"Grindhouse" reviews thread. [Archive]

RichC2

04-04-07, 10:51 AM

89% on rottentomatoes, 16:2. I anticpate a decline shortly.

I'm amazed at how conflicted the critics are, some like Planet Terror and hate Death Proof, some vise versa, some like the entire thing. Really is something for everyone.

And hell remember, just because you paid to see both movies doesn't mean you have to stay for both :P

From MetaCritic.com (All are positive reviews):

Village Voice Score: 100
By: Nathan Lee
This monumentally pointless movie is best summarized by a line from Planet Terror: "At some point in your life, you find a use for every useless talent you have." Rodriguez, Tarantino, and Co. aim for nothing more noble than to freak the funk, and it's about godd--- time. Go wasted, go stoned, go without your parents' permission. In paying homage to an obsolete form of movie culture, Grindhouse delivers a dropkick to ours.

Rolling Stone Score: 88
By: Peter Travers
By stooping low without selling out, this babes-and-bullets tour de force gets you high on movies again.

Premiere Score: 88
By: Glenn Kenny
As much as I enjoyed much of it, I hope Grindhouse doesn't start any trends. Exploitation cinema is combustible stuff that only highly trained professionals should be permitted to play with.

Variety Score: 80
By: Todd McCarthy
Planet Terror delivers only momentary kicks...while Tarantino's Death Proof is a juicy, delicious treat, its pleasures stem much less from the play with genre conventions than from great dialogue and electric performances.

The Hollywood Reporter Score: 70
By: Kirk Honeycutt
If you were keeping score, it would be Quentin Tarantino 1, Robert Rodriguez 0.

Christie L. (From the Associated Press) and Richard Roeper gave it two thumbs up. Roeper loved Tarantino's bit, Christie loved Rodriguez's but thought Tarantinos was boring... with a good pay off.

kaze0

04-04-07, 11:57 AM

outcastja

04-04-07, 12:24 PM

Does anyone have a midnight showing of this by them? I'm so pissed I just realized that all of the 12:00 showings on moviephone were really 12pm :/ I had even taken Friday off so I wouldnt have to worry about sleep.

Yeah, I'm worried about that too. Usually midnight showings are posted at least a week in advance, but here in SoCal there are no theaters that have a midnight showing posted up. One theater already has Spiderman midnight showing up but no Grindhouse :(

Seantn

04-04-07, 12:26 PM

I think it's since the movie is around 3 hours....none of the theater people want to have to hang around until after 3am waiting for everyone to leave.

kaze0

04-04-07, 01:08 PM

LOTR had midnight showings. I guess they don't think Grindhouse is gonna be that big :/

Kudama

04-04-07, 01:19 PM

I think it's since the movie is around 3 hours....none of the theater people want to have to hang around until after 3am waiting for everyone to leave.
They would if the theaters let their employees drink beer and watch the movie with everybody else. It's a party! Then: free taxi service for everybody.

(I dream a lot.)

JayDerek

04-04-07, 01:46 PM

i was really, really hoping for a midnight showing here (Madison,WI) because i know that people that'd come would enjoy the hell out of it and it'd be a great crowd.

oh well...

scott1598

04-04-07, 05:36 PM

i am amazed thus far..the score at RT keeps going up. Now 90% with 19 to 2 ratio.

i'm glad the reviewers so far are taking this movie for what it is and not delving deeper...leave your brain at the door, unadulterated schlocky fun!!!

TomOpus

04-04-07, 10:14 PM

Couple more positive reviews: RT is now 92% 21/2

JPRaup

04-04-07, 10:59 PM

I just saw it at a preview screening.

Lets get this outta the way first, trailers were all great. Very enjoyable.

Planet Terror: The quintessential "grindhouse" movie. Jam packed with blood and guts and some of the grossest scenes I have EVER witnessed in a movie. The dialogue was perfect for a grindhouse movie. All the performances were good and it was all around a great movie. 9/10

Death Proof: Awful. I am a huge Tarantino fanboy so don't get me wrong. How someone can write Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction then such a pile of shit as this movie is beyond me. There was a solid hour of the most meaningless, pointless words I have ever heard anyone consecutively say. It is some of the worst writing I ever witnessed in a movie. That being said the car scenes were filmed great and it was the only redeeming quality of the movie. I am disappointed beyond belief. 3/10

Planet Terror, Deathproof and Trailers: 7/10

MovieExchange

04-04-07, 11:28 PM

I'm in agreement with Jordan. The trailers were great, Planet Terror was a hillarious cheese fest, but for the most part Death Proof was a festering steaming pile of shite. WAY too much talking. Now that wouldn't be bad if it were good dialogue, but that wasn't the case here. It wasn't even good cheese movie dialogue, it was just boring. It remained boring until the chase scene at the end.

Maybe if they had run Death Proof first, it would have been better.... but having it run after the over-the-top Planet Terror was like setting it up to fail.

JPRaup

04-04-07, 11:37 PM

What was the song when the "coming previews" titles where shown. It's used in Danger Doom song "Old School" with Talib Kweli from the album "The Mouse and the Mask".

darkside

04-04-07, 11:38 PM

Wow, every review I have read and everyone I talk to says the exact same thing. Grindhouse starts out great and goes to shit once Death Proof starts.

I wonder if its worth going just to see Planet Terror and leave after the trailers.

Suprmallet

04-04-07, 11:42 PM

JPRaup

04-04-07, 11:45 PM

Maybe if they had run Death Proof first, it would have been better.... but having it run after the over-the-top Planet Terror was like setting it up to fail.

I'm not sure, I would have been so pissed if they showed Death Proof first. Planet Terror would have made up for it by leaps and bounds, but I think I would nitpick everything about Planet Terror after watching the godawful Death Proof. It would have been a worse experience.

also I would like to add that Kurt Russell did a very nice job in his performance, I just wish he was in it for more than a measly 20 fucking minutes. Those goddamn girls, I wanted to line them up and personally kill them.

JPRaup

04-04-07, 11:46 PM

JPRaup

04-04-07, 11:47 PM

I wonder if its worth going just to see Planet Terror and leave after the trailers.

I wish I had. Maybe its worth it just too see how bad it really is though.

I tried so hard to enjoy Death Proof, I really did. The title scene was great, then it just took a shit on the ground for the next hour. It was literally like watching a trainwreck. Let me rephrase that, at least a trainwreck is exciting. I JUST came back from the movie and I can't remember a single idea or phrase that was talked about in that period of time without thinking really hard.

MovieExchange

04-04-07, 11:57 PM

I'm sorry, I still have trouble accepting that an original Rodriguez script is better than an original Tarantino script, especially when the Tarantino piece has Kurt Russell. Still, we'll see this weekend, I suppose.

It certainly was in this case. Of course I'll be the first to admit that I have never understood the fuss over Tarantino in the first place. Very juvenile with a tendancy to borrow a little too liberally from other people's works. That being said, I went in with an open mind towards the film.

Despite my numerous criticisms of Tarantino, one thing I've never been able to say was that his films were boring... until tonight, that is.

I don't know how many people in the audience tonight were Tarantino fans, but you could tell that they were just not in to this film until the end.

JPRaup

04-05-07, 12:05 AM

It certainly was in this case. Of course I'll be the first to admit that I have never understood the fuss over Tarantino in the first place. Very juvenile with a tendancy to borrow a little too liberally from other people's works. That being said, I went in with an open mind towards the film.

Despite my numerous criticisms of Tarantino, one thing I've never been able to say was that his films were boring... until tonight, that is.

I don't know how many people in the audience tonight were Tarantino fans, but you could tell that they were just not in to this film until the end.

I'm not sure, In my theater people clapped at the end, but not for Planet Terror. They even laughed at parts of Death Proof. It was insane. A funny thing, I saw a lady that had to be over 80 walking out right before Death Proof, how she sat through Planet Terror is beyond me. Some of the most obscene things I have seen in a movie.

MovieExchange

04-05-07, 12:18 AM

I'm not sure, In my theater people clapped at the end, but not for Planet Terror. They even laughed at parts of Death Proof. It was insane.

Oh there were some chuckles here and there for Death Proof, but Planet Terror had a more consistent positive reaction.

As for the endings... well, I can't make my point without spoiling the ending of Death Proof, so that will have to wait.

RichC2

04-05-07, 12:56 AM

Seriously, I've never seen more varied reviews for a movie, the number of conflicting "Rodriguez's is GREAT, Tarantino's is AWFUL" and "Rodriguez's was lame, Tarantino's was amazing" is incredible.

Mondo Kane

04-05-07, 02:16 AM

Shit. I'm sensing a Kill Bill Deja Vu with this.

Vol-1
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Vol-2
Talk,talk,talk,talk

Planet Terror (And the trailers)
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Death Proof
Talk,talk,talk,talk

Even the biggest low-blow I've come across so far is David Walker's review here which says to wait for the DVD(!)
Well, I'm still a devoted fan (To the directors and this genre) and I'm definetly seeing this in the theaters (I'll be out of town this weekend so I'll come back with reactions by Sunday night) but I'm taking the negative feedback as a precaution and am still hoping for at least a satisfactory (But not overwhelming) Friday night viewing.
There.
Expectations have been lowered a wee bit. Now I'm hoping for a better-than expected outcome.

Mondo Kane

04-05-07, 02:21 AM

What was the song when the "coming previews" titles where shown. It's used in Danger Doom song "Old School" with Talib Kweli from the album "The Mouse and the Mask".

Well I Just listened to a sample and it's just the typical "Coming Attractions" theme music from back in the day.

JPRaup

04-05-07, 02:27 AM

Well I Just listened to a sample and it's just the typical "Coming Attractions" theme music from back in the day.

No. It can't be. Its the exact rhythm and everything

Matthew Chmiel

04-05-07, 04:02 AM

Shit. I'm sensing a Kill Bill Deja Vu with this.

Vol-1
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Vol-2
Talk,talk,talk,talk.
Not going to fucking lie, but Kill Bill Volume 2 is a much better film than Volume 1. As much as I love the style of the first one, the second film is just simply better made in every aspect.

Mondo Kane

04-05-07, 04:39 AM

Not going to fucking lie, but Kill Bill Volume 2 is a much better film than Volume 1. As much as I love the style of the first one, the second film is just simply better made in every aspect.

I'm not saying I was one of the detractors of Vol-2 (The way Tarantino would punctuate scenes with a Morricone used-score was too genius for me to overlook, for example) but I can see how others could have been displeased.

I'm just concerned about the future on how he handles his work. Now Vol-1 of Kill Bill was shot to a tee as far as the original script was concerned. All the Beijing stuff (Which was where the House/Blue Leaves chapter was filmed),Vivica fight, and anime sequence were left untouched. But if you read David Carradine's book, "Kill Bill Diary", you'll find out on just how many changes were made til the end of the script.
It's like Tarantino gets a whole new output on his project during his shoot and I'm not surprised if he got the same feeling while making Death Proof. But time will tell if the impact of his sudden judgement on the film-set is for better or worse.

Indy Jones Fan

04-05-07, 08:59 AM

I saw an advanced preview last night too and I agree with what others in this thread have said so far. Planet Terror was great, the trailers were great, but Death Proof was lame lame lame. Kurt Russell's character took a turn for the worse at the end. Not the way I would have done it but hey, it's not my movie. I counted no less than a dozen people getting up and leaving during Death Proof and no, they didn't return.

RichC2

04-05-07, 09:06 AM

From one of the DVDTalk reviews:

It's almost a shame that Grindhouse didn't lead with Death Proof, because then I could suggest you leave in the middle. While you don't necessarily need to show up late (you might miss those fake trailers if you do), this double-feature is definitely lopsided. Robert Rodriguez was too busy trying to fake the funk in Planet Terror, whereas Quentin Tarantino was far more conscious of delivering the same visceral thrills that he found in those out-of-the-way theatres as a younger man.

Kicker_of_Elves

04-05-07, 09:55 AM

Seeing it on Monday, i'm really looking forward to it.

MovieExchange

04-05-07, 11:25 AM

whereas Quentin Tarantino was far more conscious of delivering the same visceral thrills that he found in those out-of-the-way theatres as a younger man.

Funny, I never found endless talking between 4 annoying women to be a "visceral thrill." Shit, I'm going to make up my own backstory - As a youth, Stuntman Mike was subjected to a lot of the annoying boring inane bullshit chatter we saw from the women in this movie, and now he does the world a public service by traveling the country and killing them.

Luther Heggs

04-05-07, 12:07 PM

What was the song when the "coming previews" titles where shown. It's used in Danger Doom song "Old School" with Talib Kweli from the album "The Mouse and the Mask".
That's a '70s library track called "Soul Thing" by Tony Newman - used for "Coming Attractions" bumpers, also appropriated by Beck for his intro music. If digging up obscure 45s isn't your thing, you can find it on this CD (http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=27njb45pdq).

Snowmaker

04-05-07, 12:54 PM

Well, I'm going first thing tomorrow. You've all got my expectations lowered, so maybe I'll actually enjoy Death Proof.

BJacks

04-05-07, 01:01 PM

I mentioned my thoughts last week but to echo what others are saying here, I thought Planet Terror was great and Death Proof was terrible. It was meandering, pointless, boring and occassionally cheaply sadistic. Aside from the compartively short car chase (which is far from original and requires suspension of disbelief because all the girls act so incredibly dumb...just hit the brakes for chrissakes), I'm baffled how anyone could find anything viscerally exciting about it in the least.

Drop

04-05-07, 01:06 PM

Shit. I'm sensing a Kill Bill Deja Vu with this.

Vol-1
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Vol-2
Talk,talk,talk,talk

Planet Terror (And the trailers)
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Death Proof
Talk,talk,talk,talk

If that's the case, then I will love Death Proof exponetially more than Planet Terror. I like KB 1, but it's so frustrating to sit through now, when I just want to get to the end, the meat, of the Bride's tale.

I'm sure I'll enjoy all of Grindhouse. So excited.

Scott_Lecter

04-05-07, 02:43 PM

Does anyone know when this will be reviewed at DVD Talk?
2 reviews of Grindhouse are now up on DVD Talk in the Theatrical Reviews section. :)

BJacks

04-05-07, 03:01 PM

With that statement, I believe you missed the entire point of Tarantino's creation.

It's not about logic, but more about a crowded urban theater where a 40-year-old African-American woman stands up from her seat and screams, "BITCH, HIT THOSE MUTHAFUCKIN' BRAKES!"And he made the film boring so that people would throw shit at the screen? He's a genius!

I shoulda left the hitting the brakes part off my post as that was the least of my thoughts...obviously Planet Terror wasn't ripped from real life either. Everything else I said stands though. The first act was meandering and the second was putting people to sleep.

RichC2

04-05-07, 03:11 PM

I don't think I've heard more conflicting reviews than those for Death Proof.

Mikael79

04-05-07, 03:58 PM

From one of the DVDTalk reviews....

