Mind-bending Films ,[15] and Land of a Thousand Balconies: Discoveries and Confessions of a B-Movie Archaeologist.[16] Morton also co-authored a 1996 book about American advertising, titled What a Character!: 20th Century American Advertising Icons.[17][18][19]

Morton speaks German, and has authored a survey of East-German cinema titled Movies Behind the Wall: The Story of East German Films and the Rise and Fall of the GDR.[20] He also maintains the East German Cinema Blog.[21] Morton translated Frank Wedekind’s German novella Mine Ha-ha into English.[22]

Morton has taught film classes for the San Francisco Free University.[23] He presented at San Francisco's Oddball Films' "Cinema Soiree Series,"[24] and was the guest speaker at the 2010 Revelation Film Festival in Perth, Australia.[25][26] In 2019 he was interviewed for a documentary film about Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey.[27][28]

Morton has also written for Film-to-Film and The Film Noir Foundation,[29] as well as for non-film-related publications such as Macworld, and Mother Jones. Morton's most recent book is a work of neo-noir fiction titled The Lying Ghost.[30] As of March 2026, he has begun posting film-related articles on Substack, under the title Pop Void at the Movies.

Bibliography

  • Morton, Jim (2025). The Lying Ghost. ISBN 979-8262596744.
  • Morton, Jim (2021). Creature with the Atom Brain. ISBN 979-8757777238.
  • Morton, Jim (2020). Movies Behind the Wall: The Story of East German Films and the Rise and Fall of the GDR. ISBN 979-8581960769.
  • Morton, Jim (1996). What a Character! 20th Century American Advertising Icons. ISBN 978-0811809368.
  • Morton, Jim (1988). Pop Void: A Journal of Popular Culture. ISBN 978-0942931044.
  • Morton, Jim (1985). Incredibly Strange Films. ISBN 978-1889307114.[31]

References

  1. ^ Fisher, Austin; Walker, Johnny, eds. (2016). Grindhouse: Cultural Exchange on 42nd Street, and Beyond. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1628927474.
  2. ^ Barefoot, Guy (2007). Trash Cinema: The Lure of the Low. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-18037-5.
  3. ^ Ward, Glenn (September 22, 2016). "Grinding out the Grindhouse: Exploitation, myth and memory" (PDF). University of Brighton.
  4. ^ "Incredibly Strange Films". Spectroom. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Callahan, Bob (May 6, 1986). "Shelf Life: The Revenge of the Astro-Zombies". The San Francisco Examiner (Newspapers.com).
  6. ^ Rutherford, Jim (July 1, 2011). "Jim Morton Bonus Audio Interview". Cinema Misfits. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  7. ^ Smith, Iain Robert; Tierney, Dolores; Narayanswamy, Shruti (2026-01-22). Global Cult Cinemas: Decolonizing Cult Film Studies. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-5013-7522-4.
  8. ^ Morton, Jim (1987). Parfrey, Adam (ed.). Apocalypse Culture (2nd revised ed.). Feral House (published 1990). pp. 28–35. ISBN 978-0922915057.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  9. ^ Tippett, Anna (August 10, 2023). "Shining light on an unspeakable crime: necrophilia and the need for legal reform". Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 36 (1): Pages 114-124 – via Taylor & Francis Online.
  10. ^ Pemment, Jack (January 13, 2019). "The Building Blocks of Necrophilia: Changing the focus from life to death". Psychology Today.
  11. ^ Faraci, Devin (October 31, 2013). "Ghoul Of Your Dreams: Proud Necrophiliac Karen Greenlee". Birth. Movies. Death. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021.
  12. ^ Morton, Jim, ed. (1988). Pop Void: A Journal of Popular Culture. ISBN 978-0942931044.
  13. ^ Stanley, John (May 24, 1987). "A Bizarre Eve Awaits Fans of Campy Horror". The San Francisco Chronicle (Newspapers.com). pp. 198, 205.
  14. ^ Sargeant, Jack; Watson, Stephanie, eds. (2000). Lost Highways: An Illustrated History of Road Movies. Creation Books. ISBN 978-1871592689.
  15. ^ Hammond, Stefan; Wilkins, Mike (1996). Sex and Zen & A Bullet in the Head: The Essential Guide to Hong Kong's Mind-bending Films. Touchstone. ISBN 978-0684803418.
  16. ^ Stevenson, Jack (2003). Land of a Thousand Balconies: Discoveries and Confessions of a B-Movie Archaeologist. Critical Vision. ISBN 978-1900486231.
  17. ^ Anthony, Ted (August 18, 1996). "Snap! Crackle! Pop! goes the United States". Danville Register and Bee (Newspapers.com).
  18. ^ Pellecchia, Michael (June 7, 1996). "Book about ad icons dredges up old memories". Star Tribune (Newspapers.com).
  19. ^ Schoenecke, Michael (Summer 1998). "What a Character: 20th Century American Advertising Icons (review)". Journal of American Culture. 21 (2): 101.
  20. ^ Morton, Jim (2020). Movies Behind the Wall: The Story of East German Films and the Rise and Fall of the GDR. Pop Void Publications. ISBN 979-8581960769.
  21. ^ Morton, Jim. "East German Cinema Blog: A Blog About the Films of East Germany". East German Cinema Blog.
  22. ^ Wedekind, Frank (1903). Mine-Haha oder Über die körperliche Erziehung der jungen Mädchen [Mine Ha-ha: On the Corporal Education of Young Girls]. Translated by Morton, Jim (English ed.) (published 2020). ASIN B08FVG2MM2.
  23. ^ Wilson, Rebecca G. (2011). "JIM MORTON – from Incredibly Strange Films to East German Cinema". The Write Rebecca.
  24. ^ "Cinema Soiree: Jim Morton on East German Genre Films – Thur. July 28th – 8PM". Oddball Films. 2016-07-24. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  25. ^ "Tweets in the Dark: The 13th Revelation Perth International Film Festival – Senses of Cinema". 2000-11-05. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  26. ^ "Revelation Perth International Film Festival". FilmFreeway. 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  27. ^ Abrahamsson, Carl (2019). "Anton LaVey - Into the Devil's Den". IMDb.
  28. ^ Abrahamsson, Carl (2019). "Jim Morton Interview". The Fenris Wolf - Substack.
  29. ^ Lenker, Maureen (May 16, 2023). "Eddie Muller's Noir Bar reveals best drinks for classic films". Entertainment Weekly.
  30. ^ Morton, Jim (2025). The Lying Ghost. ISBN 979-8262596744.
  31. ^ Galil, Leor (2022-10-26). "How punk adopted the Godfather of Gore". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2026-03-04.
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