“Grindhouse” is an interesting experience that sets out to capture what it used to be like going to see a double-feature with two whole films that take place in the same town (there is a scene that ties them together), one directed by Robert Rodriguez (“Spy Kids”, “Desperado”), one by Quentin Tarantino (“Pulp Fiction”) and a bunch of fake trailers, product placement and messages from the cinematic management.

Planet Terror – 2 ½ stars

Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror” starts off the film and is easily the weakest part of the whole experience of “Grindhouse”. It is a mockery of zombie films but sadly not a very good one and that’s a shame considering some of the tools it is supplied with.

In “Planet Terror”, a small Texas community begins to be overtaken by hordes of zombies and now it is a fight for a survival. The problem is that the satire just isn’t strong enough and it ends up being a very conventional zombie film that wants to have a sense of humour and just can’t manage that, which is surprising when you look at some of the cast in this film.

Bruce Willis (“Die Hard”), Josh Brolin (“Men In Black III”) and Quentin Tarantino all appear and prove to be utterly useless, especially Tarantino as he plays a gross pervert in one of the strangest attempted-rape scenes I’ve ever seen; here he takes his obnoxious style of character too far. There is also another gross and poor character that enjoys collecting people testicles and storing them in a jar. The only character I liked was Sheriff Hague played amusingly by Michael Biehn. Rose McGowan from tv’s “Charmed” was okay as the lead character Cherry Darling, whose likeability is knocked up a level when her leg is replaced with a gun.

“Planet Terror” is explosive and delivers a few laughs but for the majority of the time it just feels like yet another zombie picture because it should have been more interesting and more hard-hitting in its joke making. I also didn’t care for the film’s unnecessary use of some gross image of testicular mutation. Rodriguez is a bizarre director who leaps from doing bad kiddie flicks to violent black comedies and this clearly being the latter also didn’t make the mark for me.

Death Proof – 4 ½ stars

Tarantino’s “Death Proof” is absolutely fantastic as really does feel like the kind of movie you would go in and see at a double-feature and as a result has a great organic vibe to it and is among Tarantino’s best work. It’s fast, it’s furious and it’s funny.

In this film, Kurt Russell (“Escape from New York”, “The Thing”) plays Stuntman Mike, who enjoys stalking women so he can kill them with his I quote “100% death proof” car but in order to receive the benefit of this you must be sitting in his seat. Lots of the film is just simply people talking and that’s done well but when the engines start roaring (towards the end at least) get ready for some of the best car chases you’ll ever seen.

Kurt Russell is fantastic and creepy as Stuntman Mike, who is a very intriguing villain. I do wish we had seen more of Stuntman Mike but then maybe it wouldn’t have felt so much like an old-fashioned film then. The women in it while I think they swear a little too much like all of Tarantino’s characters to be plausible they are also very good. Tarantino gets a much better part in this film that downplays his jerk feel.

“Death Proof” is a very fun film that despite not being perfect does capture the sense and feel of and older low-budget picture very well and the driving sequences are ridiculously enjoyable. Instead of a groan of cheesiness, the ending will leave you with the upmost respect for the film. What’s clever is how the characters discuss an older movie named “Vanishing Point” without instantly alienating it from feeling like a real low-budget, old-style picture. Tarantino understands film very well and he shows that equally well in “Death Proof”, which is arguably the highlight of “Grindhouse”.

Had it just been the two films it would have received a lower mark but the way the film is knitted together gets it a higher one. My favourite trailer was “Werewolf Women of the SS”, which features Nicolas Cage (“Ghost Rider”) as Fu Manchu (look him up) and I’m waiting for that to be turned into a full film as both “Machete” and “Hobo With A Shotgun” have. “Grindhouse” looks grainy and is old-school, it’s just a bit of a shame “Planet Terror” wasn’t more special.