Planète terreur

While Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof seems to be a much more authentic representation of 1970s grindhouse pictures, Robert Rodriguez' Planet Terror is more of a loving caricature of 1980s zombie splatter films. Nothing in the film is played straight, and virtually every scene is accompanied by a wink and a grin at the audience.

If Tarantino's effort is accused of being slow (or deliberately paced, depending on your opinion), Planet Terror never even thinks about slowing down. From the exploitative opening credits through to the final frames of the film, this is a roller coaster ride of a film that doesn't let up.

With Planet Terror, Robert Rodriguez continues his "everything and the kitchen sink" mentality when it comes to his film-making by throwing everything at the wall just to see what sticks. While it sometimes feels like this technique gets in the way of Rodriguez finding a true film-making voice, it works quite well for a film like Planet Terror where there's no room for subtlety.

The cast that Rodriguez assembled is a glorious ensemble of bygone action heroes, horror icons, and Rodriguez stock actors. They all bring their parts to life in a cartoonish sort of way that fits the tone of the movie beautifully.

While the uncut DVD edition of Planet Terror doesn't change the film drastically in any way, it definitely improves the film. It gives the film smoother transitions and fills in some gaps in the plot (though that missing reel is still there and will always remain there as one of the many comical winks at the audience). The large cast of characters are also given more beats here and there that help fill out their personas a little more. All in all, this uncut version simply allows the film to breathe a little more, rather than having to jump frantically from scene to scene in an effort to make the 84 minute running time.

At the end of the day, Planet Terror isn't going to win any awards, and it's certainly not meant to. It's simply an extremely enjoyable guilty pleasure of a film that virtually anyone with the stomach for it can probably have a good time with, especially if you're a horror fan. Take a couple of classic John Carpenter films like The Fog and Escape From New York and throw them into a blender with a couple of classic zombie splatter films like Evil Dead 2 and Dawn of the Dead and you've got a pretty good idea of what Planet Terror is like. And at the end of the day, you could definitely have a worse combination of films to pay loving homage to.

At an US military base, when appear convoy led by an official(Bruce Willis), a black-market dealer named Abby(Naven Andrews) accidentally releases an experimental and highly contagious gas. Those exposed suffer a complete transformation, turning into meat-eating zombies. A stripper named Cherrie(Rose McGowan, extraordinaries scenes with a leg machine gun), her mechanic ex-lover Wray(a valiant Freddy Rodriguez),Dr. Dakota(Marley Shelton)who's fleeing her sadist husband Dr. Block (a nasty Josh Brolin), the sheriff( Michael Bhien) stay stranded into a inn called 'The Bone Shack' whose owner is an astute vet(a sympathetic Jeff Fahey) and surrounded by zombies starving of flesh human.They take on the zombies sickos, and become only survivors facing the world destruction by deadly epidemic.

This exciting film packs tension, chills, thrills, terror, sadism, tongue in check and lots of blood and gore- including stabbing,slicing,stabbing,quartering- courtesy of Greg Nicotero and Howard Berger; they create a truly creepy make-up of horrible zombies cannibals.The flesh-eating mutants appearance deliver the goods with hair raising thrills and plenty of scares and eerie murders.The astonishing killings are gruesomely executed and grisly graphic. This movie is better than Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, as contains more action and amusing, both tales form a diptych titled 'Grindhouse'. Various players repeat acting, as Marley Shelton as Dr Dakota, Michael Sacks as McGraw and the Avellan twins as the babysitters, they're nice-in law of Robert Rodriguez and wife, Elizabet Avellan(film's producer). Besides appear Tom Savini, prestigious maker-up of Romero films and Carlos Gallardo, El Mariachi's starring , both playing two deputies.The motion picture is lavishly produced by Harvey and Bob Weinstein(Dimension films), Rodriguez's usual producers. Moving musical score, special cinematography and nice direction by Robert Rodriguez. Rating : Above average, the film will like to terror fans with some humor and irony.

