Grindhouse
Being a Quentin Tarantino fan, I thought it would be poor form for me not to
go see Grindhouse opening weekend. And I have to admit, I am VERY happy I
did.
Grindhouse is a double-feature of 2 full-length horror movies, separated
only by funny and outrageous movie advertisements for fictional upcoming
films (though I truly hope they make Machette someday). The first movie is
Planet Terror. Planet Terror is basically a blood and gut horror/zombie
type movie. Very graphic, very gory but absolutely hilarious! How can you
not laugh-out-loud at a movie where the female lead, Cherry, has a machine
gun for a leg?! It was brilliant! Now if they would only channel the
Freddy vs Jason idea and have Cherry with her machine gun leg and Ash with
his chainsaw arm (Evil Dead) face off in a Celebrity Death Match style clash
of the titans.
Overall I would say Planet Terror was more funny than scary,
and certainly not for the squeemish or weak-stomached individuals.
The second movie in the double feature was Death Proof. This one was by far
my favorite. In this movie, a crazy guy named Stuntman Mike seeks out and
kills attractive young women with his car. It is like Christine, with a
driver even crazier than the car! The thing I liked most about this movie
is the thing I tend to like about all Tarantino films: the female
characters are not only feminine and attractive but down right kick-ass
tough-as-nails gun-packing or lead-pipe-carrying women that are NOT to be
underestimated or ignored. In Death Proof psycho Stuntman Mike decides to
pursue and harrass the wrong girls and must face the consequences. Overall, I would say any fan of Kill Bill will not only appreciate the underscore of
revenge present in Death Proof but LOVE the women here as much as they loved
the Bride herself.
All in all, I would give Grindhouse an A-.
Grindhouse receives a grade breakdown as follows (PT = Planet Terror, DP =
Death Proof):
Story: PT gets a B- since it was a very zombie movie/brain eating type
storyline; DP gets an A since it was fairly original and had excellent
character development.
Acting: Both receive B+ grades here. All the actors were believable and
liked/hated as expected and required.
Visuals: PT gets a B since it was (surprisingly) a bit too gory for me.
Just seemed like there was more blood and guts then necessary or required to
further the plot. DP gets an A+ because the chase scenes and car crashes
were absolutely amazing. I was on-edge the ENTIRE movie. It was great!
Originality/Innovation: Both get an A. Nice to see a return to old school
movie telling and cinematic experience. I hope Tarantino and Rodriguez join
forces to make more of these style movies, it is long overdue.
Enjoyability grade: PT gets a B+ since it wasn't entirely orginal but
hilariously funny. DP gets an A++ since it was hands down my favorite movie
I have yet to see this year.
Overall grade: A- Combined these movies are a wonderful, complementary combo of
thrills, laughs, gore and excitement that has something for everyone. Any
horror/action movie fan simply MUST watch Grindhouse - you just can't call
yourself a true fan if you don't.
BTW - I call dibbs on going as Cherry for Halloween and I am currently
looking for a friend with a Dodge Charger to play Ships Mast with.
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