Movie Review: Grindhouse

Grindhouse

It's no secret that I'm a big Quentin Tarantino fan. I think Pulp Fiction is a classic, and I considered Kill Bill Volume1 and Volume 2 to be terrific examples of just how movies ought to be made. Needless to say, I've been itching to see Grindhouse since I first heard about it. The concept alone — to mimic the B-movie double-features of so-called "grindhouse" theatres in the 1960's and 1970's — is terrific. To actually create a double feature using the talents of two very different (Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez) but equally creative directors and to then to incorporate mock movie trailers created by still other cutting edge talent is pure genius.

Grindhouse opens with the theatrical trailer for a schlocky revenge movie called Machete (the trailer, which was created and directed by Robert Rodriguez, is now rumored to be legitimate— the IMDb lists Machete as being in "pre-production" and with a 2008 release date). Then, with an old-style flourish announcing "Feature Presentation" to the audience, Grindhouse dives right into Rodriguez' offering .

Planet Terror is an old-fashioned zombie flick at its heart, but it includes almost every other B-movie cliché while it's at it. Cherry (Rose McGowan) is a go-go dancer who has dreams of becoming more. Wray (Freddy Rodriguez, no apparent relation to the director) owns a junk yard. JT (Jeff Fahey) runs a barbecue joint, while his brother, Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) is a hard core law and order type who rules the entire town with an iron fist. Dr. William Block (Josh Brolin) and his wife, Dr. Dakota Block (Marley Shelton), have a troubled marriage and one young son (Rebel Rodriguez, who is related to the director). And Abby (Lost's Naveen Andrews) is a scientist who will sell almost anything to the highest bidder.

All of the disparate parts and pieces begin to come together when a bizarre sort of plague begins to strike members of the community. The Drs. Block are at a loss to cure or control its progress as more and more people crowd into the hospital for care. And then there are the people who won't or don't seek treatment and who instead prowl the countryside looking for food. You can guess, of course, just what it is that they eat.

Planet Terror quickly evolves into gun fights, car chases, foot chases, gun fights, explosions, and gun fights. The majority of these things involve massive gushes of blood and flying body parts as well as the truly horrific deformities that plague those who are suffering from whatever disease it is that's at the heart of the trouble. Some improbable stunt work and an all too unlikely series of events wrap everything up nicely by the end of 90 minutes or so of non-stop action.

The audience, much as it was in the day of the genuine grindhouse double feature, is then treated to a few more trailers for movies that don't exist, all of which are wonderful mini-movies in their own right. Directors Eli Roth, Edgar Wright, and Rob Zombie all contribute real gems, and they cover the B-movie bases brilliantly. From female exploitation to horror to just plain bad, it's all there and perfectly rendered in short form (audience response to these at the showing I attended, by the way, was most appreciative).

After the brief "intermission," the second feature promptly begins. Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof features Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike. It also features a host of very attractive and scantily clad young women and a car that's so scary it almost deserves an acting credit of its own. We first meet Julia, Arlene, and Shanna (Sydney Portier, Vanessa Ferlito, and Jordan Ladd) who are enjoying a girls' night out. They meet Stuntman Mike — and, of course, the car he tells the girls is death proof — in a local bar and chat with him briefly, but leave to spend the rest of the weekend together at a lakeside cabin. Mike, who offers to give another barfly (Rose McGowan) a ride home, doesn't try to stop the girls because he's pretty sure he'll be running into them later.

As the story continues to play out, more girls enter into the plot line. Abernathy, Kim, and Zoe (Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, and Zoe Bell) are enjoying a few days off together when they decide to check out a classic car for sale in the local newspaper. Given his own love affair with a car, it's not a real surprise that this second group of girls also has a run-in with the infamous Stuntman Mike.

Death Proof comes to us complete with some nail-biting car chases, some true terror (unlike Planet Terror, you know that something like Death Proof might actually happen, and maybe even to you), and still more blood, gore, and flying body parts. The hammily choreographed fights are just a tasty topping to everything else that's going on.

The acting in Grindhouse is right where it needs to be. Though B-movies often boasted bad acting to go along with their bad scripts and worse plots, the acting here is a well done parody that fits in with everything else that Grindhouse attempts to be. (Special kudos to Zoe Bell, the stunt woman who plays herself in Grindhouse and is positively awesome whether she's joshing her girlfriends over lunch or performing one of the most hair-raising stunts I've ever seen.) The artificial aging of the film is nice (I wish that Death Proof had had more of it, in fact); the scratches and pops, burned cels, flashes, and stutters only added more character. One of my favorite things (honestly!) was the addition of the old "coming attractions" and "feature presentation" logos and music. If you thought it was schlocky in the 1970's, you ought to really enjoy it now!

Tarantino and Rodriguez not only directed their respective segments, but wrote them as well. Rodriguez also edited and scored his film, while Tarantino played supporting roles in both movies. These guys can not only do it all, but can do it all really well. Despite their successful efforts to deliberately create B-movies in a really fun way, they still managed to use cameras creatively (one particular car crash in Death Proof is awesome with its variety of shots, though Rodriguez gets real points for what he did with a helicopter) and to edit beautifully. I loved the special effects which were, frankly, way over the top and just perfect for this venue.

Tarantino's Death Proof is probably a little better, but I actually liked Planet Terror more simply because I thought it was a more entertaining parody. But that's like saying you like dark chocolate better than fudge or vice versa. Both of these movies — and hence the whole — are pretty sweet.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Grindhouse is rated R for "strong graphic bloody violence and gore, pervasive language, some sexuality, nudity, and drug use." Parents, the MPAA isn't kidding. Grindhouse is in no way suitable for young children, nor should the squeamish or faint of heart buy a ticket. Mature movie-lovers, though, who remember a grindhouse fondly or who appreciate concept art that's truly art — and frankly everybody else who gets a real kick out of good movie-making in general — ought to be lining up for this one. I know I'm glad that I did!