Anyone go see Grindhouse this weekend?

[ThunderMace]

I did, and it was pretty damn good.
Anyone else?
Also I didn't know Sidney Poitier's daughter had such a fine, fine booty.

[The Icy One]

Going to see it at some point, but work has been a pain lately.

[Kinetix]

Seeing it in 2 hours. I'm a huge Tarantino fan and can't wait.

[Moon Jump]

Yep, my friend and I went to visit the Grindhouse on Friday and we had an awesome time. I think Thanksgiving was my favorite! :lol:

Out of the two main films I liked Planet Terror more then Death Proof. It was a great over the top zombie movie chock full of gore and action.

While I loved the action parts in Death Proof (Some of the best car chases I've seen in a movie) I thought the ENDLESS amounts of talking bored me to tears. I know Tarantino is known for his long bits of dialog and speeches but I just didn't care what any of them had to say, I just wanted to see Kurt some more.

Over all it's a great time for the three hours and a tip for all of you that go to visit the Grindhouse. If you have to pee in the middle of the movie, wait till the START of Death Proof. All your going to miss is talking, I got up and almost missed the Thanksgiving trailer which I thought was one of the best.

And if you saw the movie in AMERICA you missed out on an extra trailer that our friends in Canada got, Hobo with a Shotgun. But thankfully they posted it up on the magical YouTube.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LlazPgxKrA

[Vendel]

Moves to the correct forum.


BTW I want to see this badly.

[The Havoks]

Haven't got around to it yet, but it's on the top of the list of "movies to see".

[sheld0n]

I just came from the theatre and omg. It's freakin' orgazmic. Both movies are. Each one is a bit different flavour but I find they're equally awesome. I actually heard other people say the same thing as MJ and I expected to be bored for the first half of Death Proof, but I really wasn't. Instead, I found that the beginning built up to the car chase very nicely, plus it was pleasant to look at visually, and I'm not talking only about the scantly clad ladies. After all, great cinematography is also something that Tarantino is famous for.

As I was leaving the cinema, I realized that while other people make these kind of movies because they can't live up to regular movie standards, Rodriguez and Tarantino make them because when they do it, their movies end up way above those standards.
It's almost like the Dada movement in art.

As a side note, I think Grindhouse will only appeal to people with very bad taste and to people with very good taste. Either way, it's definitely a remarkable work.

[Kinetix]

Just got back too and thought it was great. It really encouraged audience participation. Everyone was laughing, joking and clapping along the whole time.

It didn't seem too long. It felt like an experience, not just some other shetty templated movie. I got sick of the girl chatter in Death Proof. It went on for ENTIRELY too long. I was like "What the feck is this movie? I hope this is just a joke trailer or something." It degraded the second movie...a lot.

The last scene was just marvelous though, and Kurt Russel did great. Zoe's high-speed hood-stunt looked hard and really well done.

[Solario]

It's not out here, but it seems like the general consent is that Rodrigeuz took all the good stuff from the Grindhouse genre and expanded on it, reveling in the nostalgia factor and looking back on it through rosy colored glasses, while Tarantino slaved to make Death Proof as if it had actually been made in the 70's. Also the whole girl chatter has been largely decried as going nowhere and not really adding anything to the movie. I think Tarantino should really learn to restrain himself sometimes for the betterment of his movies.

Can't wait to see it though.

[Poison]

After all, I don't think I'll go to see them. The movies are screening separately outside the US, Planet Terror screening sometime this month and Death Proof screening in 6 months. The excuse for this was that people outside the US don't really know what a grindhouse movie is anyway, I just call it money robbing.

[WingedAvenger]

Looks like "Grindhouse" underperformed quite badly this weekend, coming in fourth (http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/08/boxoffice.ap/index.html) behind "Blades of Glory", "Meet the Robinsons", and "Are We Done Yet?".

Ouch. O_o

[sheld0n]

Well hey, what kind of a sick bastard would watch that kind of stuff on Easter?

