Planet Terror - Rose McGowan

(aka "Grindhouse -- Planet Terror" )

directed by Robert Rodriguez
USA 2007

That Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Tarantino are motivated by a sincere love of the movies they send up can hardly be doubted, but the affection is expressed in different ways. Mr. Rodriguez revels in badness for its own sake. Planet Terror is intoxicated by its own absurdity; it tries to raise incompetence to the level of craft, if not art. The random close-ups, the lurching cuts, the off-kilter framing -- all of this is obviously intentional. So is the hodgepodge story, which is like a stew made of the contents of every can in the cupboard.

Ms. McGowan plays Cherry Darling, a hard-luck go-go dancer. She reunites with an old boyfriend (Freddy Rodriguez), who turns out to be a notorious gunslinger. They team up with a bunch of other townspeople -- we’re somewhere in Texas -— to fight off rampaging zombies (including Bruce Willis and Mr. Tarantino, who also has a small role in Death Proof). The zombies have been infected by a virus, and the only hope for a cure is...

But that’s enough of that. Sensation trumps sense in Planet Terror, especially once Ms. McGowan, who has lost a leg in a car accident, has been outfitted with a machine-gun prosthesis. It’s certainly eye-catching, but Planet Terror is a joke that goes on for too long without much purpose beyond its own frantic inventiveness.

Its sloppiness is a trait it shares not only with obscure horror movies (many of which were much more rigorously executed), but also with some of Mr. Rodriguez’s other films. His energy, in movies like Once Upon a Time in Mexico and the later Spy Kids installments, has often outstripped his taste. Not only does he like bad movies, he has a habit of making them too.

Excerpt from A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Posters

Theatrical Release: 6 April 2007 (USA)

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DVD Review: Genius Products (2-Disc Special Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Yunda Eddie Feng for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Genius Products Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	145:20
Video	1,78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.86 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	DD 5.1 English, DD 5.1 Spanish
Subtitles	Optional English, Spanish
Features	Release Information: Studio: Genius Products Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • audio commentary by director Robert Rodriguez • audience reaction track • international poster gallery • international trailer • previews for other movies • 10-Minute Film School • The Badass Babes of Planet Terror • The Guys of Planet Terror • Casting Rebel • Sickos, Bullets, and Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror • The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent DVD Release Date: October 16th, 20007 slim double keepcase Chapters 30

Comments:

Video:
The 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen image (NOTE: The film's theatrical AR was 2.35:1 - but the DVD is 1.78:1...supposedly this is the original AR that the film was shot in, but was reformatted to match Death Proof's 2.35:1 AR so it would play as one continuous double feature with the same AR. - thanks Bill!) has been beat up and degraded to resemble badly-handled grindhouse film prints. Expect to see a lot of lines, scratches, dirt, and other blemishes. There are a lot of jittery moments and minute jump cuts to simulate bad splices.

Audio:
Even though Planet Terror was meant to re-create the grindhouse experience, the DD 5.1 English track is very much a contemporary interpretation of grindhouse happenings. As with the video, there are hiccups, drop-outs, hisses, scratches, and plenty of general wear-and-tear during the first half of the movie. However, this is an action movie made in the 21st Century, so expect plenty of zooms and pounding noises assaulting you from every direction. The subwoofer roars during the numerous explosions. This is an aggressive, dynamic mix that doesn’t suffer from the same technological limitations that 1970s’-era grindhouse features did.

You can also watch the movie with a DD 5.1 Spanish dub. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
Director Robert Rodriguez contributed an audio commentary. He explains his and Quentin Tarantino’s motivations for making Planet Terror and Death Proof. The best utility of this commentary is Rodriguez pointing out various connections to other movies.

Next up is probably one of the best extras that I’ve experienced in a long while--the audience reaction track. This is an audio recording of an audience watching the movie, and the viewers’ enthusiasm makes for a fun, fun time.

You also get an international poster gallery, the international trailer, and previews for other movies.

--Disc 2--
“10-Minute Film School” shows how the computer effects and film “deterioration” were achieved.

“The Badass Babes of Planet Terror” and “The Guys of Planet Terror” celebrate the main actors. “Casting Rebel” details Rodriguez working with his son Rebel. “Sickos, Bullets, and Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror” explores the stunt work. Finally, “The Friend, The Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent” is a featurette about Rodriguez casting his real-life associates in the movie.

--Miscellaneous--
Genius Products opted for a slim double keepcase to house the DVDs. You get a cardboard slipcover and a $5 coupon for Death Proof, which was released on DVD earlier this year.