Thursday, March 29, 2007

The Grindhouse Concept


This is part 2 of my Grindhouse Premiere trip to Austin.

It’s impossible to talk about Grindhouse without first praising the concept (double feature broken up by trailers). It really is a great idea. There are going to be lots of people bitching once again that Tarantino and Rodriguez (more Tarantino than Rodriguez) have done nothing more than steal an idea. It's true and neither are trying to take credit for it as their own. When Tarantino and Rodriguez took the stage last night they said that when they were growing up, going to movies was an event. It wasn't a two hour movie with a bunch of commercials before it. They wanted to re-create that feeling again with Grindhouse and that's exactly what they did.

In both movies, there is a missing reel. Again, this has been done before, but not quite to this extent. Major sections of both movies are missing, and at key points in the story. You have to try to piece the missing story together and imagine what exactly happened. I'm sure that those missing reels will be included on the DVD or somewhere. I'm geek enough to know that a scene from the missing reel in Death Proof is actually on the trailer for the movie, so I feel its got to eventually turn up.

What Rodriguez and Tarantino have done is make it fun to go to the movies again. Make it something you want to invite a bunch of friends to. Rentals be damned! Get off your ass and go to the movie theaters because it's a hell of a good time. The truth is, the world is a pretty scary place right now. Pick your poison: dirty nukes, politics, global warming, cancer, whatever. I like serious fare just as much as the next person, but in the end movies are meant to be fun. They're entertainment. They don't always have to be thoughtful pieces that reflect life in its current state. Tarantino and Rodriguez know this and goddamn if they aren't having a time of it.

Stay tuned folks, the review of Planet Terror is next.

5 comments:

Charlie said...

Piper,

First, you suck! Sounds like a dream come true. In reading this post, as much as I HATE to say this, I am finding there is a side to you that I like and, need I say admire. Movie, fun, not about deep thought....I couldn't agree more. In fact, I said that on one of my first post as "Anonymouse" If this moive is as you say, then I would say it is a "Holy Grail" (not the Monte Python sketch) of movies for the past several years.

I look forward to seeing it, but seeing as I am a little person, it will be after it opens to general release!

EP

p.s. I hope you turned around and told those girls "if you don't know who that is, get the fuck out!"

Anonymous said...

I second price. You do suck.

But at least you understand how awesome what you got to do was. I love the concept of discussing how a movie can be more of an interactive "event" like it was in days before I was even born. Realizing that there can be a huge difference between going to a movie and watching it at home on TV.

Can't wait for the reviews.

Anonymous said...

Knowing how much movies are a part of your life, I couldn't be happier for you. Looking forward the parts 3-6.

Sheamus the... said...

Dude! That sounds awesome. I just had a similar experience in Atlanta where I saw a screening for Hot Fuzz. Simon Pegg, Edgar wright, and Nick Frost were there.
Which was your favorite trailer in between? Wrights, Zombies, or Roths?

PIPER said...

Sheamus, I'm going to have to read about it Hot Fuzz.

I loved all the trailers but one. Rob Zombies. I already have a personal vendetta against the guy so I asked around and there was a consensus. His was completely out of place.

It's concerning that he's actually considered a filmmaker. He has no business here.