We all know the pulp world of b-movie horror/action, where the guys (be they scientists, doctors, or cooks) are hard-as-nails bad-asses with a penchant for killing things and predilictions for cool dialogue; where the gals are super-sexy femme fatales (often with lesbian tendencies) or just plain super-sexy go-go dancers looking for a way out, with much of the same penchants.
It’s a world where anything can be jammed into the stump of a severed limb as a hasty form of prosthetic and inexplicably exploding cars are just part of the backdrop.
If that sounds like a little slice of heaven to you, then you really should see Planet Terror. The fact that this is just one of many zombie films produced in the last few years shouldn’t dissuade anyone from what is a must for fans of gore-infested movies, with a balls-not-just-to-the-wall-but-all-over-the-place (literally in one scene) attitude.
All done, of course, under the knowing wink of a great director.
Robert Rodriguez and the Grindhouse Double-Bill
Released as part of the ‘Grindhouse’ double-bill, along with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, they were both inspired projects, which ultimately failed to pull their weight at the box office.
That’s a shame (and in this opinion down to bad marketing) because there’s not enough of this - and by that is meant not just the genre but the quality of film-making, which in the case of Planet Terror delivers everything you might expect and a lot you couldn’t possibly.
Rodriguez, also credited as scriptwriter, cinematographer and editor (as well as music composer), has put together another virtuoso piece of work, qualifying as one of the best in cult movies over the last decade. It’s a field that suits him just as it does John Carpenter and hopefully one he will grace for a long time yet.
The film also has a majority of it’s frames damaged, giving it an appropriate visual patina for the genre. This is also bolstered by some iffy – clearly deliberate - editing, including a smartly-placed ‘missing reel’ segment.
Planet Terror Cast
Simply put, a superb cast fill their superb roles. That's always good.
Rose McGowan easily shoulders the predominant role of multi-talented go-go dancer Cherry Darling, thankfully leaving far behind the girl that fans of Charmed will know. Very far behind. Meanwhile, Freddy Rodriguez as Cherry’s ex-boyfriend – a.k.a the mysterious El Wray – brings an initial hint of mis-casting with his youthful looks but comes through with cool aplomb in a role too good to fail.
Additionally, Josh Brolin and Marley Shelton are cast as doctors William and Dakota Block. Brolin’s intensity is palpable and Shelton is more than just a fill-in for Uma Thurman, for whom the part seemed ready-made. A brief mention should also go to young Rebel Rodriguez, who has a minor, though priceless, role as the kid in a film where a kid shouldn’t be. Harsh.
These are joined by screen-brothers J.T (Jeff Fahey) and Sheriff Hague (played by personal perennial favourite Michael Biehn a.k.a Hicks forever).
Other roles include that of ‘scientist’ Abby (Naveen Andrews) and Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis), with an expected cameo from Tarantino, whose sheer enthusiasm for these appearances are contagiously entertaining and in this case provides one of the film’s seriously disturbing, and hilarious, moments.
There are also links to the Rodriguez/Tarantino venture of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), with Michael Parks reprising his role as Earl McGraw and a new part for Tom Savini, better known as Sex Machine from the aforementioned vamp-fest.
Planet Terror Summary
So, on to the important stuff – Salma Hayek, Jessica Alba, or Rose McGowan? Yes, we’re comparing sexy dances here – all performed while under the direction of Robert Rodriguez. It's good to be the director.
Hayek, of course, set the high standard in From Dusk Till Dawn, and much was made of Alba’s turn in the outstanding Sin City (2005). Despite the stunning Alba, however, screen time was just one of several factors that suggested there was no comparison to Hayek’s combination of sultry and sleazy. So how about Rose McGowan in the film’s gratuitously lengthy opening sequence?
There’s no conclusion here – just fond memories.
And an unmissable film.
- Producer: Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Elizabeth Avellan
- Director: Robert Rodriguez
- Screenplay: Robert Rodriguez
- Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Marley Shelton, Josh Brolin, Jeff Fahey, Naveen Andrews, Michael Biehn, Bruce Willis
- Released: November 2007 by Dimension Films & The Weinstein Company
- Running Time: 105 min.
