Directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez team up in “Grindhouse” to create one of the most insane cinematic achievements in the history of film.
Directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez team up in “Grindhouse” to create one of the most insane cinematic achievements in the history of film.
“Grindhouse” is their homage to exploitation films of the 1970s and has many aspects of “slasher” flicks of the same era. By implementing hysterical faux-movie trailers at the beginning of the film and during intermission, these two revolutionary directors have brought old-school traditions back to the forefront of American cinema.
Tarantino and Rodriguez shared producing duties and combined two feature-length films into one double-bill in an effort to replicate the grindhouse theatergoing experience of past decades.
First came “Planet Terror,” which was Rodriguez’s attempt to make one of the most blatantly violent, yet astonishingly sympathetic zombie movies ever. It tells the story of a small town, infected by mutant creatures that wreck havoc among the uninfected, and their attempts to kill as many “sickos” as possible.
The plot is surprisingly character driven, with little discrepancy between the protagonist and the secondary characters. The closest you’ll find to a leading actor is Wray, who blows up a countless number of zombies and lives by the creed of never missing a shot. Played darkly by Freddy Rodriguez, Wray teams up with go-go dancer Cherry, played by Rose McGowan, and together they create a pseudo-love story that perfectly contrasts the violent undertone of the film.
After being attacked by the mutants, McGowan’s leg is torn from her body and in a purely endearing moment, Rodriquez creates a machine gun that attaches to her stump. The ensuing violence would be nothing short of overt, but what do you expect from the guy who directed “Sin City?”
Rather than having a definable climactic event, “Planet Terror” flows flawlessly from scene to scene, with no dull moments and an hour and a half of some of the most professionally directed scenes in recent memory.
After a short intermission, the second act, fittingly titled “Death Proof,” burst onto the screen. It tells the tale of the diabolical degenerate Stuntman Mike, played disturbingly well by Kurt Russell, and his infatuation with killing beautiful girls with his death proof car.
Following a round of debauchery and murder, Russell goes for round two and attempts to run a car full of girls off the road. The girls are played by Zoe Bell, a real-life stunt double who plays herself, the foul-mouthed Kim, played by Tracie Thomas and the timid Abernathy, played by Rosario Dawson.
Little does he know they’re stunt drivers with an equally destructive infatuation with death-defying car tricks. As he goes in for the kill he’s met with strong resistance from the trio, creating one of the longest and most innovative car chases in the history of cinema.
The end of the car chase has Russell’s death-mobile flipping multiple times, as the girls then pull Russell out of the car and beat the living hell out of him. Seeing three beautiful women wailing on his face brought a copious amount of satisfaction to the audience, and when the movie ended the crowd gave a thundering ovation.
“Grindhouse” is one of the most impressive movies ever made, even in light of its three and a half hour run time, it holds the audience’s attention for every second. Go see “Grindhouse” simply because everyone around the water cooler is going to be talking about it and you definitely don’t want to be “that guy.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Quincy Moore at quincy.moore@cucampuspress.com
