Grindhouse

[jimmy812]

If there's already a thread on this, I apologize.

Has anyone else seen this movie? My wife reluctantly agreed to go with me last night. 3 hours and 15 minutes later, it was quite a ride.
I thought Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" was too long. It was alright. It had some funny moments, though.
Tarantino's "Death Proof" had waaaay too much dialogue in the beginning, and in the middle come to think of it. It did feature some nice chicks though. And Kurt Russell does a good job.
But the one thing that has stuck with me and I am still thinking about was the wild car chase at the end of the film. It is un-fucking-believable!!! It's almost worth the price of admission by itself. Unfortunately it's like 2 1/2 hours into this double feature.

[Van Squalen]

I saw it last night with some friends. It was awesome. It really helps a lot if you're an old slasher moviehouse buff. They nailed it, right down to the 'missing reels,' scratchy film, and promotional trailers. (an instant classic in Rob Zombie's promo Werewolf Women of the SS, with a Nicholas Cage cameo as Fu Manchu).

Myself, I found Rodriguez's zombie homage more engaging than Tarantino's stalker homage, but I seemed to be the minority in the group, though the packed theater obviously thought the first part had more humor and certainly more graphic scenes. Rose McGowan has never looked better. Yum. Some truly grisly imagery in both flicks. Not for the squeamish. Note to Quentin: for the love of pete, get over your foot fetish already. Or at least, stop shoving it in our faces every flick.

Good stuff.

[LLFHS]

Was on the fence about seeing this one, and I ultimately decided to skip it. Reading the news today, I see that I wasn't alone as it had a dismal 4th place opening.

I've been wondering for a few years now why Tarantino and Rodriguez have sustained such a rock-star image in Hollywood. No, they aren't bad film makers by any stretch of the imagination.....but jesus, at some point they were treated as if they shit gold bricks every hour on the hour. I read in one article that there was a "cool" factor associated with the movies they make, yet most of the people I've encountered that quoted this flicks ad nauseum were complete tools. I know that's no fault of Tarantino, but I guess I just don't get the hype.

Every flick with his name on it.....hell, it's gotten to the point where he doesn't even have to direct a flick anymore. We have "Quentin Tarantino Presents...." now showing up on movie posters. "It's the cool factor"...."Tarantino's movies kick ass"......."You have to be a different breed of cat to get into Tarantino".....

I've begun to associate the guy's name with overblown hype, which is a shame because I find films like "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" to be great and brilliantly written movies. But this man is no Spielberg, no Kubrick....

Remember when there was a time when you heard the Spielberg name and the first thing you thought was "Popcorn/Summer Movie"? Ya thought we had aliens or Indy Jones returning, or some other wildly imaginative star-surfing ride coming our way?

....and then he hit us right in the gut with "Saving Private Ryan". This is what a great director does. He dives boldly into the last thing we'd expect him to do. And now when we hear the Spielberg name, we're not sure what we're gonna get. Will it be a searing drama or another ride through the clouds? I'm sure he knew that churning out more Disney-friendly stuff was just going to pigeonhole himself as a film-maker resulting in the inevitable all-Spielberg Land at Universal or Disneyland.

Tarantino is right smack on this path, and this weekends box office report couldn't be more of an indicator. People saw that more of the same was coming (over the top performances and characters, explosions explosions EXPLOSIONS) and.....well, they went to go see Will Ferrell instead.

Maybe Tarantino really needs to get this "homage to movies of the past" stuff out of his system and do something truly original. Maybe he needs to do an straight-up comedy (god, knows he can write comedy).....maybe a family type film (not that I'm clamoring for one).....maybe a biography.....something that we wouldn't expect fo the guy.

Anyway, wasn't compelled to see Grindhouse, I'll likely rent it on Netflix....and maybe like so many of us I'll flip-flop on that subject too once I see it.

"THIS MOVIE KICKED ASS!!!!! TARANTINO'S A GENIUS!!!!"

