So, what is a b-movie anyway? The phrase may elicit visions of monsters, mad scientists, vampires, or other campy elements. Brief and general dictionary definitions often state that such films are low-budget and low-quality productions. However, the nuanced history of these films suggests a deeper definition. Wikipedia actually has a great introductory article on B-Movies-- complete with helpful authoritative references-- which discusses the history of these films in great detail. The first few sentences of this article give a more detailed description of a b-movie:

A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature. Although the U.S. production of movies intended as second features largely ceased by the end of the 1950s, the term B movie continued to be used in the broader sense it maintains today ("B Movie," Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_movie, accessed 8 June 2011)

Below, please check out some staff and librarian favorite b-movies at the Mansfield Library. Enjoy!

The links below will allow you to browse B-Movies in our collection.  You can also search for individual titles in our catalog.

Below are some links to sites that may provide free access to documentary films on the web or provide more information on documentary filmmakers.