GRINDHOUSE
Theater Of Schlock: Blood! Sex! Gore! The Bizarre! (And
Missing Reels Aplenty)
The Popcorn Reel Film Review: "Grindhouse"
By Omar P.L. Moore/April 6, 2007
Double Play: Rose McGowan (of TV's "Charmed") as Cherry Darling, a
one-legged bionic terminator and former go-go dancer (Rosanna Arquette, your
bionic "talents" in David Cronenberg's "Crash" don't compete) in Robert
Rodriguez' "Planet Terror", and as bleach-blonde Pam in Quentin Tarantino's
"Death Proof", the double-bill of feature films in "Grindhouse", which opened
today in the U.S. and Canada. (Photos and poster: Dimension Films/The
Weinstein Company)
Let's start with the following guarantee: as a movie
event "Grindhouse" will surpass many of the summer's (and the year's) biggest
films. The movie audience reaction will not be nearly as electrified,
passionate or visceral for "Spider-Man 3", "Shrek The Third", "Pirates Of The
Caribbean: At World's End," or any other film release to come in 2007.
An amendment: simply put, "Grindhouse" is the movie event of the year.
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino pay homage to 1960's and '70's American
"skin" flicks and white expolitation movies (more commonly known as "B-movies")
with "Grindhouse", a three-hour-and-15-minute feast of fake preview reels (or
"prevue attractions") trailers, decaying film prints, ratings advisories,
deliberately missing reels and two feature-length main event films that will
have you applauding, squirming in disgust and howling with hilarity. The
two directors show their love of the grindhouse -- an era in big-city America
where movies that had no budget for big stars compensated by showing the most
outre, Grand Guignol and incomprehensible sex that you could get your mind
around.
Here, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Tarantino have a couple of big name stars, a
decent-sized budget, and all the trash, bad acting and gore you can adore, ignore
or abhor.
The trailers that show before and between the two features "Planet Terror" and
"Death Proof" are the best aspect of "Grindhouse."
The first, "Machete", cheerleads in satire and stereotypes of Mexicans and
villany, with the eternally typecast-as-heavy Danny Trejo ("Heat", "Con-Air" and
countless other films) heaping vengeance on the baddies. Then there are
the trailers in between: "Don't!" -- a very funny parody of horror film trailers,
plus the gross-out trailer "Thanksgiving" (directed by "Hostel" schlockmeister
Eli Roth.) Both of these (especially "Thanksgiving") will elicit howls of
shock and incredulity. There are two other trailers which you will have to
see to believe, as well as advertisements for food.
Wrapped around and among the trailers is Mr. Rodriguez' "Planet Terror", a
lively, laugh-out loud gross-fest that plays like a Troma movie, with its mix of
"Night of the Living Dead", "The Toxic Avenger", "Invasion of the Body
Snatchers" and flesh-devouring humans and zombies around every corner. The
most Kabukian of theater rears its head, with Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) in an
excellent bad-acting dead-pan performance as the criminal who wins over a Texas town's
sheriff (Michael Biehn) who has held him in handcuffs, and finally relents on
his vow to never give Wray a gun. When the toxic-infected mutants overrun
the town, the sheriff has no choice but to capitulate. "Planet Terror" features
mismatched edits, exploding heads, divergent stories, including a funny speech
by Colonel Muldoon (Bruce Willis) as he recalls an encounter with a notorious
criminal mastermind. There is a literally messy divorce between The
Blocks, doctor spouses at the town's only hospital (played by Josh Brolin -- who
looks a little like Nick Nolte here, and Marley Shelton -- who is terrific here.)
There is also a love story buried within between Wray and Cherry Darling (Rose
McGowan) as a go-go dancer with one leg who dreams of becoming a stand-up
comedienne.
"Everybody tells me I'm funny," Cherry says. "Planet Terror" is funny and
gross.
Not as funny is Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof", a film that is subdued
and languid by comparison. Despite showcasing a bevy of beautiful,
attractive and engaging women whose vivid, colorful conversations are a Tarantino trademark,
"Death" is sleepy, uninteresting and mild. (A smart move though, after the
adrenalin-pumping "Planet Terror.") Sydney Poitier (yes, the daughter of
the legendary actor) stars as Jungle Julia, a vainglorious star disk jockey whose stardom
surpasses her humility. There is a shot of her relaxing in a chair in her
house as a black and white picture of a legendary star looms large on a wall.
It's a priceless juxtaposition shot of the admiration and aspirations of Julia
(and the director.) The story takes a Hitchcockian turn and soon Tracie
Thoms (Anne Hathaway's best friend in "The Devil Wears Prada"), hilariously
foul-mouthed here, is joined by Rosario Dawson and Zoe Bell as (the three
musketeer-type characters Kim, Abernathy and Zoe respectively) face off against a roguish Evel
Kneviel of sorts named Stuntman Mike (played by Kurt Russell, who brings the house down
with his crazy, wacky turn) who achieves Autobahn-envying speeds of 200 miles
per hour in an ominous car that he drives to kill, a car he ironically terms
"death proof." As Mike, or "Mr. Icy Hot" (a product sponsor emblazoned on
the back of his jacket, to which a character refers), Mr. Russell is hysterical.
(Note: there is amazing stuntwork in "Death Proof", to be sure.)
And in "Death Proof" there are a few references to places and things that can be
found in Mr. Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." In both films of the "Grindhouse"
double-bill (especially "Planet Terror") Mr. Tarantino comes dangerously close
to over-staying his welcome on the big screen with extensive cameos.
Still, the director's talent for writing dialogue is the strongest feature of
"Death Proof", even if the film's overall content lies somewhere within the
underwhelming-to-disappointing range.
So if you dare, there's the funny, "trippy", pulpy, and patently ridiculous "Grindhouse" --
which clocks in at three-hours and 15 minutes -- a
running time that is a minute longer than the billion-dollar smash "Titanic" of ten years ago.
Bump. Grind. Bust-a-gut. Be grossed out. Be warned.
"Grindhouse" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for
strong graphic bloody violence and gore, pervasive language, some sexuality,
nudity and drug use. Both films of its double-bill feature cameos as well
as appearances by one or two of the same actors. "Planet Terror" also
stars an unrecognizable Jeff Fahey, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Vanessa
Ferlito, Naveen Andrews, and Elektra and Elise Avellan as the Crazy Babysitter
Twins. "Planet Terror" features endless beheadings, exploding heads and
flesh-melting bodies, cannibalism, severed limbs, blood, and gore galore.
There is also some sexual content. "Death Proof" however, is tame by
comparison, with its mild sensuality, several decapitations and a hilarious
beat-down for the ages that is worth the price of admission.
Copyright The Popcorn Reel. PopcornReel.com. 2007. All Rights
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