Fantastic tribute to a vanished genre

Rating: 9/10 (9 April 2007)

Before home video, the only way to see low-budget exploitation films featuring graphic violence and lots of nudity was to go to a "grindhouse"- a fleapit movie theater usually located in an inner city neighborhood and run by management who viewed unspeakably bad taste and an "X" rating as badges of honor. These theaters got their nickname because they would sometimes offer burlesque performers as an added attraction. Anyway, this film is a lengthy homage both to the grindhouse experience in it's own right, and to the kind of movies that were shown there.
"Grindhouse" takes the form of a double feature: Robert Rodriguez's zombie flick "Planet Terror" and Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof". The first feature is stronger by far, with loads of OTT set pieces, grotesque special effects, bucketloads of black humor, and intentionally wretched dialogue. The purposefully incoherent plot centers on the mayhem unleashed by a group of renegade soldiers who release a chemical agent that turns people into gruesomely disfigured (and, you guessed it- flesh eating)zombies. A small group of luridly characterized 'survivors' have to figure out what is going on and then fight their way to safety. Overall Rodriguez succeeds in replicating trashy, gonzo filmaking at it's absolute best.
The second feature recounts what happens to two separate groups of young women when they run into a serial killer (Kurt Russell's "Stuntman Mike")who uses his car as a murder weapon. The extended, climactic car chase is exhilarating but this installment is very badly paced. It feels like the first hour is nothing but a showcase for QTs admittedly otherworldly talent for constructing parlance. Yes, the interchanges between various characters are razor-sharp and compelling. Also, when the car chase explodes onto the screen it is much more thrilling due to the prolonged build-up. But in the end, there is far too much talk in this installment. Ironically, the quality of the verbal interplay also undermines the grindhouse motif since real movies of this sort had absolutely terrible scripts. Nonetheless, it's a worthwhile effort and oozes love for redneck gems such as "White Lightning" and "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry".
In addition to the two main features, there are also several trailers for ersatz grindhouse fare such as "Werewolf Women of the SS". Two standouts here are the previews of "Machete" (Mexploitation at it's worst)and "Thanksgiving" (a Holiday slasher flick- directed by Eli Roth), both are so on-the-money that they are absolutely hilarious. Other subtle touches include the 1970s kaleidoscope pattern that fills the screen during intermissions, and ads featuring pictures of truly ghastly-looking 'Tex-Mex' food available "next door to the theater". Finally, the entire film has been treated so it looks like an aged and abused print is being projected onto the screen.
The home video boom effectively killed off the real grindhouse theaters two decades ago, and the closest thing today to the exploitation flicks that were their lifeblood would probably be the more lurid offerings that are released directly onto DVD and late-night cable. Where "Grindhouse" really triumphs is in recreating a lost experience for a whole new generation of moviegoers. Not only is this movie tasteless, rollicking fun, but it is also by turns both exhilarating and hilarious. A true postmodern masterpiece.