The Grindhouse

The Grindhouse

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez team up for a seven-ties style double-feature. The Grindhouse is a double-feature; showing casing Rodriguez’s Planter Terror and Tarantino’s Deathproof. Both movies were made to imitate the stylized horror features of the seventies. While each film exists on its own, the duo of directors did collaborate to make the Grindhouse as authentic a double-feature experience as possible for those of us un-initiated. Not only did the Grindhouse feature two movies, but also three original trailers of ficitional films produced exclusively for these movies, and a number of original commercial also produced exclusively for the movies. All things considered the running time of Grindhouse was well over three hours; and though I have mixed emotions about the movies the films the over-all experience was worth the price of admission. As I stated earlier I did not have much familiarity with the double-feature experience prior to the Tarantino/Rodriguez collaboration, but for a first experience it was not a disappointment. From what I can gather the two directors stayed true to the nature and formula of Grindhouse Theater. Particularly with the inclusion of period-style commercials that appeared between the two features. Regarding the original trailers they were a nice component that rounded out the experience. Machete was the first of three trailers and clearly the best and most likely to be made into a movie, but that could just be my blatant bias to Danny Trejo and me wanting the movie to be made. The other three trailers, Thanksgiving, Don’t, and Werewolf Women of the SS, pretty much get lumped together because while they were funny and each had their high and low points, specifically the final shot of Thanksgiving (if you haven’t seen it I don’t want to ruin just look for the really interesting thanksgiving fowl), I really don’t any of them getting made into its own feature. As for the feature themselves, they were very different movies and while both were enjoyable, one clearly stood out. The are reviewed in the order they were shown

GRADE – B+

Planet Terror
Robert Rodriguez helmed this is horror-comedy flick about a poisonous vapor that is released into the air and ends up infecting the residents of “random rural town USA”. The movie is about an army battalion lead by Lt. Muldoon, Bruce Willis, that are infected with this new biological weapon, noxious gas that was manufactured in the Middle East. In an attempt to steal more of the weapon, which the members of the battalion rely on in order to stay alive and remain “normal”, from the weapons primary manufacturer – an Iranian chemical engineer Abby, played by Lost’s Naveen Andrews; the weapon is released into the air and began to infect the residents of a nearby town. The gas transforms all those that inhale it into ravenous zombies; one can also be transformed into a zombie if they come in contact with any of the zombies’ blood. To stop the spread of this horrible plague a pair of unlikely heroes come together, an exotic dancer (not to be confused with a stripper) Cherry Darling, Rose McGowen, and Wray, Freddie Rodriguez (Lady in the Water). Wray and Cherry are former lovers that reconnect during this time of crisis to try and save humanity.
In Planet Terror Rodriguez had made a tongue and cheek horror homage to seventy-style horror films. The movie is complete with gruesome death scenes, massive body count, graphically gross images and even a woman with an assault rifle for a leg. Even the dialogue is over the top. While this is not my style of movie I can appreciate the director having fun in the genre and wanting to have fun with the audience. The story and shallow and the movie leaves a lot of unanswered questions, but it is fun and disgusting and chalk full of “ewwww” moments when the audience has not choice but to cringe. I could do without zombie rape scene, well mostly I could not with the zombies’ testicles falling off, but I am weird like that. All in all fun movie, not Rodriguez’s finest, he has done much better, but I am not mad at the movie.

GRADE – C+

Deathproof

The second film in the double feature, clearly the better of the two, and its no coincidence that QT directed this one. Deathproof is the story of a sadistic stunt man, Stunt Man Mike played by Kurt Russell, that is gets off my killing women with his specially built stunt car that is virtually indestructible and death proof, at least for the person seated in the driver seat. Stunt Man Mike also seems to favor attacking groups of women; although he is not above killing them one at a time. This movie was really good because it is a QT movie. What I have come to appreciate about Tarantino is that when he makes a movie, it doesn’t matter what kind of movie it is, it is a Tarantino flick. Meaning that he is going to make it his way, with lots of cool dialogue, long single frame shots, and strong female characters. Deathproof is no exception, even though Russell runs away with movie doing what he does best, be Kurt Russell, all the female characters are sexy, strong, and commanding. Even though the death sequences are gruesome and violent, it doesn’t make the ladies look any weaker in fact I have more respect for any female that signs up to have a tire run over her face. And in the end Stunt Man Mike downfall comes at the hands of three women. This movie is good times to be had by all.

GRADE – A