Piper’s Perspective DVD Review: Planet Terror - Extended And Unrated
Posted by Ben Piper on 11.06.2007
Wait, she has what for a leg?
Rose McGowan: Cherry Darling
Freddie Rodriguez: El Wray
Josh Brolin: Dr. William Block
Marley Shelton: Dr. Dakota Block
Jeff Fahey: J.T. Hague
Michael Biehn: Sheriff Hague
Rebel Rodriguez: Tony Block
Bruce Willis: Lt. Muldoon
Naveen Andrews: Abby
Julio Oscar Mechoso: Romey
Stacy Ferguson: Tammy
Nicky Katt: Joe
Hung Nguyen: Dr. Crane
Cecilia Conti: Paramedic #1
Tommy Nix: Paramedic #2
Written & Directed by Robert Rodriguez
105 Min.
As you all probably know, Planet Terror is one half of the Rodriquez/ Tarantino double-feature-in-one-movie collaboration Grindhouse, which was intended to be an homage of early 70’s b-grade exploitation flicks. Despite a great amount of hype surrounding the film (especially with fanboys such as myself) Grindhouse tanked at the box office big time, in no small part due to a crappy release date (Easter Weekend) as well as its over three hour length. After that disappointment, Dimension Films & the Weinstein’s (The latter rather than the former) decided to repackage the two movies individually, releasing Tarantino’s Death Proof on DVD about six weeks back which of course was followed up with this. This two disc set features an expanded and unrated version of the movie as well as countless extra features.
Disk One
The Film: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that before Planet Terror begins, we get to see one of the faux Grindhouse trailers. No, it’s not the one directed by Rob Zombie or Eli Roth. It’s for Machete, a revenge flick starring Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, and Jeff Fahey. It is an appropriate warm-up for the coming main event, as it shows in preview form many of the same elements that make up Planet Terror. This has to be attributed to the fact that it is also directed by Robert Rodriguez, which also explains why it’s included here and none of the other faux trailers are.
As far as Planet Terror itself? It’s wild, weird, & wacky, an unapologetically over the top mess. Please don’t let that last sentence dissuade you from seeking it out however, for I loved every damn second of it.
The basic plot consists of a military project gone awry, as early on a toxic gas is released into the atmosphere. Pretty much anyone exposed to this gas becomes a throbbing cyst bearing puss-oozing zombie like creature. This pesky affliction can be passed on either by being bit by someone who’s been exposed, or by coming into contact with their ooze. Certain people it turns out have a natural immunity to the gas, which explains why not everyone turns into a zombie before the first reel unspools.
Rodriquez deftly walks a fine line by allowing the movie to take itself seriously, but not TOO seriously. Some lesser plot elements come off rather heavy handed but are balanced out by the tongue in cheek nature of others. On one side of the equation is the married couple that just so happen to be doctors that work at the same hospital. Their union has dissolved into mutual mistrust and it’s apparent that domestic violence looms on the horizon for them. On the other side of the coin, there’s the BBQ restaurant owner that obsesses over getting his sauce recipe just right as he feuds with his brother/landlord/ town sheriff over the contents of said recipe.
Leading the rag-tag band of survivors is Cherry Darling, a go-go dancer (not a stripper, she urges. There’s a difference) that once had aspirations of becoming a doctor, and her ex-lover El Wray, whose mysterious past is always alluded to, but never fully explained. Rose McGowan is perfectly cast as Cherry, as this will without a doubt be the one role she’ll most be remembered for in the long term. I mean, c’mon, it’s pretty hard to forget a chick with a machine gun for a leg, but on top of that novelty, McGowan also infuses Cherry with the right mix of pathos & inner strength. As El Wray, Freddie Rodriquez at first glance doesn’t look like the go-to guy as a leader of men, but once he gets knee deep in the action he has a certain weight and intensity to his performance that you buy into.
