Product Description

(Horror) A fun zombie film that busts at the seams with gross special effects, amazing action, and deliciously over-the-top moments, as gun-legged Cherry Darling and one man wrecking crew El Wray try to save the world from a horde of flesh-eating zombies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2812 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP (MUSIC)
• Released on: 2007-10-16
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
Loud, fast, and proudly out of control, Grindhouse is a tribute to the low-budget exploitation movies that lurked at drive-ins and inner city theaters in the '60s and early '70s. Writers/directors Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) cooked up this three-hour double feature as a way to pay homage to these films, and the end result manages to evoke the down-and-dirty vibe of the original films for an audience that may be too young to remember them. Rodriguez's Planet Terror is a rollicking horror/sci-fi/action piece about a plague outbreak that turns citizens into cannibalistic murderers; it's heavy on the gore and explosions but also features a terrific cast of A players (Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Marley Shelton) and B-movie vets (Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Tom Savini) and the indelible image of Rose McGowan as a stripper whose torn-off leg is replaced by a high-powered machine gun.

If Tarantino's feature was a nod to the moody, genre-jumping exploitation of the early '70s, Rodriguez's contribution to the Grindhouse aesthetic pays tribute to the manic gorefests from Italy and the States in the early '80s. And much like the film itself, the supplemental features on Terror's double-disc Extended and Unrated presentation have a loose, action-packed and familial vibe that gives fans full access to Rodriguez's one-man-studio approach to moviemaking. The director is featured twice on audio tracks: first, on the feature commentary, which provides a fun tour through the picture's production (as well as information on the upcoming Grindhouse DVD set, which will reunite the two pictures in their theatrical format), and later on the "10-Minute Film School," a fascinating breakneck run through the numerous visual and CGI effects that produced the film's most eye-popping effects, including McGowan's leg/machine gun. Most of the extras echo Rodriguez's informative and entertaining vibe--two featurettes cover the picture's male and female cast (the former offers affectionate tributes to the exploitation vets in the company, including Biehn, Fahey, Michael Parks, and Savini), while "Casting Rebel" is an amusing discussion of how Rodriguez came to bring his own son into the movie, as well as his refusal to disclose the fate of Rebel's character. "Sickos, Bullets, and Explosions" takes a look at Terror's extensive special effects through interviews with stunt coordinator Jeff Dashnaw and members of the visual effects team, while "The Friend, The Doctor, and The Real Estate Agent" chats with three non-actors, all pals of Rodriguez, who wound up with small but significant roles in the picture. The Extended and Unrated aspect of the set is limited to a few extended scenes and extra splatter (sorry, the infamous "Missing Reel" is not recovered for this set), while Grindhouse fans bemoaning the absence of the film's hilarious faux trailers will appreciate the inclusion of Rodriguez's hilarious Machete spot, with Danny Trejo as a death-dealing, lady-loving tough guy gunning for double-crosser Fahey. The set also includes an "Audience Reaction" track: Essentially, it's a whole track of whoops and hollers that allows the viewer to "experience" the film as if they were watching it in an actual grindhouse from back in the day. Its inclusion neither adds to or detracts from enjoying this DVD, but it's wholly indicative of the level of fun Rodriguez had making the picture--and wants to share with his fans. -- Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews

