By percentages alone, Schick-Sunn Classics (often referred to as Sunn Classics) was one of the most profitable studios in the 1970s. Their low-budget fare made back many times their meagre investments, thanks to their shrewd marketing. Many people in the Bible Belt had stopped going to movies in that decade because of the sex, violence and profanity that was rampant on the screen. Sunn Classics saw a market. They brought people back to theatres with their G-rated fare, specializing in family films, and (especially) paranormal-themed documentaries. Sunn also brought back the long-dormant practice of four-walling theatres, meaning that they kept the entire percentage of admission fees, while the cinemas only made money on concessions. In the final stage of its operation, it produced a run of classic book adaptations and other wholesome family fare, to be aired on television.
Perhaps the hit Grizzly Adams TV series (inspired by the Sunn Classics movie) proved the most successful of their family fare. As for their paranormal docs, Beyond and Back and In Search of Noah’s Ark were hugely profitable. Many of these films had second lives either late at night on UHF stations, or very early in the home video revolution. As of this writing, many of these films are still not available on DVD or Blu-ray: perhaps because they are of marginal interest today, or because no one is sure who now owns them, as Sunn was acquired by Taft Broadcasting, then Viacom through Paramount Pictures. Tapeheads like me would buy them on day one.
The Family Films
The Paranormal Films
The TV Movies
Greg Woods
Greg Woods has been a film enthusiast since his teens, and began his writing "career" at the same time- prolific in capsule reviews of everything he had watched, first on index cards, then those hardcover dollar store black journals, then an old Mac IIsi. He founded The Eclectic Screening Room in 2001, as a portal to share his film love with the world, and find some like-minded enthusiasts along the way. In addition to having worked in the film industry for over two decades, he has been a co-programmer of films at Trash Palace, and a programmer/co-founder of the Toronto Film Noir Syndicate. He has also written for Broken Pencil, CU-Confidential, Micro-Film, and is currently working on his first novel. His secret desire is for someone to interview him for a podcast or a DVD extra.