What's the point in sharing all of this with you? The point is that I know something about grindhouse films. In fact, I've probably forgotten more than most people have ever known. So, if any of you get upset by this review--especially if you haven't seen the film yet, or your knowledge is limited to having only seen whatever dozen or so films you feel makes you an expert--please, keep it to yourself.

Wow,I think he needs a drink or something....

RichC2

04-05-07, 03:59 PM

The entire review was like that, heh.

Indy Jones Fan

04-05-07, 03:59 PM

BTW, anyone else noticed the female deputy in Planet Terror? Tall with dark hair? She was SMOKIN' HOT. Who is she?

achau9598

04-05-07, 06:37 PM

so, how are the trailers laid out on this? Is it like trailer, film, trailer, film? Are there any after the 2nd feature? Do I need to stay through the end credits?

scott1598

04-05-07, 06:39 PM

Shit. I'm sensing a Kill Bill Deja Vu with this.

Vol-1
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Vol-2
Talk,talk,talk,talk

Planet Terror (And the trailers)
Edge-of-your-seat, breakneck thriller
Death Proof
Talk,talk,talk,talk

i was just gonna write that these 2 movies in "Grindhouse" seem exactly like the emotions i felt for both vol. 1 and vol. 2. i expected more action with 2, but on another viewing i loved it as much as 1. they were two different movies emotionally. PT and DP seem to fit the exact billing as the Kill Bill's and thus i can't freggin wait!!!!!!!!!

my only fret is that i cannot drink the whole day before watching. see i pee...a lot. i can go 5 times in the morning even before i have had a sip of water or anything. i like drinking water or diet soda because i get thirsty a lot so sitting for more than 3 hours is very disconcerting to me.

anyone have any suggestions?

achau9598

04-05-07, 06:49 PM

anyone have any suggestions?

Depends?

DarthMarino

04-05-07, 06:57 PM

My strategy is to drain my bladder as much as possible before the movie and to NOT eat or drink while watching it. If I eat I get thirsty. If I drink I have to go to the bathroom. If I go the bathroom I miss some of the movie. I haven't taken a bathroom break during a movie in the theater since Ghostbusters which was more than 20 years ago. If you must eat or drink during the movie then all I can do is wish you luck or second achau9598's suggestion.

TomOpus

04-05-07, 07:01 PM

Depends?NASA Approved :up:

DoubleDownAgain

04-05-07, 07:02 PM

How long is the intermission? Is it just the three trailers?

JPRaup

04-05-07, 09:44 PM

There is no intermission, just three trailers

Kudama

04-05-07, 09:55 PM

my only fret is that i cannot drink the whole day before watching. see i pee...a lot. i can go 5 times in the morning even before i have had a sip of water or anything. i like drinking water or diet soda because i get thirsty a lot so sitting for more than 3 hours is very disconcerting to me.

anyone have any suggestions?

Pee in her ...umm ....on the floor

(You almost got me with that one.)

Rypro 525

04-06-07, 01:46 AM

when planet terror "ends" are there credits to it, or does it go straight for the fake trailers.

ReduxGuy

04-06-07, 02:03 AM

when planet terror "ends" are there credits to it, or does it go straight for the fake trailers.

I read they just go straight to the trailers.

Matthew Chmiel

04-06-07, 05:30 AM

I went to the 10pm preview screening tonight. While Vegas happened to be one of the lucky thirteen cities screening the flick early ...

... right before Vanessa Ferlito got a fuckin' tire in her face during the first major action sequence of Death Proof ...

... the film print actually broke on us. While we all thought it was a crafty prank pulled by Tarantino, we weren't so happy 45 minutes later. The theater told us to come back tomorrow to get our refunds since all the registers were closed when the damage occured (the break in question happened about two and a half hours in). The theater was about 80% full before the film broke, once the film got going again, there was about 35% left.

I'm about to go to bed, but just for some clarification.

- Yes, Planet Terror kicks major ass.
- Yes, Death Proof takes forever to get going, but once it does, it kicks major ass.
- Yes, the trailers are the best part of the film. Werewolf Women of the SS didn't get that much of an audience reaction, but Machette, Don't, and Thanksgiving had everyone roaring. If you saw the Thanskgiving trailer on IGN, the two "money shots" had the whole theater going insane.
- Going back to the trailers, the film plays as follows: Dimension Films logo, Machette trailer, Planet Terror, faux trailers, Death Proof, credits.

ReduxGuy

04-06-07, 05:47 AM

Matthew Chmiel

04-06-07, 05:51 AM

How messy was Arlene's de-facing, anyway? I have the making-of book and they show some BTS stuff, but no meat, no pun intended.
It maybe lasted five seconds on screen at most. Now granted, I may be wrong as the whole scene flew by as we jumped right into the carnage once the film started up again.

The film stopped shortly after Rose McGowan's death and jumped back in exactly right before Kurt Russell crashed his car.

RagingBull80

04-06-07, 05:58 AM

I saw it and enjoyed every bit of it. I thought the trailers were great and added an amazing atmosphere to the whole piece. Planet Terror was a good fun flick with lots of gore and great moments. Death Proof was a more "movie, movie." Death Proof slowed down a bit too much in parts but it was great despite that.

d2cheer

04-06-07, 07:31 AM

RichC2

04-06-07, 10:47 AM

Currently: 88% (7.5/10.0 average, 82% Cream of the Crop) at Rotten Tomatoes, 78% at MetaCritic. I think that's the closest the two sites have converged in a while.

Julie Walker

04-06-07, 01:49 PM

I'll be seeing this on Easter Sunday with my dad(since i work tonight and tomorrow unfortunately). And after hearing about the Thanksgiving trailer. An "Easter Sunday" slasher may be in order,since it's not been done before that I know of. So come up with some twisted tag lines for it, and maybe I'll brainstorm a script/story outline/or random scenes and go from there.,

BuddyRevell

04-06-07, 01:52 PM

Saw this last night and enjoyed Planet Terror more than Deathproof.

Deathproof started off okay (minus the boring chatter) but as soon as the second set of girls collect their thoughts towards the end and pretty much say "Ok not scared anymore let's go get him" pretty much ruined the mood for the first half..which I liked more. I know it's supposed to be cheesy fun but it's just another case of good girls turning into bad asses and that's been done way too much

movieking

04-06-07, 03:15 PM

There really needs to be a poll asking which film was preferred. I really enjoyed both films, and agree with most of the comments here. There was definitely more of a reaction for the Tarantino flick at my theatre. People laughed and cheered at the end as well.

My overall thoughts are that Death Proof has lower lows, but higher highs than Planet Terror, which I found to be consistent throughout. If I had to pick one, I'd go with Death Proof.

mdc3000

04-06-07, 04:02 PM

I think I liked Death Proof more as well, for the same reasons movieking mentioned above. Planet Terror fires on all cylinders the whole time and was a very fun ride, but as an actual movie, DP really worked for me. I think the last 30 minutes were just dynamite and it had the most satisfying ending of the two. I was floored by how much the dvdtalk review hated it...just blows my mind.

I pretty much loved everything about GRINDHOUSE though. The trailers were PERFECT. I liked them all...the audience at my theatre loved Thanksgiving and Don't (If you are seeing this, don't make the mistake that 20 people in my theatre did of using these trailers as time to go for a bathroom break...if you're dying, go during the opening credits for Death Proof). Just a great time at the movies that really flew by. I'll be going again on Monday.

MATT

brianluvdvd

04-06-07, 04:24 PM

Some of the most obscene things I have seen in a movie.

Please describe (with spoiler tags of course). I can't imagine what there could be that hasn't been seen already. Not being a smart-ass but seriously curious.

SonOfAStu

04-06-07, 04:48 PM

I liked both films, but I thought the fake trailers were garbage. Seriously some of the stupidest shit I've ever seen. Especially "Don't!" If I see this again in the theater, I'm definitely using that time as a restroom break.

I REALLY loved Planet Terror.

FantasticVSDoom

04-06-07, 05:26 PM

What a great time at the movies... I give a slight nod to Planet Terror, but Death Proof was pretty damn good as well. My favorite part of the trailers was the voice over for Thanksgiving. He needs to do all voiceovers for trailers from here on out.

JPRaup

04-06-07, 05:31 PM

Please describe (with spoiler tags of course). I can't imagine what there could be that hasn't been seen already. Not being a smart-ass but seriously curious.

-mutilitated penises, balls, scrotums, ass areas
-Tarantino's bloody nuts falling to the screen
-countless body parts ripped apart
- heads being blown to pieces
-a helicopter scene where they mow down and decapitate a tons of zombies
- a vehicle scene where they run over a bunch of zombies
-a obese guy eating a baby

thats only a fracture of what to expect. Don't get me wrong, its all great :)

maingon

04-06-07, 05:32 PM

I seen it today and wow that was a awesome movie. I loved every moment. The trailers were great, that restraunt ad was great, the cartoon ratings, the missing reels etc. They got laughs everytime. This was the first time in a long long time where at the end of movie people were clapping.

As for movies I loved both but I really liked Death Proof much more. Slow at times but the car stuff was AMAZING. seeing that girl on the hood of the car was crazy. The audence loved the end with the girls punching Kurt Russel.

Planet terror was a great movie too. Real gross. Didnt eat my popcorn during certain moments. Loved what happened to Quentin Tarantino's character.

The money shot in Thanksgiving had everyone in the theater roaring too. I think everyone could feel that.

Funniest time I had a movie in a long time. 10/10

marty888

04-06-07, 05:45 PM

Caught an early afternoon screening (on 42nd Street, of course!) and thought it was terrific. The first thing up is the Machete trailer, which got a round of applause from the audience - so I new immediately it was the right kind of crowd.

Planet Terror was my favorite - it's the most gleefully grotesque movie you can imagine. Death Proof doesn't move at the same breakneck pace, which is probably why a lot of people are less than satisfied - but the last 30 minutes and the payoff redeem it.

The 3 trailers between the features are great I especially liked the tagline for Thanksgiving (you'll have to hear it for yourself) which sounds ominous but really makes no sense.

If yo have any interest at all, DON'T wait for the DVD - a lot of the fun comes from seeing this with a like-minded audience.

Matthew Chmiel

04-06-07, 06:21 PM

Where the hell was ...
the obese guy eating the baby?
... I did not catch that last night.

I liked both films, but I thought the fake trailers were garbage. Seriously some of the stupidest shit I've ever seen. Especially "Don't!" If I see this again in the theater, I'm definitely using that time as a restroom break.
You obviously didn't get the point of the trailers then. Edgar Wright perfectly nailed the trailers for '70s European horror films with Don't.

Thanksgiving was alright, but I enjoyed it more with a crowd's reactions than I did when I watched it by myself online. Just watching the crowd go ballistic with that was amazing.

Slumbering Fist

04-06-07, 06:23 PM

Being an exploitation afficionado (and sorry if that sounds snobbish) I wasn’t bowled over by any means but I had a great deal of fun.

Planet Terror and the Thanksgiving and Don’t trailers nailed the genres they were aping. Werewolf Women of the SS was brief, not as funny, and didn’t look like a 70's era Nazsploitation flick in any way. With Death Proof, I think Tarantino really missed the mark in terms of capturing a slasher film feel.

Still, Death Proof made me literally cry out "Ohhh shit!" when Zoe took the pipe to Mike. The car stunt finale was great but not "top 5" like he claimed he wished to make. I guess for Rodriguez it was an easier project since he is a shitty, all action/style kind of director anyway; whereas Tarantino’s love of long winded dialogue and character embellishment just doesn’t fit the genre he wanted to dabble in quite as well.

But, I think the good sign is that the audience I saw it with, a packed house, early this afternoon, in the middle of the suburbs no less, absolutely loved it. They howled with laughter at all the knowing cornball moments in Planet Terror, and the women in the audience seemed to love the banter in Death Proof. Everyone there seemed to have a really great time.

scott1598

04-06-07, 06:44 PM

Slumbering Fist

04-06-07, 07:12 PM

ok, so we all know i have a peeing problem and if you didn't you do now.

My question is this:
if you desperately had to (or maybe you did), but if you had to pick a point in the whole fiesta to run out quickly and pee one out, when would you go??

Okay, I got there late and had a full mornings worth of coffee in me so I had to grab a good seat quick and then piss about 15 minutes into Planet Terror (when they intro'd the doctor/wife character). Dont think I missed much. I would suggest, if you gotta' go, try to do it about 10-15 minutes into Death Proof, when the girls first hit the bar. You wont miss much other than girly-gabbing (which is cute but it drags) and if you gotta' duck out you wont be missing any of the good stuff.

BuddyRevell

04-06-07, 07:13 PM

Snowmaker

04-06-07, 07:23 PM

I loved the whole thing, dialogue and all. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be where they chose to put the "missing reel" in each movie. :(

And also I was hoping to at least see the girls take the car back to the guy selling it and his reaction and also see if he had done anything to the girl they left with him.

d2cheer

04-06-07, 07:26 PM

Thanks, I am with scott1598 on having to go sometimes, so I appreciate knowing when I should duck out. I did make it all the way through the Departed but that was not 3+ hours...

SonOfAStu

04-06-07, 07:31 PM

My question is this:
if you desperately had to (or maybe you did), but if you had to pick a point in the whole fiesta to run out quickly and pee one out, when would you go??

This would really help me out. TIA!

Definitely between the features during the fake trailers. If you must see those, they'll be available online everywhere by the end of the month.

SonOfAStu

04-06-07, 07:37 PM

You obviously didn't get the point of the trailers then.

-rolleyes-

And there's the most predictable response of the day. Somehow I knew someone would say that. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I got the point of them exactly. Getting the point doesn't automatically make them entertaining. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're there. A perfect time to use the bathroom between two really fun films that I'll definitely see in the theater again.

scott1598

04-06-07, 08:03 PM

Definitely between the features during the fake trailers. If you must see those, they'll be available online everywhere by the end of the month.
nah..the trailers i am looking forward to seeing in the whole scheme of these films...seeing it illegally dl'd to youtube or something would not be close to the same effect.

10 minutes into DP sounds like a good bet.

hapgilmore

04-06-07, 09:24 PM

saw this today...AWESOME movie, BUT Planet Terror was better than Death Proof IMO...WAY WAY WAY too much banter between the girls, most of which was pretty pointless and didn't serve the story at all...but damn that chase at the end was AMAZING!

FrancisRizzo3

04-06-07, 09:24 PM

maingon

04-06-07, 09:45 PM

Perkinsun Dzees

04-06-07, 09:48 PM

Saw this today.

"Planet Terror" was typical RR -- all flash and no substance. Unfortunately, most of the good flash had already been revealed in the trailers and the other flash was primarily a pastiche of other horror/zombie flicks. Still, it moved at a fast clip and wasn't boring.

The trailers were pretty lame. Rob Zombie's trailer was just stupid. Not funny, just stupid. Eli Roth's -- meh. Most 70's slasher flicks are more creative than that. However, I thought Edgar Wright's trailer was pretty funny. Don't -- Don't -- Dont'!!!

