Summary
Grindhouse combines Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, a horror comedy about a group of survivors who battle zombie-like creatures, and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, an action thriller about a murderous stuntman who kills young women with modified vehicles. It is presented as a double feature with fictitious exploitation trailers before each segment.
Cast
Kurt Russell
Stuntman Mike (segment "Death Proof")
Rose McGowan
Pam (segment "Death Proof") / Cherry (segment "Planet Terror")
Zoë Bell
Herself (segment "Death Proof")
Freddy Rodríguez
Wray (segment "Planet Terror")
Rosario Dawson
Abernathy (segment "Death Proof")
Marley Shelton
Dr. Dakota Block (McGraw) (segment "Death Proof") / Dakota (segment "Planet Terror")
Vanessa Ferlito
Butterfly (segment "Death Proof")
Josh Brolin
Block (segment "Planet Terror")
Sydney Tamiia Poitier
Jungle Julia (segment "Death Proof")
Jeff Fahey
JT (segment "Planet Terror")
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Lee Montgomery (segment "Death Proof")
Michael Biehn
Sheriff Hague (segment "Planet Terror")
Tracie Thoms
Kim (segment "Death Proof")
Jordan Ladd
Shanna (segment "Death Proof") / Judy (segment "Thanksgiving")
Bruce Willis
Muldoon (segment "Planet Terror")
Quentin Tarantino
Warren (segment "Death Proof") / Rapist #1 (segment "Planet Terror")
Marcy Harriell
Marcy (segment "Death Proof")
Eli Roth
Dov (segment "Death Proof") / Tucker (segment "Thanksgiving")
Omar Doom
Nate (segment "Death Proof")
Michael Bacall
Omar (segment "Death Proof")
Monica Staggs
Lanna Frank (segment "Death Proof")
Jonathan Loughran
Jasper (segment "Death Proof")
Marta Mendoza
Punky Bruiser (segment "Death Proof")
Tim Murphy
Tim the Bartender (segment "Death Proof")
Melissa Arcaro
Venus Envy (segment "Death Proof")
Michael Parks
Earl McGraw (segments "Death Proof" / "Planet Terror")
James Parks
Edgar McGraw (segment "Death Proof")
Electra Avellan
Babysitter Twin #1 (segments "Death Proof" / "Planet Terror")
Elise Avellan
Babysitter Twin #2 (segments "Death Proof" / "Planet Terror")
Eurlyne Epper
Lanna Frank Friend #1 (segment "Death Proof")
Jamie L. Dunno
Lanna Frank Friend #2 (segment "Death Proof")
Shannon Hazlett
Butterfly Foot Double (segment "Death Proof")
Rebel Rodriguez
Tony (segment "Planet Terror")
Naveen Andrews
Abby (segment "Planet Terror")
Julio Oscar Mechoso
Romy (segment "Planet Terror")
Fergie
Tammy (segment "Planet Terror") (as Stacy Ferguson)
Nicky Katt
Joe (segment "Planet Terror")
Hung Nguyen
Dr. Crane (segment "Planet Terror")
Cecilia Conti
Paramedic #1 (segment "Planet Terror")
Tommy Nix
Paramedic #2 (segment "Planet Terror")
Tom Savini
Deputy Tolo (segment "Planet Terror")
Carlos Gallardo
Deputy Carlos (segment "Planet Terror")
Skip Reissig
Skip (segment "Planet Terror")
Gregory Kelly
Rapist #2 (segment "Planet Terror")
Troy Robinson
Soldier #1 (segment "Planet Terror")
Derek Southers
Soldier #2 (segment "Planet Terror")
Jerili Romeo
Ramona McGraw (segment "Planet Terror")
Felix Sabates
Dr. Felix (segment "Planet Terror")
Doran Ingram
Patient (segment "Planet Terror")
Johnny Reno
Sax Survivor (segment "Planet Terror")
Danny Trejo
Machete (segment "Planet Terror")
Cheech Marin
Padre (segment "Planet Terror")
Udo Kier
Franz Hess (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS")
Sheri Moon Zombie
Eva Krupp (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS")
Tom Towles
Lt. Boorman (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS")
Sybil Danning
Gretchen Krupp (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS")
Bill Moseley
Dr. Heinrich von Strasser (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS")
Nicolas Cage
Fu Manchu (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS") (uncredited)
Lorielle New
Werewolf Woman (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS") (uncredited)
Oleg Prudius
Nazi Boxer (segment "Werewolf Women of the SS") (uncredited)
Emily Booth
Featured Woman (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
MyAnna Buring
Featured Woman (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Simon Pegg
Bearded Cannibal (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Helen Kim
Peg (segment "Death Proof")
Jason Isaacs
Bearded Man (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Will Arnett
Announcer (voice) (Segment "Don't")
Emmy Robbin
Featured Woman (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Matthew Macfadyen
