Directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have revived the old raunchy magic that both filmmakers experienced in their younger days. “Grindhouse” is a unique venture into a film era that exists primarily in the libraries of cinema history.
“Grindhouse” is two movies for the price of one. The first half of the film, directed by Rodriguez, is called “Planet Terror.”
A strange gas that turns those who are exposed to it into flesh-eating zombies threatens a small rural town, and the world, when a military biological weapon goes bad. Military officer Mullion, played by Bruce Willis, seeks a cure for the gas at the expense of the local civilians. The survivors seek to escape before it’s too late.
“Planet Terror” is a parody of the essence of the exploitation films of the 1970s. It is one disgusting zombie scene after another, complete with stray body parts and pieces blown to bits by gun-wielding civilians. It is without a doubt the most gruesome film of the year, but it proves incredibly comical because of how over-the-top the effects and lines are.
The events of the film become so ludicrous that its revolting nature gets masked in the hilarity of the sheer stupidity. When a go-go dancer Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) loses her leg to the zombies and has it replaced with a machine gun with grenade launching capabilities, you know that the film is a comedy. It may be a demented and twisted sort of humor, but it is nonetheless entertaining.
Tarantino’s “Deathproof” is about a psycho killer named Stuntman Mike, played by Kurt Russell. Mike lures unsuspecting women into his stunt car and murders them while driving, as he seeks the ultimate murderous thrill. He preys on two sets of women. One is led by a local DJ named Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) and the other is comprised of four girls who work in Hollywood, two of whom are stuntwomen and provide an enticing challenge for the deranged Mike.
Rosario Dawson plays the stuntwoman called Abernathy and real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell plays herself. Bell has stunt-doubled for Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill” and Lucy Lawless in the television show “Zena: Warrior Princess.”
“Deathproof” is easily the better of the two segments. Its plot and character development allow it to stand on its own, while “Planet Terror” parodies everything ever seen in the genre. “Deathproof” is significantly slower than “Planet Terror,” but the payoff at the end is worth it. This segment contains one of the greatest car chase/crash scenes ever filmed. Tarantino went to great lengths to create a realistic live action scene with little computer-generated effects, and it definitely pays off.
Four fake trailers add to the mayhem of these two interesting films. The trailers are for movies that don’t actually exist, but if they did, it would prove to be ridiculously hilarious.
One trailer is called “Thanksgiving” and contains the catch phrase, “You’ll Come Home for the Holidays… In A Body Bag.” These trailers are so funny that they almost make the trip to the theatre worthwhile on their own. They really bring the entire film together as a whole.
On the surface, “Grindhouse” is simply a deplorable gore fest, as to be expected of the demented minds of Tarantino and Rodriguez, but, in fact, there is much more to this double feature. Every line and plot twist is a nod to the magnificently shallow thrill fests that became popular in the 1970s.
These exploitation films emphasized sex, violence, action and gore, while sacrificing the artistic qualities of film in order to sell movie tickets.
The places that these movies were screened were not always reputable establishments and often there were flaws in the film itself and missing reels complete with apologetic messages from the theater management. To make the experience authentic, there are such flaws added to “Grindhouse” throughout.
One of the things that make this movie great is its amazing cast. Every character throughout the entire film seems to be perfectly cast. Russell is amazingly chilling and believable as the crazed thrill seeking Stuntman Mike. The women that he pursues are very real characters, and that is a testament to the acting.
Viewers with an aversion to violence and gore should not see this movie. It follows the trends that both directors have established in their previous works. The movie is an unapologetic celebration of the less acclaimed characteristics of film. Audience members should know exactly what they are getting into.
Overall “Grindhouse” is a fun film, but it appeals to a certain kind of audience. This is a film for audience members that want to be entertained without really taking too much away from the experience at the end. It is worth a look if only for Tarantino’s “Deathproof” segment, and some quick laughs at the fake trailers.
