Film Review: Grindhouse (2007) B-

Dated Viewed: 10/27/07
Venue: DVD

Grindhouse is certainly a unique creation. Directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have crafted an homage to cheap exploitation B-movies of the 70s and 80s that were shown in dingy theaters called, of all things, grindhouses. Comprised as a double-feature, Grindhouse contains two seperate films; Rodrigeuz's zombie flick Planet Terror, and Tarantino's automotive thriller Death-Proof. Surrounding both films are hilariously tongue-in-cheek fake trailers for other grindhouse-type films, which when coupled with lots of fake film damage (and even a 'missing reel' in Planet Terror) make the whole experience quite authentic.

Now as for the films themselves, Planet Terror works far better Death-Proof does, perhaps because Tarantino is a little too love with dialog. Whereas Terror deals with military zombies infesting and wreaking havoc in Texas, Death-Proof is an episodic look at the young female victims of a serial killer (a serial killer who uses a 'death-proofed' stunt car to kill). Planet Terror has plenty of gunplay, gore, and a first-rate B-movie cast (Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Freddy Rodriguez, Rose McGowan...need I go on?); Death-Proof has talking...lots and lots of typical Tarantino dialog. Rambling, seven minute conversations and the like. Now there's no questioning Quentin's skill with the spoken word, but generally his films have a story worthy of his characters' diatribes. Death-Proof? A self-admittedly stab at B-movie filmaking...not so much.

In all, Grindhouse is an admirable exercise and love-letter to the exploitation film, but it's little more than that. Planet Terror succeeds with lots of zombies, plenty of gore, a nifty cast, and some incredibly silly action. Death-Proof, despite some fine stunt work during its two car chases, is over-written and bloated to the point where it stops being fun and starts being a bore. And if there's one thing an exploitation film should never be....it's boring.