CINEASTES will surely shudder and reach for the smelling salts when the names Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus are mentioned.

So how could they savour a documentary about the prolific producers of landmark Hollywood pictures like The Last American Virgin, Cheerleaders Beach Party, several US Ninja epics, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and a rash of full-frontal sex movies?

When they invaded Hollywood, the film-obsessed Israeli cousins produced truly terrible schlock —“Low-budget movies with a hint of sex,” and then more than just a hint — earning riches and critical opprobrium in equal measure.

Their stars included Charles Bronson, Sean Connery, Sylvester Stallone and Faye Dunaway and, making memorable ego-driven appearances in Mark Hartley’s fascinating documentary, director Michael Winner.

But smelling salts will definitely be needed when cineastes realise the duo also made films with John Cassavetes, Jean-Luc Godard and Franco Zeffirelli, who applauded them as “the best producers I ever worked with.” Go figure.