[Van Squalen]

I am admittedly a huge Tarantino/Rodriguez fan. Though like any directors, they hit and miss as much as the next guy, even Spielberg. For every Private Ryan and Raiders and Schindler's, there's a Batteries Not Included, Munich, and Always, right?

There is no mistaking the genius of Pulp Fiction or Sin City. Less engaging were Jackie Brown and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. I dunno how Tarantino can really achieve overblown hype when the man's only done 4 friggin' films, but I know what you mean when you cite how people discuss him. Box office doesn't mean shit when it comes to either of these dudes...Dusk 'til Dawn tanked, Reservoir Dogs was largely overlooked. Can't trust the masses or the weekend cinema grosses, IMO. Tarantino is all about pop culture and modern dialogue. Supposedly his next projects are going to be a WWII flick (which, I'm certain, won't be anything like Midway or Private Ryan), and then somehow reimagining a mobster flick with the brothers Vega, though I fail to see, despite his assurance he's already thought of the premise, how he will re-integrate Madsen and Travolta in their old age, especially given their post-character deaths. Intriguing, to say the least.

Still, I think you're doing yourself a disservice by skipping this one in the theater. Classic shit, man. IF you're a long time movie buff. If not, less so, maybe. They obviously cut this reel for themselves, and it shows, big time.

[jimmy812]

I am admittedly a huge Tarantino/Rodriguez fan. Though like any directors, they hit and miss as much as the next guy, even Spielberg. For every Private Ryan and Raiders and Schindler's, there's a Batteries Not Included, Munich, and Always, right?

Still, I think you're doing yourself a disservice by skipping this one in the theater. Classic shit, man. IF you're a long time movie buff. If not, less so, maybe. They obviously cut this reel for themselves, and it shows, big time.

Just for the record Spielberg didn't direct Batteries not Included, he just slapped his name on it as a producer, kinda like he did with Gremlins, Goonies, and Innerspace (to name a few). And I'm surprised that you lumped 'Munich' in with his duds. I thought that was a phenomenal film. Basically Spielberg has the luxury of doing one film for them, the studio, like War of the Worlds, and then a film that is more personal, like Schindler's List or Munich. And he is able to do this in the same year!
Tarantino has a looong way to go to be in the league of Spielberg or Kubrick, or Scorsese.
Reservoir Dogs was great. Pulp Fiction was innovative and perfectly executed on all counts, and obviously a huge hit (my favorite Tarantino film). Jackie Brown was dull. Kill Bill was an entertaining movie and surprisingly very engaging given the fact that the plot was in the title. His film in Grindhouse was good but just had way too much chatter. It's like "enough already will something please happen!" But as far as Tarantino being a great filmmaker, well there's not a lot to judge. He doesn't have a lot on his resume.
LLFHS, I can see what you're saying in that people do over-hype his films and give him a little higher praise than he deserves. His dialogue in films isn't as enjoyable as it once was because we're so used to it now. And I also agree that maybe he should branch out and do a different kind of movie. Van Squalen pointed out that he is supposed to make WWII film next. Well, the thought of Tarantino doing a war movie intrigues me and I'm sure I'll go see it as well.

Hey Squalen, what did you think of that car chase at the end? I was on the edge of my fuckin' seat!! That was probably my favorite part of the whole 3 hours. I also liked the previews to "Thanksgiving."

[The J Man]

THANKSGIVING.

BTW, If you are thinking of going alone to see this movie...DON'T!

[jimmy812]

THANKSGIVING.

BTW, If you are thinking of going alone to see this movie...DON'T!

LOL, I forgot about that one!!

[LLFHS]

LLFHS, I can see what you're saying in that people do over-hype his films and give him a little higher praise than he deserves. His dialogue in films isn't as enjoyable as it once was because we're so used to it now. And I also agree that maybe he should branch out and do a different kind of movie. Van Squalen pointed out that he is supposed to make WWII film next. Well, the thought of Tarantino doing a war movie intrigues me and I'm sure I'll go see it as well.

