Youtube Gem: DON'T trailer

For one of this week's Youtube gems I chose the fake grindhouse trailer that aired between Planet Terror and Death Proof. If you saw it in the theaters then you are probably familiar with the trailer. If not, enjoy! And DON'T forget to vote in our Ultimate Halloween Baddie poll!

Monster Mania Day 9: Death Proof

Written by Stu Cooper

In 2007 the theatrical world was treated to a rare Grindhouse presentation. The two-part film extravaganza was created by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, two cult film juggernauts. I'm a huge fan of both guys, so I was there opening weekend. “Grindhouse” was made up of “Planet Terror” and “Death Proof”. “Planet Terror” done by Rodriguez and “Death Proof” by Tarantino. There was also some grindhouse trailers in between each film that ended up actually being as entertaining as the films themselves. The point of the films was to imitate the Grindhouse film trend of the 70's with low budget, cheesy, brutal, and classic film making. I wanted to discuss my favorite of the two films, “Death Proof”. The film starred Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson, Jordan Ladd, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead among many other female stars. The premise revolves around a creepy stuntman who frequents a bar, praying on unsuspecting women and ultimately planning their untimely demise. Unlike other horror films, his weapon is not a knife,chainsaw, or machete...it's his car.

Russell brings everything to the table in this one. He plays a man simply named Stuntman Mike. Stuntman Mike apparently has a lot of experience doing stunt driving on obscure TV shows, tho it's never proven at any point in the film if he is an actual stuntman or if this is just some persona he has made up for himself, but regardless it works. Russell comes off so charismatic, I found myself totally rooting for his character the entire time. At a few points he even channels John Wayne. He encounters tons of different women and this makes for some great scenes. There is some intense brutality mixed with “Vanishing Point” style chase scenes. It's like a slasher and a 70's car chase movie combined into one film. I can't say too much else without spoiling what makes this film so entertaining, but I will say that Stuntman Mike is one of my favorite villains of all-time because of how good the performance is.

Overall if you're looking for an adrenaline filled creepy unique film that will take you back to the exploitation days of the 70's, then look no further. I can't express enough how much bad-ass attitude Kurt Russell brings to the role. It's no shocker since Russell has films like The Thing, Escape From New York, Big Trouble in Little China, and Tango & Cash under his belt. The soundtrack is also top notch and the music ques during the chase scenes are spot on. The only complaint would be a long dialogue sequence that was included in the unrated version of the film, in which Stuntman Mike ease drops on an extremely long and pointless conversation between 3 of the female main characters. I know Tarantino likes his dialogue, but he was really testing my patience with that scene. Other than that, and the fact that the more charismatic female actresses are at the beginning of the film, the film is a home-run. By far the best of the two Grindhouse films.

Djesus Uncrossed

Written by Stu Cooper

On the most recent edition of Saturday Night Live there was a particular skit that has created a bit of a controversy. The skit revolves around the possibility of Tarantino making a movie about Jesus rising from the grave to take revenge on those who wronged him. The name of the mock film is “Djesus Uncrossed” and it was one of the funniest things I’ve seen on SNL in years. The last time I laughed this hard at a parody on SNL was when they did the mock trailer for “Unbreakable” (The Denzel Washington underwhelming train flick.)

The trailer shows Jesus in classic Tarantino style, hunting down his enemies and laying waste to them. Christoph Waltz’s straight faced portrayal of Jesus adds to the hilarity. It’s obvious that it’s all in good humor considering guns are being used in the trailer, and one liners are being spouted. I almost did a spit take when Jesus said "When you get to heaven, tell my father I said Hi!". My face hurts from smiling as I type this, thinking of all the funny little moments. Instead of describing it further, I suggest you checkout the parody in this post. If you are offended easily, it may not be for you, but if that is the case then I don’t know why you are reading this blog to begin with. In some countries a parody like this would cause political uproar, but in America we are lucky enough to have a strong sense of humor, and when compared to something like “Passion of the Christ”, this is really nothing to be upset about. Let the offensive humor begin! Enjoy…

Bonus Video: Christoph Waltz demonstrating his acting method...