Hats off to these two hombres.....

Rating: Null/10 (9 April 2007)

I don't know what more Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Tarantino could have done to recreate the sleazy glory of 1970's urban schlock cinema a.k.a. "grindhouse," except maybe hire some black people to sit in the theater and shout at the screen, e.g. "Don't go in there, y'all!" or "That m-----f----r crazy!" As it is, they tell two original trashy stories and surround these with "prevues of coming attractions" and clips of other (fake) Z-grade movies courtesy of the likes of Rob Zombie and Eli Roth (I for one would rather go see Roth's "Thanksgiving" than the real "Hostel Part 2"). On top of that they season their offering with realistic-looking scratches, jumps, burns, re-takes, "missing frames/reels" etc. It would almost seem greedy to expect that "Planet Terror" and "Deathproof" would be enjoyable to watch just per se. I'm happy to report that they are----for the most part.
Mr. Rodriguez' zombie segment will probably be the more satisfying for the adrenaline junkies who I'm sure were already hooked by the trailer featuring Rose McGowan's machine-gun peg-leg. (Those scenes alone should make this a cult classic.) There's also an interesting reference to the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and the side effects of various chemical weapons used in Iraq; sometimes horror flicks are the easiest way to make political statements about our current wars---see also the recent "The Hills Have Eyes 2." But I hope audiences don't miss some really fine acting by Ms. McGowan and Freddy Rodriguez as the obligatory hero-with-a-checkered-past. They more than meet the big bravura needs of their roles but also inject some nice nuance into it. Naveen Andrews from TV's "Lost" is weirdly fun as the requisite mad scientist with British accent who dresses like a gay Chicano biker. Wait 'til you see what's in his collection jar; that and a scene with Tarantino as a lecherous soldier rival Hong Kong in the "warped use of genitalia" department.
Mr. Tarantino's following road-warrior segment seems almost an anti-climax in comparison, especially during long stretches of that famous "dwelling on trivia" dialog of his, some of which doesn't play out as interestingly as it must have sounded in his head. (Tarantino makes good use of David Mamet's tactic of repetition but unfortunately lacks Mr. Mamet's preciseness and concision.) There's also a little too much overt tribute to genre gems like "Vanishing Point"; that's what interviews are for; the movie itself should "show" rather than "tell." But it builds to two swell pay-offs, one a head-on car collision that's the best I've ever seen in cinema (tell me that image of the severed leg on the road won't stick with you a long time), then an extended double car chase that rivals even "Bullitt" (the granddaddy of them all). Kurt Russell, possibly the most underrated actor in America (like the late Robert Mitchum, he suffers critically from "making it look easy") is terrific as the affable psycho who's found a unique way of "connecting with" women. I'd sure like to see more of that New Zealand stunt chick. Minor quibbles: I didn't really need to see Tarantino again as a bar owner after seeing him as the lecherous soldier---as an actor, he's, um, a great director---also his fondness of the term "nigger" seems a little old by now, especially since he now plays it safe by only having black actors use it. We're a long way down the road from "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" when dropping the "N-word" was just "too cool for school...."
But overall this was the best three hours I've spent in a cinema lately, and I'll probably head back while it's playing (knowing now when to head for the restroom). Whatever Rodriguez and Tarantino want to do with the rest of their careers, they can always "come home" to this if they want to; good work by people who care about what they do is worth seeing, "genre" be damned. As Little Richard once put it: "It ain't what you do, it's the way how you do it" PS The radio host Anthony Cumia darkly warned that "If that stupid Ice Cube movie out grosses 'Grindhouse,' I'll go on a shooting spree." Now I certainly don't espouse violence, but. Personal favorite bit: old special effects wizard Tom Savini trying to slip the ring back onto this severed finger, then settling for the next finger.
My vote for best cameo appearance goes to Jonathan Loughran, the guy in "Kill Bill" paying to rape the comatose Uma Thurman. Tarantino knows that our memory of that horrific scene provides the juice needed for the sequence with "Jasper" verbally jousting with "the girls" seeking to take his prized white hot rod out for a spin. Maybe the single most effective shot in "Grindhouse" is of Mary Elizabeth Winstead in her cheerleader costume staring up at the lasciviously chuckling Jasper who's been led to believe she's ready to perform certain sexual favors for him. Really, was it nice of her alleged friends to throw her to "the wolf" like that?