Robert Rodriquez’s “Planet Terror” is all you could hope for in a “Grindhouse”-style semi-apocalyptic zombie movie driven by wonderfully clichéd characters and a never-ending river of blood and pus. Released together with Tarantino’s “Death Proof”, which seemed to enjoy the most positive criticism, “Planet Terror” has a number of things going for it, most notably a stunning Rose McGowan (who also played the blonde victim in Stuntman Mike’s first ride in “Death Proof”). Her character, Cherry Darling, is a sexy, strong minded individual – considering this is a “Grindhouse” title – who loses a leg early on in the film. If you haven’t seen the trailers or posters for the film, then let it be said that Rodriquez’s use for her leftover stump is rather innovative. In addition to McGowan, Freddie Rodriquez makes a solid action hero (like in the ‘70s and ‘80s, he’s a hero with a past that few know of…) while Marley Shelton and Josh Brolin (who’s had a glorious time in cinema for the past two years) deliver able support.
The look of the film is pure Grindhouse: scratched prints; missing reels; colour bleeding across the whole film; and camerawork that adores the female frame, although Rodriquez’s lens is admittedly even fonder of the viscera splattering everywhere. “Planet Terror” has moments of true humour and horror that exist side by side with parody, pastiche and gore so exaggerated that it cannot be taken seriously for a second. I suspect that few South Africans are familiar with “Grindhouse” style movies, and I suspect that “Planet Terror” will win over few fans. Seeing that this “Grindhouse” endeavour by the Weinstein Company was a financial disaster, I further suspect that we won’t be seeing more of these, so we should enjoy what we have.
Note: there’s a trailer for a film called “Machete” before “Planet Terror” (“Our Feature Presentation”) begins, and oh, how I wished it could be this year’s actual “Grindhouse” release. The trailer is, of course, a faked trailer for a film that doesn’t exist. Note again: the single disc edition available in South Africa has only a handful of extra features. If time is limited but you really want to know how Rodriquez and his team created the visuals for “Planet Terror”, set aside the required time to watch the “10 Minute Film School” feature.
1 comment:
I saw both Grindhouse features, and did not love either. Of the two Rodriquez produced the better in my opinion. Death Proof to me seems like Tarantino tried too hard and some subtly would have benefited it. Whereas Planet Terror feels more suited to the unique style of the features, with an over-the-top B-rate film plot, similar to what Machete hints at. Robert Rodriquez takes this round :).
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