"Two against the world, baby!"
First, a word about this childish boycott. "Grindhouse" gave us two brilliant genre films for the price of one in the theaters. It was a once in a lifetime experience for most of us and a chance to see the two most bada$* directors in Hollywood give us 3+ hours of hardcore horror entertainment including the funniest faux-trailers your likely to ever see. And it bombed. Big time. Why? Because lazy America said it'd wait for the DVD because the film was too long and lost the chance to support a truly brilliant idea and show that we are sick and tired of cardboard cutout PG-13 teen horror and bad remakes of beloved cult classics. They went to see "Disturbia" instead. "Grindhouse" was what true horror fans -hell, what all true film fanatics- have been dying for and shame on all of you who missed it. So the studio took a loss for taking a chance on this idea and as a result, they've split the two films up with extra scenes that were cut for time and are giving us these two films as we haven't yet seen them, each in double-dic editions packed with extras. Awesome, right? Weeeeeellllll, now the same whiners who stiffed the films in the theaters are angry they missed out and want both films on one DVD (as if there'd even be room) for a discount price. Sorry, but it don't work that way. The theatrical cut was packaged as just that, an experience for the theaters simulating the double-feature drive-in days of old. Even if that experience would translate to DVD, why would the company re-release it in a form that already failed miserably? The bottom line is this: we now have another chance to show that THIS is what we as horror fans want to see and the only way to do that is to buy these great-looking DVDs. The notion that making the films bomb yet again on DVD is going to lead to some super-duper deluxe theatrical edition must have been conceived in the mind of a five year old on crack. If we don't support these editions, these films will die and the studio will waste no more money on this failed project or any like it in the future. This is basic business sense. Support true horror and boycott crappy remakes and bloated sequels *cough*Spiderman3*cough* instead.

"Planet Terror" as you already know, was Robert Rodriguez's half of "Grindhouse" and while it's artistically inferior to it's sister film (Tarantino's "Death Proof"), Rodriguez brings the campy action, hardcore gore, and zombie awesomeness hard and fast like you know he can. The music, as always, rocks and grooves, the deaths will make you laugh and recoil in disgust, and Rose McGowan may well be the sexiest thing on the planet. The story is nonsense, of course, and the dialogue is hammy and shooting a grenade launcher directly into the ground will NOT launch you into the air (not in one piece, anyway) like a superhero, but this film is of the kind where this sort of unreal madness only makes you love it more and leaves you drunk and giddy with the chaos. It's silly, but you will love it. Much of "Planet Terror" makes me feel like I'm watching the most kicka$# video game ever made; a game I'd really love to play.

The movie is packed with recurring jokes and funny, memorable dialogue (much of which is based on Rose McGownan's real personality) that pays off in spades down the line. Rodriguez did not skimp on the cast, either. Sure, he cast most of his family plus his doctor and even his freakin' real-estate agent, but they are all fantastic. Bruce Willis chews the scenery, Freddy Rodriguez is THE zombie-killing machine, Quentin Tarantino plays "rapist #1", and you know it's a true undead party when Tom Savini hits the scene. Also, Fergie plays a lesbian who gets her brain eaten by the marauding undead. Yes, I know if this was realistic the scene would have played out like the Simpsons episode where the zombies moan "braaaaaainsss" as they feel her head and then, finding none, leave the so-vapid-she's-sexy pop tart to ponder her 15 minutes of fame; but like I was saying, this is not a realistic movie and any dead Black-eyed Peas member is a good one.

If anyone knows how to do extras right, it's Robert Rodriguez. You've got the standard commentary, plus the audience reaction track from the film's premiere (a personal favorite), his patented "10 minute film school", and yes, the "Machette" trailer still precedes the film. Sweet. The rest of the bonus features largely mirror the "Death Proof" DVD with lots of love for the cast and stuntpeople; very informative and very entertaining. I was actually hoping for more restored footage to the actual movie then we get (more crazy babysitter twins, anyone?) and the visual defects and missing reel -which was fun in the theater- are still there and not nearly as cute, but these are my only gripes. I could seriously write for days about all the things I love about this movie, but I'll just say one more thing before wrapping up: I sure could go for some barbeque.

"Planet Terror" brings some seriously awesome action-horror that delivers everything you want in a zombie film and you'd be a fool to pass on it just because you don't get a whole other movie free. Buy it, buy "Death Proof", and then go wave your copies at the moron down the street who's boycotting.

