I havent felt like I've gotten my money's worth at a movie in so long. Saw a 12:30 showing today and it was actually decently full, which was more than when I saw 300 at that time, but I doubt it will come anywhere near what that film did.


The trailers are hysterical and grusome at the same time. As most reviews have said, Zombies is the weakest of them, with only Nic Cage generating a huge laugh. Don't, Machete, and Thanksgiving are films I would definitely watch if they made a sequel.

On to the main features:

Planet Terror- All the way Grindhouse or a Zombie film. Everything is very familiar, but the carnage and explosions are hysterical. The cast is very good, and to my suprise Micheal Beihn was up there as one of the bigger and hysterical characters. Though everyone was solid, especially Rose McGowen and Frankie. The missing reel gags throughout while would have been great to see, were hysterical and came at great moments. (Maybe the DVD will have more)

Deathproof- Wow, Kurt Russell was awesome, the scenes with the car are masterful. The characters themselves aren't Tarantino's best and the mini two films both take a while to get into the flow, but then again, I think that was intention. Though Russell definitely is Tarantino's stand out in this film. It kinda makes you wish he was in more of the film.

Easily the most fun I have had the movies in a while. The running time didn't hurt me at all, and while its not the best films of the year (which they were never meant to be) They will hard matched to be topped entertainment wise. Bring on Grindhouse 2. PS it seemed the audience loved it.

A+ (2nd of the year after Zodiac)

It's hard to rank it with other Rodriguez or Tarantino films, as its deliberately two bad films made brilliantly.

If I was judging them on films themselves, theyd most likely both be in the C+/B- yet at the same time they're so stylistic, hysterical, and violent, and suppose to be bad, there easy As. But on a whole, the experience is A+

Very fun time!

As an experience, it gets an "A"

I only spent $5; I would have easily spent $14 for a nighttime viewing and said the same thing. This film is certainly unique in its style and displays something fresh, different, and exciting. (Well, for nowadays.) I have been bored with films in general lately and was looking for something fun that the audience could get into -- this was it!

Very cool. A great time at the movies.

The whole package was great, the fake trailers, the neat title-cards and restricted rating animation with the cats and both films delivered the goods. Planet Terror had a great, gritty look, great gore effects and some really cool characters (Wray, J.T. and Dr. Dakota Block....yummy). Then Death Proof came along and kicked its ass. I loved the extended dialogue set-up with the girls and when Stuntman Mike finally got his car on the road, I was pumped. If there is a hiccup in Death Proof, it's in the first car scene with the second group of girls and the inane conversation that takes place. It just started to grate on me, but things picked up after that and I got to really like Zoe Bell's character, the tough chick with a passion for driving a white 70 Challenger with a 440, just like the one from Vanishing Point. How cool is that? Very cool. We are then treated to one of the finest car chase scenes I've ever seen and I've seen most. I've always wondered, since Quentin had such a way with dialogue in his films, how he would do with a car chase. Well, he goes old school of course. Full speed, real stunts, great camerwork with no mtv style editing and no cgi enhancement, just like the greats of old; Gone in Sixty Seconds (Not that Angelina Jolie bullshit), Vanishing Point, Bullitt and Duel. And pulling out the old Dukes of Hazzard Dodge Charger was just too awesome (also got a dukes vibe with Zoe climbing all over the car and even jumping in the window at one point, that gal is incredible). Kurt Russell really had fun with this role and his turn from charismatic badass to whiny pussy when the tables turn is played so well and got the biggest laughs from my crowd. Man did he get his........jesus .

A

Unbelievable entertainment. The crowd had a blast.

It's just flat out fun! Great entertainment and well worth the price of admission. The fake trailers are the best part of the movie, with Nic Cage being the absolute funniest thing in the history of film. Planet Terror is much better than Death Proof. Death Proof takes awhile to get into and doesn't seem to have as much flow to it as Planet Terror. Car chase scenes, gore, violence are top notch. It's just a blast.

-A

Best movie of the year so far. Easily the most fun I have had at a movie in ages. Hilarious, gruesome, action-packed, and just FUCKING AWESOME. The audience ate up the movie as well. They laughed hard constantly during "Planet Terror" and the wonderful ending of "Death Proof" brought the house down. The trailers were wonderful as ("Thanksgiving" got the best reaction, even though my personal favorite was "Machete"- I can't wait for that movie) well. There was even some clapping in the end. A

Oh, and Kurt Russell deserves an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. I'm being completely serious. He was fantastic in every scene, as well as being completely believable in his turn from horny, homicidal maniac to a whiny pussy. Russell was clearly having loads of fun with the role and the man deserves some compensation for his incredible work.

Death Proof definitely was the better movie. The dialogue was classic Quentin. While Planet Terror was terrific entertainment, it was not great cinerma like Death Proof was.

I'll settle for that it gives him clout that he could still easily pull off Snake Pliskin. I hope they show the missing real sometime, they had clips in the trailer at least. He was great, but when you think about it, in the 75 minute long film, he was in the las 15 minutes of both segments only.

Bring on more Kurt. He's the man

What better way to find redemption than going to the Good Friday opening day screening of Grindhouse?

