Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!: Planet Terror (2007)

11/26/2022

Planet Terror (2007) - Rodriguez's awesome blast from the past

♥♥♥♥♥

Star Rose McGowan looks sensational with a machine gun leg prosthesis on this blood-red poster for Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror

An experimental bio-weapon accidentally releases and creates a zombie outbreak, which a small group of survivors fight to exterminate.

Planet Terror is written, co-produced, directed, photographed , co-edited and composed by great Texan filmmaker Robert Rodriguez (El Mariachi (1992)) and is part of Rodriguez and co-producer Quentin Tarantino's double feature project Grindhouse (2007), which also comprises Tarantino's car thriller Death Proof (2007).

The film is a total blast and perhaps the year's coolest movie. In terms of the intention of resurrecting the exploitation grindhouse tradition in American cinema of the 1970s and 1980s for a great show, a respectful, enthusiastic and very humorous venture, Rodriguez's contribution wins over Tarantino's more farcical and idiosyncratic Tarantino film.

With Planet Terror Rodriguez really walks the ten miles with a 'bad' story, (understood in the way that it is so flat and obvious, which is just perfect for what this is), a great gallery of characters, rad special effects, a super and very 1980s retro score (by Rodriguez himself) and a terrific cast: Michael Biehn's (Clockstoppers (2002)) comeback as Sheriff Hague and Rose McGowan (Encino Man (1992)) and Freddy Rodriguez (CBGB (2013)) deserve highlighting. There are some hilarious scenes (some involving Biehn and some BBQ 'expert' brothers), and the film is an overall irreverent fun ride for B movie fans.

Rodriguez doesn't have Tarantino's knack (or indulgence) for dialog, but it matters not here in Planet Terror, which is arguably the man's best and coolest film to date.

The other Grindhouse feature: Death Proof (2007) - Tarantino's awesome, rubber-burning Grindhouse homage
Robert Rodriguez: Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) - Rodriguez goes digital and blows up his trilogy

The Faculty (1998) or, Teacher Encounters of the Third Kind

1996 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
From Dusk till Dawn (1996) - Tarantino, Rodriguez and chums' enjoyable Mexico vampire extravaganza
Desperado (1995) - Rodriguez' second Mexico actioner is a sexy, latino fireball

Four Rooms (1995) - Rodriguez, Tarantino & Co. fail with LA hotel anthology comedy (segment)

Listen to the title track from Rodriguez's score for the film here

Cost: 23 mil. $

Box office: 24.1 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.04 times its cost)

[Planet Terror was released 6 April (USA) and runs 105 minutes (in the Grindhouse double feature version only 91 minutes). Rodriguez had wanted to make a zombie movie since The Faculty (1997). McGowan was Rodriguez's girlfriend at the time and was cast despite being on Harvey Weinstein's blacklist, because he had sexually assaulted her in the past: Dimension Films was, however, controlled by Bob Weinstein, who let the casting take place, but his brother Harvey Weinstein succeeded in axing the film's ad budget and thereby limiting its chances of success. Shooting took place from February - July 2005 in Texas and Mexico, with re-shoots in October 2005. Co-star Marley Shelton has stated that she felt that Tarantino co-directed Planet Terror, as he was on set for a lot of filming and gave notes, adjustments and line changes. Grindhouse opened #4, behind holdover hits Blades of Glory and Meet the Robinsons and fellow new release Are We Done Yet?, to a 11.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 25 mil. $, with half attributed here to Planet Terror (51.9 % of the total gross). The film released as an individual feature in most other markets with the 2nd and 3rd biggest being Spain with 1.9 mil. $ (7.9 %) and Germany with 1.4 mil. $ (5.8 %). Roger Ebert gave the double feature a 2.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. The fake trailer for Machete in the film since spun the actual Machete (2010) by Rodriguez, which to date also has one sequel (Machete Kills (2013)). Rodriguez returned with Shorts (2008). McGowan returned in Fifty Dead Men Walking (2008); Freddy Rodriguez in Bottle Shock (2008)). Planet Terror is fresh at 76 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Planet Terror?

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William Friedkin has died

Born in Chicago, Friedkin accrued TV credits prior to his advance to the big screen as the director of Good TImes (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and The Boys in the Band (1970) before his major breakthrough, The French Connection (1971), for which he won his only Oscar. He followed it up with the even bigger smash, The Exorcist (1973), arguably the best horror film of all time, for which he was Oscar-nominated. Later credits include Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Rampage (1987), Rules of Engagement (2000), Killer Joe (2011) and The Devil and Father Amorth (2017, documentary). Friedkin passed away at age 87. R.I.P.