[Kinetix]

It's not out here, but it seems like the general consent is that Rodrigeuz took all the good stuff from the Grindhouse genre and expanded on it, reveling in the nostalgia factor and looking back on it through rosy colored glasses, while Tarantino slaved to make Death Proof as if it had actually been made in the 70's. Also the whole girl chatter has been largely decried as going nowhere and not really adding anything to the movie. I think Tarantino should really learn to restrain himself sometimes for the betterment of his movies.

Can't wait to see it though.

It seemed like Tarantino was trying too hard to make a Tarantino-esque movie, instead of doing what was natural. A lot of his movie was character development, with little film left to use the information we grabbed.

[Solario]

Well hey, what kind of a sick bastard would watch that kind of stuff on Easter?

I agree. We're much better of watching something lowkey and non-violent like The Passion of the Christ.

;)

[Malibu Sally]

I agree. We're much better of watching something lowkey and non-violent like The Passion of the Christ.

;)
You're right! And we should all wear Virtue Perfume too! :lol:

[Moon Jump]

Thanksgiving...

White meat, dark meat. All will be carved. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbSKnL4WFJM)
NSFW!

:lol:

[Blue Bolt]

It seemed like Tarantino was trying too hard to make a Tarantino-esque movie, instead of doing what was natural. A lot of his movie was character development, with little film left to use the information we grabbed.


Exactly. For example, wtf was all the text messaging leading up to?? O_o

[sheld0n]

You were supposed to build an emotional connection with the girls so that what happens later would be more shocking. I think the text messaging was very effective in that respect. Still, I do think it should have been done differently, since the whole cellphone thing reminded me that it's not a movie from the 70ies.

[Kinetix]

Exactly. For example, wtf was all the text messaging leading up to?? O_o

I forgot about that. What the feck?

I didn't like the use of cell phones and generally don't in movies.

[sheld0n]

I'll agree with you there, Kin. I've recently been surprised by how often they appear in movies and the importance that they've started garnering, especially in works like the Departed. Even though it's a reality I think we'll have to get used to, I think their presence in movies can be distracting.

[Seadevil]

Just saw it. Planet Terror was fun, first part of Death Proof + girl round-table talk sucked. The last part of Death Proof was fun as hell though, only because of the girls chasing and trying to kick the crap out of Kurt Russell for half an hour or so.

[Kinetix]

Here's a review that I felt was very good.


Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have teamed together again. This time to bring us the ultimate movie experience with Grindhouse, a throw back to the dilapidated run down theaters that would show double features of poorly made films featuring sex, violence, and gore that were too intense for the mainstream audiences. Like most of the 18 to 30-year-old target audience, I’m too young to have experienced the true Grindhouses of that era. I have watched a fair share of these films on DVD, but the closest I’ve come to the actual theater experience is probably dollar theaters or midnight screenings of Rocky Horror. I’m sure it’s not even close to being the same thing, but I’m happy to say my young years and inexperience with the genre had no affect on my pure enjoyment of the movie. The two directors have managed to put together an exhilarating and outrageous, unique night at the movies

The first installment, Planet Terror from Rodriguez, is damn near perfect. I loved it from start to finish and was only upset with it when I thought it was closing in on an ending. Thankfully this story about the survivors of an airborne zombie infection goes on for the appropriate more than satisfying amount of time. When I say that it’s "damn near perfect" you have to remember that because of the nature of the kind of movie experience they're trying to create, things like plot holes and bad acting only make the movie better. Had some over-the-top line deliveries or fuzzy 911 back-story been part of a "real" movie, Planet Terror would not have hit the same note. But because its part of the Grindhouse, I openly welcome machine gun legs, syringe launchers and the next generations Snake Plissken bucking down zombies while riding a mini bike. It actually makes the movie better.

Freddy Rodriguez who stars in Planet Terror as the mysterious Wray is truly the B-movie action star that young movie fans have been waiting for. So much so that I’m secretly hoping for a prequel for the character that sheds a little light on how he became the badass sharpshooter he is today. If Rodriguez weren’t teasing us with the possibility of a full-length movie for one of the four fake trailers featured in Grindhouse, Machete, I would want him to focus the great momentum he’s got going on another Wray project. But Danny Trejo hurling knives at people and telling them, “They messed with the wrong ****ing Mexican.” Is a very welcome alternative.

