Grindhouse Presents Planet Terror (2-Disc Special Edition)

Review By: Rocco Passafuime
RoccoPassafuime@TheCinemaSource.com

With the Hollywood studio system dissolved and U.S. society thrown into the chaos of the Vietnam War and the resulting counterculture, the exploitation film reached its wildest heights, not only at the drive-in, but in run-down urban theatres known as “grindhouses”. These became homes to some of the wildest and shocking, yet often cheesiest and over-the-top movies of the 1970’s, from horror to softcore erotica to racially-charged action films like blaxploitation and Asian-based kung-fu and swordplay films.

Maverick filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, seeking to pay homage to the low-rent films that inspired them in their youth, decided to create their own variation of the genre, to be released in an ambitious double feature experience called Grindhouse. Now, Robert Rodriguez’s homage to exploitation is available in its full and uncut entirety on a 2 disc special edition DVD with Planet Terror.

Opening the film is a fake trailer titled Machete, an equally exciting and often hilarious homage to the “Mexploitation” subgenre. Machete (Danny Trejo) is a Mexican federale who leads a revolt with his brother, priest Father Benicio del Toro (Cheech Marin), after the FBI set him up to be killed on a mercenary job.

Planet Terror itself deals with trouble in a sleepy Texas town after a scientist Abby (Naveen Andrews) releases a powerful biochemical gas into the air after he is nabbed by a deranged military man named Lieutenant Muldoon (Bruce Willis). The chemical known as DC2, originally to be created for a secret plan known as “Project: Terror”, begins transforming its people into bloodthirsty creatures.

As the creatures overrun the town and infect others, including twisted and vengeful doctor William Block (Josh Brolin), a motley crew of citizens must infiltrate Muldoon’s military base in order to stop more creatures from spreading. They include one-legged go-go dancer Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), her former boyfriend and truck driver El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), town sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn), his brother, barbeque restaurant owner JT (Jeff Fahey), and Doc Block’s bisexual wife, anesthesiologist Dakota (Marley Shelton).

Planet Terror is an incredibly fun, spot-on homage of zombie movies with elements of softcore exploitation sleaze thrown into the mix. Rodriguez here continues to show his unique level of energy and excitement employed into crowd-pleasing spectacles like the Spy Kids movies and Sin City.

While it lacks the inspired head-turning of clichés employed in Quentin Tarantino’s counterpart Death Proof, Rodriguez scores points with an intentionally obtuse script and excellent, if occasionally graphic, special effects and action scenes. This is boosted by a fantastic cast who get ample opportunity to use any little asset in their arsenal. Singled out here is Rose McGowan, who brings both an alluring presence and childlike quirkiness as Cherry Darling, and Freddy Rodriguez, who brings both a hilariously stone-faced, intentional woodenness, as well as an energetic, gung-ho presence as El Wray.

The DVD’s picture quality is presented in the 1:85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, with the sound quality in Dolby Digital Surround 5.1. While it, ...