Also in the mix onscreen is Bruce Willis, whom shows up in two scenes as the military leader with his own motivations that provide the catalyst for the story. Also appearing onscreen for a cup of coffee is Quentin Tarantino as a lecherous soldier & Naveen Andrews (LOST!) as the scheming scientist that first seems like a baddie but then wishes to find an antidote to this outbreak.
Many allusions to previous Tarantino or Rodriguez flicks are evident. All must be considered as Easter eggs to either their previous works (together or separate) as well as to the other side of the equation, Death Proof.
It’s clear from the outset that Planet Terror is intended to be watched as brainless entertainment, and in that regard it truly succeeds. The violence on display teeters from being cheesily over the top to out and out gross out gore. (mostly over the top) It also stays true to the Grindhouse motif in that the entire film, while actually shot digitally, is infused with intentional imperfections. Lines, scratches, and color bleed-throughs mar the picture throughout. Cuts from one shot to another don’t quite match up and mesh, and at the mid-point of the movie, we actually watch the print break and melt before our eyes, leaving us with a “reel missing” insert that leaves us short one huge action sequence (based upon the results) as well as explanations on how other characters came back into play, on top of El Wray’s (seemingly) important backstory which explains why he’s such a well known and respected badass.
But the overall result? All in all, it’s a really fun movie to experience. Is it a perfect entertainment? No, but one can tell that it was designed and planned out to be that way from the beginning. This is a truly ingenious construct, in that when certain lines are said or circumstances occur, instead of groaning to yourself as you watch, you find yourself just going with the momentum that has been built. At that point, a part of your brain knows instinctively that what you’re watching is not only intentionally winking at you but also asking for you to sit back and enjoy the rest of the ride.
Which doesn’t disappoint, by the way. Rose McGowen winds up with a machine gun/rocket launcher for a leg, after all….
Feature Commentary by Robert Rodriguez. I’ve sat through some borefests with regards to DVD commentaries in the past, but I’m happy to say that this isn’t among them. Rodriguez is vastly informative with regards to the creation of this movie and everything that went into it. He even goes out of his way to point out the numerous continuity and production errors that were made and can be seen, but weren’t edited out because that there wouldn’t be a “Grindhouse” kind of movie. He also informs us which stuff is added footage and why it was cut out in the first place. Perhaps the most interesting part is how he hired the cast based upon a half-written script and once he had all the players in place, he finished it with them in mind. He also goes out of his way many times to cite John Carpenter as a main influence upon the film in several instances. I’ve always enjoyed Rodriguez’s more mature works (i.e. not kiddie films) but from this commentary track you really get an insight to how smart and creative he truly is. It also confirms the initial idea I had watching the flick for the first time that a lot of what transpires is actually thought out to be groan inducing by design, with the idea that the audience will be smart enough to recognize it. This is a great and informative commentary.
Audience Reaction Track: This is basically the flick with the audible reactions from a full screening audience. While it’s not made clear, I’ll bet dollars to pesos that this is culled from the movie’s premiere at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. From this you can get the feeling of watching the movie at a midnight showing surrounded by enthusiastic people, without having Coke being spilled on you or the people behind you kicking your seat.
International Trailer & Poster Gallery: This is what it is. However, on top of the Planet Terror posters, there’s stuff for Machete as well.
Sneak Peeks: Theatrical trailers for Death Proof, 1408, Halloween, and easily the most bizzare premise for a horror movie I’ve ever come across, Black Sheep.
Disc Two
10-Minute Film School With Robert Rodriguez: This is a segment in which Rodriguez explains how he pulled off several of the nifty special effects for the movie cheaply, including the machine gun leg sequences, the “aging” of the film print, as well as various complicated action/FX shots. Good stuff if you found yourself wondering “how in the hell did they do that?”
