Grind House

[JackFetch]

Grind House is a 2007 film that consists of two segments, of which both are feature-length attractions. One segment, Planet Terror, will be a zombie film written and directed by Robert Rodríguez. The other segment, Death Proof, will be a slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. There will also be trailers advertising fake films between the segments. Grind House is expected to be released on April 6, 2007.

[Missy]

Can't wait for this! Those posters are sweet!

[JackFetch]

Go see the trailer.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/grindhouse_hd.html

[Missy]

FUCK YEAH! That looks so awesome!

[Dread]

The more I hear about this the more excited I get. I'm not sure how happy I'll be about the damaged filmstock effect they'll put on the finished product, though. Why can't they have it looking crisp and modern? Wouldn't the ultimate tribute to the old grindhouse films be to do them in a modern style (like Hostel, I suppose).

I'm as excited for the faux trailers as I am the films.

Check out this months Rue Morgue Magazine for a 12 page feature.

[Chops]

So far the reviews I have read have praised Rodriguez's side of the film, while saying Tarantino's ends up slowing the movie down almost to a halt.

[Dread]

while saying Tarantino's ends up slowing the movie down almost to a halt.

which is a little scary considering it's full of car chase action.

Personally, I think Tarantino is overrated. He's a good writer and a good director but the more I think of it the more the two should be mutually exclusive.

I think Rodriguez is an amazing young director. Even the Spy Kids stuff has some interesting camerawork/composition.

It'll be a while before I get to see it so please, if you see it, don't mention the name of Edgar Wright's (Shaun of the Dead) trailer because it is apparently the punchline to the trailer and they're keeping it a secret.

[James D.]

GRINDHOUSE.

FUCKING.

RULED.

That was 3 and a half hours well spent.

[JackFetch]

I've heard nothing but good things about the movie, but it's bombing at the theaters.

Despite decent reviews, the hard "R"-rated pic filled with blood and violence took in just $12 million this weekend -- nowhere near even the lowest $20 mil opening predicted

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/grin...y-ticket-sales/

[Chops]

while saying Tarantino's ends up slowing the movie down almost to a halt.

which is a little scary considering it's full of car chase action.

I haven't seen it, but going on reviews Tarantino's is less about car chases and more about character interaction and talking.

[James D.]

while saying Tarantino's ends up slowing the movie down almost to a halt.

which is a little scary considering it's full of car chase action.

I haven't seen it, but going on reviews Tarantino's is less about car chases and more about character interaction and talking.

Absolute truth. There are car chases/crashes, but the vast majority of "Death Proof" is character interaction and the prototypical semi-philosophical conversations that you find in nearly every Tarantino movie. And they are very good (in my humble opinion).

[Dread]

I've heard nothing but good things about the movie, but it's bombing at the theaters.

Despite decent reviews, the hard "R"-rated pic filled with blood and violence took in just $12 million this weekend -- nowhere near even the lowest $20 mil opening predicted

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/grin...y-ticket-sales/

Yikes !

That's more than a bomb, that's a disaster for a film with a 100mil + budget.

[JackFetch]

They might be splitting the movies up soon in the US.

“First of all, I'm incredibly disappointed. We tried to do something new and obviously we didn't do it that well,” Harvey told me today. “It's just a question of how is it going to hang in there. But we could split the movies in a couple of weeks. Make Tarantino's a full-length film, and Rodriguez's too. We'll be adding those ‘two missing reels’ that's talked about in the movie.”

http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/04/09/tha...just-got-rarer/

[Dread]

They might be splitting the movies up soon in the US.

“First of all, I'm incredibly disappointed. We tried to do something new and obviously we didn't do it that well,” Harvey told me today. “It's just a question of how is it going to hang in there. But we could split the movies in a couple of weeks. Make Tarantino's a full-length film, and Rodriguez's too. We'll be adding those ‘two missing reels’ that's talked about in the movie.”

http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/04/09/tha...just-got-rarer/

Great. Good philosophy: the film isn't doing so well so let's add the footage that wasn't good enough for the original finished product...

[James D.]

That wasn't the point. The "missing reels" were supposed to create more of a realistic "grindhouse" feel to it. They are blatantly missing from the movies on purpose.

