the "Grindhouse" thread.

Cafe Society
1

Wow, am I the first Doper to see and post about Grindhouse?

I caught a noon showing, and thought it totally kicked ass. HILARIOUS, but legitimately so instead of ironically wink-wink nudge-nudge funny. Wonderfully over-the-top in the best way.

“Planet Terror” is definitely the better of the two films in that it revels in everything “Grindhouse” is supposed to be, and takes the “missing reel” and scratched-up print thing to the max. The audience was HOWLING when the first “missing reel” came up at the exact moment you didn’t want it to (I won’t give it away). Rose McGowan actually comes across as truly cute and cuddly instead of ice bitch queen for the first time - you just want to pet her, even as she’s mowing down zombies with the machine gun leg.

I thought Eli Roth’s trailer (“Thanksgiving”) was the best out of the shorts, and Zombie’s was the weakest. I kept waiting for some sort of stinger with Zombie’s, but then it was just over. “Thanksgiving” is so ridiculously great that the guy sitting next to me said, “They actually need to make that movie now.”

“Death Proof” is a weird, weird movie in many ways. I didn’t realize that Zoe is Uma Thurman’s stunt double in real life - it made more sense with that in mind. Kurt Russell was great, especially toward the end when he starts letting the tough guy act drop - completely hilarious and weird. But, yes, it’s basically two very long, very uninteresting conversations that don’t do much to develop the characters or serve the plot in any way sandwiched between two incredible car chases. Though I loved it, I feel like Tarantino didn’t really give in to the “Grindhouse” thing enough - even down to the fact that his half doesn’t wallow in the scratched print effects of “Planet Terror” and only pops up with that one (in)convenient “reel missing.” “Death Proof” also feels strangely timely instead of retro or removed from time like “Planet Terror” - characters are sending text messages and referencing current events left and right in a way that just screams “2007.” This impeded the “Grindhouse” effect in that it tied it to current reality rather than allowing the audience to suspend their disbelief enough to pretend that it’s some lost seventies trash cinema classic.

Also, Rosario Dawson is the cutest living woman.

Be a dear and bump this thread instead of starting your own when you see it later today!

2

I’ll probably have to wait until next week to see it, but I’m there. I’m excited about the Tarantino segment.

3

I will be seeing it later today, my husband has been a fan of the grindhouse genre for years, and was thrilled when he found out this movie was being made. Now that it’s finally been released, he’s ready: He has his Grindhouse t-shirt, his contingent of 8 or so friends, and his wife (who hates this kind of movie but is willing to humor him) all set to go. He’s already bought our tickets online…

He’s so cute. :slight_smile:

4

I’m going to se it tonight, but I’m posting to say that one of the most intriguing aspects of the reviews i’ve been reading is how split down the middle people seem to be over which film is better. I’ve read several reviews just like yours that say the Tarantino piece is too talky and takes too long to get to the action sequences while the Rodriguez piece is non-stop, cheesy fun. Then there are a bunch of other reviews which say that Planet Terror is ultimately less substantial, that Death Proof is more original, that the car chase sequences are outstanding and that the performances are awesome (a lot of good word about both Russell and Zoe).

To me that shows that the pieces are probably both good, but in very different ways.

More thoughts later. I’m on my way to see it now.

5

I haven’t read any reviews of the film, so I should go do that, since I’m curious. Based on my initial viewing, I’d be inclined to think that anyone calling Planet Terror “insubstantial” is kind of missing the entire point of “Grindhouse.” It’s two hours of jerking-off-in-your-face violence, gore, and action. My main complaint about Tarantino’s half, as I said above, is it feels like he made a normal movie instead of committing to making a self-aware Grindhouse Flick.

6

So, how many breasts, how many beasts, and does Joe Bob say check it out?

7

My husband and I saw this at a 10pm show last night (Thursday night) in a nearly packed theater in Chicago (River East 21, Theater 10, the “Lord of the Rings” theater, as we call it).

WE

LOVED

IT!

The audience did too, from the sound of it.

I pretty much agree with almost everything you say VCO3. I loved both segments but I think Planet Terror is my favorite. I didn’t have any problems with the current-ness of Death Proof. It still worked very well for me. PT had its own current references wrt Osama bin Laden.

