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Planet Terror SE
R1 - America - Genius Products Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Cameron Murray (2nd November 2007). |
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The Film
 Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino are two names which are synonymous with cool hip cult classic type films from early in their careers and now slick and funky mainstream flicks since they have made names for themselves. "Planet Terror" is Rodriguez's contribution to the Grindhouse double header which he and Tarantino made as, I guess, a homage to those movies from the '70's which relied more on shock and awe than cohesive storylines and flashy camera work. The story is average at best, basically there is a biological weapon released that turns the majority of those who inhale it into zombie type things that then try and eat people who are not zombie or sometimes they just turn them into zombies as well, kind of like the facebook game except slightly more gruesome. Now of course there is the ragtag bunch of survivors who have to try and save the day, each with there own equally ludicrous storyline, from El Wray (Freddy RodrĂ guez), the man who never misses and isn't allowed to touch guns. Then there is Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) a go-go dancer who thinks she might become a stand-up comedian and later loses a leg but gains a big gun as prosthesis, so every cloud has a silver lining. The cast consists of some great actors; Bruce Willis, Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Michael Biehn and Josh Brolin. It also has Fergie of Fergalicious fame, but if you liked watching Paris Hilton getting smoked in "House of Wax" (2005) then perhaps seeing Fergie departing this mortal coil might make this an enjoyable watch for you as well. The actors all play their parts well but given the nature of the dialogue it's hard to think that they were pushed, if anything it is maybe that they were struggling to under act. Stylistically this is Grindhouse but done with some sort of budget (a low budget by Hollywood standards but much higher than actual Grindhouse films would have had), the constant film grain and aging effects was a nice touch but may have been a tad overdone. There were a couple of nice moments which very much stayed true to the genre, things like being able to see the camera and crew in a mirror during the opening credits which sort of sets the tone for the rest of the movie, also the reel missing is a funny touch although it did annoy me a little given that they missed a whole bunch of the story out. I can see why this movie didn't do so well at the box office, why would you spend your money on a movie that has very little substance, 'poor' production values (remember this is an aesthetic done intentionally), and an average script and the whole point was to rub all those elements into you face? Having said that the whole purpose of Grindhouse was that the story is a vessel for the style, and it is a lot of fun if you are in the mood for no holds barred blood splattering, occasional needle jabbing and several uncomfortable moments then this is the movie for you. If you are after a movie in the vein of a Disney classic you probably should have stopped reading this review after the first sentence.
Video
When theatrically presented as part of the double feature the film was matted at 2.35:1, this was done to match the fact that "Death Proof" was shot at that ratio, Rodriguez had framed the film for 1.78:1 and this DVD opens the matte to that intended ratio. The transfer is presented in anamorphic widescreen and perfectly preserves the aged and dirty look of those old Grindhouse pictures. The picture was shot on high definition digital cameras and the effect work was added to give it that film feel. Some shots look very good and have been given a nice weigh to them by the aging. The film has some detail but overall we're dealing with occasional color deterioration, lots of heavy scratches and marks, frame wobble, heavy lines running through shots, specks, heavy grain and flat and often noisy black levels. But this is all intentional and as a result actually looks pretty good and maintains exactly what the filmmaker's where trying to achieve. On a side note this is probably the best review I've ever given for a film that was made to look terribly aged.