As paraphraseth the good book: Seek and ye shall findeth gory.

And I bring you good news! The opening trailer for Machete, a mexploitation flick, is itself worth the price of admission!!! It's awesomeness incarnate.

Then comes Planet Terror which is almost as great. Rodriguez gets it. It is a total amped out spoof/homage to the true spirit of 70's grindhouse. Loved it. Gasped and laughed in equal measure. Right on!!!

Then came three more spot-on trailers during the "intermission". Werewolf Women of the SS, Don't, and Thanksgiving -- all breathtakingly hilarious.

But then unfortunately...

...Quentin Tarantino had to go and miss the freakin' point of the exercise. Yowch! Death Proof ain't no grindhouse -- way too much talkin', no where near enough killin' 'n' screwin'. It might of made a pretty good chick flick companion piece to Reservoir Dogs with a few more rewrites, but it just don't fit in this particular movie. El stinko!!!

Still, I love the idea of style based anthologies which attempt to replicate an era and genres -- I'd love to see more like this focusing on say 40's B-movies for example.

So how am I goin' rate this hybrid freak?

Planet Terror: 6 out of 5.
Death Proof: 1 out of 5.
Overall style/concept + the 4 trailers: 8 out of 5.

Therefore I rate Grindhouse: (6+1+8) 15 out of 15 = 5 out of 5.

wow... so i guess this one is great?... awesome, cant wait to see it.

Still no release date for Mexico

WOW - all you guys seem to love it! Now i cant wait!

Warning: Copy/pasted

Nothing can really begin to prepare you for how unique, inventive, fun and amazing the Grindhouse experience really is. The fun starts long before Planet Terror begins, and doesn't stop for the next few hours. Every minute in between is filled with excitement and suspense til your chest is tight, laughter til your throat hurts, gore til you're watchin through one hand* and holding your stomach with the other, and most importantly more fun than any filmmakers have brought to screen in years.

I guess the trailers and filler stuff is as good a place as any to start gushing. I obviously wasn't around for the 1970s to know anything about the experience of seeing cheesy exploitation films in the shady theater downtown, nor have I watched many movie trailers from the time. But I couldn't help but feel that the stuff before the films got the essence and spirit of the time and place better than either film itself. This stuff is brilliant and really set the tone for the experience. I mean... "Prevues of Coming Attractions"? I can't imagine, after seeing the trailers, not seeing the films Machete or Thanksgiving or Werewolf Women of the S.S.ever. How sad.

Robert Rodriguez' Planet Terror is pretty much everything you could hope for in a zombie movie with that title. It sets up this outbreak, steadily builds momentum, throwing out character after character and subplot after subplot, hardly giving you time to digest one before another comes at you. As more characters and situations are introduced, so are more zombies or 'infected', also steadily becoming more and more gruesome. And then all the characters and relationships come together in a bloody brilliant finale. From the time the shit hits the fan f'reals, when everyone is at the Bone Shack, until the end is nonstop full on adrenaline and energy and fun. There's really no other way to put it, than "Just a ton of fucking fun." However, I'm not a zombie person really...ok, I haven't tried much...and there was some stuff that was just kinda over-the-top for me. It was that way on purpose, and takes nothing away from how great the 80 minutes or whatever are, but man, I had trouble watching some of that crap.

As for Tarantino's Death Proof? Well, first of all it is exactly that: Tarantino's. From the start it reeks of a QT film, if only in dialog and the kinda girls he picks. It does start slow, sure, but even the first five or so minute car ride is entertaining stuff. Just not, yknow, emptied out brain entertaining. He gives you this long drawn out opening to really hook you on the main characters, and pulls a Psycho to introduce Stunt Man Mike. Stunt Man Mike, needs no introduction, but you get it anyway, and Kurt Russell sells this guy to the point where I imagined him leaving the last day of shooting and hopping in a 1970s muscle car painted red, white and blue and speeding off, sadistic, smug little smile still plastered to his cheeks. After Mike is introduced, the film really starts and Tarantino really hits his groove. The talking becomes more interesting and the characters deeper. Which only makes it that much more sweet when we get paid off by what a wise man once called "one of the most insane finales ever put to film." And boy is it insane.

Its not all good, but the good outweighs the bad by about eighty to one (no, really) so I can't really complain. But I will anyway. First, don't replicate the seventies grindhouse look if you're going to set it in the present day. That juxtaposition is jarring to say the least. Tarantino is better at this, but he puts in those lowsy sound/editing bloopers which are almost worse than the print-wear of Rodriguez. I get the point, to capture the experience or whatever, but the films and trailers alone did that; if you want a truly authentic experience, use the 70s. If you want just the essence, use the technology from the decade your film is set and I promise, you'll still have what you want.

Also, when Rodriguez does it it is effective and natural -- but Quentin, man, what is up with that missing reel crap? You...YOU can't show a lapdance? Can't spend an extra seven minutes getting from point porch to point leaving for the party? It makes sense to tease the audience with hot sex only to cut further ahead and miss some stuff, because that's how it would work. We didn't miss anything really, but it puts us right into the action when the next reel takes over. But when all you're doing is literally cutting out a dance scene, where the chick might get down to her underwear, well that's just kinda contrived.

