Grindhouse

October is here. And, as promised, I plan to use this month to clear out some of the old movie reviews I've got stored in my movable type account (or in my head). My plan is to keep the reviews somewhat Halloween themed, but that may not last long. I mean, I've seen a lot of sci-fi/horror movies over the past year, but some were so bad that I've already blocked them out of my mind.

Grindhouse, fortunately, is not one of those films.

Grindhouse (2007) directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez

Story: Grindhouse is actually two complete movies for the price of one. The first, Planet Terror, is a tongue-in-cheek zombie epic directed by Robert Rodriguez. The basic idea is that a virus escapes from a military base and starts turning the residents of the nearby town into flesh-eaters. However, a few determined individuals band together to fight back the horde of evil and keep hope alive for humanity. Planet Terror stars Bruce Willis, Rose McGowan, Marley Shelton, Josh Brolin, and a host of others. The second film is called Deathproof, and revolves around a former stuntman who uses his indestructable car to become a roadway serial killer. Kurt Russell plays "Stuntman Mike," with Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, Vanessa Ferlito, and Jordan Ladd as his intended victims.

Both films are feature-length, so you really are getting a lot of bang for your buck. And to add to the bounty, in between Planet Terror and Death Proof there were a handful of fictional trailers for movies you'll never actually see in theaters. These trailers--Machete, Werewolf Women of the SS, Don't, and Thanksgiving--were more entertaining than their full length versions ever could be. Each was directed by a successful horror movie maven (including Rob Zombie and Eli Roth), and each starred a random mix of bankable stars and B-movie legends (including Nic Cage, who could be put into either category). Overall, the running time for both movies along with the trailers was almost four hours!

The Good: I absolutely loved Grindhouse. This probably isn't very surprising to anyone who knows my tastes. I thought it was the best film (films?) I saw in 2007, on TV or in theaters. The cast was wonderful--an amazing mix of sexy women, accomplished action stars, cult heroes and secret guests--and all of them played their roles with an appropriate amount of attitude and cheese. Nothing in either film (or especially in the trailers in-between) was meant to be taken too seriously. And while many actors might take that as an excuse to mail in a performance, everyone in Grindhouse used it as freedom to create interesting, engaging characters. And while the plot of each film was intended to be lowbrow, the direction was so top notch that it made each film bigger and better than what it should have been. The jokes were genuinely funny, the shocks put you on the edge of your seat, and the action was perfect weekend popcorn fare.

The Bad: It's hard for me to pick on Grindhouse, as I found it an awesome moviegoing experience. Sitting in the theater, I felt like I'd found money on the ground. I mean, I was getting two full movies for six bucks (I was using discount coupons), and they were well-directed, action-packed movies. I would have to say the only negative things you could say about the experience are the following: 1) There's no good time to go pee, and four hours is way too long to hold it. 2) The experience really should be seen on a big screen and in one sitting. Buying and watching the DVDs separately won't give you the same effect. 3) Grindhouse was awesome, but only for people who like the sci fi/horror or B-movie/exploitation genres. There is ample gore, a bit of sex, and some really corny jokes and offbeat characters. My wife wouldn't have liked the film at all, and she wouldn't be alone. If you can't stand films about zombies or serial-killing stuntmen, the directorial and acting talent probably won't change your mind.

The Verdict: It's obvious that I loved this movie and would recommend it to any fans of the genre. My only concern is that I really don't think it will be the same on TV, even if you watch the two-disc set in one sitting. It was pretty cool getting both features back-to-back with the trailers in-between. And there are a few film effects the directors used that will only work in theaters. Of course, that shouldn't stop you from seeing the movie if you're interested. But you should at least see if it's playing in one of those dinner-and-a-movie places, where they show recent, but not current, Hollywood offerings.

Better yet, take a date to the drive-thru. I think Grindhouse would be the perfect Halloween drive-thru movie experience. I wonder if it's playing at the Starlite in Atlanta anytime soon...