Audio
Two audio tracks are included in English Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its English soundtrack. The film is like a rollercoaster ride both within the narrative as well as in the soundtrack. There are many effects mixed within this surround number that include intentional drop outs, pops, hiss and other sounds that would normally appear as faults in the audio due to aging and neglect. These are used quite well within the framework of the aesthetic. On another note the dialogue is presented accurately with moments mixed a fraction higher in volume at times. Explosions, gun shots, stunts, crashes, gory sounds and score make brilliant use of the surround channels and create an enveloping sense as you're drawn into the film. Optional subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
DISC ONE: First up we've got a feature-length audio commentary by the film's writer/director Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez is no stranger to commentaries and best of all he himself is a fanboy and knows exactly what we want to hear and he's chocked this track so full of information you'll wish the movie was even longer just to listen to him talk about the making of it. Right from the start he comments on how the trailer for "Machete" was an actual idea for a film he had for Danny Trejo but didn't materialize but then made this trailer as a test for the whole Grindhouse format, he comments about how fulfilling it was just shooting money shots for the trailer then moves onto the film itself as he reveals the idea to use the retro pre-program intros which came from screenings of movies at Tarantino's house, he talks in-depth about the development of the film and about how each scene came about, starting from a 30 page treatment to eventually completing scenes with certain actors in mind as well as using scenes written for other projects that didn't get off the ground. The parts I enjoyed the most are when he comments on the limitations of the budget and making the low budget work for the production, this is what Rodriguez is best at and this format is perfectly suited for his shoot-fast style of working as he also sheds light on the feel, tone and stylistic look of the film, as well as what has been added back into this longer version of the film, shooting on digital, editing, special effects and music among many other things. If you're a fan of Rodriguez then there's no reason why you shouldn't listen to this track, it's one of the best commentaries I've heard this year. Next up is an audience reaction track, this is basically some applauding, cheering and gasps during gory bits throughout the film and that's about it. To be honest I'm not all that interested in listening to other people's reactions to the film as I much prefer to get into the film without distractions. Following that is an International poster gallery which includes 35 images. The Grindhouse film was released as a double feature Stateside but for International markets the two films were released separately and what we have here is the artwork created for the film's international release. The gallery includes posters and lobby cards for "Planet Terror" as well as for the trailer "Machete" (which is going to be made into a film eventually with a 2008 release date). Also featured is the film's original International theatrical trailer which runs for 2 minutes 18 seconds. Rounding out the extras on this disc are a collection of bonus trailers for: - "Death Proof" which runs for 2 minutes 23 seconds. - "1408" which runs for 2 minutes 23 seconds. - "Halloween" which runs for 2 minutes 1 second. - "Black Sheep" which runs for 2 minutes 2 seconds. DISC TWO: The first extra on this disc is a regular feature on Rodriguez's DVD releases entitled "10 Minute Film School", this featurette runs for 11 minutes 51 seconds. When this feature was first introduced on the "El Mariachi" (1992) DVD he offered up practical ways to shoot scenes and make it look cinematic, these were techniques that everyone could use. As his career progressed these film school clips have become less about how you at home can achieve this to how the filmmakers achieved stuff on a Hollywood budget (granted a low budget but more than a novice or first time filmmaker would have to spend). In any case the feature still makes a welcomed addition to this DVD and takes a look at some of the effects work for the film including the gun leg, the aged film look and keeping the dirt random so you're not seeing the same scratches over and over again but also using it as a visual tool, the use of pre-viz to plan complicated shots and compositing special effects among other things. "The Guys of Planet Terror" is a featurette that runs for 16 minutes 30 seconds and takes a look at the male character of the film and the actors who portray them. In the clip we'll get a look at each character and what the actors brought to the part as Rodriguez wrote many scenes around the actors he wanted in the film as well as a look at some of the regular faces that appear in this film in which he's worked with before. "Casting Rebel" is a featurette that runs for 5 minutes 33 seconds and is a look at how Rodriguez cast his 7-year-old son in the film and how the character he plays is put through the most awful situation. On a funny note he shot an alternate version of the film SPOILER WARNING where the character his son plays, Tony, lives through to the end of the movie and to this day he doesn't know that he actually died. Next is "Sickos, Bullets and Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror" featurette which runs for 13 minutes 17 seconds and as the title suggests we get a look at the stunts which includes the wire rigs and getting the actors to do some of their own stunt work as well as an inside look at the stunt tram used on the film, the staging of the stunts, choreography of Wray's hospital knife sequence, fire effects and setting off explosions. Finally we've got "The Friend, the Doctor and the Real Estate Agent" a featurette that runs for 6 minutes 41 seconds that looks at how Rodriguez cast one of his friends, his doctor and his real estate agent in the film, why he chose them for the parts and what they brought to the small characters they played.
Packaging
This 2-disc set is packaged in an amaray case that is housed in a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
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