Hm, I thought when I started the "bad" there was at least one more point to make, but I can't recall it now. Either way, like I said, the bad are out-numbered by the good like those in the ending of Planet Terror, so even though those two things bugged me, they barely make a dent in the beast that is Grindhouse. Truly one of the most enjoyable experiences a lifetime of movie-going will ever offer.

Good review, keep in mind, both missing reels are in the international cuts, as they are being released separately and need a little more length. So perhaps the DVD will have both full cuts.

PS, who thinks Quentin can't do a sequel with Kurt playing his brother Stuntman Bob Thats the first thing I thought of. Though, Quentin didnt make a trailer, so maybe if they make a sequel that will be his fake trailer next time around.

That's interesting, Gun. I'd read they'd be released separately elsewhere, but I didn't know the "missing reels" thing was just to cut time and was actually shot or part of the film. It'll be interesting to see what was cut then. Cuz like I said, in Planet Terror, it really works for me and I didn't mind missing the stuff. But it seemed forced in Death Proof...not only that, but I can't imagine what was cut from it that would have added more than a few minutes. But yeah, that's pretty cool.

Surely the missing reels thing is a gag -- especially the lap dance bit. Why would they get rid of the joke in the international version? I don't buy it.

Death Proof's "missing reel" is a bit of a hoax -- the footage was definitely shot, but it's not a full reel. The lap dance takes up maybe a couple pages of script. That said, there's A LOT of cut dialogue in both sections that could constitute 15 minutes.

I found the "missing reels" gag annoying. It seems like a cop-out on the part of the filmmakers and a diss to fans. Why should other countries get the entire films while the US doesn't? I don't care about the added length as both films would have been better with the added footage.

I freaking loved Planet Terror freaking awesome is not enough to describe it. A total homage to the camp zombie movies that Lucio Fulci put out, it totally doesnt hold back on gore at all and to make the whole movie gold I like the grainy quality to it, it pretty much has everything from campiness to its intentional humor. I pretty much lost it when Freddy Rodriguez was riding the mini mopehead scooter (probably a tribute to the GTA chase scene done with teh mario carts)

A+ for that segment and the campy trailers

Death Proof however drags on way too long and I found it to be the worst segement of the film. It really doesnt fit in too well with the content of the movie although the chase scenes were pretty cool but I felt it should have been cut short for 30mins

C for that segment

Overall I loved the whole movie because of Planet TError,final grade for the film is probably around a B+/A-

If you watch the 2nd trailer, you can clearly see Kurt getting a lapdance by Butterfly.

They have said the cuts of the films will be longer in the international cuts, so that would be my assumption. I'd say theres at least 5 minutes missing in the missing reel. I agree in death proof it was more forced, because in Planet Terror it was hysterical that it cut a huge action sequence and the key plot point of the film, it just cuts to the enitre place on fire. I was laughing hysterically at that point.

Remember, Grindhouse is more of an American thing, so the jokes would be lost most likely anyway by international movie goers. So the reels making the films look more complete could be legit.

GRINDHOUSE is the greatest movie I have ever seen! The expirence was great. The fake trailers were awesome, the adds were cool/funny and the two movies were PHENOMENAL!!! PLANET TERROR was my favorite of the two. It had gore (That scene with Tarantino was disgusting but awesome). It had funny moments (JT faking his death with the sausage and the missing reel coming back 20 minutes later). It was sad (Dakota's son, El Wray at the end) and it was SEXY!!! Rose McGowen and Marley Shelton made that movie in my opinion. Both are sooo hot! Great acting by them as well. DEATH PROOF, still not as good as PT, was great. Kurt Russel was flawless in it. Going from Scary Stuntman Mike to Scared little Mike was genius. He played that character soo well. No one else could do what he did. The women did such a good job. Of them all, Zoe Bell was the best. She was HOT and she kiced ass. Surpisingly she was the hottest woman in DEATH PROOF in my opinion. All the fake trailers were awesome. MACHETE was my favorite. Funny as hell (Cheech as a preist, "They fucked with the wrong mexican!") too. Thanksgiving would be my second. The trampoline part was crazy and the end when he was doing that turkey. Don't and Werewolf Women were tied for me. Nicolas Cage as Fu Man Chu was hilarious and the Don't Don't Don't Don't part was funny as hell.
So overal I give the movie and A++
Two pluses for both movies

sorry I used Awesome and Hot alot

Takes 300's spot for best film of all time.

A+

Both segments aren't particularly flawless (especially Death Proof), but I loved 'em both, along with the trailers. The whole thing worked extremely well for me.

A.

...almost everywhere else has a more sophisticated understanding of film than America...

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." -- Henry Mencken

And back in the day (B.V. - before video), I'd say international audiences especially in the smaller markets were very familiar with the "grindhouse" experience. Many crazy B-movies which didn't require a high degree of English comprehension, were circulated to small overseas theatres till the prints were all scratched to hell and indeed missing reels...