Film Review of Planet Terror - a Comedy Horror
Grindhouse Double Feature - Robert Rodriguez Movie: Funny and Gory
Mar 1, 2009
The film oozes cool. It is full of blood, guts, and revulsion, and is mixed together with a confident and twisted humour.
Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror sits nicely alongside Quentin Tarantino’s Deathproof, the other half in this double-feature project known as Grindhouse.
Grindhouse and B-Movies
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez wanted to replicate and celebrate the style of the old, low-budget exploitation films they used to enjoy at “grindhouse” cinemas as younger film fans. “There was always a really cool poster for some b-movie,” explains Tarantino. “But then when you watched the movie, it sucked! What we want to do is give you that really cool movie poster, but with the film that delivers!”
Planet Terror differs from Deathproof in theme, but it has that same deliberate, thrown-together feel to it, which is what Tarantino and Rodriguez both wanted
Zombie Blood Bath
Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan, of Scream,and television’s Charmed fame) is a dancer who leaves her job one night and bumps into an ex in a bar. Some folks who don’t look too human anymore attack them and Cherry loses a leg. Before long, it’s apparent that there is a mass epidemic of a dreadful disease, causing, among the nicer effects, the dead to rise, and to wreak horrific chaos.
Eventually, the survivors team together in an expected fashion to wage war against the zombies, whilst trying to avoid infection – the results of which are sickening and terrifying.
Cult Following and Sex Appeal
The film takes some unexpected but welcome turns – Rose McGowan’s leg is replaced by a machine gun! Yes, a machine gun! And she knows how to use it! It seems that part of the film’s cult appeal is due to its portrayal of a sexy young woman with a machine gun for a leg!
Hilarious, Yet Shocking
Undoubtedly, and not surprisingly, there is an element of comedy in this film, and it gets away with it because of the confident style in which it is delivered. The humour helps make Planet Terror a treat to watch. But make no mistake; there are moments in this film that cannot be prescribed to the faint-hearted. The film is a highlight in the whole zombie-gore genre.
A DVD Night in
It is important to note that Planet Terror doesn’t try to be some amazing and life-changing masterpiece. It’s a film to watch with some fun friends, preferably on DVD, after returning home from a night out. Don’t expect too much of a twist-in –the-tale and this will be an enjoyable, sometimes squeamish, film experience.
DVD Extras to Look For
The DVD has the option of an “audience track”, which lets you watch the film with an assortment of friendly, entertaining audience reactions.
Key Favourite Moments
In true budget-movie, grindhouse spirit, the film deliberately appears to have a missing reel during an all-important sex scene. Some audiences understood and appreciated this, adding cheers. Less-informed audiences were genuinely annoyed, and so booed in some cinemas, thinking the “missing reel” piece was an actual mistake by the film-showing house.
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