The “missing” reels sections were funny, especially when it cuts at the beginning of a sex scene and then suddenly the whole place is on fire.

That car stunt the girls did in Death Proof actually looked like fun. Crazy and insane, but fun. Not that I’d ever try it, but I wonder how many people will. You know someone’s going to. I wonder if someone has a countdown to the first Grindhouse-related “accident” and lawsuit.

I wouldn’t say I was ever into grindhouse films, except for the occasional semi-foray simply because I went to a lot of Drive-Ins as a kid and teenager. I remember having a great time at borderline bigger-budget grindhouse movies like Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (RIP Bob Clark), Gator Bait, Born Loser (the first Billy Jack movie), Dirt (1978?), **Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry ** and many others, plus the Saturday afternoon chop-socky movies on TV but, except for Dirt, which I was obsessed by for an entire summer, I didn’t get into the genre as such. Not like those guys, Tarantino and Rodriguez. But I dipped my toes into enough of that world to understand where these guys are coming from.

I’m not sure what someone who’s had little exposure to any sort of grindhouse world would think, but I do hope everyone who plans to see it will at the very least watch the trailer and and have SOME good idea about what they’re getting themselves into. They’d be doing themselves and those of us who don’t want to hear any pansy-assed whining about how violent and/or gory and/or low-budget and/or gross and/or simplistic it all was, a HUGE favor by going (or staying home) as an informed moviegoer.
Bottom line: lots of violence, lots of gore, lots of grossness, lots of boobies (for those who care about such things), lots of shocks and thrills and chills, some pathos, and lots and lots and lots of fun.

8

I haven’t seen the film yet, but I had to laugh when I saw a sign posted at the movie theater tonight, presumably created by the studio itself. Although I immediately got from the intentionally bad film quality of the trailer that they were going for the look of an old movie, they apparently fear that not everybody might, as the sign said something to the effect of “Grindhouse is meant to represent the experience of '70s action films after they have been circulated for a while. The grainy film, missing scenes, film burns, and bad focus are intentional.” I realize they have to do this because of the less intelligent filmgoers out there who don’t get the point, but I just think it would be weird if every movie had to explain its point. “Warning: The Tetris Affair* takes place in 1987. This is why characters constanly refer to ‘President Reagan,’ and ‘The Soviet Union,’ and are not creeped out when discussing Michael Jackson.”

[sub]*There is no movie by that name, of course. I was just trying to come up with the name for some sort of spy thriller that could have taken place in the '80s.[/sub]

9

I loved both. But while Planet Terror is more fun while you’re on the ride, *Deathproof * somehow stuck with me longer. It was odd that Tarantino only used the “grindhouse” gimmick–stuttering frames, missing reals–in the beginning, and abandoned them entirely once the action really started. But it seems like the more substantial of the two. Maybe that’s because I was already a fan of *Vanishing Point * and Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry, although I don’t know. One complaint: Tarantino should stop feeling the need to step in front of the camera. Shudder.

Of the trailers, the funniest was Don’t!, but the only ones I want to see the actual movies of was Werewolf Women of the SS, and Machete. Thanksgiving was a funny trailer, but it would make a terrible movie.

10

mobo85, laugh I’ll bet signs like that are going to go up in a lot of places. Imagine the eye-rolling of the employees when confronted with complaints about the “missing” reels and what “terrible shape” the films were in (“it was all scratched up!”).
I don’t know if this should be spoilered, but I’m going to refrain. Anyone who doesn’t want to be spoiled at all probably shouldn’t be in this thread. Still, I’m going to skirt the big spoilers.

That’s happened with me too, and in my case it was partially because I came to like all the women involved, partially because it was so shocking to see Kurt Russell as such a psychopath, partially because car crashes scare the hell out of me, and to think that someone would want to do it on purpose* is freakier than freaky, and partially because it was such a satisfying revenge tale.

Machete is actually being made. It turned into a real trailer!

  • The scenario reminded me of the freaky-funny bit in Annie Hall, where Annie’s brother Duane (played perfectly by Christopher Walken) is driving them someplace, and he tells them about his constant desire to crash into another car head-on.
11

I just got back. I love this movie. I liked both, I did like “Planet Terror” better. I thought it was going to be a spoof of Zombie movies, instead it was a tribute that outdid the source material in the same way the Indiana Jones outdid the movies it was a tribute to. Total Kick ass and well done.

