Rob Zombie's Halloween Trailer
It's on the trailer reels for Grindhouse, and it's now posted online for all to view here.
Like I said before, I hate horror remakes, but so far I'm not really seeing or hearing anything I don't like. That's saying a lot considering the magnitude of the influence and the importance of the original Halloween to the horror genre.
My opinion won't sway at all until I see the finished product, which will be released August 31st. So far here's a few things I've noticed:
-The emphasis on Michael Myers' childhood, which is awesome because we got little of that in the original
-The lighting in the neighborhood shots when Michael is stalking the babysitters is AWESOME
-The new mask is as creepy as the original, but hard to say whether or not it's better
-Malcom McDowell looks like he'll be a great Dr. Loomis (you may know him as Terrance, Ari's old boss, on Entourage)
As a whole it looks like Zombie is going to be focusing more on the Myers character and not the babysitters. The studios that produced the original told John Carpenter there had to be babysitters in it (saw that on a documentary called "Going to Pieces") . I'm guessing Zombie has no such restrictions.
I'm also interested in seeing how he handles the invincibility of Myers. There's no question that Myers was invincible in the first one, even Carpenter admitted to that. Looking forward to how Zombie approaches that, which will in turn effect how he can end it.
Lastly, but most importantly, the death scenes. They look very promising in the trailer. Not unlike the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the original Halloween is talked about as being a very gruesome flick, however there's really no blood in it at all. Zombie's first 2 movies are notorious for violence, and that's cool, I just hope its as cool in his 3rd.
So one last time, here's the link to the trailer for the Halloween remake.
Let me know what you think...
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Grindhouse review
There's few times when going to a movie is an outright experience, but that's the easiest way I can sum up Grindhouse. It wasn't a movie, it was an experience.
Tarantino and Rodriguez really hold nothing back for the 3 and a half hours you spend with them. Right after the trailers end you are experiencing Grindhouse: fake movie trailers, fake commercials for fake businesses, hell they even have their own custom MPAA ratings graphics before each movie. Even the opening credits have this surreal "I can't believe I'm really watching this" feel. That alone is worth the admission.
Where Grindhouse is the experience, each respective movie truly stands out unlike anything else you've ever seen in a theatre in the last 15 to 20 years. The film quality is purposefully crappy, the lighting seems to change almost unprofessionally, parts of both movies are inexplicably missing, and the editing is campy as hell. And it all works. Even if you don't enjoy the narrative, you'll still enjoy what you're witnessing.
Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror is better then Quentin's Death Proof, but both are stylistically far apart. I shouldn't even say Planet Terror is a better film, it's just more enjoyable.
Planet Terror is pure decadence, I'm talking real horror gluttony. Sin City's violence pales in comparison. It's about a military experiment gone awry resulting in a chemical being spread through Texas that turns people into zombies.
You get that in about the first 30 seconds, and the next hour and a half is funner than any theme park you've ever been to. Not only is it bloody as hell, it's fucking hilarious. Not like chuckle funny, but like roll around on the floor funny. There's absolutely nothing serious about it, yet everything is so official to the genre. Not to mention the acting is just spot on: Rose McGowan kills it, and Marley Shelton, as Dr. Dakota Block, steals every scene she's in. If she looks familiar it's because she was Wendy the lifeguard in The Sandlot.
After Planet Terror is intermission. It's the only intermission I've seen since Kubrick's 2001. Do not leave during intermission. Repeat, DO NOT LEAVE during intermission. You have to see the fake trailers by Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and the Shaun of the Dead guys. I won't give anything away, but they are absolutely priceless.
Where Rodriguez's stamp is clearly on Planet Terror, his actual technique is unique to this one. Not a whole lot you can really pick out that you've seen him do before, as far as the actual directing is concerned. Not the case for Quentin with Death Proof.
If you're a Tarantino fan you will undoubtedly recognize some Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in the shot selections. The dialogue really drives the film, not unlike other Tarantino gems, and Death Proof is the only other linear film he's done besides Jackie Brown.
It definitely feels longer then Planet Terror, and it's no where near as decadent, but in the end it feels exactly like a Tarantino horror flick. 70's style jive dialogue with throw back underground musical classics, retro sets, retro cars, and gritty to the bone characters.
