a creative little feature full of flash, shock, and intrigue

Rating: Null/10 (9 April 2007)

Startling, audaciously violent double feature from cult directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino is an homage to exploitation B-movies and the grindhouse theater. The first segment Planet Terror is a campy, tongue-in-cheek zombie flick from Rodriguez centering around a handful of survivors trying to escape from a virulent biological infection. A visceral, pumped-up, amusingly gross barrage of trashy overkill done with joyous skill and craft. Tarantino's segment Death Proof is an edgy, talky story about a sadistic stuntman who butchers young women with his car. Takes time getting started, but eventually unfolds into a dark, volatile, hilariously off-the-wall chase flick with an energetic, high-octane climax that will have you on the edge of your seat. Watching this unconventional, episodic, over-the-top little feature you have to applaud the effort of the directors who seem like two rambunctious kids in a candy store. A unique, stylish movie experience; flagrantly off-putting, even self-indulgent at times, but pays off with its crackling, innovative dialogue, bizarre characters, and giddy exuberance. ***