Actually if all I ever get for any of the characters in Planet Terror is this non-stop gorefest, I can die a content man. Robert Rodriguez has delivered a true event that is distinctive and refreshing in comparison to not only his past work but also to traditional Grindhouse movies as well. If those movies had been nearly this entertaining they would have become mainstream.

When it comes time for Tarantino to do his thing I’m a little less enthusiastic about the final result, a movie about a road raging madman that sets his sites on two groups of beautiful young women in Death Proof. It’s not really fair to compare it to Planet Terror, a film that borderline spoofs Grindhouse movies where as Death Proof tries to create a new experience inspired by those films. It's more of a character movie but less of a complete story from start to finish than Rodriguez’ half. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing necessarily. Death Proof is disjointed and incomplete but that lends itself very well to the Grindhouse atmosphere. And part of me expected this deep characterization from Tarantino’s script, but as it is - you're waiting for the car. You're waiting for Russell. And all the hot girls in the world talking candidly about sex, muscle cars, and old movies in Tarantino wip-smart speak isn't going to cover up the fact that you've been sitting in a theater for an hour and 45 minutes, and it just doesn't deliver.

Without being part of the Grindhouse I don't think Death Proof holds its own as a complete movie experience. It doesn’t have the traditional beginning middle and end you’d expect from a normal story. It has plenty of great things going on, but after all that time in the theater, it's damn near impossible to sit through without wondering when they're going to get to it. And I counted 7 people that decided walking out was more important than waiting around to find out what a maniac and his car were going to do next. I heard a rumor this morning that Tarantino is looking to add footage to Death Proof to submit to Cannes later this spring. Could be pretty cool, but if what’s in Grindhouse is trimmed and to the point, I don’t know if I want to see something that’s more fleshed out.

For me the most disappointing thing about Death Proof is not the waiting game, but how they built up a character only to knock him down. (Mild spoilers ahead.) In the first half of this segment, Kurt Russell’s character Stuntman Mike is established as an evil badass in every sense of the word. What he does to those 5 girls is sick and twisted and an iconic character is created the second he flips those headlights on.

In part two Stuntman Mike becomes a weepy bitch when the tables are turned on him. Like a bully that gets a taste of his own medicine we see this potentially great, legendary movie villain erased before our eyes as girl power wins out. To be fair, the audience ate it up. Cheering and applauding as Russell has his break down and the girls show him what true terror is. And I applauded right along with them. It was entertaining and funny, but in the back of my head I knew that this was the beginning and end of a character that could have been recognized for years as one our greatest heavies ever. Grand opening, grand closing. Down goes Stuntman Mike.

It just hurts after the similar characters Tarantino created in Mr. Blonde or Vincent Vega who managed to get taken out with a little dignity. Ok, Vincent hit the floor before his toilet completely flushed, but he was still a badass ************.

The truth is I would love to see Death Proof with fresh eyes. I think the benefit of seeing it without having already been in the theater so long will really make the good qualities of this half of the film pop out. I think I’d even be able to appreciate the full arc of Stuntman Mike for what it is instead of what I would’ve liked it to be.

For everything it doesn’t deliver, Death Proof does offer plenty of great things to behold. Besides the extended car chases and gruesomely disturbing crash, Tarantino has assembled a gorgeous and hysterical list of ladies to speak his words. Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead Sydney Tamiia Poitier, and Zoe Bell, as herself, give Russell (and the rest of us) something to admire and fixate on.

Bell won the role after playing Uma Thurman’s stunt double in Kill Bill where Tarantino thought her personality would translate well to screen. The extra added bonus is that she can do her own stunts, so every second of the car chase, you can tell it’s her strapped to the hood. There’s something to be said for being able to see your lead actresses face, the speeding ground below her, and ever angle of the car that insures you there’s no tricks. No magic. Just a woman clinging to life. So with all the waiting, we’re not walking away completely empty handed.

There’s so much awesome going on from start to finish in Grindhouse that by the time you leave the theater you won’t be able to process it all. You’ll forget that Naveen Andrews’ character collected the trestles of his victims in a glass jar of formaldehyde. A character trait so uncanny that it would standout like a sore thumb in any other movie, but gets buried under the machinegun legs, Bruce Willis hand signals, tongue explosions, foot fetishes, car stunts, and full circle beat downs that could only happen… at the Grindhouse!

