Movie Review: "Grindhouse"

It was everything a movie should be.

“Planet Terror.” Starring Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Bruce Willis, Jeff Fahey, Michael Parks, and Fergie. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.

“Death Proof.” Starring Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, Eli Roth, Rose McGowan, and Michael Parks. Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

A few things first: I was hyped about seeing the movie, but I also had my reservations; I’m more of a Tarantino fan than a Rodriguez fan. Also, the advertising was cheesy with the parts they showed. To be truthful, I wanted to find something wrong with this movie. In the process, I found that this double-feature delivered more than any movie I’ve seen in the past few months.

And, I apologize for any spoilers you may read next.

“Planet Terror” (which is preceded by the trailer, “Machete,” starring Jeff Fahey and Danny Trejo) easily comes from the B-movies of the 70’s and early 80’s. Amongst the “missing reel,” dust, scratches, lines, and projector-burnt frames, we find a plotless action-adventure zombie movie. While this may sound bad, it’s a buckle-yourself-in ride. The characters include a doctor whose nurse wife (having a lesbian affair with Fergie) is attempting to kill him, a go-go dancer named Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) who inherits a new machine gun leg after hers being eaten by a zombie, her ex-boyfriend and certified bad-ass El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), a military officer (Bruce Willis) controlling a substance that is addictive and turns people into zombies, and a sheriff (Michael Biehn) and his brother (Jeff Fahey) who owns the best damn steakhouse in Texas. While it may be short on plot and story, it makes it up with showing McGowan hotter than she ever was on “Charmed” and action sequences that are funny, disgusting, exhilarating, and simply kick ass.

Before “Death Proof” we are treated to the trailers: “Don’t,” “Thanksgiving,” and “Werewolf Women of the S.S.” Somewhere in between them is Nicolas Cage as Fu Manchu. Seriously. Well, maybe not…

“Death Proof” finds itself a deliberately slower-paced thriller. Kurt Russell is Stuntman Mike, a guy who has been a stuntman since “Rawhide.” Retired, he drives around a car that is “100% death proof,” That is, it’s modified so that the driver retains no injury if they should decide to run into a brick wall at 120 mph. Stuntman Mike’s first victims come from a meeting at a bar. Needless to say he manages to destroy a modern car by hitting it head-on in a crash-homage to the original “Gone in 60 Seconds.” The next time around he meets his match against girls driving a Dodge Challenger (including Zoe Bell and Rosario Dawson). Muscle-car stunt driving hasn’t been this well done since the 70’s. This is a must to watch for all fans of car movies including, “Vanishing Point,” “Gone in 60 Seconds,” “Junkman,” etc.

Overall, my complaints with the movie were small. I agree with others who think that the slower-paced “Death Proof,” should have been shown before action-packed “Planet Terror.” And, “Death Proof” didn’t keep with the “Grindhouse” effects of “Planet Terror” (scratches on film, burnt frames, etc.) Lastly, I’m not a fan of Eli Roth in any way, shape or form, but I got past that and enjoyed “Death Proof” anyway.

Kudos to the two directors. It’s a sorry fact that this was outshone by “Blades of Glory.” On a personal note, I liked “Death Proof” more than “Planet Terror.”

This movie is a solid B+. It’s a great, fun time that brings back to movies what they’ve been missing for a long time: the ability to walk away from a theatre and say, “That kicked ass!”

-Chas