'Grindhouse' captures the spirit of the thing

Posted Monday, January 8, 2007 at 4:54 PM Central

by John Couture

With all due respect to Dickie Dunn, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez are really trying to capture the spirit of the whole exploitation flick era. By now, you're probably aware that their next collaboration Grindhouse is really two separate exploitation-style flicks fused into one full-length experience.

Tarantino's half, called "Death Proof," is slasher film in which the killer's weapon is a car, while Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" is a sci-fi look at an alternate world baring uncanny resemblances to Earth. There's a chick with a machine gun for a leg, oh yeah, it's that cool.

Now, to make the experience even more kitschy, the two films will be joined with an intermission of sorts where trailers will run far fictitious, albeit brilliantly comical, upcoming genre flicks. And these trailer will be directed by the a who's who of Quentin and Robert's friends.

Rob Zombie will be directing a trailer for a film called "Werewolf Women of the SS," Hostel writer-director Eli Roth is set to direct a trailer for "Thanksgiving" and Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright will most likely be contributing a zombie-filled trailer for an as-yet unannounced fake film.

Sure, you could get snacks or go to the bathroom during this intermission, but with such classic fare on the screen to entertain you, I'm betting most people keep their butts firmly planted in their seats.