Death Proof is about Stuntman Mike (how awesome is that name), he likes to kill people with his car. Since he's a stuntman his car is built to sustain heavy collisions. In turn, that makes it death proof. Get it. It's sort of camp slasher stalker flick meets the high octane gear head type. As much focus on car chases as on the murders. And with the car chases it's kind of like another 2 for 1 deal: not only do you get a Tarantino horror, you get a Tarantino car chase, neither of which he's ever done before.
I'll admit, I wasn't too hot on it right when it ended. Not like I was after seeing Kill Bill 1 and 2. But after thinking about it for a while I understand it. After the final shot in Death Proof ask yourself if you've ever really seen anything like it? You'll know what I mean.
All in all, Grindhouse was everything I expected and everything I didn't expect. There's nothing like it you've ever seen in a theatre, and it's something that really can't be ripped off. I can pretty much guarantee you will have fun, and unfortunately just having fun at a movie is becoming as rare as originality so do yourself a favor and take advantage of it while it lasts.
There's few times when going to a movie is an outright experience, but that's the easiest way I can sum up Grindhouse. It wasn't a movie, it was an experience.
Tarantino and Rodriguez really hold nothing back for the 3 and a half hours you spend with them. Right after the trailers end you are experiencing Grindhouse: fake movie trailers, fake commercials for fake businesses, hell they even have their own custom MPAA ratings graphics before each movie. Even the opening credits have this surreal "I can't believe I'm really watching this" feel. That alone is worth the admission.
Where Grindhouse is the experience, each respective movie truly stands out unlike anything else you've ever seen in a theatre in the last 15 to 20 years. The film quality is purposefully crappy, the lighting seems to change almost unprofessionally, parts of both movies are inexplicably missing, and the editing is campy as hell. And it all works. Even if you don't enjoy the narrative, you'll still enjoy what you're witnessing.
Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror is better then Quentin's Death Proof, but both are stylistically far apart. I shouldn't even say Planet Terror is a better film, it's just more enjoyable.
Planet Terror is pure decadence, I'm talking real horror gluttony. Sin City's violence pales in comparison. It's about a military experiment gone awry resulting in a chemical being spread through Texas that turns people into zombies.
You get that in about the first 30 seconds, and the next hour and a half is funner than any theme park you've ever been to. Not only is it bloody as hell, it's fucking hilarious. Not like chuckle funny, but like roll around on the floor funny. There's absolutely nothing serious about it, yet everything is so official to the genre. Not to mention the acting is just spot on: Rose McGowan kills it, and Marley Shelton, as Dr. Dakota Block, steals every scene she's in. If she looks familiar it's because she was Wendy the lifeguard in The Sandlot.
After Planet Terror is intermission. It's the only intermission I've seen since Kubrick's 2001. Do not leave during intermission. Repeat, DO NOT LEAVE during intermission. You have to see the fake trailers by Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and the Shaun of the Dead guys. I won't give anything away, but they are absolutely priceless.
Where Rodriguez's stamp is clearly on Planet Terror, his actual technique is unique to this one. Not a whole lot you can really pick out that you've seen him do before, as far as the actual directing is concerned. Not the case for Quentin with Death Proof.
If you're a Tarantino fan you will undoubtedly recognize some Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in the shot selections. The dialogue really drives the film, not unlike other Tarantino gems, and Death Proof is the only other linear film he's done besides Jackie Brown.
It definitely feels longer then Planet Terror, and it's no where near as decadent, but in the end it feels exactly like a Tarantino horror flick. 70's style jive dialogue with throw back underground musical classics, retro sets, retro cars, and gritty to the bone characters.
Death Proof is about Stuntman Mike (how awesome is that name), he likes to kill people with his car. Since he's a stuntman his car is built to sustain heavy collisions. In turn, that makes it death proof. Get it. It's sort of camp slasher stalker flick meets the high octane gear head type. As much focus on car chases as on the murders. And with the car chases it's kind of like another 2 for 1 deal: not only do you get a Tarantino horror, you get a Tarantino car chase, neither of which he's ever done before.
I'll admit, I wasn't too hot on it right when it ended. Not like I was after seeing Kill Bill 1 and 2. But after thinking about it for a while I understand it. After the final shot in Death Proof ask yourself if you've ever really seen anything like it? You'll know what I mean.