[JackFetch]

Did you guys know they are making the Machete trailer into an actual straight to dvd movie? My question is, is that the same character from the Spy Kids movie? They are both named Machete, and they are both played by the same guy, and they are both from Robert Rodríguez movies. That would be so cool if it is the same guy.

[Dread]

Did you guys know they are making the Machete trailer into an actual straight to dvd movie? My question is, is that the same character from the Spy Kids movie? They are both named Machete, and they are both played by the same guy, and they are both from Robert Rodríguez movies. That would be so cool if it is the same guy.

Just listened to an interview with Trejo on Fanboy Radio and he said he's a Federal Agent who hunts people down with a huge selection of machetes.

I don't know about the movie though...

Sequel seems unlikely at this point. Unless Rodriguez is self-funding (which is possible) it is almost impossible at this point. Hollywood considers this a collossal bomb at this point. I hope it turns for the good though. I haven't seen the film and won't be able to until it hits DVD but it can't be anything but good for the genre to have names like Rodriguez and Tarantino making films.

[JackFetch]

As bad as I think this is looking for the box office, I think they will make millions upon millions in dvd sales. I can't find anyone who didn't like it. I just think it was a bad release time. These types of movies don't mix very well with a family oriented holiday.

[James D.]

Yeah, I agree. Whomever thought it was a good idea to release it this past weekend clearly isn't a marketing genius.

[JackFetch]

I finally saw it last night, and I thought it was amazing. They went all out with the trailers, and cheesy 70s cinema stuff. I didn't really like Death Proof as much as Planet Terror because it took a long time to get to any action, and I didn't like how it was split into 2 different stories itself. Stuntman Mike is such a badass in the first story, and then he's a crying joke in the second one.

One of my gripes is that in Death Proof they spent so much time with the girls in the first half that we knew everything about them,

just to have them all die at the same time halfway through the movie

. Also, the 2 stories didn't feel related in any way.

Planet Terror was pure genius in my mind. It was funny, suspenseful, gross, and just plain fun. I can't wait to see the "missing reel" that cut out half the story.

Also, I'm hearing rumblings online that the movie is starting to sellout from word of mouth, so it might not be over just yet.

[James D.]

Man, I hope that's true.

[Dread]

Due to the pisspoor box office, Weinstein is calling Grindhouse's presentation a mistake. He does not account for the absolute North American retardation of an inability to understand the term "double feature." The plan, if you haven't heard, is to split the films for European release and DVD sales.

Who here would buy a single Grindhouse DVD? I haven't seen it but would buy the Grindhouse DVD with both films and trailers. I wouldn't bother to rent both films if they were released in singles. I'm lukewarm on both. Planet Terror seems a lot like Slither (a movie I hated) even with Rose MacGowan as a stripper with a gun for a leg and Tarantino is a self-indulgent hack director who happens to be a good writer. I do, however, like Kurt Russell.

On their own, no chance. Together, yes.

You?

[JackFetch]

It amazes me that of all the people i have talked to that saw it, the theaters were packed. Even during it's second week. With all that, the movie dropped 60 percent in it's second week. I just don't get it. It doesn't make sense.

[Dread]

It amazes me that of all the people i have talked to that saw it, the theaters were packed. Even during it's second week. With all that, the movie dropped 60 percent in it's second week. I just don't get it. It doesn't make sense.

One showing per theatre as opposed to two or three? A three hour + movie gets little play at the box office.

I think it didn't live up to the hype. Reviews were split from day one but the people rushed to the theatres right away to see a Tarantino film and got something else altogether. It's not the right climate for a film like that. Too many people went to that movie and came out of it with nothing but confusion and word spread quickly.

I have to agree partially with Weinstein, it's not the right culture right now for Grindhouse to be packaged the way it was. I still don't support it's split. Leave it as a flop and get it back on a fully packaged DVD. That's just me.

[kariyanine]

I live outside of Philly. We're the 5th or 6th largest city in the country. Around here Grindhouse was playing at roughly 25% capacity. I think the three plus hours of film time, as well as the fact that it is in a niche genre (very niche to be exact) really hurt the film. Tarantino's Lifetime movie of the week didn't help matters. Out of the small number of people in our theater on opening night more than half left during Tarantino's talk fest. I personally liked the whole presentation but I can see why it is flopping.