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The Flip, the Flail and the Flounce: When Fandom Implodes.
Cute interview of the Twilight kids. I don't really see Twilight and Harry Potter as targeting the same audience...oh well.
The Ack Attack! Rachel's, like, a super blogger now.
Three-hour Lost finale over two nights, because the finales weren't insane enough already.
Grindhouse
Planet Terror
Planet Terror was mostly just really, really fun. It was a zombie movie, straight up. I love the way Rodriguez used the B-movie scratches, jump cuts, missing reel and burning film as a mirror for the on-screen happenings. When the movie heats up, the film itself literally burns up. The characters were brilliantly transparent, and the fact that the reveal of who El Wray was happened during the missing reel is awesome. The character development wasn't quite as strong as Death Proof's and it didn't manage to build much of a sense of dread or tension - it was hard to care what happened to the characters because they were so one-dimensional, but that was part of the film's appeal as well. The special effects and makeup were sick, twisted genius. In terms of making a real old-school B-movie, Rodriguez really seemed to be in his element more than Tarantino, but the movie had that same level of quality, which wasn't so good.
3.5 out of 5
Death Proof
Death Proof, while arguably a better movie than Planet Terror, I found to be less consistent. It felt a bit like two movies in itself; its first and second halves were only connected by Stuntman Mike - the whole feel changed, with the daylight and the car chase really different to the slow-building tension of the first half. Tarantino also seems to have given up on the B-movie concept halfway through. He had a few of the jumpy cut and the great zoom-work and scratches in the first half, but the entire final act was just one long scene without any of those tricks. I was also disappointed a little by the lack of really snappy dialogue.
The visual style rocked, though (and I have to hand it to Sydney Tamiia Poitier for her ability to have a leg visible in every single shot.) The girls were largely fun characters, but Zoe Bell stole the show with her indestructable positivity. The car chase at the end was one huge adrenaline rush, it was absolutely brilliant from start to finish and had me completely pumped. It's just a shame that the film didn't have that coherency.
3.5 out of 5
Grindhouse
I'm so glad I got to have the real Grindhouse experience, with the fake trailers and the missing reels and both movies back-to-back, because it was so much fun. The trailer for Machete was hilarious and shlocky and fun, and the other trailers were clever and funny too. I like the whole thing, right from the big red GRINDHOUSE scrolling across the screen at the beginning.
The films were both really, really highly fetishised, which was at times a little unnerving. It created a great visual tone, but it meant that I was kind of torn as to whether the movies are feminist or anti-feminist, which of course occupied my mind more than it should have. The women are all so sexualised, particularly in Planet Terror - but they're also the tough characters, the last ones left standing and fighting. I am undecided. Except that Zoe Bell kicks butt.
Also, randomly: lots of Lost people. Well, four: Jeff Fahey (Lapidus), Zoe Bell (Regina), Cheech Marin (Hurley's dad), and of course Naveen.
4 out of 5
Two against the world
Geen Queen
Cute interview of the Twilight kids. I don't really see Twilight and Harry Potter as targeting the same audience...oh well.
The Ack Attack! Rachel's, like, a super blogger now.
Three-hour Lost finale over two nights, because the finales weren't insane enough already.
Grindhouse
Planet Terror
Planet Terror was mostly just really, really fun. It was a zombie movie, straight up. I love the way Rodriguez used the B-movie scratches, jump cuts, missing reel and burning film as a mirror for the on-screen happenings. When the movie heats up, the film itself literally burns up. The characters were brilliantly transparent, and the fact that the reveal of who El Wray was happened during the missing reel is awesome. The character development wasn't quite as strong as Death Proof's and it didn't manage to build much of a sense of dread or tension - it was hard to care what happened to the characters because they were so one-dimensional, but that was part of the film's appeal as well. The special effects and makeup were sick, twisted genius. In terms of making a real old-school B-movie, Rodriguez really seemed to be in his element more than Tarantino, but the movie had that same level of quality, which wasn't so good.
3.5 out of 5
Death Proof
Death Proof, while arguably a better movie than Planet Terror, I found to be less consistent. It felt a bit like two movies in itself; its first and second halves were only connected by Stuntman Mike - the whole feel changed, with the daylight and the car chase really different to the slow-building tension of the first half. Tarantino also seems to have given up on the B-movie concept halfway through. He had a few of the jumpy cut and the great zoom-work and scratches in the first half, but the entire final act was just one long scene without any of those tricks. I was also disappointed a little by the lack of really snappy dialogue.
The visual style rocked, though (and I have to hand it to Sydney Tamiia Poitier for her ability to have a leg visible in every single shot.) The girls were largely fun characters, but Zoe Bell stole the show with her indestructable positivity. The car chase at the end was one huge adrenaline rush, it was absolutely brilliant from start to finish and had me completely pumped. It's just a shame that the film didn't have that coherency.
3.5 out of 5
Grindhouse
I'm so glad I got to have the real Grindhouse experience, with the fake trailers and the missing reels and both movies back-to-back, because it was so much fun. The trailer for Machete was hilarious and shlocky and fun, and the other trailers were clever and funny too. I like the whole thing, right from the big red GRINDHOUSE scrolling across the screen at the beginning.
The films were both really, really highly fetishised, which was at times a little unnerving. It created a great visual tone, but it meant that I was kind of torn as to whether the movies are feminist or anti-feminist, which of course occupied my mind more than it should have. The women are all so sexualised, particularly in Planet Terror - but they're also the tough characters, the last ones left standing and fighting. I am undecided. Except that Zoe Bell kicks butt.
Also, randomly: lots of Lost people. Well, four: Jeff Fahey (Lapidus), Zoe Bell (Regina), Cheech Marin (Hurley's dad), and of course Naveen.
4 out of 5
Two against the world
Geen Queen
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From:
no subject
Death Proof, while arguably a better movie than Planet Terror...
You think so? Critically, Planet Terror is viewed as the superior film. Cheesy and campy, but that's exactly what it was meant to be. It never lost sight of what it was, the way Death Proof did.
There are a lot of times that Death Proof seemed really self-indulgent (which actually happens for me a lot with Tarantino films). And I totally agree with you that Zoe stole the show.
As for the fetishised nature of the films? In context with the movies they're paying homage to, it makes sense. If you've seen They Call Her One Eye or Last House on the Left or any of the original B-movie/Grindhouse flicks, these seem really tame.
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no subject
I knew they were doing that, I was talking about the fetishisation in terms of feminism more than the movies.
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no subject
It's interesting, Zoe was the only female character, throughout both films, that I never felt was being objectified or even really stereotyped. She just really kicked ass.
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Thanks for linking me XD
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Rodriguez and Tarantino need to do another one of these. Seriously. And who's ready for Machete? I hope they actually get around to making it a full length movie.
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no subject
I WOULD BE OKAY WITH THAT. And Machete being a movie, which was about the only thing everyone agreed on when we walked out of the cinema.
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