The blond Doctor and her problem getting into the car was one of the best parts. Despite all the gore, her scene had more of the theater gasp than any other.

I agree with VCO3, that was the first time I ever found Rose McGowan really attractive. She was extremely hot and actually looked pretty at the same time.

Who is Freddy Rodríguez and why was he so damn good.

Jeff Fahey was great as J.T. & the scene with his brother (Michael Biehn) and the recipe was pretty good.

I thought Tarantino as an actor was good in “Deathproof” and bad in “Planet Terror”.

Danny Trejo and Cheech had the best cameo’s in what I thought was the best Trailer. I would actually like to go see “Machete” if they make it.

I roared at Nicolas Cage’s part.

Zoe Bell looked like she had a huge amount of fun playing herself.

It took me a while to recognize Lee was the pretty actress that played Gwen in Sky High opposite Kurt Russell again.

Anyway, I really enjoyed both movies and the trailers. “Don’t” was really funny.

Jim
Missed before posting:

IMDB has a V next to it, doesn’t that mean video game?

12

Just go back from it. Had a really good time. I think that seeing it with a crowd really enhances the experience. I liked both movies, and while I thought Death Proof took a while to get going, I thought the second half of that piece was the best part of both movies. Zoe Bell is pure badass. I loved Kurt Russell’s ability to show his character’s cool, tough guy demeanor evaporate and expose the blubbering pussy within.

I’d love to see Machete. “They fucked with the wrong Mexican.” Shit, does anybody have “wrong guy to fuck with” written more prominently on his face than Danny Trejo?

13

Nope, Direct To Video. My understanding is that it will be released on video at the same time Grindhouse is released. Whether it will be included in that DVD as an extra, I don’t know. Here’s the Wikipedia article about Machete.

14

Cool & thanks. I know I will rent it.

15

Agree with all of that. It would be a completely different experience to see it alone on DVD.

No kidding! Trejo trivia: according to Wikipedia and IMDB, he’s Robert Rodriguez’s cousin! I had no idea.

16

She was smokin’ hot in the opening pole dance scenes. I thought she was just great. It really is too bad that [gossip]an on-set affair with Rodriguez broke up his marriage of 16 years. He always seemed like such a nice family man (with 5 kids)…on the other hand, she’s way hot, he’s way hot (I think he is), and lust often manages to overshadow common sense.[/gossip]

It was hilarious (and very intentional) how Cherry could go through everything she went through and still always have absolutely perfect makeup. No zombie attack gonna smear her lipstick!

17

Danny Trejo is my god. Who else can say, “It was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. I’d been in Soledad, San Quentin, Folsom, Vacaville, Susanville, Sierra - and here’s a guy asking ‘Can you act like a convict?’ I remember I said ‘I’ll give it a shot.’”

The rest of you pussies want a god you have to PRETEND to fear? :wink:

18

HAHA, I’ve heard that great Trejo quote before. I can’t remember where I heard it.

19

What great movies! I liked the first movie better than the second though. I thought the second had too much dialogue but the end was fun. What was the matter with the lap dance girls nostril in the second movie? That was distracting for me. First movie was funny. My husband used to own a 60’s Chevy nova so I liked the car scenes the most. Hopefully nobody will attempt that at home. The last time Fast in the Furious Tokyo Drift came out in theatres these guys were doing the parking structure driving fast scene as we were leaving, so I hope not too see any hood ornaments. Too bad Rose McGowan had plastic surgery around her eyes, now she looks weird, but has a nice body, she looked pretty before and now she looks like Dixie Carter from designing woman in some photos. I think she aged herself for no reason, she looked good before.

20

Greatest thing in the movie: the serial killing Kurt Russell breaking down into tears when he realizes he’s in trouble. Great twist on the trope.
Most disturbing thing in the movie: the killer in *Thanksgiving * having sex with the stump of a decapitated head in front of the tied up family at the end of the trailer. Oh God, I laughed my ass off.
Worst thing in the movie: too much talking in Death Proof. Too much house, not enough grind.

And Zoe Bell is hot. That is all.