The Best Movie of all Time!

Rating: 10/10 (9 April 2007)

The name says it all; Grindhouse is a gritty, nasty, hilarious, gory thrill ride, and I loved every minute of it! A nasty, creative, original double feature masterpiece, Grindhouse is the most fun you could ask for at the movies, and it is certainly one of the best, if not the best, horror films ever made. Grindhouse is a 3 ½ hour masterpiece, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart. The movie is filled with some of the nastiest scenes to hit the big screen. Grindhouse consists of 2 movies, one written and directed by Robert Rodriguez (entitled "Planet Terror"), the other written and directed by Quentin Tarantino (entitled "Death Proof"), along with four fake trailers from directors Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and others. The movie is filled with a plethora of sensational actors, including Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Bruce Willis, Marley Shelton, Rosario Dawson, Fergie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jordan Ladd, Zoe Bell, Tracie Thoms, and Eli Roth.
The first film in the double feature is called "Planet Terror", and it mixes quirky characters, hilarious moments, disgusting gross-out scenes, and nasty zombies to make an extremely memorable film.
The second film in Grindhouse is called "Death Proof", which is filled with realistic dialogue, loads of character development, a hilarious villain, and the best car chase sequences ever in a film.
Both of the films are unique in their own way, and each gets across the old idea of the "Grindhouse" much differently. After Tarantino and Rodriguez made each of the films, they had to significantly cut out a lot of the material and they "aged" the film reels, making them look worn and as if they had suffered from a lot of wear-and-tear. This creates a unique atmosphere and a gritty look that can be neither matched nor compared to any other film that has ever been released. The two directors show gusto and a lot of enthusiasm for the goofy material, and both films are nearly flawless representations of the old "Grindhouse" films of the 60's and 70's. Rodriguez's film goes all-out in terms of wacky characters, bizarre situations, and extreme violence and gore, and the campy feel of his film, "Planet Terror" is another part of its appeal. It's fast-paced, but still manages to fit in lots of subplots and wonderfully crafted characters. On the other hand, Tarantino has a much different tactic that is, in many ways, much more similar to exploitation films such as Vanishing Point. He provides the viewer with loads of useless dialogue that is actually quite useful in terms of the characters. You feel like you know each and every person in Tarantino's movie, and it really pays off when the bad stuff really starts to happen. Tarantino provides a perfect mood and setting, and he never gives too much backstory on Stuntman Mike as to not make him interesting anymore. Tarantino's movie works on many different levels than Rodriguez's, and it can be interpreted in many various ways.
As for the fake trailers, all of them are hysterically funny, and most of them manage to create a real "feel" of being in an exploitation theater. In terms of hilarity, gore, and really feeling like a Grindhouse picture, the two trailers that are most effective are Eli Roth's wonderful Thanksgiving trailer and Edgar Wright's gut-wrenchingly funny Don't. The two other trailers, Werewolf Women of the SS by Rob Zombie and Machete by Robert Rodriguez, are certainly no disappointment, but Thanksgiving and Don't seem to accomplish their goals more efficiently.
In terms of acting, it is surprisingly thorough, fun, and purposely cheesy. Rose McGowan brings the most realism in both of her roles, as Cherry Darling in "Planet Terror" and as Pam in "Death Proof". She brings a lot of sympathy and overall coolness to her character that is mostly unmatched. Marley Shelton is unbelievably stunning and beautiful as Dr. Dakota Block in both segments, although her appearance in "Death Proof" is very brief. Freddy Rodriguez (no relation to the director) is a major standout in the leading role in Robert Rodriguez's segment "Planet Terror". After his remarkable performance in HBO's Six Feet Under, Rodriguez proves that he can carry an entire movie on his shoulders, and he does so quite smoothly. He seems to be a natural leader, and his brings an unbelievable level of suave to his role as El Wray. Bruce Willis is quite the scene-stealer in "Planet Terror", and he plays the role with his usual level of expertise. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays against type as a dumb-as-tacks brunette in "Death Proof", and she is great in her role. Tracie Thoms, after her fantastic performance in Rent, is hilarious as Kim in "Death Proof", and Zoe Bell and Rosario Dawson are both sensational. Eli Roth proves he can act in "Death Proof", and he also shows off his acting chops in his spectacular trailer for Thanksgiving. The real star of "Death Proof", however, is the role of Stuntman Mike himself, performed with unmatched talent by the great Kurt Russell. Russell provides everything that makes the character of Stuntman Mike so memorablean air of menace, a specific deliverance of his lines, a powerful amount of emotion and craziness. Stuntman Mike becomes an insanely memorable slasher character thanks to the remarkable performance from Kurt Russell.
Both "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" end up as each filmmaker's best movie. Rodriguez reinvents the zombie genre with crazy characters and a previously unseen level of vigor. Tarantino provides a new take on a slasher film that is both nasty and amazingly well-done. Grindhouse could quite possibly be the best film ever made in the history of cinema, and it even managed to top this year's sensational 300 on every level imaginable. Grindhouse is already being called a cult classic, and for a good reason. Don't miss Grindhouse under any circumstances, and definitely don't miss "Death Proof" or any of the fake trailers.