Louise Fletcher has passed away

Born in Alabama to deaf parents, Fletcher got her first credits in late-1950s TV-series.She took a 10 year-long sabbatical to devote her time to motherhood after the release of A Gathering of Eagles, but then came back and soon saw her career's most important part, as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), for which she won her sole Oscar. Later credits include Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Lucky Star (1980), Brainstorm (1983), Two Moon Junction (1988), Cruel Intentions (1999), A Perfect Man (2013) and many more. Fletcher passed away at age 88. R.I.P.

Jean-Luc Godard has passed away

Born in Paris, France, Godard lived much of his life in Switzerland. He wrote for French film criticism magazine Cahiers du Cinema and became foundational for the New French Wave that inspired new waves in scores of other countries across the world with his Breathless (1960). Later credits include A Woman Is A Woman (1961), Vivre Sa Vie (1962), Le Petit Soldat (1962), Contempt (1963), Alphaville (1965), Pierrot le Fou (1965), 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967), Weekend (1967), Every Man for Himself (1980), King Lear (1987), Century of Cinema (1995, documentary), Goodbye to Language (2014) and many more. Godard died of assisted suicide at age 91. R.I.P.

Wolfgang Petersen has died

James Caan has died

Caan was born the son of Jewish immigrants from Germany in New York. He got his start on TV in the early 1960s. His credits include El Dorado (1966), The Rain People (1969), Brian's Song (1971, TV movie), The Godfather (1972), - for which he earned his only Oscar nomination, - Slither (1973), The Gambler (1974), Funny Lady (1975), Rollerball (1975), Silent Movie (1976), Hide in Plain Sight (1980), - the only film he also directed, - Thief (1981), Misery (1990), Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Bottle Rocket (1996), Eraser (1996), Dogville (2003), Elf (2003), Las Vegas (2003-07), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and many more. Caan passed away at age 82. R.I.P.

Jean-Louis Trintignant has died

Born in Vaucluse, France, Trintignant's theatrical debut as an actor was in If All the Guys in the World... (1955). Later credits include ...And God Created Woman (1956), The Seven Deadly Sins (1961), Inferno (1964), A Man and A Woman (1966), My Love, My Love (1967), A Man to Kill (1967), The Great Silence (1968), Z (1969), The Assassination (1972), Three Colors: Red (1994), Amour (2012), Happy End (2017) and many more. He also wrote and directed two films in the 1970s. Trintignant passed away at age 91. R.I.P.

Ray Liotta has died

Adopted from an orphenage at a young age, Liotta got hooked on acting in high school. He had various TV credits in the late 1970s and early 80s, with his film debut in The Lonely Lady (1983). Later credits include Something Wild (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Goodfellas (1990), Cop Land (1997), Hannibal (2001), Blow (2001), Narc (2002), John Q (2002), Identity (2003), Observe and Report (2009), Youth in Revolt (2009), The Details (2011), Killing THem Softly (2012), The Place Beyond the Pines (2012), Shades of Blue (2016-18), The Simpsons (2018, TV-series), Marriage Story (2019), The Many Saints of Newark (2021), Black Bird (2022, TV-series) and many more. Liotta passed away at age 67 in his sleep while on production in the Dominican Republic. R.I.P.

Philip Baker Hall has died

Born in Ohio, Hall didn't start acting until he was 30. His long list of credits include Zabriskie Point (1970), Miami Vice (1987, TV-series), Midnight Run (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Cheers (1993, TV-series), Hard Eight (1996), The Rock (1996), Air Force One (1997), Boogie Nights (1997), Seinfeld (1991-98), Rush Hour (1998), The Insider (1999), Magnolia (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Bruce Almighty (2003), Dogville (2003), The Zodiac (2005), Zodiac (2007), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2004-09), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), Modern Family (2011-12) and many more. Hall passed away at age 90. R.I.P.

William Hurt has passed away

Born in Washington D.C., Hurt's first film role was the lead in Altered States (1980). Later credits include Body Heat (1981), The Big Chill (1983), Gorky Park (1983), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), for which he earned his only Oscar as Best Actor; Chilrdren of a Lesser God (1986), for which he was also Oscar-nominated; Broadcast News (1987), for which he was again Oscar-nominated; Smoke (1995), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), A History of Violence (2005), for which he was again Oscar-nominated; The Good Shepherd (2006), Into the Wild (2007), Robin Hood (2010) and many more. Hurt passed away at age 71. R.I.P.

Ivan Reitman has passed away

Born in Chechoslovakia, now Slovakia, Reitman's family fled the Soviet regime to Austria, then Toronto, when he was 4 years old. Reitman broke into movies as a director with Foxy Lady (1971). Later credits include Cannibal Girls (1973), Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), Kindergarten Cop (1990), Junior (1994), Father's Day (1997), Evolution (1998), No Strings Attached (2011), Draft Day (2014) and more. Reitman's son Jason Reitman is also a great filmmaker. Reitman passed away at age 75. R.I.P.

Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

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11/26/2022

Planet Terror (2007) - Rodriguez's awesome blast from the past

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