All in all, Grindhouse was everything I expected and everything I didn't expect. There's nothing like it you've ever seen in a theatre, and it's something that really can't be ripped off. I can pretty much guarantee you will have fun, and unfortunately just having fun at a movie is becoming as rare as originality so do yourself a favor and take advantage of it while it lasts.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Grindhouse reviews are in!
So far the tomatometer has it %85 from 68 reviews (58 good, 10 bad). Here are some of my favorites:
"it summons the most crackerjack pop charge of any movie with Tarantino's name on it since Pulp Fiction." Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly
"In paying homage to an obsolete form of movie culture, Grindhouse delivers a dropkick to ours." Nathan Lee - Village Voice
"...once you get past the absurdity of it all, what you get is a one-two punch of fun the likes of which rarely come out of Hollywood." Cole Haddon - Orlando Weekly
""Grindhouse" is insider fun when Rodriguez is in charge and regrettable trash when Tarantino takes over" Tom Long - Detroit News
"So over-the-top, it makes 300 look like a study in minimalism" Lisa Rose - Newark Star-Ledger
And here are some of the bad ones:
"Rodriguez goes for full-blooded faithfulness, Tarantino goes for genre analysis and reconfiguration, and the results are, ultimately, about as coherent and fulfilling as a typical grindhouse double-feature." Nick Schager - Cinematical
"Planet Terror is a great bad movie; Death Proof is just plain bad." Jurgen Fauth - About.com
"“Grindhouse” has plenty of fun moments, and with a running time of more than three hours you can’t complain that you didn’t get your money’s worth. But it only half works." Robert W. Butler - Kansas City Star
So word is Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" is better than Quentin's "Death Proof." I've actually been hearing that for a while. However, the good reviews from the good reviewers is overwhelming, and reading good reviews for b movie exploitations flicks from drama loving critics is a breath of fresh air. Based on that alone you have to thank the two directors for bringing the b movie to this level.
Stay tuned for my review tomorrow night. I can't fucking wait.
So far the tomatometer has it %85 from 68 reviews (58 good, 10 bad). Here are some of my favorites:
"it summons the most crackerjack pop charge of any movie with Tarantino's name on it since Pulp Fiction." Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly
"In paying homage to an obsolete form of movie culture, Grindhouse delivers a dropkick to ours." Nathan Lee - Village Voice
"...once you get past the absurdity of it all, what you get is a one-two punch of fun the likes of which rarely come out of Hollywood." Cole Haddon - Orlando Weekly
""Grindhouse" is insider fun when Rodriguez is in charge and regrettable trash when Tarantino takes over" Tom Long - Detroit News
"So over-the-top, it makes 300 look like a study in minimalism" Lisa Rose - Newark Star-Ledger
And here are some of the bad ones:
"Rodriguez goes for full-blooded faithfulness, Tarantino goes for genre analysis and reconfiguration, and the results are, ultimately, about as coherent and fulfilling as a typical grindhouse double-feature." Nick Schager - Cinematical
"Planet Terror is a great bad movie; Death Proof is just plain bad." Jurgen Fauth - About.com
"“Grindhouse” has plenty of fun moments, and with a running time of more than three hours you can’t complain that you didn’t get your money’s worth. But it only half works." Robert W. Butler - Kansas City Star
So word is Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" is better than Quentin's "Death Proof." I've actually been hearing that for a while. However, the good reviews from the good reviewers is overwhelming, and reading good reviews for b movie exploitations flicks from drama loving critics is a breath of fresh air. Based on that alone you have to thank the two directors for bringing the b movie to this level.
Stay tuned for my review tomorrow night. I can't fucking wait.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Grindhouse countdown...
Take 2 of the most entertaining directors ever, let them each shoot a b style, 70's exploitation horror flick, put an intermission between them with fake movie trailers shot by Rob Zombie, Eli Roth and the guys from Shaun of the Dead, and only charge the price of 1 movie for admission.
God damn.
Grindhouse. It opens Friday and I already bought my ticket...on Monday. Running time is 3 and a half hours and most theatres are only running it 3 showings a day because of the length.
