Grindhouse (2007)

First off you need to know what a grindhouse is. A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly showed exploitation films, or is a term to describe the genre of films that played in such theatres (which are also known as "exploitation films"). Grindhouses were known for non-stop programs of B movies, usually consisting of a double feature where two films were shown back to back. Many of these inner city theatres formerly featured burlesque shows which featured "bump and grind" dancing, leading to the term "grindhouse." Beginning in the late 1960s and especially during the 1970s, the subject matter of exploitation films shown in these theaters often included explicit sex, violence, bizarre or perverse plot points, and other taboo content. In this case Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino are trying to recreate the feel of a grindhouse by releasing a B movie style double feature. So, since they made two movies, I will treat them as two movies. So first up:

Planet Terror

Two unhappily married doctors, William (Josh Brolin) and Dakota Block (Marley Shelton), find that their small Texas town is overrun by people covered in suspicious sores. They come across a wounded woman by the name of Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), a go-go dancer who lost her leg in a creature attack, and her boyfriend El Wray (Freddy Rodriquez). As the 'zombies' become more and more aggressive, Wray and Cherry lead a group of survivors to a nearby military base and encounter a rogue military unit, led by the deranged Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis). The infected military unit quarantines them, convinced that within them lies the answer for a concrete cure. Eventually an escape plan is hatched with Cherry—now outfitted with an M4 assault rifle and attached grenade launcher in place of her leg—leading the charge.

Death Proof

Death Proof features a psychotic killer named Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), whose modus operandi is to kill young women with his souped-up cars (a 1971 Chevy Nova SS and a 1970 Dodge Charger). He achieves this by "death proofing" the cars; reinforcing the driving compartment in a manner similar to stunt drivers in action films. After stalking and brutally killing local Austin D.J. Jungle Julia (Sydney Poitier), her friends Arlene and Shanna (Vanessa Ferlito and Jordan Ladd), and hitchhiker Pam (Rose McGowan), Stuntman Mike flees to Tennessee and finds a new group of girls. Among his new targets are actress Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), makeup artist Abernathy (Rosario Dawson), and stuntwomen Kim (Tracie Thoms) and stuntwoman Zoe Bell (who plays herself in the film) who are test driving a 1970 Dodge Challenger.

The Trailers

There are four fake trailers included in Grindhouse, two before Planet Terror and two before Death Proof. These are full on movie trailers of exploitation movies that would fit the period. Machete, contributed by Robert Rodriguez, is a Mexican exploitation movie styled like Charles Bronson or like Jean Claude Van Damme movies. Thanksgiving, contributed by Eli Roth, is a slasher film centered around the November holiday in Massachusetts. Werewolf Women Of The SS, contributed by Rob Zombie, is about Nazis and, um, well, the title is pretty self explanatory. And Don't, contributed by Shaun Of The Dead director Edgar Wright. It is described as a 1970's britsploitation meets mondo trailer. A mondo film is a documentary film, sometimes resembling a pseudo-documentary, usually depicting sensational topics and scenes.

Trivia: Several actors from Planet Terror make appearances in Death Proof, including Rose McGowan, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Parks, Electra and Elise Avellan, and Marley Shelton. The "Skull & Lightning Bolts" logo used on the car in the film's Death Proof poster is inspired by the "Skull & Chopsticks" logo used in the international kung fu comedy tv and dvd series known as Kung Faux. Both directors 'aged' the films, adding scratches, dirt, and dust, to simulate the feel of the real Grindhouse films. Robert Rodriguez specifically wrote the part of Dakota for Marley Shelton after working with her on Sin City (2005). The "missing reels" in the Grindhouse films were an original William Castle-style idea cooked up by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. Tarantino owns a print of the Oliver Reed film The Sell-Out (1976) which when he bought it was missing a reel (containing a major plot point). After watching the film in this way, Tarantino found the scenes that he didn't see created an interesting mystery which made him try to figure out what went down in those scenes. Contrary to rumors, in the Grindhouse era, frames would often be missing from films but not entire 20-30 minute reels. This was not a staple of Grindhouse cinema.

Hmm...interesting films, and both are set in Texas. Planet Terror was definitely more gory, but then again, it was a zombie film. You should expect a little gore. The movie had a very good sense of humor to it, which is good because otherwise, well, I mean, come on, it's a zombie film. Death Proof ends with an awesome car chase between a black Dodge Nova and a white Dodge Charger using real cars (because that was the way Tarantino wanted it). It was also pretty fun to see some of the cross over characters. Some of the characters from Planet Terror show up as the same character in Death Proof (like Dr. Dakota Block and a sheriff) but some of the characters also showed up in the Thanksgiving trailer. So all in all a pretty good time was had in this truly unique double feature.