Hatchet Victim (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Lucy Punch
Blonde in Don't Trailer (uncredited)
Rafe Spall
Featured Ghost (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Nick Frost
Baby Eater (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Georgina Chapman
Featured Woman (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Katie Melua
Brunette with Hatchet Victim (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Lee Ingleby
(segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Stuart Wilson
Old Man (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Mark Gatiss
(segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Robert Rodriguez
Extra (segment "Planet Terror") (uncredited)
Peter Serafinowicz
Screaming Man (segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Michael Smiley
(segment "Don't") (uncredited)
Jay Hernandez
Boddy (segment "Thanksgiving") (uncredited)
Jeff Rendell
The Pilgrim (segment "Thanksgiving") (uncredited)
Michael Deak
Gun-Weilding Werewolf (uncredited)
Emmy Rossum
Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tommy Nix
Texan Student (uncredited)
Liliyan Malkina
The Grandmother (segment "Thanksgiving")
Crew
Director, Writer
Quentin Tarantino
Director, Writer
Robert Rodriguez
Writer
Eli Roth
Writer
Rob Zombie
Writer
Jason Eisener
Writer
Rob Cotterill
Writer
John Davies
Writer
Jeff Rendell
Writers' Assistant
Edgar Wright
Reviews
Wuchak
October 14, 2018
5
***Zombies, dancing skanks, rednecks and killer stunt cars***
“Grindhouse” (2007) features two separate movies: “Planet Terror” by Robert Rodriguez and “Death Proof” by Quentin Tarantino. Together, they’re called “Grindhouse” because they’re a deliberate attempt to recreate the experience of a double feature at a B movie house in the mid/late 60s-70s with the prints intentionally marred by scratches and blemishes or, in one case, a whole reel supposedly missing. Trailers for fake movies, like “Machete,” are also part of the package.
“Planet Terror” involves a biochemical outbreak in central Texas that (big surprise) turns people into zombies and the ragtag group that teams-up to fight ’em, led by Freddy Rodríguez and Michael Biehn, the latter a sheriff. Hotties Rose McGowan and Marley Shelton are on hand, the former acquiring a machine gun implant in replace of her amputated leg. (How exactly she pulls the trigger to massacre zombies is anyone’s guess).
The movie comes across as a melding of “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” (1965), “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) and “Dawn of the Dead” (1978), but with the modern tone of “Slither” (2006) with its gross, deliberately offensive black humor. McGowan is a highlight throughout, especially her opening go-go sequence whereas Freddy Rodriguez is surprisingly formidable. Their romantic arc is kind of touching. Another point of interest is the quality cast, rounded out by the likes of Bruce Willis, Josh Brolin, Naveen Andrews and Fergie.
At the end of the day, though, “Planet Terror” fails to rise above the low-budget sorta-genius of Syfy schlock like “Flu Bird Horror” (2008), “Wyvern” (2009) and “Sasquatch Mountain” (2006) even though it cost literally twelve times as much. GRADE: C
“Death Proof” involves an embittered stuntman (Kurt Russell) and his psycho obsession with murdering young women of dubious character with his death proof stunt car (but only the driver’s side). The first half is very good, hindered only by the inane chatter of the girls. This kind of dull drivel goes into overdrive in the second half, particularly involving Zoe Bell, Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson, but is rewarded by a thrilling car chase in the country that’s supposedly Tennessee, but obviously Southern Cal.
Russell’s character is perversely charismatic and the movie perks up whenever he’s on screen. There are no less than eight female co-stars playing mostly classless types (but not all of them) and, depending on your tastes, four of them are quite alluring,: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rose McGowan, Vanessa Ferlito and Sydney Tamiia Poitier (yes, Sidney’s daughter). GRADE: C+/B-
The two movies and additional trailers run 3 hours, 11 minutes. Unless you have that kind of time to blow, I suggest watching the movies singularly.
OVERALL GRADE: C+
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$67,000,000.00
Revenue:
$25,422,088.00