Robert Rodriguez is back this time with a Grindhouse movie. I have always liked his movies. Even though they are somewhat formulaic, I enjoy the action and energy and there is a certain unique South American touch to them. I also disagree that he casts women as mere sex objects. Yes, he does work with incredibly sexy women who look hot on screen but they have much more to do than to look, be and act hot.

'Planet Horror' is his tribute to the 70s exploitation films. Many of such movies have become cult hits and even though hardly anyone would admit (except when among friends) to liking them, they have a growing niche audience and actually sell well. 'Planet Horror' also has the look of a movie on bad old film reel which is pretty cool.

Needless to say, the execution is pretty solid. The wild cinematography, adrenaline filled soundtrack and healthy doze of sex, violence, gore and humour work together excellently. The cast is terrific. While there Freddy Rodriguez (as El Wrey) and Rose McGowen (as Cherry) are leading the film and kicking ass, they are supported by Marley Shelton (lesbian doctor), Michael Biehn (as a Sheriff, what a comeback!) and Jeff Fahey (as the owner of a diner searching for the best sauce ingredient, what a comeback!). They are being hunted by a bunch of pus drooling zombies that include a psycho doctor (Josh Brolin) and a lieutenant (Bruce Willis). Meanwhile Naveen Andrews (a testicle-obsessed scientist) and Stacey Ferguson (a hot lesbian) make hilarious appearances. All the parts are played well by the great cast.

Rodriguez's homage is a thrilling watch. It's funny, energetic, visceral and adventurous. Rodriguez has succeeded again in entertaining his viewers. Now, I'm going to go watch Tarantino's 'Death Proof' (which is the second Grindhouse movie).

I reviewed this before as it was put together next to "Death Proof" (plus a number of inspired trailers for films that don't exist) for the grand experiment "Grindhouse",and I felt that while I still quite enjoyed the whole package, this probably should've been broken into halves to make this a little more viewer friendly (that is,assuming directors Quentin Tarrantino and Robert Rodriguez were EVER interested in trying to make a commercial hit out of their opus).

The pulpy,weighted on action tale of a bio-chemical leakage at a rural Texas military outpost that turns people in zombies brings together a variety of disparate locals,among them a hardened and bitingly sardonic stripper (Rose McGowan,who has to work hard to NOT drip sexuality) and her sometime boyfriend and bad-ass fighter (Freddy Rodriguez). Subplots involving a loveless and abusive marriage between wed doctors (MArley Shelton and Josh Brolin) and rival brothers--one a sheriff (Michael Biehn),the other a BBQ rib joint proprietor (Jeff Fahey,who was unrecognizable to me at first)--seem to be padding to build conflict toward a big,bloody,messy,fiery climax,and if there's anyone who understands those kinds of film finishes,it's director Robert Rodriguez,working the usual flourish and flair.

On it's own or added to Tarantino's road menace pic,this is still quite a bit of non-brain-taxing fun!

For some reason the original double feature movie of Grindhouse combining Planet Terror with Tarantino's effort was never released in the UK! Regardless, i was still curious to watch both efforts, and the first of which I've had the chance to see is Planet Terror.

It's simply about a small town that comes under attack from a virus which when it affects the town-folk makes everyone into zombie like creatures (e.g. attacking others to infect them also, appearances become inhuman etc etc). Add into this mix a Go-Go girl, her ex-boyfriend (an expert at gunslinging), a doctor with a cheating lesbian loving wife-cum-doctor and a bunch of others and you have your pulp fiction movie.

Story wise its crazy but surprisingly its still quite fun. Dialogue isn't too bad, and is very entertaining. The film never really twists but plays along for the action as that's the main gist of the whole thing. Explosions, mass shootings, more explosions, zombie pulverising and even more shooting are the order of the day.

Most importantly this has been filmed in the style of the old b-movies, with grainy pictures and a couple of homages to old b-movie filming (including a comical starting fake preview of a film called "Machete").

Overall, I very much enjoyed it. Switch off and you'll like and enjoy it. Worthy of a good night out.