This is the next most highly anticipated film of the year since 300 came out, and the last most anticipated movie until Spider Man 3. As for myself, I'm anticipating Grindhouse the most, of all 2007 films. It's freaking horror movies by Tarantino and Rodriguez at the same time, I mean come on.
Unlike 300, however, the hype hasn't been nearly as intense, and I don't expect the box office to be either. Grindhouse is going to draw the "hardcores" and the "hardcores" that bring their friends to see it. It's not for everyone, and I love that.
The hype Grindhouse has been getting is the basic stuff, interviews and magazine spreads of the like. I saw Tarantino and Rodriguez on a late night ABC news show a few nights back. Watching a tight wad, scantily clad middle aged white dude sweat uncomfortable while Tarantino explained why his movies are so violent was interesting to say the least.
Here's a couple tidbits I've come across in the recent press storm:
-Both films were edited heavily from their original cut for 2 reasons: To make an R rating and to make the running time reasonable
-Both films will be released in their original entirity on DVD
-Planet Terror is shown first, intermission, then Death Proof
-Eli Roth's trailer, "Thanksgiving," had to be trimmed down to avoid an NC-17 rating
-Rob Zombie's trailer "Werewolf Women of the SS" was greenlit just off of him telling Rodriguez the title
-The order of the films was determined after they were shot, the directors agreed it worked best that way
-Rose McGowan is the only actor to appear in both films as a different character
-Some characters will appear in both films as the same person
-Every other country is showing both films seperate, under their own titles, and charging for each. We're the only country where it's titled Grindhouse, and get to see both films for the price of 1
The good people over at rottentomatoes.com have posted an A-Z guide to Grindhouse if you're interested. It's pretty much a list of what inspired the two maniacs to make this, but very cool nontheless.
Check back to see how the reviews are coming and of course my review will be posted late Friday evening as soon as I get back.
I'm typing a lot faster since I started working out.
Take 2 of the most entertaining directors ever, let them each shoot a b style, 70's exploitation horror flick, put an intermission between them with fake movie trailers shot by Rob Zombie, Eli Roth and the guys from Shaun of the Dead, and only charge the price of 1 movie for admission.
God damn.
Grindhouse. It opens Friday and I already bought my ticket...on Monday. Running time is 3 and a half hours and most theatres are only running it 3 showings a day because of the length.
This is the next most highly anticipated film of the year since 300 came out, and the last most anticipated movie until Spider Man 3. As for myself, I'm anticipating Grindhouse the most, of all 2007 films. It's freaking horror movies by Tarantino and Rodriguez at the same time, I mean come on.
Unlike 300, however, the hype hasn't been nearly as intense, and I don't expect the box office to be either. Grindhouse is going to draw the "hardcores" and the "hardcores" that bring their friends to see it. It's not for everyone, and I love that.
The hype Grindhouse has been getting is the basic stuff, interviews and magazine spreads of the like. I saw Tarantino and Rodriguez on a late night ABC news show a few nights back. Watching a tight wad, scantily clad middle aged white dude sweat uncomfortable while Tarantino explained why his movies are so violent was interesting to say the least.
Here's a couple tidbits I've come across in the recent press storm:
-Both films were edited heavily from their original cut for 2 reasons: To make an R rating and to make the running time reasonable
-Both films will be released in their original entirity on DVD
-Planet Terror is shown first, intermission, then Death Proof
-Eli Roth's trailer, "Thanksgiving," had to be trimmed down to avoid an NC-17 rating
-Rob Zombie's trailer "Werewolf Women of the SS" was greenlit just off of him telling Rodriguez the title
-The order of the films was determined after they were shot, the directors agreed it worked best that way
-Rose McGowan is the only actor to appear in both films as a different character
-Some characters will appear in both films as the same person
-Every other country is showing both films seperate, under their own titles, and charging for each. We're the only country where it's titled Grindhouse, and get to see both films for the price of 1
The good people over at rottentomatoes.com have posted an A-Z guide to Grindhouse if you're interested. It's pretty much a list of what inspired the two maniacs to make this, but very cool nontheless.
Check back to see how the reviews are coming and of course my review will be posted late Friday evening as soon as I get back.
I'm typing a lot faster since I started working out.
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