Kill Taste, Volumes I and II

I’m not a huge fan of Quentin Tarantino, and I’ve only seen maybe one and a half movies by Robert Rodriguez. Why did I go see “Grindhouse”? Two words: DOUBLE FEATURE.

And Hot Damn, was it ever worth it!

My friends and I walked into the theatre amazingly early (right when the movie was about to start). We sat near the front since our usual seats were taken up, and we made sure not to sit in front of anyone else. This movie-going-experience was all about movie watching—not the movie. I was ready for about three hours of revolting idiocy that would be punctuated with in-jokes and bad acting, none of which I’d really appreciate. The only zombie movie I’ve seen is “Shaun of the Dead”, and while I’ve watched plenty of Tarantino, I always come out of it feeling dirty.

By the time we left the theatre, my ears were ringing and I was exhilarated. Neither movie was very good, and I still don’t think that Tarantino is one of the best (despite what so many friends of mine say). But I know without a doubt that the man loves movies as much as I do, and I respect that.

Tarantino’s movie started off slow… really slow. In fact, halfway through it, I started wondering why people were saying it was the better of the two. By the end, I was pretty damn sure I knew why. It’s dead-slow pace picks up speed, and at the conclusion, I was ready to jump up and join the actresses in their… dance. You really need to see it to know what I mean. Either way, Kurt Russell seemed to be having a hell of a lot of fun, and his dead-on impression of another film great was half the fun of his performance—even if I’m pretty sure most of the audience didn’t catch it.

As for Rodriguez’s movie, it was slimier, grimier, dumber, and actually, way more fun. It could have been the explosions, the ridiculous blood spurts, or the shiny colors. Probably it was Freddy Rodriguez as a preposterous but peppy gunslinger, and the music. What failed miserably in “Brokeback Mountain” succeeded here; playing the same song over and over and over again. Sappy romances can’t handle something like that, but a movie with this much going on (and explosively awry) can take it, even with just one leg to stand on.

Not great, and if you don’t like zombie movies or slashers, don’t watch it. It’s very simple really, because the movies and the accompanying trailers are violent, offensive, and disgusting enough to turn off most sane people. But if those are your preferences (or if you’re a diehard Tarantino fan), really, don’t miss this.

I was right, really. The double feature was worth it. That, and when I left, I felt—well, good and dirty.