Reviews by Matt

I got to see two movies for the price of one. These days I wish it would happen more often. Then again seeing as how 90 percent of the movies that come out today are complete pieces of garbage, maybe I don’t. But if Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez did them, it would be worth it.

“Planet Terror” and “Death Proof,” or as they are better known, “Grindhouse,” are the new movies from two of the best directors working today. The double feature is a tribute to the grind house theaters of the 1970’s. These theaters showcased the 2 B-movies back to back with trailers in between. These movies were known for being overly gory, sexual and violent. In short, just the films these two directors would love.

“Planet Terror” is first up on the bill. In a small town in Texas, after a deal gone wrong, zombie like creatures called “Sickos” get looses and begin infecting the rest of the town. Now those not infected, including El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) and Cherry Darling (Rose McGowaen), must fight their way out of town and to safety.


In the stronger, and less disgusting of the two, “Death Proof,” Kurt Russell plays Stuntman Mike. He is a man with a car that is death proof. The only problem is you have to be sitting in his seat to get the full effect. He stalks and kills attractive women. He uses his car to kill them by any way necessary.

Those are the movies, plain and simple. Here is where I would normally turn to the acting or the directing, but not this time. I want to talk about the film its self. The coolest thing that they did in the 3 hours and 11 minuets of this movie was mess with the film. They added scratches, color drains and even had missing reels, all to get the grind house feel. Just as El Wray and Cherry Darling are about to start a sex scene, the reel cuts out. Up pops a message announcing the missing reel and that the theater management is sorry for the inconvenience. Next thing we know the bar is on fire, the police sergeant has been shot and the Sickos are advancing. Now only was it hilarious, but it is something that would happen at a grind house. A reel would go missing and a chuck of the movie would be left out.

One of the highlights of the movie were the fake movie trailers. “Thanksgiving,” a take off of “Halloween;” “Don’t,” a movie that highlights all the don’ts of horror movies (don’t open the door, ect..); “Werewolf Women of the SS,” where the Nazi’s experiment with werewolves and women. Horror directors like Eli Roth and Rob Zombie directed them. They were hilarious and some looked like they might actually be good movies.

This was the most fun I have ever had at a movie. I was grossed out, shocked, awed, disturbed, scared, over and over during this film fest. Where other movies are long and feel like it (cough cough Zodiac), this felt like it could have gone on longer. Not once was I wishing the movie would just end. I was having way too much fun to feel like I was sitting there for three hours.

Tarantino and Rodriguez love film. They love filmmaking and it shows in the movies they make. If more directors would put so much passion into their movies, maybe I would not be as jaded as I am. They are not in it for the money. They are in it because they love what they do and don’t care what the critics say. If only more directors would put as much love into their movies.

9 out of 10
Rated: R for strong graphic bloody violence and gore, pervasive language, some sexuality, nudity and drug use
USA:191 min