Spectacular
The best part of Grindhouse (besides the fake trailers) was Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, which is now on DVD nearly a month after Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof was released. Though the Weinstein Company sadly decided to split the films for home video release (besides Machete, the fake trailers aren't here), the pair's Grindhouse films are an experience to say the least. Planet Terror revolves around Go-Go dancer Cherry (Rose McGowan) and her ex-flame El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) who are caught in the middle of an undead outbreak. As survivors gather together, the military steps in with their own intentions, and thus let the blood bath begin. What really makes Planet Terror so good is that Robert Rodriguez is clearly having a blast with the proceedings, as he pays delightful homage to the exploitation flicks that inspired Grindhouse as a whole. There's nifty gore effects from industry master Greg Nicotero, and the rest of the cast, including Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Stacy Ferguson, and Lost's Naveen Andrews, make memorable turns as well. Instantly enjoyable for zombie addicts and Rodriguez fans alike, Planet Terror is a deliciously bloody and gooey treat.

Together or Apart, "Grindhouse" is a Truely Thrilling and Unique Experience.
Yes it sucks they are releasing Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's films separately. And yes it sucks most of us will more than likely end up shelling out more dough for either the theatrical version of "Grindhouse," or some form of special edition package that, even if doesn't recombine the films the way they were in their glorious theatrical release, combines these two movies in some fashion - and gives us back the faux trailers, which were just as much a reason to see "Grindhouse" as either of the films themselves.

"Grindhouse" was an experience. That was the whole point of the project. Bigger than just seeing a double feature, the creators wanted their audience to experience the exploitation pictures of the 70s, many of which inspired them to become the directors they are today, in all their over-the-top glory.

Because the film was too long, too violent and released on Easter weekend, people just didn't get it, didn't want to see a couple of grainy, odd 70's exploitation style flicks (they weren't hits then either, and that's the whole point), it was rated `R' and largely off-limits to its target audience, or because the promos for the film so heavily focused on something as admittedly strange as a stripper with a machine gun leg - there are several theories - "Grindhouse" disappointed in theatres.

It is perhaps because of that we are now getting the films released separately and the experience has been, for the most part, broken up and abandoned. Gone are those terrific trailers, though they admittedly would have seemed out of place as individual special features on just one the films; and gone is the thrill of what was a three-plus-hour, down and dirty, drive in spectacular. Who knows if this decision was meant to recoup lost funds in order to release more versions down the road, or if the two films were always planned to live on their own after theaters, like any film that was part of a double feature during its theatrical release.

As I said, this is not the way I would prefer to relive "Grindhouse," and I sympathize with those who would bash these two DVDs because releasing them separately not only distorts and truncates the experience, but this decision feels like it will ultimately prove to be a cash-grab by the studio when, six months down the line, they decide to release another version. But the fact is, the "Grindhouse" films are still great and work well on their own. Just because they are no longer a double feature doesn't mean each doesn't accomplish what it sets out to do expertly well. And realistically, this type of separate release makes sense in that these really are two separate films, not one long one. But I loved "Grindhouse" in its entirety so much that I was looking forward to reliving the experience over and over, and I envisioned it becoming one of those staple movies the next generation watches behind their parents backs during sleep-overs and such.

Well, shoulda, woulda, coulda. That's not the way, at least for now, the films will be released. And my own hopes for the film's legacy are not what I am supposed to be reviewing.

Nearly as much as debating this releasing format, people have been debating which half of "Grindhouse" is the best - Tarantino's or Rodriguez's. I will admit right off that I found much more to savor, as I always do, in Tarantino's film, "Death Proof". Some have dismissed it as too talky or too boring or not the "slasher" film it was presented to be (though I don't recall being promised anything specific from the movie before its release). It is first and foremost a hot rod thriller ala "Vanishing Point". Cars, stunts, menacing characters - both evil and anti-heroes - and thrilling chases are the point of this vehicle. As usual Tarantino doesn't just mimic the films and filmmakers he idolizes, but he raises the bar and does all the old stuff in a new, interesting and many times in a shockingly audacious way. And the stunts in this flick are not only spectacular, but they are real; and I'll take that over CGI and camera trickery any day.

