Grindhouse: A Nastolgia trip worth taking

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2007)

Grindhouse is a double feature throwback to the olden days of exploitation theater. Where anything goes and everything went. Since the movie pushes three hours (almost 200 minutes), "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" are worthy for their individual critiques.
Planet Terror: "Planet Terror" is Robert Rodriquez' contribution to the double feature that is "Grindhouse", and it's certainly the better movie of the two. No contest. The by now clearly multi-faceted (from Spy Kids to Sin City) director handles this project with ease.
"Planet Terror" tells the tale of Cherry Darling, a stripper who loses her leg in an 'attack', and El Wray, a gunslinging renegade, who attempt to flee a small Texan community being overrun by a mysterious viral infection (you know, the usual zombie apocalypse story).
You'd think that with all this blood and carnage, things like plot and drive would be overlooked. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised to find a heart pumping all that blood. The tales of the survivors (the usual rag-tag group of idiots somehow lucky enough to find a way through it all) are for the most part well acted, suspenseful and engrossing. Kudos to Rose McGowan & Freddy Rodriguez (Cherry and Wray), Josh Brolin & Marley Shelton - an anesthesiologist and her psychotic husband - and Michael Biehn & Jeff Fahey - a grill master and his deputy brother - for portraying their parts exceptionally well. 4.5/5
Death Proof: Quentin Tarantino's second half of Grindhouse is certainly not the better half. "Death Proof" comes off more boring than it is exhilarating because of it's stupefyingly slow pacing about a killer stunt driver.
"Death Proof" is the exploitation story of "stunt man mike", former stunt driver of a 'death proof' car from hell that he uses to commit unusual acts of vehicular homicide against women. This 90 odd minute feature is a tale told in two acts as he pursues two packs of prey.
Although the action is about nothing more than speed, the pacing is about anything but. Tarantino goes into incredibly long and detailed conversations and tangents that have the same air of the exchanges and dialogs in Pulp Fiction. Heck, practically every clichéd Tarantinoism is employed in lengthy cuts that would make Kenneth Branagh himself flinch (reference to cinematography in Hamlet from 1996). The thing is, they all go ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE! All the wit, quips and remarks are useless in the end, except for perhaps extending a 30 minute film by a good hour. A fact likely to be gleefully overlooked because, hey, it's Tarantino! Death Proof may go over well for people hyped up on exploitation, nostalgic for classic Tarantino writing (useless as it is seen here), or those in admiration of Kurt Russel or adoration of Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan or any of the other seven leading ladies, but there's really nothing here aside from that. Well... the soundtrack is excellent too (I guess). 2.5/5
The faux Trailers and style: Some of the best moments of Grindhouse are in the way it's filmed with nostalgia in mind, and the fake trailers sure to go on the list of movies "that aren't real but should be made". If such ideas like "Hobo With A Shotgun" and "Thanksgiving" (complete with a slasher pilgrim) don't make you laugh out loud as you flinch a bit while you watch them, you might be a bit too use to the idea of teenage girl getting stabbed in the baby maker as she jumps on a trampoline. Then of course there's Cheech Marin making an appearance as Father Benecio Del Toro in "Machete", Edgar Wright's (Shaun of the Dead) laugh out loud trailer for "Don't!!", and Rob Zombie's tribute to sexploitation with "Werewolf Women of the SS", the trailers should not be missed for a refill of your gallon cup of cola.
And then of course there's the style. The grittiness of the films seem to be amplified with classic low budget filming methods that, while overbearing at times, usually work in favor for "Grindhouse". Missing reel notices and all, it's a unique cinema experience. 5/5
Grindhouse is an interesting movie if only for the sheer fact that it works. That doesn't mean to say it's an amazing movie by any stretch. While "Planet Terror" could potentially stand on it's own, "Death Proof" is decidedly just a cut above average, and mediocre when it comes to Tarantino fare. See it for Planet Terror, the trailer, the style, and the end of Death Proof. It's a lot of fun, and at over 3 hours, you get your money's worth! 4/5