[Moon Jump]

It's funny, because I keep reading more and more people's reactions to the movies on the message boards. I've heard many people walked out on Death Proof. I couldn't tell in my theater if they were going to use the rest room, or if they were leaving for good.

But I agree now that you mention it that the text messaging added NOTHING because you never met the character she was talking too!

I know that Tarantino uses a lot of dialog and speeches (Kill Bill v2...) but those two parts with the non stop talking did nothing. All you needed to know from the first batch of girls was one was a DJ and put a bet out on her friend and the other group were people who worked in the movies and the one girl wanted to buy the car from her favorite movie. DONE.

[sheld0n]

That is a good review. I especially agree with this part:

The truth is I would love to see Death Proof with fresh eyes. I think the benefit of seeing it without having already been in the theater so long will really make the good qualities of this half of the film pop out.

I was actually going to write something like that myself. I mean, after having seen a movie as fast-paced as Planet Terror, it's normal that Death Proof may seem a bit slow.
The first one was an adrenaline rush from start to finish, so nobody expected to get a chance to take a breather, but wham, there it is. I guess it can be disappointing, but it doesn't mean the movie is actually boring, it's just that whole relativity thing.

Hey, maybe the Europeans are lucky after all...

edit:
MJ. Watch the Psycho by Hitchc0ck and we can talk.

edit2:
lol @ profanity filter

[WingedAvenger]

Well it took me long enough, but I finally saw "Grindhouse".

Both movies are just, well, just okay. Both are mostly cool with minor problems that differ from one another. Both movies left me with indelible reminders of just who Rodriguez and Tarantino really are: talented, maverick filmmakers that fall just short of the mark (this time).

First things first. The three reasons to see "Grindhouse" are 1) Kurt Russell, 2) Freddy Rodriguez, and 3) "Thanksgiving". There you have it. These three things were the highlights of all highlights in a movie experience such as this. These three things are what will stay with you long after you've left the theater.

It's hard to say which movie is better, as the styles are vastly different. "Planet Terror" does a better job at telling a more complete story, never mind the fact that it's bogged down with too many characters. This flick is crazy, disgusting, and drips with as much machismo as Robert Rodriguez could squeeze into it.

"Death Proof" takes itself much more seriously. It's slower, but not unwatchable. I really wished they would have done more with it though. Tarantino has this incredible gift for writing juicy dialogue for veteran actors, and Russell does good with that he's given. But I would have preferred if he had been given more. He needed more to say. He needed more to kill. And at no point do they ever explain why he does the things he does. Like that earlier review said, Stuntman Mike could have been a great iconic villain, but he just isn't given enough.

After it was all over, I kept thinking about the possibility of each of these films standing alone, and as they are, I don't think they would have. Each movie feels like perhaps they had some substantial extra material ready to go that got cut because they needed to keep the running time down to a brisk three hours. Both movies feel like they wouldn't survive without the Grindhouse gimmick to lean on. As frustrating as that seems, as a movie fan I cannot tell you how much it still filled me with joy when that second movie started to roll, because these guys did something that's just not done anymore: the double feature. Two movies for the price of one is hard to beat.

That being said, this double feature is in my opinion best experienced in a packed movie house. I probably would have enjoyed this less if I had seen it for the first time on DVD in my living room.

As for the trailers, "Werewolf Women of the SS" and "Don't" were pretty forgettable, but "Machete" and "Thanksgiving" were great, especially "Thanksgiving"!

Overall I give"Grindhouse" a thumbs up, but I still walk away with regrets that it wasn't better.

[Poison]

I want to see the Machete movie made by Rodriguez. That'd be one hell of a ride.
Away from that, Grindhouse was meh to okay, Planet Terror being the far more entertaining one of the two.

[Kinetix]

Werewolf Women of the SS was my favorite. Just for Nick Cage laughing maniacally for no reason, as a character that makes no sense in the setting.

Kurt Russel did reeeally great btw. I loved his parts.