Review of Grindhouse (2007) by Doctor S — 09 Jan 2010

A long haul but a retro blast. They got the order wrong though, 'Death Proof' would fare much better on the front end and then let 'Planet Terror' slap you silly. The coming attractions are all hilarious, particularly 'Machete' and 'Werewolf Women of the SS.' Good grimy fun.

'Planet Terror' is a wild ride of a movie, and by wild ride I mean clinging to the hood of a rusty Camaro with bald tires doing 110 MPH on a busy highway during a dust storm. The most entertaining movie Robert Rodriguez has made, and even his excesses don't drag it down too much. While Tarantino's Grindhouse entry got too talky for long stretches, 'Planet Terror' soon bursts out of the gate with 'Dawn of the Dead's gory abandon. The relentless violence that numbed 'Sin City' and 'From Dusk Till Dawn' plays so over-the-top here that it can't be taken seriously and adds to the fun, much like its other obvious inspiration, Peter Jackson's 'Dead Alive.' Rodriguez' pus-filled proclivities are disgusting but no match for Jackson's stomach-churning custard scene. I loved the grainy film stock, intentionally hammy acting, and especially the missing reel in the grindhouse tradition. Rose MacGowan is great as the machine-gun enhanced heroine, as is Marley Shelton as a needle-happy nurse with melting mascara. Hang on!

Like all Tarantino movies, 'Death Proof' could be a half-hour shorter. And in this case, it should be. Taking his inspiration from '70s exploitation pictures, he should've stuck to that formula instead of allowing his characters to wax profanic at every opportunity. Sure, sometimes it works when Tarantino finds his writing groove and we are treated to some great dialogue like the second group of girls around a table discussing stunts, movies, and weapons. Other times it doesn't like the same group talking about their relationships in the car.

I guess his real intention was to apply the grindhouse style - complete with intentionally poor edits, choppy sound, and grainy film (all features I loved) - to modern cinema, as all the referneces are modern plus uses of contemporary technology (text messaging.) A peculiar marriage.

The car stunts are impressive - Zoe Bell, who stunt doubled for Uma Thurman for some sequences of 'Kill Bill,' is one crazy Kiwi, hanging for what truly looks like dear life onto the hood of a car going 70 miles per hour. And this is not 'Speed Racer' CGI nonsense, these are REAL smoke-and-metal machines hurtling down the highway. How can that not be exponentially more exciting??