Yeah, see.....I'll definitely be catching this if it comes to pass. I'm sure he could do something very surprising with that kind of material without over-jamming it with hip, pop-culture references.

That being said.....how was Kurt in this film? I don't think I've gone out of my way to catch him since Big Trouble in Little China.

Actually "Backdraft" now that I think about it.

[Van Squalen]

Just for the record Spielberg didn't direct Batteries not Included, he just slapped his name on it as a producer, kinda like he did with Gremlins, Goonies, and Innerspace (to name a few). And I'm surprised that you lumped 'Munich' in with his duds. I thought that was a phenomenal film. Basically Spielberg has the luxury of doing one film for them, the studio, like War of the Worlds, and then a film that is more personal, like Schindler's List or Munich. And he is able to do this in the same year!
Tarantino has a looong way to go to be in the league of Spielberg or Kubrick, or Scorsese.
Reservoir Dogs was great. Pulp Fiction was innovative and perfectly executed on all counts, and obviously a huge hit (my favorite Tarantino film). Jackie Brown was dull. Kill Bill was an entertaining movie and surprisingly very engaging given the fact that the plot was in the title. His film in Grindhouse was good but just had way too much chatter. It's like "enough already will something please happen!" But as far as Tarantino being a great filmmaker, well there's not a lot to judge. He doesn't have a lot on his resume.
LLFHS, I can see what you're saying in that people do over-hype his films and give him a little higher praise than he deserves. His dialogue in films isn't as enjoyable as it once was because we're so used to it now. And I also agree that maybe he should branch out and do a different kind of movie. Van Squalen pointed out that he is supposed to make WWII film next. Well, the thought of Tarantino doing a war movie intrigues me and I'm sure I'll go see it as well.

Hey Squalen, what did you think of that car chase at the end? I was on the edge of my fuckin' seat!! That was probably my favorite part of the whole 3 hours. I also liked the previews to "Thanksgiving."

Spielberg and Scorsese are the baby boomers' Hitchcocks, basically. Different animals than younger directors, an elite echelon basically comprised of them, Coppola, Zemeckis, and De Palma, maybe. Kubrick is way overrated, IMO. 2001 and Full Metal Jacket...the rest is whitewashed claptrap. But that's just me. I did not like Munich, I think Steven gets bogged down much of the time in period pieces (Amistad, anyone?). But that's probably just me, again. I like Steve when he's going all epic-in your face-gonzo, whether it's Jaws or Raiders or even War of the Worlds. Scorsese...well, he's a class unto himself, aside from Gangs of New York and the Aviator.

Why Tarantino earns his distinction is mostly because he represents the foremost representative of Generation X cinema, IMO. Tarantino is ALL about the writing.

Death Proof got bogged down because he repeated some old tactics from his earlier films (I won't say what to avoid spoilers for those who haven't seen it yet), plus the two sets of girl quartets was repetitive, IMO. But yeah, the car chase was awesome, and the ending was epic. In the theater last night, the crowd literally stood up and cheered, EVERYBODY. LOL, pretty cool. Heh, Thanksgiving was CLASSIC. Gross stuff there.

I still think Planet of Terror was the better of the two....Rodriguez moved it along, Tarantino bogged with the chick dialogue. Freddy Rodriguez and Rose McGowan and Kurt Russell stole the movie, for sure.

But overall, a great homage by two masters.

While I agree Jackie Brown was the weakest of Quentin's flicks, I think you're shortchanging it a bit.

[The J Man]

I thought Death Proof was a little boring...it wasn't helping it wasn't until 3AM that it got really good. Yes, I went to a midnight showing.

