The Graceland of Movies

Rating: 7/10 (8 April 2007)

Let me explain that. Elvis' Graceland mansion is a clear example of white trash striking it rich. Grindhouse is 70s B-Movie Fanboys strike it rich and get to do all the "over the top" effects they've always wanted. OK, and before we go on, if I never hear "cheezy" "B-Movie" "over the top" or "gratutious" again, I might be happy. These words are appropriate here but they're as overdone as the greaser guys hanging out at rockabilly clubs. It's also strange to do a tribute to that "genre" since the words used to describe super gory, "over the top" Grindhouse type movies have long been excuses for bad writing or a half-assed idea. Just add more explosions! Kind of like a comic who adds f-bombs and n-words.
The movies themselves are fun; Planet Terror being the better of the two. Death Proof is just a lot of talking with some car chases. It feels like what a Quentin Tarantino fan would make in film school. Unlike Pulp Fiction, which threw out tasty nuggets of trivia and strange conversation, Death Proof is just people taking a long time to say something.
No real new ideas here or super-clever humor. Just a rehashing of old movies with a wink so you know they're in on the joke too...which ironically makes these movies sincere tributes. If you are a film school nerd or are like Quentin Tarantino and sat in your basement pleasing yourself to crappy movies in the 70s OR you missed all of that but really like explosions and naked chicks and car chases, hey, this movie is for you. It's gaudy. It's a rehash but unique to current movies, which makes the movie ironic at it's core. And Rose McGowan has a gun for a leg, so that's neat. It's not bad.