The Badass Babes of Planet Terror: A lot of this segment deals with things that would be spoilers for those whom haven’t yet seen the film, so I won’t go there. Rodriguez talks about the main actresses, and we get interview clips with the women as well. There’s more talk about how the director decided to cast the actresses first and then tailor the script to meet their strengths, especially with regards to McGowan, whose character is greatly modeled after her own personality supposedly. Time is spent also talking up Marley Shelton, who plays the female doctor, and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, who shows up for a scene or two in the early parts of the flick. The end of the segment talks about the twin babysitters in the movie, who turn out to be Rodriguez’s nieces. Meh. Semi-informative, but mostly filler.
The Guys of Planet Terror: This is identical to the previous segment in many ways, with the exception being that this time around it focuses on the male actors, obviously. There’s lots of clips of the other actors as well as Rodriquez complimenting each individual profiled. There’s also some recycled junket footage, which wasn’t used in the women’s segment. The actors discussed here are Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Tarantino, Tom Savini, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Michael Parks (reprising a recurring role he’s played in From Dusk ‘Til Dawn & Kill Bill, Vol. II and perhaps others), Naveen Andrews, & Bruce Willis. Mildly entertaining, but again, just the usual DVD filler content.
Casting Rebel: Rodriguez talks about casting his own son in the movie, and the fact that he shot an entire alternate storyline for the child that he can show to him so he won’t be permanently scarred by the filmmaking process that took place. He also speaks about the fact that the movie has a tendency to be so pro-gun that he wanted to add something in there as a public service kind of thing that shows the dark side of gun ownership. According to this segment, to this day his son still doesn’t know his character’s true fate in the movie as he doesn’t wish to traumatize him. Marley Shelton and Josh Brolin talk about his part in the movie as well as state what a great, quiet kid he is. That and the fact that he has no fear with regards to handling scorpions or tarantulas, either of which would completely freak me the f*ck out. Nice segment which shows that Rodriguez is a responsible father while still being an edgy filmmaker at the same time.
Sickos, Bullets, & Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror: This segment shows the planning, plotting, and execution of all the stuntwork. Rose McGowan did all her own wire-work, which I kind if already knew based upon seeing the movie, but this covers her preparation for it. Next up is Freddy Rodriguez’s prep work (with the guns and fight training) and on screen execution. The stunt coordinator gets a lot of screen time to talk about the various stuntpeople who worked on the film and the acts that they performed. After viewing this segment one gets the idea of just how dangerous some of the stuff that takes place onscreen actually was not only for the individuals being filmed, but for the film crew as well, with regards to explosions and the resulting debris. Good behind the scenes stuff.
The Friend, The Doctor, And the Real Estate Agent: This is a segment that focuses in on exactly what the title implies; Robert Rodriguez’s friend, personal doctor, and real estate agent, whom he cast in various roles in Planet Terror. The friend in question is his college roommate, Tommy Nix, who plays one of the paramedics. The kicker of this anecdote is that after seeing his performance, the Weinsteins wanted to sign the guy to a long term movie contract, not knowing that he was actually Rodriguez’s longtime friend. The doctor in question is Rodriguez’s personal physician, whom was cast as Josh Brolin’s hospital colleague. Turns out that all the gross out pictures that were viewed in the hospital on a monitor are actual real-life pictures from this guy’s archive. Ew. Seems like a nice guy, though, but who in the blue hell would want a catalogue of that kind of disgusting stuff? Right, a Doctor, of course. The real estate agent is again, Rodriguez’s own personal realtor. I swear to God, this guy is the human equivalent to King of the Hill’s Boomhower. He looks exactly how that character would if he were a real life guy and not animated. As with the Doctor beforehand, Rodriguez talks about getting his realtor to talk as he does in real life and not try to “act”.
Visual and Audio Specs
The movie is presented in widescreen 1.85:1 ratio. Disc 1 has both English and Spanish languages and both are presented in Dolby 5.1. Disc 2 is presented in English only 2.0 stereo.
The 411: A really fun viewing experience that will be a great addition to a genre fanboy’s DVD collection, Planet Terror brings the gore, the action, and the laughs in equal measures. This two disc set is bolstered by an excellent commentary track by Robert Rodriguez as well as some nifty behind the scenes making of footage. Highly Recommended.