Then comes "Death Proof". What can I say? Awesome dialogue. Maybe some the best dialogue QT has ever written (loved the Zatoichi reference). The conversation really had a nice flow to it and sounded like stuff that a bunch of girls would actually talk about. Unlike in the RR flick, you will actually end up caring for these characters. The first big "action" sequence in "Death Proof" is amazing. Totally takes your breath away. You've seen those stupid car commercials where somebody's car gets totalled. Well you ain't seen nothin' yet!!!

Then comes more GREAT dialogue. I don't know how, but QT has really developed an incredible ear for how a group of hotties converse with each other. Who would have thunk that a scene of women talking to each other could be this exciting? The line about "Gone in Sixty Seconds" (the Jolie version) cracked me up.

The finale is like "Revenge of the Cheerleaders" meets "Mad Max". I think it goes on a bit too long and could have used a few more plot twists and turns, but overall it was a pretty nifty piece of filmmaking (and Zoe Bell is awesome!).

If you are a QT fan, you will love "Death Proof". If not, go home after the trailers!

I thought it was the right thing to have the "Planet Terror" as the first feature since it is more of an appetizer than a real meal. "Death Proof" is the main course -- the steak and potatoes -- the chef's special. When it's all over you'll want to go back for a second helping.

maingon

04-06-07, 09:48 PM

This is an in-theater experience, because it's a rare chance to enjoy what it was like to sit through a double-feature in the '70s.

Unfortunately, Tarantino made a bad, and worse yet, boring Tarantino flick, instead of a Grind House flick. He barely embraced the concept, which causes the overall experience to fall far short of the mark expected. You can't throw a couple of scratches into a film and expect it to work after we have been immersed in two hours of time-machine fun. We didn't go to Grindhouse to see a good movie. We went to have a good time.

I get the feeling that most of the critics going for Death Proof over Planet Terror doesn't like B-movies, are Tarantino fans mainly and didn't get the point of the Grindhouse concept. If they showed Death Proof in a real Grind House, the audience would riot (and not out of joy.)

I had a great time watching Deathproof. I think he did it well. It was a differnt pace then Planet terror and am glad it was. I think if it were as wild as planet terror it would of been too much. I actually ended up enjoying Death Proof. the car stuff was amazing and the movie was pretty funny. The crowed laughed alot. I thought it worked great with Planet terror. But man that car chase was awesome one of the best I ever seen.

Snowmaker

04-06-07, 09:52 PM

Then comes "Death Proof". What can I say? Awesome dialogue. Maybe some the best dialogue QT has ever written (loved the Zatoichi reference). The conversation really had a nice flow to it and sounded like stuff that a bunch of girls would actually talk about. Unlike in the RR flick, you will actually end up caring for these characters.

Yeah, I actually felt bad for Stuntman Mike at the end. :(

Zen Peckinpah

04-06-07, 10:05 PM

Saw it this morning. First showing at the local AMC, $5 too.

Loved, loved, loved the hell out of the entire thing. Planet Terror is a splatterfest that belongs on the same shelf as The Wild Bunch and RoboCop. Probably the best executed movie violence and gore I've seen in a while, and, dare I say it, gorier than Kill Bill.

Naveen Andrews' death was the best exploding head since Scanners.

Also, I think Rodriguez totally went the route of Peckinpah and Verhoeven (I mentioned their most famous movies above, so) with the violence. Those squibs were like giant packets of thick Kool-Aid!

I don't get all the Death Proof hate. As an aspiring writer I was completely engrossed with this from the first lines. The dialogue was amazing...you really get a great read on the character development, and Tarantino always does that well IMO. I remember reading that Tarantino loves what he calls "hangout movies" (how he described Jackie Brown IIRC), and that was what the scenes with the women were like. Once Stuntman Mike gets into the picture the movie became another classic for him. Plus, I loved how his movie wasn't the same exact thing as what Rodriguez did, in that he adhered to the same fundamentals but did it with his own style, and it blew me away how he could combine all of the elements of car chases, heavy dialogue, and the slasher subplot. That climactic car chase is probably up there with The French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A. for me. It was almost if you blended Vanishing Point, Dazed and Confused, and The Hitcher into one movie. Kurt Russell should get an Oscar nomination for this. Anybody else think he was like Jack Burton's evil twin here?

I got childishly excited when Kurt Russell gets the asskicking-to-death at the end. I mean, he got judo-kicked to death!

Also, the female characters (namely Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms and Zoe Bell) were less like The Bride and more like Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor.

The trailers were hilarious. Thanksgiving and Machete were my favorites. However, I thought Don't was not good at all. Really bland and boring execution.

The guy dressed as a turkey in Thanksgiving getting decapitated was classic. And the guy roasted into the turkey was hilarious. Also, NICOLAS CAGE AS FU MANCHU!

But huge, huge, huge thumbs up. Death Proof might be one of my favorites this year.

SonOfAStu

04-06-07, 10:20 PM

I thought Don't was not good at all. Really bland and boring execution.

You obviously didn't get the point of the trailers then.

;)

Also, the female characters (namely Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms and Zoe Bell) were less like The Bride and more like Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor.

I thought Tracie Thoms was easily the worst part of Death Proof, and I usually REALLY like her. Her character here was so irritating I was praying for her early demise.

Patman

04-06-07, 10:56 PM

Got a chance to see this double feature bill due to the holiday.

I enjoyed "Planet Terror" more than "Deathproof" mainly because PT just plays more like a "grindhouse" film (decent setup for a nutty zombie flick), while DP is a little self-indulgent on QT's part, and the payoff didn't quite redeem all the dialogue scenes in the film.

But it's definitely worth seeing if you like both/either director's work, and you get your money's worth (just over 3 hours of schlocky fun at the movies).

I give PT 3 stars or a grade of B, and I give DP 2.5 stars or a grade of C+.

Oh yeah, I really hated seeing the "missing reel" card come up at the most inopportune time. Heh.

Brent L

04-06-07, 11:37 PM

I watched Grindhouse earlier tonight, and I had a blast. The crowd I was with wasn't as rowdy as I had hoped, but they were ok by the time it was said and done. When "The End" showed up on the screen at the end of Death Proof the crowed all bust open and actually started to clap. There were plenty of laughs from everyone from beginning to end though, so it was received very well by the crowd, even if not as rowdy as I had hoped for. I liked everything, both of the movies and the trailers. It was just a flat out awesome time for me.

I can't believe some of the stuff that some people are actually complaining about, but eh, whatever. I highly recommend this, but I don't think I need to say that to most of you guys who are interested in it in the first place.

scott1598

04-06-07, 11:47 PM

Planet Terror is a splatterfest that belongs on the same shelf as The Wild Bunch and RoboCop.
i don't think you'll ever see these movies mentioned in the same sentence again. kudos!

das Monkey

04-06-07, 11:58 PM

Over the years, I've learned to just completely ignore the reviews when certain filmmakers release a new title. Tarantino sits atop that list. I can't believe people didn't like Death Proof. Planet Terror was great fun, but "Death Proof" was 15 different kinds of kickass, and the crowd erupted in applause at the conclusion. I like each for what they tried to do, but I tend to prefer Death Proof, probably because I felt like I had already seen most of Planet Terror in the trailers. As much as I loved it, though, it's probably Tarantino's worst dialogue to date. It's not bad and is certainly better than Planet Terror's (which I acknowledge is intentional), but he usually produces better. I wonder how much of that is due to it being a predominantly female piece?

Regardless, it was an awesome experience, and the trailers couldn't have been more perfect. Dear God, someone green-light Thanksgiving! Best time I've had at the movies in quite a while and one of those few times where the communal crowd atmosphere was superior than respectful silence.

das

Brent L

04-07-07, 12:05 AM

I just remembered another moment that got a huge pop from the crowd I saw this with:

When they announced Nicolas Cage as Fu Manchu in the "Werewolf Women of the SS" trailer.

achau9598

04-07-07, 12:08 AM

I don't understand the negative response to the "missing reel" cards. Part of the history of grindhouse films were that projectionists would steal parts of the actual films - hence why they happened where they happened here.

I loved this movie, though as I was walking out of the theater I had to really think about what it was I just saw. RR's piece is pulp horror, QT's more like the best parts of a car chase film. This might have been the first time I actually felt like yelling at the screen Bitch! Just use the brakes when Stuntman Mike is right next to you and the let her get off the fucking hood!

Between this and 300, I'm really looking forward to the supplemental materials on the DVDs. Then again, I'm still waiting for more Kill Bill DVDs.

FrancisRizzo3

04-07-07, 12:11 AM

;)

I thought Tracie Thoms was easily the worst part of Death Proof, and I usually REALLY like her. Her character here was so irritating I was praying for her early demise.

Absolutely. Basically, take Tarantino's Sam Jackson material, and remove the male genitalia.
Weak.

I actually put my head back and closed my eyes until I heard people stop talking. It was a movie in search of any kind of pacing.

GreenVulture

04-07-07, 12:35 AM

Short Take
Overall, quite a bit of fun to be had. Rodriguez embraces the genre, but it feels like Tarantino is trying to deconstruct it.

Long (Winded) Take
Planet Terror is a total blast. Robert Rodriguez lets his b-movie ways go wild in a world where there is non-stop blood, explosions, gore and gunfire, and where minor things like deep characters and rich stories have no place. The director has made no attempt to hide Terror as a tribute to John Carpenter, and the film is a blend of Big Trouble in Little China's anything-goes action, Prince of Darkness's end-of-the-world feel, and The Thing's "there goes my lunch" special effects (the crew at KNB definitely earned their paychecks here).

The cast is fine for the most part, with Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton and Freddy Rodriguez standing out; also welcome are old pros like Michael Biehn and Jeff Fahey (much like Carpenter did with casting his childhood favorites Lee Van Cleef and Donald Plesance, Rodriguez does the same). Quentin Tarantino once again manages to bring his particular brand of sucky acting to Terror, but his role is mercifully brief. As the main character, Rose McGowan is acceptable, which is as good as an actor like McGowan is going to get; on the other hand, Shelton is fantastic, and made me wish she had taken the lead instead. However, this doesn't stop the movie from kicking Grindhouse into high gear from the get go.

Then the momentum is nearly killed with Tarantino's Death Proof. You think Tarantino + Kurt Russell + b-movies + cars = pure cinematic awesomeness. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

For one thing, the first half of the movie almost feels like a tribute to Tarantino's twin fetishes: feet and obscure 60's/70's music gems. And then there is the talking. Oh sweet Jesus, the talking.

Yes, lengthy conversations are a staple of Tarantino's, but they don't work here for a couple of reasons:

1) The conversations in Tarantino's past movies have never been this goddamn long.
2) Dialogue-heavy scenes need to have a rhythm to the way they're spoken, and be delivered by actors charasmatic and strong enough to hold your attention; the writing here is fairly banal, and, barring Russell, none of the performers are up to the task.

To expand on the acting in Death Proof, three of the performers (Sydney Poitier, Tracie Thoms and Vanessa Ferlito) are flat out bad and incredibly annoying, to the point where I openly rooting for their deaths. Others like Jordan Ladd and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are given very little to do, and the normally dependable Rosario Dawson is more or less wasted with a role that is literally in the background; on a more positive note, Zoe Bell brings some bubbly charm to her part.

But Kurt Russell...ah, yes. In terms of screentime, his role is relatively small, but he makes every second count. Russell's lined face, steely blue eyes and way of talking all ooze quiet, cold-blooded menace, attributes that pays off big time in film's final 15 minutes, where his psycho killer is given a creative turn.

On the fake trailers: lots of fun. Werewolf Women of the SS is the worst of the four previews, a random hodgepodge of shots that seem to come from different movies, though a cameo at the end provides one of Grindhouse's biggest laughs. Don't and Machete provide amusing 2-minute blasts; Thanksgiving is the best of the bunch, so good actually that I almost wish it had been made as the second half of Grindhouse...oh well, maybe that'll be for the sequel.

All in all, Grindhouse is worth your money, but next time, let's hope everyone is on the same wavelength. Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Edgar Wright and Rob Zombie all seem to have made exploitation, whereas Tarantino seems to be providing a dissection of the genre. Taken on its own, Death Proof might even be the superior picture, but coming after the exhilarating Planet Terror, it just provides a jarring shift in tone, and grinds (no pun intended) Grindhouse to a halt.

Couple of other things:
- Was that Simon Pegg in the Machete trailer, as the man getting his head blown off? And did anyone catch the Escape From New York reference in the same trailer?

johnnysd

04-07-07, 12:42 AM

Saw this tonight and really really liked it. I remember sneaking into Grindhouse double features when I was a kid and it totally captured that feeling. In terms of the movies themselves, well I think that there will continue to be camps that like one or the other a lot more. One thing I disagree with, though, is that QTs was less of a Grindhouse movie. I thought Deathproof was over the top and more satirical, whereas DeathProof was actual more of a type of movie you would have really seen in a Grindhouse (with some extra dialogue) The crowd is was with was sparse, but seemed to enjoy it, and like Deathproof better. As for me, I enjoyed the whole experience very much, but halfway through Death Proof I realized I was involved in the film itself, and not as a part of the Grindhouse mechanism. Highly recommended.

RichC2

04-07-07, 12:57 AM

Whats weird is I had a blast with both films but felt Planet Terror was a insanely creative bad movie, it went balls out, but wasn't an actual Grindhouse movie. It was too much a tribute to everything over the top in the originals to not be considered a satire or borderline spoof. That said, it was very entertaining if a little long, the missing reel was beautifully placed.

Death Proof, well I enjoyed the hell out of this movie and it actually felt shorter than Planet Terror (got involved I suppose). It is, however, more of a good movie pretending to be a bad one. The movie is a complete deconstruction of the slasher thriller with some carsploitation added into the mix. What would happen if half the movie killers out there were persued instead of just getting it while attacking their victims? Well quite frankly, they're pussies. That said, Tarantino was a bit too telling with his tone. He was in full control of it, which is great, but at the same time you knew where it was going with each segment based purely off the lighting and tone. If I had one complaint, it was that the avengers were a tad too happy during the ordeal.

Still, I had a fantastic time, enjoyed the hell out of the entire thing. And to be honest, it didn't feel like a 3 hr+ marathon session, though I did take a quick bathroom break right after the Thanksgiving trailer (which got a huge response in the theater).

Slumbering Fist

04-07-07, 01:02 AM

... I can't believe people didn't like Death Proof. Planet Terror was great fun, but "Death Proof" was 15 different kinds of kickass, and the crowd erupted in applause at the conclusion...

Same thing happened at my screening.

As I said before, my problem with Death Proof was it was around 80% Tarantino and 20% grindhouse. I dont think its a bad film - its a good film but a minor failure in terms of what they were aiming to recreate. He focused too much on Tarantino-isms and too little on slasher-isms and a drive-in theater feel (the car stunt flick stuff he got). Roth, Wright, and Rodriguez all nailed the look and tone of their inspirations, but Tarantino and Zombie (who's cutting, lighting, compositions, etc, were not right) didnt remove themselves or embrace the genres very well. In my opinion, of course.

