Grindhouse - Review

Robert Rodriguez   (fake trailer "Machete") (movie "Planet Terror") 

Eli Roth   (fake trailer "Thanksgiving") 

Quentin Tarantino   (movie "Death Proof") 

Edgar Wright   (fake trailer "Don't Scream") 

Rob Zombie   (fake trailer "Werewolf Women of the S.S.") 

The Official Word…

DEATH PROOF

For Austin’s hottest DJ, Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), dusk offers an opportunity to unwind with two of her closest friends, Shanna and Arlene (Jordan Ladd and Vanessa Ferlito). This three fox posse sets out into the night, turning heads from Guero’s to the Texas Chili Parlor. Not all of the attention is innocent: Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a scarred, weathered rebel who leers from behind the wheel of his muscle car. As the girls settle into their beers, Mike’s weapon, a white-hot juggernaut, revs just feet away…

PLANET TERROR

In PLANET TERROR, married doctors William and Dakota Block (Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton) find their graveyard shift inundated with townspeople ravaged by gangrenous sores and a suspiciously vacant look in their eyes. Among the wounded is Cherry (Rose McGowan), a go-go dancer whose leg was ripped from her body during a roadside attack. Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), her former significant other, is at her side and watching her back. Cherry may be down, but she hasn’t danced her last number. As the invalids quickly become enraged aggressors, Cherry and Wray lead a team of accidental warriors into the night, hurtling towards a destiny that will leave millions infected, countless dead, and a lucky few struggling to find the last safe corner of PLANET TERROR.

Our Review…

The last couple of times Tarantino and Rodriguez teamed up, the results were less than stellar — mind you, I have not seen Four Rooms or Dusk Till Dawn since they came out around 10 years ago, so perhaps they're improved with age, but at the time, as a big of both filmmakers' work, I was mightily let down.

Not so, with Grindhouse! Certainly an ode to the cheap 70s exploitation flicks without actually being one, this double bill is enough to make the fanboys (and girls) get all twitterpated.

While I do think the movies would have played better if they were swapped in order, the three-hour running time isn't too excessive and for those complaining about box office prices, you will certainly get your money's worth here.

The proceedings start with a fake trailer for a sexploitation action movie I really want to see, called Machete, starring Danny Trejo and directed by Rodriguez. That sets the tone for his Planet Terror, a truly sublime mix of horror, romance, action, and intrigue. The casting is top notch, and as you surely know from all the previews, Rose McGowan kicks some major ass and is the most sizzling amputee since Lena Olin in Romeo Is Bleeding.

Not only is the action and acting fantastic, but Planet Terror holds nothing back when it comes to the grue, goo and gore. From boil-infested tongues to melting manhoods, no body part is safe from the wicked mind of Robert Rodriguez. Tarantino acts in this one, and he is a hoot – perfect casting, for sure.

The soundtrack is catchy as can be (the music you've been hearing in the trailers is from Planet Terror), and the whole look from set decoration to costumes to lighting is beyond reproach.

Once the end-credits roll over the "damaged" film-stock, we're treated to three more fake trailers, each from a modern horror maestro obviously bottle-fed on the sleazy cinema of the 70s — Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, and Rob Zombie. This is a great bunch of teasers, very authentically presented (you'll know, if you've ever been to a grindhouse revival / festival) and is sure to bring screams, squirms, squeals and appreciative applause from enthusiastic audiences.

Finally, we have Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. I loved this film and appreciated many elements of it (particularly the incredibly sexy and scary performance from the legendary Kurt Russell, cast against type as the villain), but it is definitely the weaker of the bunch. Perhaps it would not have seemed so, had it been first up on the bill. There are some smashing chase and action scenes, but much of it is seemingly pointless dialogue and character studies on characters who wind up basically going nowhere. (Which is not unlike a real grindhouse film, I hasten to add.)

I must say, I was incredibly impressed by Tarantino's first foray into cinematography. The composition is breathtaking, as is his use of light and shadow. And, as per usual, his choice of music is choice.

To say much more would only spoil the fun, so go in knowing as little as possible and enjoy the rip-roaring ride – two horror movies for the price of one! Rodriguez and Tarantino have definitely raised the bar.

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Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson

Be sure and check out horror.com's exclusive on-camera interviews with the casts as well as our video from the Grindhouse premiere!