Grindhouse

Dimension Films
Planet Terror

Directed: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: Naveen Andrews,Jeff Fahey,Rose McGowan,Freddy Rodríguez,Marley Shelton,Michael Biehn, and Bruce Willis

Death Proof

Directed:Quentin Tarantino

Staring: Zoe Bell,Rosario Dawson,Vanessa Ferlito,Sydney Tamiia Poitier,Kurt Russell,Tracie Thoms,Mary Elizabeth Winstead

This is a throwback from the days of the double feature. Two movies chalked full of action, blood and sex. This is the Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino attempt to recreate that magic(not sure if that's the right word,but what the hell).The first movie (and my favorite) is Planet Terror. This zombie like movie takes place in some hick town in Texas. A unit of ex-military have released a deadly gas that turns most people in to, you guessed it, sick deformed cannibal like creatures(or zombies depending on how you look at it). The action starts right off the bat, they don't mess around with any of that dialog stuff. Not to say that there isn't any dialog it's just that there isn't a lot, and there shouldn't be in a zombie movie. There should be action, people killing zombies or being killed by zombies. The main characters are the kind that you would expect, there's the Go Go dances(Rose McGowan)(not stripper there is a difference). Their's her ex-boyfriend and resident bad ass El Wrey(Freddy Rodriguez) we're not really shown much of his past except that he never misses. There's the Sheriff(Michael Biehn) who doesn't trust Wrey until he finds out just how bad ass he really is. Then there is the sheriff's brother and resident barbecue master JT( Jeff Fahey) who will take his recipe to his grave. Let us not forget about the anesthesiologist( Marley Shelton) who just wants to get away from her husband. This movie has everything you would expect from this type of movie, action, lots of blood and of course no exploitation movie would be complete without a sex scene. Now as I stated this was my favorite of the two only because I was looking for pure action and I got it from Planet Terror and not so much from Death Proof. Death Proof was the second movie on the play bill, Now in the old days of grindhouses the second show was usually the lesser of the two movies also referred as the b-movie. I am in no way saying that Planet Terror is a better movie, I'm just saying I enjoyed it more. Death Proof has two parts, the first, is a look at three girls hanging out for the day, there's Jungle Julia( Sydney Tamiia Poitier) a local Radio DJ. Then there is her two friends Shanna(Jordan Ladd) and Butterfly(Vanessa Ferlito). You get to watch them hangout in a bar and get drunk(doesn't that sound fun and exciting). No, kidding there is more to it than that. Stunt man Mike(Kurt Russell) is there trying to gain their trust by TALKING TO THEM...I'm sorry my main problem with this one is that most of the movie is just talking. Now don't get me wrong, it's just that when I see a Tarantino film, I want action or I want really witty, maybe funny, at least interesting dialog and I didn't feel that I got it with this one. Now that I got that off my chest on to the second act. This is a new lot of girls, who are spending a few days together. The one girl Zoe(Zoe Bell) who is stunt person(in the movie and in real life I think) wants to drive a 1970 challenger, and just so happens some one is selling one in the town there in. While on a test drive with her friends Abby(Rosario Dawson) and Kim(Tracie Thoms) Stunt man mike tries to run them off the road. This goes back and forth until it ends, but of course I'm not going to tell you how that happens. Now my dislike for Death Proof would not deter me from seeing Grindhouse again. It was definitely time well spent, which by the way is three hours. Also the best part of this movie is the supposedly fake trailers. They might be one of the best parts. Do your self a favor and see this movie before it's out of the theaters or worse they separate them.

--By Rob Ricci