RichC2

04-07-07, 01:07 AM

Same thing happened at my screening.

As I said before, my problem with Death Proof was it was around 80% Tarantino and 20% grindhouse. I dont think its a bad film - its a good film but a minor failure in terms of what they were aiming to recreate. He focused too much on Tarantino-isms and too little on slasher-isms and a drive-in theater feel (the car stunt flick stuff he got). Roth, Wright, and Rodriguez all nailed the look and tone of their inspirations, but Tarantino and Zombie (who's cutting, lighting, compositions, etc, were not right) didnt remove themselves or embrace the genres very well. In my opinion, of course.

I have to disagree, as a lot of Grindhouse movies I've seen had a lot more talk than action.

Zombie's was way off though, it just looked like a fun remake than anything authentic.

Gcomeau

04-07-07, 01:12 AM

You know what's funny is no one clapped til the end of both flicks here which is cool to be a part of. But Planet Terror was the superior film imo. Damn i loved those trailers and they got a great response. I thought the missing scene moment(the first time) was genious.

Must get soundtrack, great stuff imo...still don't have Kill Bill sdtr.:(

DarthMarino

04-07-07, 01:37 AM

We had a blast with this. I could nitpick some things in each film but it's not even worth it. This was one of the best nights at the movies I've had in a good long while. I do feel the trailers and commercials for this showed too much especially for Planet Terror. I almost didn't even care about the machine gun leg because I honestly think that 90% of the shots have already been shown. But there was so much great stuff packed into one night at the movies that I can only give this movie praise. Surprisingly Rodriquez's overuse of scratching the film didn't bother me at all and it actually worked to that movies advantage. I thought the missing reels were good. It was also kind of cool how there were subtle tie ins between the two features such as Dr. Dakota Block and the McGraw boys .

Did anyone notice that in Planet Terror Dakota had a list of things to do including "Kill Bill"?

SonOfAStu

04-07-07, 01:39 AM

...also welcome are old pros like Michael Biehn and Jeff Fahey...

I new I recognized him right away, but it took until they were dying at the military base before I realized that J.T. was The Lawnmower Man. :)

das Monkey

04-07-07, 01:41 AM

It seems a lot of people are unhappy with the differing approaches of the two films, but I really enjoyed -- in fact, needed -- the change of pace and style. As much as I enjoyed Planet Terror, I was ready for it to end when it did and don't think I could have embraced 90 more minutes of similar insanity. Perhaps if I had stumbled into an actual grindhouse, spending little money, having zero expectations, half paying attention and almost certainly inebriated, it would be OK; but that's not the reality anymore, and it would be impossible to recreate that reality on a Friday night in a packed theater to see one of the most heavily anticipated films of the year. As such, I needed something different for the second film, and while the change of pace was jarring and required brief adjustment, I found the overall experience to be better because of these differing styles and approaches.

das

RichC2

04-07-07, 01:43 AM

DarthMarino

04-07-07, 01:55 AM

I agree.

Oh and yeah the tie-ins were great in a strange almost surreal way.

Oh and the attempt to cover up the original title w/ the fake DEATH PROOF screen was funny, even if it was only there for a split second.

That great. Did anyone catch what the "real" title was? I thought I saw the word 'Thunder' in there but I can't even be certain.

fausti

04-07-07, 02:06 AM

Liked half of it, disliked half of it.

Planet Terror I enjoyed quite a bit. Death Proof made me want to pull my hairs out. What should have been a homerun was badly paced, poorly over-written, badly acted, and I wasn't even impressed by the car chase. I found it rather dull. Certainly nothing worthy of remembering.

wm lopez

04-07-07, 02:08 AM

hardercore

04-07-07, 02:08 AM

RichC2

04-07-07, 02:18 AM

Was that Anthony Hopkins in a wheel chair in the hospital scene in the 1st half?
Now for a low-budget movie the zombie fx were damn great unlike LAND OF THE DEAD of a few years ago.
I now can't stand Rosario Dawson anymore her acting was annoying and also the black girl who was driving in the 2nd half.

low-budget? What in this movie was actually low-budget?

Did you also think 300 was the best movie evAr?

Haha that's asking to start a flame war, not everybody likes the same thing, it's a shame but true ;). I mean, yeah, I'm amazed at the number of people that dislike/hate Death Proof as well, but it happens.

alfonsosoriano

04-07-07, 02:23 AM

I love it all! Great experience.

Slumbering Fist

04-07-07, 02:40 AM

I have to disagree, as a lot of Grindhouse movies I've seen had a lot more talk than action.

Well, it wasnt that they talked, it was the way they talked, what they talked about, and the clear emphasis on... talking. For me it was just more QT-vibe than slasher-vibe, thats all. I can think of tons of gonzo 80's Filipino, Italian, HK, Canon, Golan/Globus action films and horror/comic/action-hybrids from Gordon, Carpenter, Romero, Raimi, Lustig, etc that are exactly like Planet Terror. I cannot think of any slashers with Death Proof's heavy character emphasis, pop culture referancing, and overall casual verbosity. And, again, dont get me wrong, I say that having liked it well enough.

...
Now for a low-budget movie the zombie fx were damn great unlike LAND OF THE DEAD of a few years ago...

When it was first given the go-ahead, the figure the trades announced was between 55-60 million for the entire film. No idea if that went up or if one guy got more than the other.

slop101

04-07-07, 04:04 AM

Loved them both, and even though I liked Death Proof much more than Planet Terror, I didn't care for all the banter too much.

I typically dig Tarantino's character-building repartee, but here, I just didn't care for the characters too much too care about what they were saying (save for Kurt Russel).

the trailers in order of preference:
1. Don't
2. Thanksgiving
3. Machette
4. Warewolf Women of the SS

the trailers in the order of how much I'd want to see full movies made of them:
1. Machette
2. Warewolf Women of the SS
3. Thanksgiving
4. Don't

slop101

04-07-07, 04:08 AM

BTW, about 25% of the audience in my theater left right after Planet Terror, almost as if they had no clue there was another movie. And then a bunch of other people left during the initial car ride to the chili-house, and even more people left during the long-take converstaion. By the time the movie was over, only about half of the initial audience was left - and it was a 9pm showing, so it wasn't like it was getting too late.

slop101

04-07-07, 04:26 AM

my only fret is that i cannot drink the whole day before watching. see i pee...a lot. i can go 5 times in the morning even before i have had a sip of water or anything. i like drinking water or diet soda because i get thirsty a lot so sitting for more than 3 hours is very disconcerting to me.

anyone have any suggestions?My suggestion would be to go to the doctor and get checked for diabetes.

fausti

04-07-07, 05:20 AM

Did you also think 300 was the best movie evAr?

Nope. Out of my group (who all loved that film and have already expressed love for Grindhouse), I felt 300 was a pretty and shallow action film. It was all about style. However, the graphic novel was exactly that so I knew what I was in for when I went to see it. It'll look good on my projector on Blu-Ray, but I won't pretend that it's a good movie. It's okay only, but it does well with what it is trying to do -- get the look and feel of a graphic novel. Snyder's first film (pardon the pun) was meatier than the bare-bones story of 300.

The best movie evar? Hmm, hard to say. Depends on the genre and one's interests. Best Western is The Searchers (although Once Upon A Time In The West is damn close to taking top honors). Best war movie is Apocalypse Now. Best SF movie is Blade Runner or maybe 2001. Best anime is Nausicaa. Best gangster film is Once Upon A Time In America (long version). Best comedy is either Blazing Saddles or Doctor Strangelove. All, of course, in my opinion. :)

Matthew Chmiel

04-07-07, 05:54 AM

Now for a low-budget movie the zombie fx were damn great unlike LAND OF THE DEAD of a few years ago.
The budget for the Planet Terror segment alone was a good four-to-five-to-six times more than Land of the Dead's tiny budget of $10 million. Not to siderail the conversation, but Land of the Dead had amazing effects all around for a film that went from pre-production to release in less than a year.

When it was first given the go-ahead, the figure the trades announced was between 55-60 million for the entire film. No idea if that went up or if one guy got more than the other.
The entire film cost $100 million to make, give or take, once all was said on done. Planet Terror was the most expensive to produce only due to the fact there was a one month delay in the middle of shooting. And the reason for that is different on each person you ask (Rodriguez had a mental breakdown after his wife found out about his affair with McGowan, some of the cast became unavailable, shooting took longer than expected, etc).

Seantn

04-07-07, 06:05 AM

For me it was just more QT-vibe than slasher-vibe, thats all.

Right, since it's a QT film, I think that's what they were going for.

Seantn

04-07-07, 06:08 AM

I loved both films, but thought that DEATH PROOF was the better film of the two. Sure PLANET TERROR was tons of fun, but if I had to choose one it'd be DEATH PROOF. I loved the "Don't" trailer, that was classic.

Especially loved the ending of Death Proof.

Mr. Cinema

04-07-07, 08:03 AM

Box Office Mojo says the "production" budget was $53 million.

DealMan

04-07-07, 08:03 AM

Planet Terror was fun, Death Proof was more of a mixed bag.

I didn't buy the dialog in Death Proof at all, especially the diner scene. I really think it's a mixture of the writing and the actors. Not that it was poorly written, it's just hard for me to believe female actors with Tarantino dialog. I pictured Samuel L. Jackson delivering Tracie Thom's lines and it just sounded so much better in my head.

Loved Kurt Russel though, and the Rose McGowan/first crash sequence was very well done.

Snowmaker

04-07-07, 09:11 AM

I thought the missing reels were good. It was also kind of cool how there were subtle tie ins between the two features such as Dr. Dakota Block and the McGraw boys .

The babysitter twins too.

Corvin

04-07-07, 09:16 AM

I thought Planet Terror was alright, but Death Proof plays like a QT wet dream. I thought it was terrible.

Giantrobo

04-07-07, 09:42 AM

My suggestion would be to go to the doctor and get checked for diabetes.

I was thinking the same thing. :lol:

Shannon Nutt

04-07-07, 10:20 AM

Unfortunately, Tarantino made a bad, and worse yet, boring Tarantino flick, instead of a Grind House flick. He barely embraced the concept, which causes the overall experience to fall far short of the mark expected. You can't throw a couple of scratches into a film and expect it to work after we have been immersed in two hours of time-machine fun.

Was I the only one who noticed that the second half of DEATH PROOF had far fewer scratches and defects than the begining? The final car dual looks like a brand-new movie...it's almost as if Quentin said "this is the coolest part of my movie, and I'm not going to mess it up."

RichC2

04-07-07, 10:21 AM

JIF

04-07-07, 10:50 AM

Was I the only one who noticed that the second half of DEATH PROOF had far fewer scratches and defects than the begining? The final car dual looks like a brand-new movie...it's almost as if Quentin said "this is the coolest part of my movie, and I'm not going to mess it up."

I noticed. I was actually looking for the scratches while watching Zoe was on the hood of the car, but there was no film stock issues. I think QT didn't want us to be distracted from the real action.

Overall, I loved Death Proof more, I'd just as well see a 2nd screening and walk in just before the Thanksgiving trailer.

Obviously, I think the issue that some have with the women dialogue is the fact that it wasn't the typical banter of women in film. These are women in the film industry talking. Do you think that women who are stunt car drivers would be talking about hair and make up? Not at all. In fact, the film actress who was accompanying them had very little to add to the conversation because she could not intellectually keep up. This was not Pretty in Pink.

QT made a film that was in the spirit of many 70's action films. Often there were many scenes of dialogue before any action or thrills would appear.

I hope the dvd will have extended versions of the films when it's released or re-released.

Death Proof would be a great movie on its own.

TheMovieman

04-07-07, 11:11 AM

Death Proof would be a great movie on its own.

I feel almost the exact opposite. Planet Terror was absolute fun but when Death Proof came on, all that energy was gone (until the very end). Now, I don't think DP was a bad movie, just alright saved because of Kurt Russell and parts of the finale...

Snowmaker

04-07-07, 11:23 AM

Now that I've had time to think about it, the only part that seemed pointless and to drag was the whole explaining to Butterfly what she had to do when a guy bought her a drink and recited that poem, ... only to pull the "missing reel" gag when the time came for her to actually do it. We could have done without that I think.

RichC2

04-07-07, 11:29 AM

I feel almost the exact opposite. Planet Terror was absolute fun but when Death Proof came on, all that energy was gone (until the very end). Now, I don't think DP was a bad movie, just alright saved because of Kurt Russell and parts of the finale...

I know I'm going broken record, but I disagree. Planet Terror worked almost entirely because of its missing reel. Had that been added back in, I think the movie would have long outstayed its welcome.

On the other hand, Death Proof's missing reel just seemed kind of needless, and I would have much preferred for those 20 minutes to have stayed in.

Because, TBH, I was getting tired of Planet Terror a good while before it was over, it was still fun no less, but it did drag. Death Proof constantly felt like it was building.

n.phelge

04-07-07, 11:31 AM

Then comes "Death Proof". What can I say? Awesome dialogue. Maybe some the best dialogue QT has ever written. The conversation really had a nice flow to it and sounded like stuff that a bunch of girls would actually talk about.

I would say that the first group of women talked in a way that a music geek wished women talked, and the second group of women talked in a way that a film geek wished women talked - not that it's bad, but the characters seemed to be in their profession (DJ & film) just so they could throw out some of his lines.

Maybe this is really supposed to simulate a grindhouse experience in more ways than one - a standard approach with the second film on a double feature was to retitle/repackage a movie to sound like something that it wasn't, and this might fit the bill (even down to the detail of changing the title card).

Corvin

04-07-07, 11:49 AM

I would say that the first group of women talked in a way that a music geek wished women talked, and the second group of women talked in a way that a film geek wished women talked - not that it's bad, but the characters seemed to be in their profession (DJ & film) just so they could throw out some of his lines.

Quite right. This isn't how women talk---it's how QT wishes women would talk.

achau9598

04-07-07, 12:28 PM

anyone catch the phone number that was being messaged in DP? They showed it twice and it certainly wasn't a 555 number.

JIF

04-07-07, 12:28 PM

Quite right. This isn't how women talk---it's how QT wishes women would talk.

How do you know how women talk?

And besides, there are geeks who are chicks too. What do you think they talk about? American Idol?

Corvin

04-07-07, 12:38 PM

How do you know how women talk?

Quite simple: because I have listened to women talk.

In any case, all I'm really saying is that it's possible to learn something about an artist by looking at his art. It follows that you can learn a lot about QT by looking at how he depicts women in his films.

JIF

04-07-07, 12:56 PM

Quite simple: because I have listened to women talk.

In any case, all I'm really saying is that it's possible to learn something about an artist by looking at his art. It follows that you can learn a lot about QT by looking at how he depicts women in his films.

True, you can learn alot about how QT thinks of women in his film. They're not mindless, weak cutesy dolls. Some of them are can defend themselves and hold deep conversations about pop culture (among other things).

