Like Being 'Grinded' By A Cinematic Stripper...

Rating: 9/10 (13 April 2007)

All puns and jokes aside, 'Grindhouse' was the most fun film experience I've had since...well, 'Kill Bill'. Like many have already said, I sat through the whole thing with one huge grin on my face.
The trailer for 'Machete' kicks things off with a tribute to the race oriented action exploitation film. It also contains what I though was one of the funniest moments in the whole thing..."Where are my wife and daughter!?" I really hope this thing gets made like RR was planning, or we at least get the reported 40 minutes of footage shot as a bonus on DVD.
The first film, 'Planet Terror', while seemingly a zombie film (which the 'sickos' technically aren't zombies per se), is also a meld of John Carpenter and Italian giallo. The aged and worn look applied to the film really works. I like the way RR timed it in certain places, even though some may complain about this. The film feels old school, the kind of flick you unfortunately don't see anymore. I loved 'Sin City' and while 'From Dusk Til' Dawn' and 'Desperado' were fun, I was never crazy about Rodriguez. But here he finally accomplishes what he almost did with FDTD, he makes a really GREAT B-movie.
The next batch of trailers was great. 'Werewolf Women of the SS' took itself a little too seriously, but Nic Cage is a highlight. 'Don't', in the style of European horror films, was my favorite. Will Arnett did a great voice-over and the clips were dead on. I wish I hadn't seen 'Thanksgiving' before seeing it in theaters, the surprise element would have been great. Not really an Eli Roth fan, but the trailer was good.
Everything I had read about Tarantino's film 'Death Proof' had elevated it above 'Planet Terror'. Well...yeah. I'm torn. I really enjoy both. 'Death Proof' is different and that is good. Having read the screenplay, it'll probably benefit from the extended cut that is going to Cannes. In terms of QTs films, 'Death Proof' would be at the bottom, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I just can help but feel that QT already poured a lot of his love for grindhouse into the far better 'exploitation' homage, 'Kill Bill'.
Overall, 'Grindhouse' isn't for everyone. It's a movie for people who really love movies, all kinds of movies, good or bad, classic or camp. It is pure escapist entertainment, and a love letter to movies that time forgot.