Grindhouse

Tonight I finally got around to watching Robert Rodriquez's Planet Terror, one half of the Grindhouse double feature. I didn't see it in the theatres where it totally bombed. I'd blame it on the idiotic audiences that didn't quite get the whole grindhouse gimmick. I read online that people were leaving after the first half because nobody knew it was a double feature.

I'm not a Tarantino fan, so I didn't really feel like watching Death Proof even though it stars the coolest dude in the universe, Kurt Russell. From what I heard it's lots of the acclaimed Tarantino "dialogue" which I can't stand because nobody talks like that! The only people that talk like that are people in Tarantino movies.


Back to Planet Terror which is on DVD in an extended and unrated version. I tell you that I was slightly disappointed, but it was still pretty good. The movie started out a bit slow, but when something happens it happens in a big way. It has some Juicy kill scenes and I mean Juicy with a capital 'J'. How can you not like a movie that has a chick with a machine gun leg?! Did I mention the zombies? It's a winning combination that everyone will enjoy.

Part of the vintage grindhouse feel to the film is that it has been "aged" with degration, scratches, hairs, missing frames, tinted color, etc. You can see what I'm talking about just looking at some of the screen captures. In a few shots I thought it was a bit too much, especially in some of the action scenes, but for the rest of the film I liked it, the look worked.

The theatrical release of Grindhouse tanked, so when they released it DVD each film got it's own DVD release with Death Proof first and then Planet Terror. I bought this on DVD and I was a little apprehensive about buying because I'll know that sooner or later it'll be re-released again on DVD is some super special ultimate edition. While watching the second disc of special features my suspicions where confirmed. At the end of the 10 Minute Film School featurette RR mentions that there will a 2-disc Grindhouse DVD release. Damn it, thanks for telling me that after I already bought it.

Definitely rent this for some WAY over the top zombie killing action. We need more of these kind of movies because zombie movies rule.