Hell, I'm sure if some guys had the opportunity to speak to women in the film industry, politics or finance, they'd likely learn that there are more dimensions to women that are typically depicted in film.

And for guys to say that women don't talk that way, well, that's condescending.

JIF

04-07-07, 12:58 PM

anyone catch the phone number that was being messaged in DP? They showed it twice and it certainly wasn't a 555 number.

it was a 512 number.

Corvin

04-07-07, 02:04 PM

True, you can learn alot about how QT thinks of women in his film. They're not mindless, weak cutesy dolls. Some of them are can defend themselves and hold deep conversations about pop culture (among other things).

Hell, I'm sure if some guys had the opportunity to speak to women in the film industry, politics or finance, they'd likely learn that there are more dimensions to women that are typically depicted in film.

And for guys to say that women don't talk that way, well, that's condescending.

You're right--QT does like strong, sexy women. But let's not be mistaken: these women are not holding deep conversations. They're spouting trivia.

What bothers me, though, is that festering beneath your comments is the idea that I'm a latent sexist, as if I don't think women can hold their own the professional or academic world. To go further, you seem to imply that I would be "likely to learn" that women have several dimensions to them.

So let me break my previous comments down even further. The three leads in Death Proof talk about three things almost to the exclusion of everything else: sex, cult films, and muscle cars. So when I imply that these women are QT's fantasy women, I am saying that this is how QT sees the ideal female. My use of the word "fantasy" does not imply that these women do not exist.

Here's the catch: if it's fair to say that QT's fantasy women are physically strong and sexy, and their conversations focus on film trivia, sex, and muscle cars, it's also safe to say they lack that which we both seem to value: any real kind of intellectualism. Of course, carrying over these notions of QT's fantasy women becomes necessarily more complicated if we examine other films---more specifically, Jackie Brown.

DoubleDownAgain

04-07-07, 02:37 PM

As opposed to Jackie Burke?

Tarantino

04-07-07, 02:43 PM

Saw this one last night. Loved Planet Terror (and the all of the trailers). Disliked Death Proof. It's the first Tarantino movie that I didn't like. The dialogue was just horrible to me. It was pointless, uninteresting, and took me right out of the movie. I don't mind lengthy conversations, but talking about nothing on screen for a half hour at a time does nothing for me. I was disappointed. Of course I loved Kurt Russell and all of the car work. Honestly, I was hoping every one of those girls would get slaughtered (except Zoe Bell, who actually showed some character).

Planet Terror - B+
Death Proof - D

= J

Seantn

04-07-07, 03:44 PM

I wouldn't be surprised if his Cannes version of the film, which will have the missing reel put back into the movie, looked entirely like a new film with no scratches at all.

Patman

04-07-07, 03:56 PM

Anyone else think Tracie Thoms looks just like 355 from "Y The Last Man" (a Vertigo comic)?

Ravenous

04-07-07, 04:03 PM

Saw this with friends at an Alamo Draft House (like in the movie!) and we all really liked it. I agree that Tarantino's was too long winded and boring. I loved seeing those annoying girls get wrecked. Kurt Russel really saved the film and was awesome. Zoe was great too for a stunt girl, I really liked her.

When Tarantino played that missing reel during the lap dance people booed and one yelled out "fuck you Tarantino!" I could care less, that chick was fugly.

Radriguez has the worst missing real, what the fuck happened!! :mad:

GreenVulture

04-07-07, 04:06 PM

Death Proof would be a great movie on its own.
You're may get your wish if there's any truth to that rumor that Tarantino is going to expand Death Proof and take it to this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Which is a good idea; like I and others have mentioned before, Proof is just so different in tone and feel from Planet Terror and the fake trailers that it really throws Grindhouse off as a whole. I still think a double bill of Terror and Thanksgiving would have been better, with Proof released on its own as a kind of companion piece.

I'm really curious to hear what critics overseas think, since Terror and Proof are being released as seperate films, not as one piece.

By the way, weren't there a whole bunch of other trailers shot? I could've sworn I read that Tarantino made a few of his own, and Rodriguez had done some more. I always thought it would have been a neat idea to shoot several trailers and then have each print of Grindhouse come with a few different, randomly chosen trailers.

Radriguez has the worst missing real, what the fuck happened!!
Really? I thought that was one of the movie's biggest laughs. Got a great reaction out of the theater.

Patman

04-07-07, 04:07 PM

When Tarantino played that missing reel during the lap dance people booed and one yelled out "fuck you Tarantino!" I could care less, that chick was fugly.

Vanessa Ferlito has a weird looking left nostril, it's distracting if you are watching her left facial profile.

JPRaup

04-07-07, 04:09 PM

I still would not have minded a lap dance scene. They should have had a missing reel anytime a girl talked in Death Proof.

RichC2

04-07-07, 04:11 PM

Yeah, who needs character development, pfft.

JPRaup

04-07-07, 04:19 PM

Yeah, who needs character development, pfft.

You call that character development!?!? It was an hour of mundane, boring chatter that made me hate the characters. I was hoping that they would die every chance they could. I've seen better writing in Tarantino-inspired movies and the sad part is that Tarantino wrote that pile of crap all by himself. Pathetic. I really wish that Death Proof would have been made by any other director, it would have gotten ripped apart.

maingon

04-07-07, 04:20 PM

Slumbering Fist

04-07-07, 04:26 PM

For me, I think the first half of Death Proof would have played better if Tarantino had written more slasher film victim, vapid, cliche girl characters instead of a indie-chick flick, talky, GenX, Linklater kind of hipster group. Then, when the second act came, there would have been a better contrast with the more aware, strong, empowered, totally non slasher-victim female group.

You're may get your wish if there's any truth to that rumor that Tarantino is going to expand Death Proof and take it to this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Actually, I think for the entire Euro release they are both coming out seperately, as stand alone films with extended scenes. Double bills are a more American thing, so they (QT, RR, Weinstein Co.) said it didnt make sense to do the double feature thing in Europe.

GreenVulture

04-07-07, 04:37 PM

For me, I think the first half of Death Proof would have played better if Tarantino had written more slasher film victim, vapid, cliche girl characters instead of a indie-chick flick, talky, GenX, Linklater kind of hipster group. Then, when the second act came, there would have been a better contrast with the more aware, strong, empowered, totally non slasher-victim female group.
Hey, that's a pretty interesting idea.

Actually, I think for the entire Euro release they are both coming out seperately, as stand alone films with extended scenes.

Oh, I know, hence the

I'm really curious to hear what critics overseas think, since Terror and Proof are being released as seperate films, not as one piece.

in my previous post.

Tarantino

04-07-07, 04:38 PM

even with the amazing car stuff you still would give death proof a d? I thought it was much better then Planet terror. Planet terror was fun but it did get repetitive and Death Proof felt like it was building to something amazing and the last half was fantastic.

I was so bored by the time the cool car stuff came around that I just really wanted the movie to end.

= J

onebyone

04-07-07, 05:07 PM

Quite right. This isn't how women talk---it's how QT wishes women would talk.

Exactly. It's really quite ridiculous.

I did love the movie, and I thought Planet Terror and the fake trailers were fantastic. Death Proof was a bad companion piece to that. I loved seeing Zoe Bell in action because she is a true bad ass. Other parts of the movie worked, but many other times I just wanted everyone to shut the hell up. Disappointing.

Slumbering Fist

04-07-07, 05:22 PM

Hey, that's a pretty interesting idea.

Thanks.

The basic root of the characters and the actresses wouldn’t have to change, just be redefined to more high school girl clique-slasher film cliche. Jungle Julia is the bitchy, alpha, princess leader (think, Amy Irving in Carrie), Jordan Ladd is the sexy goofball (PJ Soles in Halloween), and Butterfly is the likeable everygirl (Jamie Lee Curtis in every slasher film). I think QT is smart enough to have, even in that case, written very clever-but-inane dialogue for them, instead of the end result, very grounded, consciously hip convos.

But what do I know? Who am I to judge? I sure as Hell ain’t got no Oscar ;) It just seems to me, when writing/making the film, Quentin was playing more to what got him that Oscar than the genre (and its rules pertaining to character) that he was imitating.

hapgilmore

04-07-07, 05:31 PM

can someone please explain what the point was of Jungle Julie text messaging that guy all night? It served no point in the story I could tell...

JPRaup

04-07-07, 05:36 PM

can someone please explain what the point was of Jungle Julie text messaging that guy all night? It served no point in the story I could tell...

You pretty much summarized almost all of Death Proof

maingon

04-07-07, 05:44 PM

I was so bored by the time the cool car stuff came around that I just really wanted the movie to end.

= J

death proof wasnt that boring, I seen it with a 85% full audence and they seemed to really enjoy Death Proof, Laughing at all the right moments and clapping at the end when the girls got the revenge. I dont know how anyone could not forgive a slow 30 minutes for a awesome second half.

onebyone

04-07-07, 05:48 PM

can someone please explain what the point was of Jungle Julie text messaging that guy all night? It served no point in the story I could tell...

Product placement was the best I came up with.

GreenVulture

04-07-07, 06:12 PM

can someone please explain what the point was of Jungle Julie text messaging that guy all night? It served no point in the story I could tell...

If I had to wager a guess, maybe it was to provide some sort of comment on how women form strong friendships with other women, and how men can sometimes not be there when they need to talk or have a shoulder to cry on or co-miserate. This might also play into the scenes where Russell can instantly tell that not a single man has talked to Vanessa Ferlito (even after the offer of a lapdance), and where they decide to make the lakehouse party a "girls only" thing after debating whether boys should come along.

Men really aren't portrayed in a positive light in Death Proof: Russell is a psychotic killer and the owner of the white car and the two men at the bar only humor and indulge women in the hopes of getting some sex out of it.

Another reason for the text messaging might also be to provide a bit of poignancy after Julia is killed. But that doesn't really work when both the character and actress playing her are incredibly annoying.

troystiffler

04-07-07, 06:31 PM

Had a lot of fun.

Planet Terror was definately the highlight. There was so much energy and instant satisfaction with every-little-thing that happened. It was just just mind blowing to me that a movie can be so much fun.

Deathproof was the more drawn-out, low tempo of the two. The setups took a lot longer. I counted maybe five or seven fantastic punchlines. Honestly, I found it a bit tedious to sit through. The satisfaction moments weren't frequent enough. Especially after being blown away by the previous two hours.

I think that the movie is going to stay around in the theaters for a good bit. The crowd was packed, and really, really into the movie. Plenty of cheers, clapping, and laughs.

f1shf00d

04-07-07, 08:31 PM

DarthMarino

04-07-07, 08:52 PM

my disappointment came from QT not poking fun at the grindhouse reputation like Rodriguez did, but trying to reinvent it...he did a few bad cut/edit things in the beginning, but then he actually made a real movie like he might normally make, and I wanted to see screw-up stuff a really obvious slow chase that's supposed to look high-speed or disappearing/reappearning objects or cars changing color/model. I think he made the kind of exploitation film he would make and didn't try to reproduce the feel of the original grindhouse experience....I don't hate what he did, it was just unexpected.

I really don't think the point was to laugh at how bad those movies were. It was more of a celebration of them, warts and all. A celebration of the event of seeing them. The missing reels, scratched prints, bad edits and false title were just thrown in to add a little charm to it. Rodriquez chose to celebrate the extreme violence that many of those films had to offer. Tarantino focused on showcasing hot cars and hotter girls that many other films from this time did (hell, they even mention some of these in Death Proof). It really isn't a full spoof of those genres because it's obvious that the filmmakers really enjoyed grindhouse flicks.

cranberries fan

04-07-07, 09:22 PM

Hey it's all good I loved it, Planet Terror was the most fun of the two.But the ((theater was near empty for the first showing)).What gives?"easter weekend".

Big Dave

04-07-07, 09:29 PM

Got back from a 3pm screening, about 40-50 people in the audience. Really dug the whole experience.

Couple points:
-Planet Terror felt a lot longer then Death Proof
-The SS trailer was by far the worse of the 4, the Thanksgiving one got the biggest reaction
-Kurt Russell was bad-ass in the first part, but almost seemed like a whole different character in the 2nd
-Why did they have to have Zoe play herself instead of just a random stunt person? I can't believe most people know who see actually is (I only know from that doc. she was in).
-In case you were wondering, there was nothing once the credits ran (I thought they might go back to the Cheerleader).
-One guy started to leave the theater after the Planet Terror ended, but came back and sat down.

n.phelge

04-07-07, 09:43 PM

Did anyone else notice that Butterfly had a soft drink from the restaurant advertised between the trailers?

The Bus

04-07-07, 09:49 PM

Did anyone else notice that Butterfly had a soft drink from the restaurant advertised between the trailers?

Yup. They also announced on the radio

Jungle Julie's death

during Planet Terror. Which makes me wonder if these movies are truly tied in or not.

"Misirlou" was one of the songs in the jukebox.

"Big Kahuna Burger" was mentioned. :lol:

Even after seeing it twice (in 24 hours) I think this one of the best "movie experiences" I have had in years. Not the best film(s) in years, but this is definitely something that needs to be seen in a theatre. If a friend asked me to go tonight, I would again.

slop101

04-07-07, 09:51 PM

I already asked this, but no one answered:

Did anyone else's theater empty by 25% when PT was over, and then empty even further half-way through DP?

The Bus

04-07-07, 09:56 PM

I already asked this, but no one answered:

Did anyone else's theater empty by 25% when PT was over, and then empty even further half-way through DP?

This happened at the 11pm showing. A few people left right after Planet Terror, a few people left halfway through Death Proof. No more than 10 people, total.

At the 3pm showing today no one left.

onebyone

04-07-07, 09:57 PM

I already asked this, but no one answered:

Did anyone else's theater empty by 25% when PT was over, and then empty even further half-way through DP?

Not as extreme as that, but I say 25 percent left about halfway through DP.

The Bus

04-07-07, 09:58 PM

DarthMarino

04-07-07, 10:00 PM

We did have a number of people leave after Planet Terror but most seemed to come back. I think most were just using that time to get more popcorn or use the bathroom. A few did leave during Death Proof but certainly the percentage of these people wasn't high. A few people in the row behind me left during the initial part of the car chase with Zoe on the hood.

James Hardy

04-07-07, 10:02 PM

I already asked this, but no one answered:

Did anyone else's theater empty by 25% when PT was over, and then empty even further half-way through DP?

Nah. I've seen it twice now. The first time I went, a bunch of people left right after Planet Terror, but most of them came back, and as far as I remember no one left during Death Proof.

The second time, only one group of people got up after Planet Terror.

Kocheese99

04-07-07, 10:08 PM

Just got back from it and it was AMAZING. I enjoyed the hell out of this. The funny thing when we got to the theater was that they had signs up outside explaining that it was a grindhouse movie and that it was supposed to have grain and missing reels and stuff. I thought that was hilarious.

Planet Terror had all the gore and action that i could ever want in a movie. It was just a fun ride from start to finish.

