Have you seen Grindhouse and if so, what are your thoughts on the film. I would really like to hear opinions.

Answer 1

Saw a sneak of it in Miami before it opened with nothing but hardcore fans. Nielson Co. was there handing out questionaires asking- which did we like better, and how many QT and RR films have you seen/own on DVD. It was a blast. Everyone loved Planet Terror, which far exceeded my expectations, as well as Death Proof, which had the whole theater applauding at the final freeze frame.

The word "experience" has been used a lot when people talk about this film -but that's exactly what it is a completely unique re-creation of the "42nd street" grind house experience.
To split the films, as they did in foreign markets, and plan to do for the DVD(s) here, (at least for a while), is to completely ruin that experience.
And yes- I cannot fathom why it had to struggle to (not) make it's money back, when every cheesy piece of gore/unscary horror crap doubles or triples theirs and get a sequel or two.
The two directors fans alone should have generated enough to make this movie a little bit of cash. Very sad state of affairs, as someone pointed out, when Ice Cube (co-founder of the 1st gangsta rap group EVER) is making money from a terrible sequel/remake to an equally terrible kiddie film, and Wild Hogs cashes in to the tune of 500 mil (before DVD)!

One last thing as to the overwhelming venom against Death Proof. I think everyone is really starting to lose their attention spans. Yes, QT may be getting a little too impressed with his dialogue (for the first time), as the conversations between the two sets of girls wasn't up to RD, PF, KB, or even Jackie Brown standards. But it was still masterful, and the long parts only serve the stories action and climax.

Secondly, Planet Terror was a blast. It was silly gory nonstop fun, and I loved the characters (Love that Cherry!). But for all it's extra scratches and missing reels - it was a lot more like an early 80's B-horror tribute, the kinds of things you could see on cable or rent circa 85-87 before BLOCKBUSTER made themselves a monopoly, bumping out mom and pop vid shops for good.
Death Proof was, in my estimation (old-timer that I am), much closer to what the real grind house movies were actually like. They featured posters that boasted scantily clad women and bloody terror as never before seen - but never really delivered this. The whole film had a slow 70's feel to it -the way the girls looked -average, unknown actresses, and the long dialogue that wasn't so interesting, saving what little money they had in the budget to pull off maybe 15-20 minutes of real thrills (often with cars and real stunts - no CG).

So,even though at my 1st out of four screenings of the film- I sat, survey in hand, pondering -even telling the lady collecting them that "Which did you like better?" was not a fair question.
I will say Death Proof was more "Grind House" while PT may have been more fun. The point is, all together, from "MACHETE", to the faux commercials and cheeesy psychedelic musical interludes, it is a total experience that shouldn't be missed (by the right type of viewer).

I don't think I've had that much FUN at the movies since - well...Pulp Fiction

Answer 2

...it was a rather enjoyable, abeit surreal viewing experience...or expeiences, should I say, as I had to see the film three times, over the space of a week, to actually take it all in!!!

Reason being, I have partaken in many double & triple grindhouse features in seedy & decrepit theaters found in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and San Diego, during the late '70's & early '80's timeframe. I distinctly recall the stale urine smell in the theatre (or the nasal-caustic cleanser used to cover up the smell)...the torn & mildewed curtains...the food-and-liquid-stained screen...the sticky floor...the less-than-minimal legroom...the stale popcorm...the warm, flat soda; but it was part of the filthy, adventurous charm of the experience, and despite all of that, these theatres were STILL the only places to catch some of the seediest, grimiest and trashiest films ever set to celluloid (My personal favorite was a trashy, back-to-back viewing of the extremely graphic and disturbing "Don't Go in the House", and the slutty, sweaty, conscience-less, 'holy-grail' of women-in-prison flicks, "Chained Heat")

Hence, watching "Grindhouse", a non-stop-shocking and riotous, right-on-target homage to those one-of-a-kind films, in a clean-theatre & fresh-food environment was quite surreal, in the overall experience.

Director Robert Rodriguez' "Planet Terror" was a most outstanding piece of gloriously trashy & gory horror cinema, which would truly not look out of place, if the film was taken back in time, and shown in the heyday of the '70's & '80's grindhouses; the faux scratches, video/audio jumps cuts and missing reels only served to gleefully amplify the simulated sense that the film had been made extremely decrepit and worn, having been toted across country, and played countless times, as the original grindhouse-type films were (the people who saw the orignal films, at the beginning of their being toured 'cross' country, were the lucky ones; they saw the stuff 'clean'!!!)...

The trailers preceeding, and sandwiched between the feature films, were uproarously satisfying, and served to prove that sometimes, the trailers are better than the feature films, themselves; two of these muddied & unpolished gems, in fact, would make great full-length features, should anyone decided to take up the task (according to Rodriguez, tons of extra footage he filmed for his trailer, which was edited down for the actual trailer presentation, is still viable for the making of a full-length feature)...

My only beef with "Grindhouse", is that Quentin Tarantino's submission, entitled "Death Proof", was definately not in the spirit of the intended grindhouse fervor; a most poignant and dynamic film, it is nonetheless, a considerably more talky entry, and plays much more like a drive-in theater type of film, rather than a grindhouse type. It is probaby Tarantino's most adolescent production to date...done in the vein of a classic cult motorhead road picture, with emphasis on girls and cars. That's not to say, however, that it's NOT an excellent film....Far from it, in fact!! His trademark acidic, snappy, pop-culture dialogue is unmistakeable, and once again, he manages to take a most familiar cult genre, turn it on it's ear, and make it his own.

Despite Tarantino having somewhat 'cheated' us, regarding the true spirit of "Grindhouse", I would have STILL liked to have see him submit his own faux grindhouse trailer, which was curiously non-existant here (...heck, if Robert could do one, why couldn't he???).

Overall, the double feature presentation of "Grindhouse" is absolutely the only way to expereince the viewing; overseas, in Europe and Asia, where the grindhouse theater experience has apparently never been heard of, "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof" have been reportedly released separately, without the scratches and jump cuts, and with the 'missing reels' reinserted.

In September and October, both films will be released separately on DVD (two-disc special editions, no less!), using these international cuts; the eventual release of the double-feature presentation of "Grindhouse", as seen in the theaters, here in the States is still pending.....least be known, we might just have to maintain some patience, as it seems that the folks over at the Weinstein Company may be doing the same thing with "Grindhouse", as they did with "Kill Bill".....as in making us wait for just a tad, for the special edition (...by the way, the special edition of "Kill Bill Parts 1 & 2", edited together in is original epic version, and with extra footage, is finally coming out in November, and called "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair").

...stay tuned!!!

Answer 3

I actually thought the second one was better, hmm

Well I think its a good movie if you go in with the mindset of not taking it serious, the movie knows its bad, it knows its cheesy, its the experience of watching it that makes it fun. Its a tongue and cheek parody of years gone by and how films used to be.

take it with a grain of salt and its well worth it.

Answer 4

Loved it. One of the most enjoyable moviegoing experiences I have ever had.

Answer 5

it was like two movies in one. The first one was very good since I love zombie movies and the second was so stupid and so boring.