Ouch, that's a shame, I was looking forward to that.
While it's true that the whole 'endless tributes to genre cinema' thing probably isn't the route to cinematic gold, I think Tarantino is a good enough director that it's always entertaining at least, which is why I at still enjoyed Kill Bill, despite it being a relatively plot free trawl through his film collection.
Maybe he just needs the input of a good editor? People might just be put-off by 3 hours of genre in-jokes. If the whole thing lasted 1.5 to 2 hours, maybe it would go down slightly better? Maybe not.
All that aside, Grindhouse still looks like fun, so hope it gets some sort of release sooner or later.
Grindhouse actually isn't bad. The first film is over-the-top in the same way as Mark Millar comics; the second is two-thirds entertaining dialogue and one-third impressive stunt work. Neither one has a proper story, though, so if you didn't like Kill Bill, you're probably right to steer clear.
I'd be very surprised if it doesn't come out on DVD in its intended form and do OK business. Regarding the nostalgia angle, don't you think there's a market for phony nostalgia, selling a sort of vicarious cool to people who weren't there?
Up to a point, but that's what Tarantino managed to do with Pulp Fiction. Grindhouse is too far off most people's frame of reference.
Funny thing is, I'd never realized Kill Bill quotes extensively from other films, or is an extended homage. I'm guessing that's largely a result of me seeing fewer than three dozen movies a year, on average.
Tarantino's half of Grindhouse is a big long reference to Vanishing Point and Duel, more than anything else.
I haven't the vaguest idea what a grindhouse is either, so I had no interest, but I do have some film geek friends, who all thought that the movie was a must-see. Make of that what you will. However, I have seen "Duel," so Jim's comment has raised a glimmer of interest. Perhaps I'll rent it someday.
I quite liked Kill Bill...
I think splitting Grindhouse may actually help matters, as I know I'm far more interested in seeing Rodriguez' half than Tarantino's.
I think were you to see the two films as a double feature, you might see the length as more of a problem. Rodriguez's movie is the portion that features the scratches, gags, and gimmickery prominently to jokingly recreate a "grindhouse" experience. It's an energetic jumble (fun or pointless is up to the audience), but you'd be two hours in and beginning a much more sedately paced and different toned film in Tarantino's half.
Deathproof I think actually holds up pretty well on its own, and other than a perfunctory missing reel gag, shows that Tarantino decided to make a movie you saw in those sorts of theaters, as opposed to the whole experience, and basically gimmick free. It's certainly not the Kill Bill sort of every awesome clip I can think of. It's not quite Jackie Brown either, though, which is my favorite of his movies.
I guess I was one of the few people who saw Grindhouse in a theatre and I have to say I loved it. You really don't need to have any inkling of what a "grindhouse" is to enjoy the films. It's too bad that people have that perception. It's just good, schlockey fun.
It's highly unfortunate that it won't be seeing a theatrical release in the UK, as this is perhaps the only movie I've ever seen that absolutely will not work on DVD. The fake film trailers, the scrathes, the retro "coming soon" bumpers - The fun of the movie is in that suspension of disbelief to think that you are really in an old-timey movie house. Honestly I wouldn't bother with a home release.
Yeah, the whole thing really, really needs to be seen in theaters to be fully appreciated. I also think splitting the movies up and releasing them separately will damage Planet Terror, which is fun but basically "empty calories" and can't really stand on its own as a satisfying experience. Death Proof, OTOH, is at least a "proper" movie that could stand alone just fine once Tarantino sticks the missing reel back in.
Grindhouse was fucking awesome. This is not a movie you are going to for a great piece of film. Not at all. It's insane. It's one of the best times you'll ever have at a theater (or anywhere). Ever.
I mean, for Christ's sake, you've got Rose McGowan with a machine gun leg?! And a 30 minute chase scene with a girl on the hood of a car. If you need anything more than that to sell you on this, then it probably isn't for you.
Yeah, I agree with the people who liked it, the films are great, just not well advertised. Forget about "grindhouse" or the scratches or any of that nonsense you keep hearing about. It is a double feature movie, two movies for the price of one, one about gross zombies and one about car chases and Tarentinoesque conversations, that simple. The fake trailers are awesome, but again, just frosting on the cake.
I think the movie will be awesome!
I wish they would have made it cheaper so it wasn´t such a big faillure at the box office.
Death Proof is actually nothing like Duel. There was a moment when I got excited because I thought it was going to turn into an homage to Duel, but instead it turned into an homage to Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!.
Paul's instincts are right on the money. And I liked Kill Bill, but Grindhouse was way too gimmicky even for me.
"I mean, for Christ's sake, you've got Rose McGowan with a machine gun leg?!"
This statement nicely encapsulates a worrying trend among film geeks that I've noticed lately. It's like movies don't have to be good anymore, they just have to have snakes on a plane, or Rose McGowan with a machine gun leg, or, really, anything that males aged 12-35 find cool.
I'm sorry, but since when did movies ever have to be good? Is there some alternate reality that you're from in which all movies before, say, 1990 were of deep cultural and historical impact? I'm a lover of great films, but sometimes I want to have some brainless fun. Grindhouse fills the bill nicely.
Is there some alternate reality YOU'RE from in which all good movies have to have deep cultural and historical impact? You're arguing with a straw man, I'm afraid.
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