Death Proof had a much slower build. I kinda got the idea that QT was using the girls in the beginning like he did with the guys in the beginning of Reservoir Dogs. Besides it being a bit slow, the only other thing i would want is more Kurt Russell. He's the fucking man, plain and simple.

I absolutely loved the trailers. Machete was a great way to start. Werewolf women of the SS was just ok but Nic Cage part was great. Don't was just plain silly but in a good way. Thanksgiving just about made all my friends and half the theater fall on the floor laughing.

I can tell you that this will be one of the few movies that i will listed to the commentary completely. And I pray to god that they get the directors from the trailers to come and do commentary too.

Just a great fucking time all around. One of the best movie going experiences i've ever had.

The Bus

04-07-07, 10:16 PM

I absolutely loved the trailers. Machete was a great way to start. Werewolf women of the SS was just ok but Nic Cage part was great. Don't was just plain silly but in a good way. Thanksgiving just about made all my friends and half the theater fall on the floor laughing.

Just a great fucking time all around. One of the best movie going experiences i've ever had.

Maybe that's why Death Proof has gotten mixed reactions (and why I liked it more the second time around). Up through the second trailer segment, everything was filmed with a nudge and a lot of humor. Death Proof lacked it (except for some of Tracie Thom's dialogue and the missing reel gag, which wasn't as well-done as Rodriguez's).

My favorite moment from the trailers is a tie between the facial expression of the one woman on the right during the Werewolf Women of the SS title freeze and the line in the Thanksgiving trailer:

(dips finger in blood from decapitated man, tastes it)
"It's blood!" (long pause) "That bastard!"

Kocheese99

04-07-07, 10:21 PM

Maybe that's why Death Proof has gotten mixed reactions (and why I liked it more the second time around). Up through the second trailer segment, everything was filmed with a nudge and a lot of humor. Death Proof lacked it (except for some of Tracie Thom's dialogue and the missing reel gag, which wasn't as well-done as Rodriguez's).

My favorite moment from the trailers is a tie between the facial expression of the one woman on the right during the Werewolf Women of the SS title freeze and the line in the Thanksgiving trailer:

(dips finger in blood from decapitated man, tastes it)
"It's blood!" (long pause) "That bastard!"

I loved that quoted too. And i must say that the ending to Thanksgiving is one of the funniest things i have ever seen. It literally had me laughing for a good 5 minutes and it still has me laughing when i think about it.

The Bus

04-07-07, 10:22 PM

I loved that quoted too. And i must say that the ending to Thanksgiving is one of the funniest things i have ever seen. It literally had me laughing for a good 5 minutes and it still has me laughing when i think about it.

I wasn't able to see exactly what was going on.

Was

the pilgrim/killer fucking a head?

Kocheese99

04-07-07, 10:25 PM

I wasn't able to see exactly what was going on.

Was

the pilgrim/killer fucking a head?

Yep. And complete with sound:) Just a big WTF moment from the crowd.

GreenVulture

04-07-07, 10:25 PM

Kurt Russell was bad-ass in the first part, but almost seemed like a whole different character in the 2nd.
That was the point.

Stuntman Mike is presented like virtually every other bad guy in the slasher genre: a tough, remorseless killer with no feeling. But Tarantino takes that genre staple and completely turns it around, as if he's saying that it's all just an act, and these killers are about as tough as their victims.

So when Mike's intended victims fight back, he becomes terrified and immediately tries to run away. And as we saw, he certainly doesn't react to pain very well, on the verge of crying, even though I believe he was only grazed in the shoulder. That's even more ironic when you consider he's a stuntman, which is a profession that requires taking quite a bit of pain on a daily basis.

Big Dave

04-07-07, 10:39 PM

That was the point.

Stuntman Mike is presented like virtually every other bad guy in the slasher genre: a tough, remorseless killer with no feeling. But Tarantino takes that genre staple and completely turns it around, as if he's saying that it's all just an act, and these killers are about as tough as their victims.

So when Mike's intended victims fight back, he becomes terrified and immediately tries to run away. And as we saw, he certainly doesn't react to pain very well, on the verge of crying, even though I believe he was only grazed in the shoulder. That's even more ironic when you consider he's a stuntman, which is a profession that requires taking quite a bit of pain on a daily basis.I understand that to a point. It just seemed that even before the girls fight back that he was no longer that bad-ass. Maybe because unlike the first half there was no set-up for his character or maybe simply because it was light outside. There was never that same sense of terror.

troystiffler

04-07-07, 10:46 PM

Yup. They also announced on the radio

Jungle Julie's death

during Planet Terror.

Which makes me wonder if these movies are truly tied in or not.

I've only seen it once. So pardon anything I missed...

Without question, I assumed they were. Not too much. The hospital scene crossed over. And I also assumed that the text-messaged guy was someone that was in Planet Terror.

In logic (hehe), the first half of Deathproof would have happened right before Planet Terror. If I were to guess, I'd say that it happened the night of the car crash.

All of the trailers were good. I thought that the Werewolf Women of the SS was right up there with the others. Not many people laughed, except for the cameo. I guess I am just a sucker for Nazi humor.

Like Kevin Smith did, Tarantino has really created a world that is just a lot of fun to see. So I can presume that his followup will be a mediocre romantic comedy.

redskull

04-08-07, 12:15 AM

That great. Did anyone catch what the "real" title was? I thought I saw the word 'Thunder' in there but I can't even be certain.

I thought it said "Thunderbolt."

My friend says that's a nod to the real grindhouse practice of retitling a movie to trick people into thinking it's a new & different movie and paying to see it again.

wm lopez

04-08-07, 12:21 AM

I was around the 70's watching these kind of movies and I didn't like GRINDHOUSE.
I liked the PLANET TERROR part but that DEATH PROOF was lame the women characters were the worse. The stunt car chase was o.k. only because no cgi unlike FAST & FURIOUS 3. Had they used the car chase & put Kurt Russell in PLANET TERROR not only would you have a shorter & better movie but you could give birth to a franchise.
If this movie doesn't make money it will be because of wasting 1hour & half of DEATH PROOF that limted theater showings.

ScandalUMD

04-08-07, 12:25 AM

Exactly. It's really quite ridiculous.

I did love the movie, and I thought Planet Terror and the fake trailers were fantastic. Death Proof was a bad companion piece to that. I loved seeing Zoe Bell in action because she is a true bad ass. Other parts of the movie worked, but many other times I just wanted everyone to shut the hell up. Disappointing.

I don't know what you guys are talking about "Death Proof" was easily the better of the two. "Planet Terror" was fun, but it suffered in trying to take an over-the-top genre further over the top, and its schtick got old kind of fast. The only thing Rodriguez did better than Tarantino was the missing reel gag.

Death Proof was a very good companion piece. You could not have had another 90 minutes of splatter. The exhaustion factor would have been too great. There is a reason nobody has ever made a 3 hour splatter horror film. Rodriguez pulled out all the stops in the first half, and Tarantino used the opportunity to experiment with the structure of his piece. The obvious purpose was to amp up the impact of the characters getting killed, in contrast to Rodriguez's more traditional approach of killing stock characters en masse.

I honestly can't believe you guys were eager for more bloodshed after Planet Terror. Death Proof was damn near perfect.

redskull

04-08-07, 12:36 AM

My friend & I went to the 2:30 showing today. We sit down to watch, and I'm really geeking out about the whole thing. The Machete trailer was a blast, and I loved the cheesy "feature presentation" music, and the worn & scratched film effects. In general, I felt the movie was absolutely made just for me.

I know nobody's going to believe the next part, but I swear it's true. About 20 minutes into "Planet Terror" (at the part where Tom Savini gets his finger bitten off) the film breaks. My friend and I started laughing, and I said, "Man, this is awesome! They even simulated a film break!" We chuckled a few seconds more, and then as our chuckles died down, we realized this fake film break was going on just a little too long. Suddenly the house lights come on and the manager comes in and says that the film really DID break. Crap in a hat! So we sit and wait. And wait some more. After about 20 minutes the film starts up and breaks again after 30 seconds. It does this 2 more times and then stops yet again. The manager comes back in and says the film is "unrepairable," whatever that means. I don't understand why you can't just tape the 2 ends together, but whatever. He says since it can't be fixed, we have to go. They give us a cash refund.

So we drive to the only other theatre playing it on the exact opposite end of town. It starts there at 5:30. This time there are no film breaks (other than the fake one during Planet Terror) and we finally get the see the movie(s) in its entirity. When we get out it was 9pm!! Yikes! It took me all stinkin' day, but I finally got to see it.

Loved the fake trailers, and I could watch Planet Terror every day. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. When Planet Terror ended and the fake trailers started, I counted 5 people who got up and left the theatre. I thought maybe they were just going to the bathroom, but they never came back. They were apparently so clueless as to the nature of the movie they were seeing that they thought it was over and left, never knowing there was another hour & a half left to go. And since they didn't "get" it, that means they must think "Werewolf Women of the S.S" is a real upcoming movie.

Like someone else previously mentioned, my theatre also had a sign on the door explaining that "Grindhouse recreates the look of a distressed and damaged print, and the film scratches and splices are intentional." HI-larious! That sign wouldn't have been there if they hadn't been getting some complaints!

DoubleDownAgain

04-08-07, 12:47 AM

No one left during my viewing.

Anyone notice the cigarettes J.T. Gave El Wray? None other than Red Apples.

onebyone

04-08-07, 01:40 AM

The obvious purpose was to amp up the impact of the characters getting killed, in contrast to Rodriguez's more traditional approach of killing stock characters en masse.

If his goal was to make me want them to get killed, then by god he did it and good. If his goal was to make me care about them, then not so much.

I didn't hate it mind you, but parts were just not needed and not entertaining to me. I didn't need more splatter, I just needed not to be bored.

Seantn

04-08-07, 02:06 AM

I thought it said "Thunderbolt."

Yep, you're correct. It said "Thunderbolt".

Jackskeleton

04-08-07, 02:08 AM

You're may get your wish if there's any truth to that rumor that Tarantino is going to expand Death Proof and take it to this year's Cannes Film Festival.

Which is a good idea; like I and others have mentioned before, Proof is just so different in tone and feel from Planet Terror and the fake trailers that it really throws Grindhouse off as a whole. I still think a double bill of Terror and Thanksgiving would have been better, with Proof released on its own as a kind of companion piece.

.

When it comes to Tarantino it's always good to just take his word with a grain of salt since the man likes to think out loud. WHere's the movie theater he was going to rebuild in chinatown? Where's KILL BILL put together?

RichC2

04-08-07, 02:12 AM

Wound up seeing this again tonight, excellent all the way through.

Planet Terror seemed shorter this time, and Death Proof was just as good. Best theater going experiences so far this year. The overall flick is my favorite so far this year, and is a fun and very fast way to kill 3hr+.

Not a sour moment in its entirity (save for maybe Zombie's trailer, which squanders its potential). And after the repeat viewing, Death Proof is, imo, the better of the two.

can someone please explain what the point was of Jungle Julie text messaging that guy all night? It served no point in the story I could tell...

It was showing how men were running their individual lives. Julie's night was being dictated by a man that didn't show (hence the text messages), Arlene's was ruined by the lack of attention from them, Pam (McGowan)'s character presumably just got dropped (They mention "You know what happend to her?" repeatidly but never get into it), and Shanna had her man ploying against her (well, getting her super drunk). The roller derby chick that drove was just collateral.

On the flip side, both Kim and Zoe were in control of themselves, Abernathy and the other girl, whose name escapes me right now, not so much and would be presumably the targets. Abernathy pretty much learns how to control her own life as they go and gives the ultimate blow just after the The End title card.

At least, that's what I got from it. The moral (imo) was basically if you're gonna let someone else run your life, you may as well be dead. And while it won't make the movie more entertaining for folks, most of the comments made in the movie were hardly pointless. But then what do I know, it's 3 am and I've spent 7 of the last 36 hours sitting in a movie theater.

Scott Connors

04-08-07, 03:57 AM

ok, so we all know i have a peeing problem and if you didn't you do now.

My question is this:
if you desperately had to (or maybe you did), but if you had to pick a point in the whole fiesta to run out quickly and pee one out, when would you go??

Try not to spoil, but a point that i can look for and won't miss too much good stuff right after (i'm thinking sometime in DP, but i think i'm looking forward to that one the most).

This would really help me out. TIA!

The following is a serious response, although it may sound funny. I suggest that you check out a medical supply store and see about a condom catheter and a leg bag. I had a friend who was partially paralyzed as the result of a stroke but who still enjoyed opera (he had even been on the board of the Pittsburgh Opera at one time), so I helped him and his wife out (I'm a RN) and went with them. During the intermission we went to the restroom and I emptied the bag. Obviously this is something that would only come up with really long movies. Incidentally I sometimes suffer from the same problem, but I don't have a problem with missing a couple hundred seconds of a film.
And as has been mentioned before, get checked out for diabetes and prostate problems.
Scott

Seantn

04-08-07, 04:01 AM

Not a sour moment in its entirity (save for maybe Zombie's trailer, which squanders its potential). And after the repeat viewing, Death Proof is, imo, the better of the two.

I agree with you on every point! I felt that Zombie's trailer, while not bad, was the weakest of them all and wasn't really that great. I saw it a second time this evening as well and I enjoyed Death Proof even more on the 2nd viewing.

Seantn

04-08-07, 04:04 AM

I just had a thought - What if a theatrical print of Grindhouse was played at a revival showing in about 15-20 years. The print would look so shitty, heh, becuase it'd have the fake layer of grain and scratches and mess-ups, and then on top of that it'd have the actual grain and scratches and mess-ups in the film itself from being 20 years old. The only part that would look normally aged would be the final 45 minutes of Death Proof, which don't really have much done to them.

Elpresidentepez

04-08-07, 04:14 AM

Quite right. This isn't how women talk---it's how QT wishes women would talk.

I've never met anyone (Man or Woman) who talks like QT characters, except for the majority of a pointless screen writing class I took in college. It's all fantasy.

That being said I loved both films and the trailers. I would pay to see a feature length "Don't."

I felt that Planet Terror was fun and wore out it's welcome by the end. I had no problem with the dialog or the acting in "Death Proof." It almost seemed like a response to the torture porn disguised as cinema as of late. Ultimately, (IMO) DP will stand the test of time, PT will for the most part remain in infamy BECAUSE of it's connection to Tarantino's movie. and screw it...flame me if you will but i suspect some of the hate being thrown the way of DP is a little smidgen of sexism, geek culture has a difficult time with women being portrayed as anything but sex objects and looking at some of the comments here and most of the Aint It Cool Talkbacks geeks are scared of girls.

Pillowhead

04-08-07, 05:26 AM

Saw it tonight and it was awesome. Theater wasn't packed, and I was a little dissapointed.

The "Don't" trailer had me in hysterics. I had tears streaming down my face for the entire thing. "Don't!", "Don't" etc...

Both films were good, I liked Death Proof slightly better than Planet Terror. Both will be watched extensively.