Which brings us to "Planet Terror."

Yes Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" is the flashier, showier, more action-packed entry here, and just because I'm in the "Death Proof" camp doesn't mean I didn't love what Rodriguz did with this zombie throwback. As both spectacle and parody, "Planet Terror" is big, loud and fun. It has a great cast, some surprising cameos, and tons of great lines. I think the problem I had with "Planet Terror" is that it was a zombie movie. Not because it is a zombie movie (I love zombie movies), but because there have been so many lately and a lot of them have already been presented in a hip, self-winking manor as if they were already sending up old-school, schlocky 70's zombie movies. Because of that, I always felt like I knew where "Planet Terror" was going and I was never that thrilled or gripped with suspense. The movie managed to have some big surprises here and there and plenty of individual great scenes and moments. I would never call it dull, or bad, uninteresting or anything other than expertly done - as I said, I liked this film too, it's just that by comparison, I think Tarantino offered up the more interesting film.

But, to each his own. The criticisms for films like this - and with the goals these guys have in mind, which is really to deliver a piece of hopped-up nostalgia - are relative and negligible. Too criticize "Planet Terror" for some of the things I did one could argue is missing the point. The whole reason for these movies is to honor and revisit the over-the-top junk that these films were. It that regard - and in terms pure entertainment and bang for the buck - these films both out do themselves. But, as they say, I likes what I likes and "Death Proof" was more my style. More ambitious and less obvious in its thrills, the movie builds a sense of dread and it gets that feeling of 70s cinema just right, from the opening shot and title cards, to its gasp-educing, thrillingly abrupt conclusion. Kurt Russel is flat-out fantastic and real-life Tarantino stunt-woman Zoe Bell is a discovery and revelation. As always with QT, this movie is dialog-heavy. I savor his stuff. If you don't, I can see why the movie may play like less than the sum of its parts for you. But I love juicy dialog as much as I love the blood and goo that spills and flies out of bodies in movies like "Planet Terror."

And that is the genius here.

By giving us both sides of the coin - two major types and examples of 70s exploitation cinema - "Grindhouse" delivered on both a promise and a concept. No two directors were more suited for the task, and it likely would have failed with any others at the helm. Now that QT and RR have laid the blueprint, I look forward to seeing what other genre-dabbling directors could do with similar material (like all the guys who contributed those terrific afore-motioned fake trailers - I would definitely pay to see full-film versions of "Machete," "Thanksgiving," and "Nazi Werewolves of the S.S."). Sadly, because the films are now split, some of you may not feel the same excitement (and if you didn't see it theatres, for now at least, you won't see any of these trailers).

But rest assured, even separated, if you pick up either "Death Proof" or "Planet Terror" - preferably both (and assuming you know what you are getting into and what these two visionary directors are trying to do) you are in for one hell of ride. For true film fans or just those in search of something daring, original, and way too entertaining, to miss these two films, or in the case of the fans boycotting their separation: to avoid buying these two films, is to miss out on a great film experience. Sure the real experience was better, but buying these separate is hardly a rip-off. First, both come in jam-packed, two-disc sets with all kinds of bells and whistles, including deleted scenes. And speaking of deleted scenes, since about a half an hour of each film had to be cut for the theatrical release, had they just released "Grindhouse" as we knew it, we would not be seeing the films in their intended entirety.

I don't know if that makes up for separating the two, but it is reason enough for fans of these films to rejoice. Face it. Had they released "Grindhouse" as we knew and loved it, we would still want to see the individual movies in their entirety, so most likely we would have wound up buying two products somewhere along the line anyway. I'm actually hoping somewhere down the line I do indeed get that chance. No I don't want to see three or four more DVD releases of the individual films, but I'll spend some money on these as they are, for what they are, and the entire "Grindhouse" someday.

Here's to hoping we get that chance.