Grindhouse (2007) - 6 and 7.5

Last night I went out and saw Grindhouse at Brew and View (which is the Vic Theatre's alter-ego as they call it) and it is always an interesting experience watching a movie there because of the bar and the great German red beer that they serve. In fact it is perfect (and perhaps the only right) setting for a movie like Grindhouse. I have seen Kill Bill (both volumes) there before, which are also movies that are perfectly suited to the Brew and View experience.

Grindhouse is actually the pet project of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. They grew up watching and loving grindhouse movies and decided that it was time that they made their own exploitation film. And exploit they do. Grindhouse has everything as listed in wikipedia except forbidden sex.

Rodriguez writes and directs the segment called Planet Terror, it is gruesome, gross, despicable and filthy to say the least. But if you are as seasoned a movie-goer as I, it is also extremely funny. I will not say much more about this (perhaps revisit this entry sometime in the future) except to say that there are a few cameos by none other than Bruce Willis and Tarantino himself, and also that there is an extremely well-placed missing reel.

Tarantino writes and directs Deathproof. He is also in charge of Cinematography. Tarantino once again proves why he is so good, because he makes an exploitation film but elevates it to Tarantinoesque levels (some might argue that Tarantino has only made exploitation films but those are not the right people that one should hang out with). This is a movie (or segment) that I will watch again and again. It has a car chase, a car crash (shown from three different angles, one after another), some fantastic surprises, beautiful women, signature soundtrack (the film's musical theme which runs through both segments as a unifier is also very good and we are treated to several different treatments of the seen) and Tarantino dialogue, need I say more. The action sequences are so good that it is in effect exhilarating to watch. There is also the mandatory Reservoir Dogs style setup conversation at a diner and the missing reel of the first segment makes a return at a crucial juncture. For certain International audiences who are going to have the benefit of a separate release of each segment, I recommend Deathproof but not the first.

There are also short segments, fake trailers of other grindhouse movies such as Machete, Werewolf Women of the S.S. , Don't and Thanksgiving which are also pretty gruesome and funny.

Planet Terror gets 6, because it was too long and I looked at my watch at least twice. Deathproof gets 7.5 out of 10, for making me want more at the end, it loses points because this is needless self-indulgence by a very good director. It is time Tarantino moved on to greater things not worse.

The film is rated R, because thematically it has nothing of concern for teenagers I suppose, just severed heads and rotting scrotums, not too much. Certainly, this film (especially the first sequence) is not for the cultured, the well-preserved and the uninitiated.