Brilliant film going experience. This is what going to the movies is all about.

DarthMarino

04-08-07, 07:55 AM

Anyone notice the cigarettes J.T. Gave El Wray? None other than Red Apples.

I saw the Red Apples in Planet Terror but when they showed a close up of a pack in Death Proof it wasn't them.

Corvin

04-08-07, 08:59 AM

I've never met anyone (Man or Woman) who talks like QT characters, except for the majority of a pointless screen writing class I took in college. It's all fantasy.

You don't have to tell me----tell the people who were saying how "realistic" the QT conversations are.

Jason

04-08-07, 09:44 AM

The Bus

04-08-07, 09:47 AM

It was showing how men were running their individual lives. Julie's night was being dictated by a man that didn't show (hence the text messages), Arlene's was ruined by the lack of attention from them, Pam (McGowan)'s character presumably just got dropped (They mention "You know what happend to her?" repeatidly but never get into it), and Shanna had her man ploying against her (well, getting her super drunk). The roller derby chick that drove was just collateral.

On the flip side, both Kim and Zoe were in control of themselves, Abernathy and the other girl, whose name escapes me right now, not so much and would be presumably the targets. Abernathy pretty much learns how to control her own life as they go and gives the ultimate blow just after the The End title card.

That's very good. Death Proof stuck with me after I left the theatre and was the reason I went back to see it. Not expecting "Planet Terror Pt. 2" I got a chance to relax and concentrate on it a bit more.

Trevor

04-08-07, 09:58 AM

Saw it last night and overall I loved it. Definitely a great theater experience, will see it again tomorrow on a bigger screen.

I can't imagine skipping the trailers, they were better than most of the second feature imo.

As movieking said earlier, Planet Terror was consistent throughout, while Death Proof had higher highs and lower lows.

The ending to Death Proof really turned me off. Towards the end of the first act I was loving it as a slasher flick, but then it turned into something totally different. I hated the ending especially. They should have ended it in the hospital after the first crash, with Stuntman Mike looking or saying something ominous after the law decided they couldn't prove his guilt .

Do I need to stay through the end credits?

If this was answered I missed it.

Nope. A few images during the first bit of the credits, but nothing at all once they go to all text.

Trevor

04-08-07, 10:46 AM

You call that character development!?!? It was an hour of mundane, boring chatter that made me hate the characters. I was hoping that they would die every chance they could. I really wish that Death Proof would have been made by any other director, it would have gotten ripped apart.
Saw this one last night. Loved Planet Terror (and the all of the trailers). Disliked Death Proof. It's the first Tarantino movie that I didn't like. The dialogue was just horrible to me. It was pointless, uninteresting, and took me right out of the movie. I don't mind lengthy conversations, but talking about nothing on screen for a half hour at a time does nothing for me. I was disappointed. Of course I loved Kurt Russell and all of the car work. Honestly, I was hoping every one of those girls would get slaughtered.= J
Regardless, it was an awesome experience, and the trailers couldn't have been more perfect. Dear God, someone green-light Thanksgiving! Best time I've had at the movies in quite a while and one of those few times where the communal crowd atmosphere was superior than respectful silence.
:up:

Zodiac_Speaking

04-08-07, 12:37 PM

RichC2

04-08-07, 12:42 PM

ScandalUMD

04-08-07, 01:21 PM

Death Proof blew the fun away I had with the trailers and Planet Terror.

Overall, except the trailers, but the features seemed to self referential, to wink wink. Back then, they were trying to make good films but were undone by corny dialogue, bad FX, ect, they didn't know. Here the directors should've cut back the wink wink shit.

Taratino's I think betrayed what the Grindhouse movie was up till the opening credits of Death Proof. Few gimmicks were used, like scratches and sound beeps, but it just looked to modern.

Speaking of modern, they acted a lot like the films were placed in the 70s, then suddenly they make a modern reference to Bin Laden or Lindsay Lohan. Dumb.

Trailers were the best.

Grade: C+

Actually, I think all the talking was very much what the old exploitation films were about. Stretching zero budget out to feature length meant they had to wrap their five minutes of money shots in an hour and a half of filler. A grindhouse movie would absolutely wrap 45 minutes of talk around footage of a car crash.

Also, 70's movies were slower paced anyway. "The French Connection" is very much about the buildup before the payoff.

Even "The Godfather" opens with about half an hour of talking. If that were a new movie, you guys would probably all be bitching about how long the wedding scene goes on.

Drop

04-08-07, 01:41 PM

I enjoyed the films about equally. They were fairly different and had different goals but were successful in what they went for. They both started off a little shakey for me, but once I got into their groves it was great.

I enjoyed the dialogue in Death Proof except for maybe the opening one with the girls talking about scoring some pot. It might've just been because it was such a change of pace, hopefully I'll enjoy that stuff more the second time around. I felt the payoff in Death Proof was much better than Planet Terror's, but Planet Terror was more consistently thrilling.

The fake trailers were great, and I hope to see everyone of those films for real some day.

Looking forward to catching it again, and it deserves to make more money and a lot of it.

Seantn

04-08-07, 02:16 PM

Speaking of modern, they acted a lot like the films were placed in the 70s, then suddenly they make a modern reference to Bin Laden or Lindsay Lohan. Dumb.

Yeah, they also had a girl with a machine gun leg, a guy who cuts everyones balls off, and infected zombies running around. I don't see why modern references are a bad thing. They may have wanted to make a Grindhouse film, but it was made in 2007, they don't have to pretend that they're in the 70's. People were using cell phones and text messaging each other in both films.

kaze0

04-08-07, 02:21 PM

I still think the pop culture references are going to hurt the movie in the future. In 15 years the Bin Laden reference is going to be meaningless.

The Bus

04-08-07, 02:34 PM

I still think the pop culture references are going to hurt the movie in the future. In 15 years the Bin Laden reference is going to be meaningless.

It's true. Today, no one remembers who Stalin is.

Adam Tyner

04-08-07, 02:42 PM

I still think the pop culture references are going to hurt the movie in the future.Even ignoring the bin Laden thing, do you think that most genuine grindhouse flicks aren't dated?

ScandalUMD

04-08-07, 03:46 PM

Speaking of modern, they acted a lot like the films were placed in the 70s, then suddenly they make a modern reference to Bin Laden or Lindsay Lohan. Dumb.

Trailers were the best.

Grade: C+

They didn't act like a lot of the films were placed in the 70s

Mondo Kane

04-08-07, 04:44 PM

Alright, saw it out of town on Friday and am finally back with reactions. First off, the crowd (At a 9:30 showing) was great. They seemed to have gotten all the nods and were laughing at all the right moments in the movies and in the trailers (Plus big applause as soon as "THE END" showed up)
I was amazed at how friggin' cool Planet Terror turned out to be, but towards the last 8 minutes (Aside from the final sequence--Which I really liked) it felt like the momentum had died and things just became too hokey like:
Cherry launching herself over the wall, the glasses she picks up,Dakota's final run-in with Doc Block

While browsing through all the other responses here, I'm really not surprised that some clueless folks left the theater after PT. Afterall, the recognizable imagery for Grindhouse was for this movie alone. Now lemme get to some responses before I go into Death Proof.

Did anyone catch what the "real" title was? I thought I saw the word 'Thunder' in there but I can't even be certain.

"Thunderbolt" as already mentioned but I had myself a "Grindhouse marathon" prior to watching this and noticed this "homage" a few times. In Blood Freak, the title appears twice and Master of the Flying Guillotine contains both that title AND it's other title, One-Armed Boxer vs The Flying Guillotine. Nice touch!

I thought the missing reels were good. It was also kind of cool how there were subtle tie ins between the two features such as Dr. Dakota Block and the McGraw boys .

The Bus already mentioned the other nod involving Fergie's car-radio, but how about the return of the sherrif and Son #1 from KILL BILL in DP!

By the way, weren't there a whole bunch of other trailers shot? I could've sworn I read that Tarantino made a few of his own, and Rodriguez had done some more.

Yup. "Cowgirls in Sweden" was supposed to be Tarantino's trailer (There was even rumors that Christina Lindberg was to have a cameo in it since she was visiting L.A. by that time) but he never got it around to making it.

As far as the other trailers that did make it to Grindhouse, loved 'em all. Didn't expect both "Machete" and "Don't" to be that funny (Although "Don't" appeared to have been a serious horror film, the execution of it was hilarious) Too much has already been said about beloved "Thanksgiving" (Saw it online too many times, but it didn't lose NO impact in the theater!)
But I expected more from "Werewolf/SS". All the publicity on it was for Sybill Danning doing an Ilsa clone, but god, besides the name-reading from the Voice-over, she was barely in the trailer! It's been said that the trailer did have to edit stuff to get an R-rating. So maybe the narrative went along with it too.

And speaking of "Missing Reels", the lap dance in DP was filmed (You can see it in the trailer) and there was an additional scene that you can find on "The Making of Grindhouse" which shows Mike stalking and spying on the 2nd group of girls. All shot in B&W, by the way.

Now, my reactions to DP are a little mixed. Yup, I agree that there's a surprisingly large amount of talking which could make viewers restless--Especially given the 3-hour time. But all that was put aside when the you-know-what moments occured.
And although I wasn't as blown away from the climactic chase, it'll still get a bit of rewatchable viewing from me on DVD, without a doubt.

GreenVulture

04-08-07, 06:21 PM

Even "The Godfather" opens with about half an hour of talking. If that were a new movie, you guys would probably all be bitching about how long the wedding scene goes on.
The crucial differences being that the "long" conversations in The Godfather are interesting, well-acted and -written, and serve the plot.

BJacks

04-08-07, 07:02 PM

I still would not have minded a lap dance scene.Then you'll be happy to know the reel will be restored for the DVD release.

Baron Of Hell

04-08-07, 07:44 PM

I didn't really care for planet terror but death proof was pretty good. I like the first trailer and the thanksgiving one. The other trailers were ok. To get the full effect you have to have face full of zits and be making out with your girlfriend in the backseat of your parents car.

I kind of wish they had a intermission to get snacks and go to the bathroom. I just took someone else's popcorn that fell asleep during death proof and peed on the floor.

Kudama

04-08-07, 08:00 PM

Here's my opinion:
:up: to everything, esp the fucking end. Awesome! Started clapping like it was an autonomic function. I have never seen a better "The End" in my life.
(Plus I wouldn't mind having sex with that Aussie stunt chick :D )
plus: Kurt Russell screaming like a little girl? Fucking priceless. He has cemented his rep as an acting GOD!

hardercore

04-08-07, 08:19 PM

The Aussie stunt chick is actually a New Zealander. Learn your accents :D

Groucho

04-08-07, 09:03 PM

The Bus

04-08-07, 09:05 PM

Apparently he missed the whole "Never call a Kiwi an Ozzie" conversation at the diner. ;)

maingon

04-08-07, 09:14 PM

TripWire

04-08-07, 09:36 PM

first off the "Dont" trailer was like the best part of the movie, it had me cracking up in the first few words of it. :)

I liked Planet Terror a lot better than Death Proof, though of course I still enjoyed it. To me Death Proof was too wordy, that whole lunch girl talk scene was real boring to me. It seemed Taratino was trying to bring in his usual witty conversation schtick rather than being true to a grindhouse feature. Also the movie wasn't consistent with the degrading of the quality of the picture like Planet Terror was. The car chase scene was done real well though. I just didn't get the point of all the character development, it seemed like a waste of time when most people want to see action in a type of movie like this.

The only problem I had with Planet Terror, is how the hell did Rose Mcgowan pull the trigger on the gun on her leg :P

d2cheer

04-08-07, 10:13 PM

I liked Death Proof the best but was really disappointed in the whole thing overall, I really wanted to like this but was just not getting into it for some reason. Maybe it was due to the fact that there was only 3 people in the whole theater, and one left halfway through Planet Terror...

I can see this making a killing on DVD though...depending on the extra's I can see myself buying it even though I didn't think it was that great.

Daytripper

04-08-07, 10:27 PM

I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this (copyright violations and all), but here's the script for Death Proof:

SCENE 1: Blah blah blah blah
SCENE 2: Lap dance! Just kidding, "REEL MISSING"
SCENE 3: A minute or so of car stuff.
SCENE 4: Blah blah blah blah
SCENE 5: Blah blah blah blah
SCENE 6: Really cool car stuff

Seriously, at one point all the girls were sitting around talking about meaningless shit. I got up, went to the bathroom, and came back -- the same conversation was still going on! Zzzzzzzz...

You said it. Just got back from seeing it. Dear God was "Death Proof" awful. Like "Kill Bill Vol. 2", the party came to a screaching halt
in the middle. Blah blah blah fucking blah. They just never shut the fuck up. And none of it was interesting, funny, clever or hip.
And to make matters worse (for me anyway), Quentin had to appear in both. Was Rodiguez even in either? If so, I didn't recognize him.
In short, "Planet Terror" and all it's previews, (****), "Death Proof" (ZERO stars).

Quentin, separated at birth.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a358/lmproduction/celebrities7/madampuppetandquentinlookalike.jpg

dhmac

04-08-07, 10:53 PM

I thought it said "Thunderbolt."

My friend says that's a nod to the real grindhouse practice of retitling a movie to trick people into thinking it's a new & different movie and paying to see it again.
Thanks - I was hoping someone noticed what that "original" title was that flashed up before the sloppily inserted title "Death Proof" showed up instead.

Arpeggi

04-08-07, 10:58 PM

Movie needed more scenes with that cheerleader.

DaveCole

04-08-07, 10:59 PM

The only problem I had with Planet Terror, is how the hell did Rose Mcgowan pull the trigger on the gun on her leg :P

I actually didn't think about that. I was more concerned about how she kept the gun from jamming up with dirt when she was walking around.

I hope that this one does well enough that they go with their plans to make some of the fake previews into actual films. I wouldn't mind seeing Machette the movie.

Adam Tyner

04-08-07, 11:01 PM

Movie needed more scenes with that cheerleader.Ha. I said the same thing to a friend of mine as we were walking out of the movie. If you got to the theater early enough and saw the same set of trailers I did, you did get another glimpse of Mary Elizabeth Winstead -- she's the daughter in Live Free or Die Hard.

JoeyOhhhh

04-08-07, 11:13 PM

I went into this movie looking foward to Death Proof, and disliking Planet Terror, walked out with the opposite opinion. Like what has been stated before, DP is too wordy, I lost interest with the second group of girls involved. Their converstions were long, uninteresting, and seemed misplaced with the characters.

BTW, did anyone else notice Jack Burton's shirt from Big Trouble in Little China hanging up in the bar in the beginning of Death Proof?

dhmac

04-09-07, 12:00 AM

BTW, was Michael Parks' police chief/sheriff character supposed to be be the same character he played in Kill Bill Vol. 1?

RichC2

04-09-07, 12:04 AM

BTW, was Michael Parks' police chief/sheriff character supposed to be be the same character he played in Kill Bill Vol. 1?