[jimmy812]

We had to wait for the earlier showing to end before we could enter the theater and when the people were coming out I heard several of them say that they liked the first movie (Rodriguez) better.
And I agree that Rodriguez definitely moved it along. I give a lot of credit to Rodriguez; not only does he direct and write but he also edits his movies and often will do the music for them.
By the way LowLife, Kurt Russell was awesome (IMO). He's always been, to me, one of those actors that is always under the radar, and always does a good job.
Squalen, you're totally right that Tarantino IS Generation X cinema. Remember after Pulp Fiction came out there were all these noir films trying to cash in on the hype. Some were good but none came close to Fiction.
And, yeah, I may be shortchanging Jackie Brown a bit probably because my expectations were so high for that movie that it let me down. It had its moments but overall I didn't care for it.
And, Squalen, you say that Kubrick is overrated, and maybe he is, but, to me, the most overrated filmmaker is Brian DePalma. I know, I know, he made Scarface, Carrie, The Untouchables, but in the last 20 years he's bombed (aside from maybe Carlito's Way).

Hey I just read that Tarantino is going to put some scenes back into Death Proof and make it a feature on its own and he might bring it to the Cannes Film Festival. To me, this is a waste, he should just move on to his next film.

Oh and one more thing, Squalen, I have also noticed over the years Tarantino's foot fetish (how can you not notice?). Enought already!! At least Uma Thurman's ugly feet weren't in this movie!!

[Van Squalen]

Squalen, you're totally right that Tarantino IS Generation X cinema. Remember after Pulp Fiction came out there were all these noir films trying to cash in on the hype. Some were good but none came close to Fiction.
And, yeah, I may be shortchanging Jackie Brown a bit probably because my expectations were so high for that movie that it let me down. It had its moments but overall I didn't care for it.
And, Squalen, you say that Kubrick is overrated, and maybe he is, but, to me, the most overrated filmmaker is Brian DePalma. I know, I know, he made Scarface, Carrie, The Untouchables, but in the last 20 years he's bombed (aside from maybe Carlito's Way).

Hey I just read that Tarantino is going to put some scenes back into Death Proof and make it a feature on its own and he might bring it to the Cannes Film Festival. To me, this is a waste, he should just move on to his next film.

Oh and one more thing, Squalen, I have also noticed over the years Tarantino's foot fetish (how can you not notice?). Enought already!! At least Uma Thurman's ugly feet weren't in this movie!!

I agree Pulp is his magnum opus, and he'll probably never match it. In my top five films of all time, easy.

And yeah, I heard the same about Tarantino...studio is not happy with the weekend gross...they're definitely going to separate the flicks into two movies for the overseas release, and may reissue the double feature into separate parts here in the states as well. LOL, I guess they think the length is affecting attendance? I think it's more the genre than the time, but whatever.

Oh, his foot fetish has gone beyond ridiculous. At this point, I can only hope he's parodying himself on purpose, otherwise it's embarassing. In Pulp Fiction, not only does the story spend an inordinate amount of time discussing Mia's infamous foot massage, the director also lingers on Uma and John's feet (hers bare, his in socks) during the Jackrabbit Slim's dance contest. In Jackie Brown, Bridget Fonda's stoner babe feet, complete with toe ring, had several prominent shots. In Kill Bill, not only do we have an extended segue on Uma's post-coma toe wiggling, we also get a nice pretty shot of Lucy Liu slipping off her sandals in the snow revealing her dainty white socks as she prepares to square off against Uma. In Rodriquez's Dusk 'Til Dawn, we see the worst of it, as Quentin's character sucks tequila from the dripping toes and legs of Salma Hayek (admittedly, that last any of us would do ). And in this weekend's Death Proof, gawd...how many art shots did we get of misted, shapely legs and feet from the various women involved before said appendages were messily eviscerated? Lots. In retrospect, I'm a little surprised that Mr. Blonde didn't cut off the cop's foot instead of his ear in Reservoir Dogs.

Dude needs to get help.

I keep wondering how he's gonna incorporate a foot fetish into a WWII flick. Hopefully he won't give a a whole new meaning to trenchfoot.

[jimmy812]

I keep wondering how he's gonna incorporate a foot fetish into a WWII flick. Hopefully he won't give a a whole new meaning to trenchfoot.

Pulp Fiction is definitely in my top 5 films as well...I think..easily top 10.