A fitting homage to the depraved films of the '70s

Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino unleashed a masterpiece of horror, gore, sex, zombies, and psychopaths this past weekend with their newest film Grindhouse. To call it a film isn't exactly fair. It is a double feature with each director directing one 90 minute flick a piece, separated by fake trailers and adds for a crappy food restaurant next store to the theatre.

Most people already know what Grindhouse is about, so I won't get into too many details because that would, essentially, ruin the fun that is too be had viewing it. Rodriguez's Planet Terror, a B-movie fan's dream, is about a mysterious military outfit headed by Bruce Willis that unleashes a gas on a small town and next thing you know there are puss-oozing, skin-eating zombies running amok all over the place. It's up to a small group of survivors to battle the undead and make it to safety.

Planet Terror pays true homage to the zombie and splatter films of the '70s with its missing reels, scratched film, terrible cinematography, poor dialogue, and off-kilter dubbing. Sounds bad? Nope, it's great. Witty and violent, although not for everyone...my girlfriend was not amused, this film will please fans of the two directors and of exploitation flicks of the '70s.

The real treasure I thought was the casting for this segment of the film. '70s and '80s B-movie icons Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, and Tom Savini have large roles, as does, Michael Parks, reprising his role as Deputy Earl McGraw from Kill Bill and From Dusk Til Dawn.

Tarantino's half of the film, Death Proof, is not as good, but still thoroughly entertaining. It is pure Tarantino though with homages galore and tons of razor-sharp dialogue. The dialogue is one of the problems with the segment because it goes on for too long and takes away from the action. But in the end the payoff is worth it. I don't want to ruin it but let's just say it involves a high speed chase, Kurt Russel screeching, and a woman on the hood of a car.

The fake trailers, directed by Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, and Edgar Wright, are a gem in themselves. Werewolf women, Nazis, Mexican hitmen, a Thanksgiving Day serial killer, and a hilarious ghost story sum them up. If you want to see Roth's just click on his name above.

Being a fan of '70s schlock and newer "grindhouse" films such as Ichi the Killer and Hostel, Tarantino and Rodriguez have a slam dunk on their hands with their depraved, funny, and on- the-bulls eye new film.