Certainly seems like it, son number 1.

drmoze

04-09-07, 12:46 AM

my only fret is that i cannot drink the whole day before watching. see i pee...a lot. i can go 5 times in the morning even before i have had a sip of water or anything. i like drinking water or diet soda because i get thirsty a lot so sitting for more than 3 hours is very disconcerting to me.

anyone have any suggestions?

Turn in your Man Card ASAP. Real Men have huge cast-iron bladders that only need to be emptied every 2 six-packs or so. ;)

DarthMarino

04-09-07, 01:10 AM

BTW, was Michael Parks' police chief/sheriff character supposed to be be the same character he played in Kill Bill Vol. 1?

The character is Texas Ranger Earl McGraw and he originated in From Dusk Till Dawn. His son (played by Parks' real life son) first appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn 2. Both of them returned together in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and now both sections of Grindhouse. He's gotten a lot of mileage considering his fate in his first appearance.

FrancisRizzo3

04-09-07, 08:15 AM

stingermck

04-09-07, 08:35 AM

Jim Norton on the o&A show just said something this morning that I thought leaving the theater. Reverse the two films, and you'd have a much stronger experience. DP feels slow and boring following the adrenaline burst of PT, but if you turn them around, the film has a great sense of momentum.

Exactly, PT was so fast and crazy,that compared, DP really hit the breaks. Pun :)

And then the old couple, that left during PT could maybe have stayed longer!

Drop

04-09-07, 08:51 AM

I disagree with switching the films, if just for the fact that Death Proof has a much better payoff. Nothing in Planet Terror topped that for me, and when "The End" came up, it really felt like the time to leave.

onebyone

04-09-07, 08:56 AM

Jim Norton on the o&A show just said something this morning that I thought leaving the theater. Reverse the two films, and you'd have a much stronger experience. DP feels slow and boring following the adrenaline burst of PT, but if you turn them around, the film has a great sense of momentum.

I thought that too. DP was far too slow coming after PT. After all that carnage and mayhem, I wasn't in the mood for DP and all the chatting at all. Maybe if it came first, it wouldn't have felt like someone in a speeding vehicle put on the brakes HARD. Nearly gave me whiplash.

RichC2

04-09-07, 09:30 AM

It's a tough call, on one hand yeah the pacing would make more sense. On the other hand, the ending to Death Proof is just such a satisfying way to end the evening.

hulka

04-09-07, 09:35 AM

After reading reviews of the film and comments on web forums (i.e., dvdtalk et al), here are some of my own thoughts on Grindhouse:

My reaction to both films (Planet Terror and Death Proof) is thumbs up with a big smile. However, I must come out and say it: Death Proof is a masterpiece. I was doubly critical of Tarantino's work since people seem to be giving it a hard time. It played quite well the first time, and even better the second time. This is so because one can really break down the aural conversations and such more thoroughly the second time around. In doing so, one finds that Tarantino's dialogue is as crisp as ever. Perhaps this particular film in his canon will be unfairly maligned like Jackie Brown. Unfairly maligned and then, a few years after its initial release, finally loved. I don't know. All I can say is that the acting is quite lovely (Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, et al), the pacing (i.e., editing) is excellent, the build-ups work, Tarantino's directing/cinematography is terrific, and his writing is on the money. The ending is as sweet as a drop of honey on the tongue. What's not to like? I have read comments from both camps: The literate grindhouse connoisseur ("I have seen thousands of grindhouse films! Thus, validity is mine within the realm of public opinion!") who balks at the so-called lackluster attempt of two "fanboys" trying to recreate something of a specific era to ignorant would-be cineastes who herald this double feature as the greatest thing since sliced bread and think the name grindhouse refers to a meat packing company located in New Jersey ("Do they make quality ground beef?"). Both these camps leave me out in the cold, fending for myself in the center of this debacle of cinematic criticism. In the final analysis, "The truth of a thing is the feel of it, not the think of it" (<-- Kubrick). Thus, the first time I walked out of the theatre feeling great about Grindhouse and cinema as a whole; the second time I walked out of the theatre thinking Grindhouse is great and so is cinema as a whole. Satisfied on both these fronts (emotional and intellectual), I cannot help but exclaim: Vivre le cinéma!

I hasten to wonder what criteria is being utilized in people's analysis of this double feature (particularly people who didn't enjoy the Grindhouse experience). Example: "Death Proof does not really work as a 'grindhouse' feature. As a result, it is a bad film." Assuming it fails at being a grindhouse film (and I stress the word "assuming"), does that mean it is a terrible film? Maybe it is a great film in its own right, regardless of whether or not it meets the requirements of grindhouse cinema. Just throwing this quibble out there as an example. Many people on the Internet seem to be demolishing the film without detailing the criteria utilized to judge the film's merit. Anyone who walks in thinking this double bill will be strictly grindhouse features is right in one sense, but wrong in another. These films, particularly Taratino's feature, constitute meta-commentaries. Thus, they revel in all that is grindhouse while concurrently commenting on the films of the grindhouse era as a whole. Another case in point: Godard's A Women is a Women is both a musical in its own right and self-reflexive in the sense that it is a meta-commentary on American musicals from the 40s and 50s. "Original grindhouse audience members would not have put up with the pacing of Death Proof." Well, the original audience members of An American in Paris would have most likely not put up with the deconstructive elements in A Woman is a Woman either. The logic utilized to arrive at the opinion expressed in the above quote lacks cohesion. Regardless, if one is expecting either Planet Terror or Death Proof to be a pure grindhouse picture and nothing more, then one will be sorely disappointed. One cannot make pure grindhosue pictures unless one has a time machine. That era is gone. All a film can do now is recreate and comment on such works (much like film noir some argue -- "This is not film noir, it's neo-noir dammit!"). In this sense, Grindhouse shines.

Since people on the Internet seem to be qualifying their comments on this double feature by stating their cinematic credentials, I must admit that, while I have seen about forty horror films specifically from the grindhouse period (which actually brings up more bad memories than good), I have not seen many road films from this period (only seven come to mind). Still, when people lay claim to special knowledge of a particular movie because of their filmic background, I usually find myself at a loss for words. This is so because to me the question is not, "What have you seen?," but -- more importantly -- "What do you enjoy?". I enjoy Sátántangó (an art film par excellence); I also enjoy Roman (a low budget American horror film that most would not give the time of day). In other words -- speaking for myself -- good cinema equals good cinema, regardless of genre or level of elitist respectability within the realm of film criticism. If Grindhouse is somehow supposed to be a failure because this or that moment is "stolen" from an original grindhouse feature or this or that sentiment rings false within the realm of the grindhouse tradition, then I must plead ignorance ("One cannot argue about taste," as the old adage goes). After the double feature had ended, I walked out of the theatre happy, excited, and ready to watch more celluloid pass before my eyes, rattle my brain, and enthrall my mind. And, for a cineaste such as myself, that's a compliment of the highest order. In short, I had a great time at the movies. In the end, that's all that matters.

Sincerely,
Hulka

Grindhouse experience: ****

Planet Terror: *** (A raucous good time. Rodriguez = fun)

Death Proof: **** (A masterpiece. Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill now have a new little sibling with whom to play.)

DarthMarino

04-09-07, 09:35 AM

After the last 30 minutes of Death Proof I would have rolled my eyes through most of Planet Terror. Death Proof delivers real thrills while Planet Terror relies on a lot of cheap gags. I think its perfect the way they have it.

Giles

04-09-07, 10:01 AM

Unless it's shown with digital projection.

as far as I can tell, this wasn't released in DLP, there were DLP trailers but the movie was aptly released in 35mm - the conversion of the HD shot 'Planet Terror' was really mangled for the true grindhouse look. Loved the shot of the 'Soldier Blue' poster in 'Death Proof' . Question what was the title card right before the 'Death Proof' credit - it flew by so fast I couldn't read it?

CinemaNut

04-09-07, 10:06 AM

Planet Terror = Masterpiece of GH shlock and one of if not the best zombie/viral outbreak flicks I have ever seen!

Death Proof was sort of talky but when the action kicked in, it ws balls to the wall!

The best experience I have had in the theater EVER.

Giles

04-09-07, 10:09 AM

The best experience I have had in the theater EVER.

saw this on the huge Uptown theatre screen here in DC - now that was an experience!!

Michael Allred

04-09-07, 10:20 AM

Well.....hmm. What are my initial reactions to "Grindhouse" after watching it tonight? First off, the fake trailers were pretty entertaining, even hackmeister Eli Roth made something enjoyable.

As for the films themselves, I have to say I enjoyed Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" more than Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof."

Rodriguez really embraced the "grindhouse" aspect to his film (what with the beat up film quality, "missing reels" and the like) all the while throwing heaps of zombie gore, laughs and surprises on the screen. I didn't buy Freddy Rodriguez as the badass (he's what? 5'4"????) but it was an enjoyable thrill ride. The score was very atmospheric and added to the overall mood of the piece. "Planet Terror" was not the cinematic milestone that he achieved with "Sin City" but his winning streak continues. Rodriguez knew what he had to deliver for this story and he did that in spades.

Now Tarantino I have issues with because (and this is my fault) I always have very high expectations for him. "Death Proof" really let me down. First, I am a HUGE Kurt Russell fan but there were long stretches of the film where he was nowhere to be seen. Second, in interviews Tarantino said to Russell that "Stuntman Mike" would be another cool character Kurt could add to his rogues gallery of Snake Plisskin, McCready from "The Thing" and so on. Well without ruining the ending for you, I will just say Stuntman Mike was promised a whole hell of a lot at the beginning of the film but it bottomed out in a big way, completely destroying the mystique and coolness of the character. Third, the dialogue, previously snappy and sharp in QT's work came off as dull and boring throughout. It wasn't remotely interesting and THAT is a huge shock. Granted there were a few cool sequences in the film with a few brutal and inventive kills but that's about it. "Death Proof?" I wish it would've been boredom proof. So much potential all thrown away for what boiled down to being a "chick revenge" flick.

So out of a total *****, "Planet Terror" gets ***and a half and "Death Proof" lands with a dud at **. Overall, "Grindhouse" (with fake trailers) gets ****.

Chrisedge

04-09-07, 10:34 AM

Saw it last night. Loved the whole thing. I am a huge R.R. fanboy, and was expecting DP to kinda suck after the initial reviews I read here. Loved it as much as PT. The whole thing was a great movie experience!

Don't ... Miss this movie.

kaze0

04-09-07, 10:43 AM

I thought DP encapsulated grindhouse films even better than TP. TP is what those films might have turned out with if they were loaded with money. DP is exactly how those films were, just better. Dialog dialog dialog up to the entire point of the movie.

slop101

04-09-07, 11:59 AM

Rodriguez really embraced the "grindhouse" aspect to his film (what with the beat up film quality, "missing reels" and the like).Nope.
Have you ever seen a real Grindhouse movie?
Good or bad, Death Proof is ten times closer to those then Planet Terror.

dhmac

04-09-07, 12:10 PM

Did anyone else think that Tarantino was referencing Hitchcock's Psycho in the structure of Death Proof? By that I mean...

...In Psycho, Hitchcock introduced the protagonist (played by Janet Leigh) at the start of the film, just like most movies do. Hitchcock developed this character very well but then killed her off halfway through the movie (which was shocking for a movie to do at the time). The only other character the audience knew was Norman Bates, who turned out to be her killer. Hitchcock then introduced new protagonists and they ended up stopping Norman Bates' killing spree.

In Death Proof, Tarantino follows this same basic structure, introducing the women characters at the start. And slowly he introduced Stuntman Mike as well. Tarantino spends a lot of time developing the women characters but then kills off all of them about halfway through, leaving their killer, Stuntman Mike, as the only character left that the audience knew. Tarantino then introduced a new set of protagonists in the second set of women, who then ended up stopping Stuntman Mike's killing spree.

RichC2

04-09-07, 01:19 PM

you forgot the [/spoiler]

And yeah, he took out the car full of girls (roller derby chick was driving, Jungle Julia, Lapdance girl, and peppy cheerleaderish girl all went kaput). You saw it from all 4 prespectives - Lapdance girl got a tire to the face, peppy cheerleaderish girl got launched, Jungle Julia lost her leg, and the driver chick had a face full of glass and steering wheel).

Seantn

04-09-07, 02:03 PM

Question what was the title card right before the 'Death Proof' credit - it flew by so fast I couldn't read it?

Thunderbolt

kaze0

04-09-07, 02:16 PM

RichC2

04-09-07, 02:24 PM

Nope. Definitely the same girl driving in each replay.

Mondo Kane

04-09-07, 03:46 PM

Just to clear things up on why you don't see as much Stuntman Mike in the later half (From Quentin's words via FANGORIA)
"But now, you know what Stuntman Mike does and how he does it. So we don't even hang out with him anymore, we're hanging with the girls and he's just doing his thing in the background, but we know what he's up to. That was the idea."

I also picked up the soundtrack on Saturday and noticed a few songs that didn't make the cut. I'm guessing "Down in Mexico" was used during the lapdance?

Seantn

04-09-07, 04:22 PM

I posted this in another thread, but since there are 20 Grindhouse threads, I figured i'd post it here as well:

=============
Harvey Weinstein told me this morning that he's "incredibly disappointed" with the half-than-expected $12 mil box office for Grindhouse. So much so, that he's considering abandoning the double feature as a single feature concept and re-releasing the movie around the U.S. "in a couple of weeks" as two separate feature-length movies with additional footage put in. That's what Harvey says The Weinstein Co. is already intending to do with the film's release in Europe: split it into two separate pics, Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof and Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror.

"Quentin's movie goes out first in competition at Cannes. He'll do an extensive 4 to 5 month tour. And the trailer will be all Quentin's," Weinstein told me about his European plans. "Then we'll release Robert's a couple of months later. By splitting it up, we're going to do a hell of a lot better internationally than we did here." Weinstein noted that, even in Grindhouse's TV deal with Starz Entertainment Group, it's been sold as two separate movies.

"Our deal with Encore is that they can play it any way they want." So this is why The Weinstein Co. is now deciding to suck it up and do in this country what it probably should have done all along. "First of all, I'm incredibly disappointed. We tried to do something new and obviously we didn't do it that well," Harvey told me today. "It's just a question of how is it going to hang in there. But we could split the movies in a couple of weeks. Make Tarantino's a full-length film, and Rodrqiguez's too.

"We'll be adding those 'two missing reels' that's talked about in the movie." (At one point in Grindhouse, a sex scene is interrupted because of "two missing reels".)

Weinstein pointed to several reasons why Grindhouse did so poorly in theaters over Easter weekend. "Our research showed the length kept people away. It was 3 hours and 12 minutes long. We originally intended to get it all in in 2 hours, 30 minutes. That would have been a better time. But the movies ran longer, the [fake] trailers ran longer, everything ran longer," Harvey told me. Weinstein also criticized his own marketing plan. "We didn't educate the South or Midwest. In the West and the East, the movie played well. It played well in strong urban settings. But we missed the boat on the Midwest and the South."


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