Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Grindhouse / Grind House/ Planet Terror/ Death Proof / USA / 2007

I’m probably not the right person to judge these films since I haven’t been fixated on this genre at any point in my life. I’ll fully admit I’ve already grown tired of most of the discussions surrounding these films and their success/failure (though I do recommend the discourse between Matt Zoller Seitz and Keith Uhlich over at The House Next Door) because they have little to do with the actual films and devote far too much energy on denouncing either the personality of the filmmakers, the concept behind the filmmaking methods being applied, or both. It seems that most of the people carrying on a conversation about these films have a heavy bias in their perspection and interpretation anyway. It’s idiotic to require everyone to be objective while evaluating a film, but I would rather avoid opinions that have been determined prior to watching a film and are adamant in having the viewing experience simply provide reinforcement of their own perspective.

Having said all that nonsense, I have to admit the most entertaining segments of this experience were the shamelessly cheesy trailers. I’ve never been a fan of Eli Roth’s films, but the man sure does know how to piece together a damn fine horror trailer, dripping with gore, admiration, and sarcasm.

Sadly, while Planet Terror has some well-earned moments, I enjoyed Rodriguez’s trailer for Machete far more than his feature. Truthfully, it appears that Planet Terror probably approximates the experience of watching a “grindhouse” feature better than its companion piece, simply due to its trashy subject matter and its stylistic flourishes intended to artificially recreate decay (they really are fun to watch). Unfortunately, Rodriguez’s feature never sustained my interest and often just became tiresome or annoying (someone has to remind Bruce Willis that he’s not actually an action-hero in real life). Also, while I really enjoyed Marley Shelton’s endless struggle, I couldn’t stand the cameos by the Crazy Babysitter Twins, which were even more pointless than Tarantino’s constant appearances (which is saying something). Perhaps some of my frustration was due to Rodriguez requiring so little of the viewer’s attention that it practically renders the film disposable. I’m sure such qualities adhere to the generally accepted perception of the genre and provide the film with an authentic, audacious, raucous charm that appeal to enthusiasts, but it’s also mildly exhausting and blatantly undemanding in its maddening superficiality.

Meanwhile, I remain unconvinced that Death Proof is actually entertaining, but I’m utterly confident that it’s intriguing and engaging as an exercise in attempting to explore Tarantino’s id. Much like Kill Bill (and I actually enjoyed Volume 1 much more than Volume 2), Death Proof is so primal, aggressive, and distasteful (and maybe even offensive) at times that it almost feels inappropriate to be strolling through Tarantino’s mind with such freedom, to the point where I wonder if Tarantino isn’t a cinematic masochist. Obviously the subject isn’t sophisticated, and the film isn’t entirely successful, but Tarantino at least makes the material feel personal, if only as a demonstration of the power that women hold within his psyche and his resentment and appreciation for that feminine death-grip.

Adam’s Thoughts

by Chiranjit Goswami | Source: Alliance Atlantis 35mm Theatrical Print
30 Apr 2007 6:35 PM | Submit Comment