by Thomas Ferguson

Welcome to the Grindhouse! Check your coat at the door and grab a tarp to cover yourself. Blood and gore fills the screen in the latest shock films from acclaimed writer/ directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. The 1970’s were famous for loud clothes, big hair, and Grindhouse films. These movies were shockingly bad. They were full of sex, violence, and bad writing. Rodriguez and Tarantino were fans of these films and are offering homage to them in a double feature spectacle.

The first half is Rodriguez’s Planet Terror. It’s a horromedy (horror/comedy- I just made that up), about a bio chemical disaster in a small Texas town. The military wants to keep it a secret, but of course, they don’t. People are exposed to this hazardous gas and are turned into flesh dripping flesh eaters - say that five times fast. The survivors of the initial attacks must fight for their lives or fall prey to the most horrific death.

A ban of renegades, headed by lovers El Wray( Freddy Rodriguez) and Cherry Darling(Rose McGowan), fight like there is no tomorrow. If they stop, there won’t be. Helping them are a colorful cast of characters including; Dakota (Marley Shelton), who is also running from her demented husband Dr. Block (Josh Brolin), J.T. (Jeff Fahey), the local BBQ chef, and Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn). The cast is rounded out by cameos from Lost’s Naveen Andrews, Stacy Ferguson (Fergie), Quentin Tarantino, and Bruce Willis.

The second feature is Tarantino’s high octane Death Proof. This is more of an action filled roller coaster ride with a side of gore. In this feature, Kurt Russell plays, Stuntman Mike, a loner who stalks young women with his stunt car, which is…death proof, at least for him. At the beginning, unsuspecting party girls; Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito), Shanna (Jordan Ladd), Pam (Rose McGowan) and Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier- yes, you know her father) are doing what they do best. Stuntman Mike drives into town and shows off his scar and his car. He gives these ladies a ride they won’t forget.

He also shows his driving skills to a group of stunt women, who actually give him a ride he’ll never forget. Abernathy (Rosario Dawson), Kim (Tracie Thoms), Zoë (Real life stuntwoman Zoë Bell), and Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) show that stunt driving and ass kicking is an equal opportunity thing.

This was a movie going experience I’ll never forget. I was just a kid when these grind house theaters were around, but seeing this new movie gave me a true since of how it really was back then. They incorporated coming attractions (which were absolutely hysterical) and cheesy animation that introduced each film. The films and previews looked grainy and had scratches throughout. There were missing reels (intentional) and fake announcements from theater management. It was genius! The two features were good in very different ways. Planet Terror was the funniest and goriest thing I’ve seen in quite sometime. From the gross out special effects to Cherry Darling’s machine gun leg, I was in cheesy movie heaven!

Death Proof was slow to get started, but once it finally kicked into gear, it was all systems go. There was less gore, but there were a couple explosive scenes that shocked and repulsed. This portion of the movie didn’t truly shine until the end. The final scene will have you cheering. Unfortunately, you have to sit for three long hours to get to this climatic scene. It was long, but overall, Grindhouse was extremely entertaining. Not for the squeamish, but one that really needs to be seen on the big screen.