Grindhouse (2007)

83% of critics liked it
(191 reviews)
86% of users liked it
(300,593 ratings)

Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez join forces to offer a cinematic tribute to the blood-soaked exploitation epics of yesteryear with this hyper-violent coupling of two full-length features punctuated by a collection of outrageous trailers. The first segment,… More Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino and Sin City director Robert Rodriguez join forces to offer a cinematic tribute to the blood-soaked exploitation epics of yesteryear with this hyper-violent coupling of two full-length features punctuated by a collection of outrageous trailers. The first segment, directed by Rodriguez and entitled Planet Terror, details the violent struggle between a ravenous army of zombie-like humanoids who have taken control of the planet and the remaining survivors who refuse to go down without a fight. Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, and Rose McGowan headline a cast that also includes Marley Shelton, Michael Biehn, Josh Brolin, Bruce Willis, and Tom Savini. In Death Proof -- director Tarantino's take on such peddle-to-the-metal shockers as White Line Fever -- Kurt Russell stars as an engine-revving psychopath who prefers to take out his beautiful victims at 200 mph. With a list of potential roadkill candidates that includes Rose McGowan, Jordan Ladd, Rosario Dawson, and Vanessa Ferlito, Death Proof takes viewers on an adrenaline-infused drive that's as sexy as it is shocking. Its tantalizing title borrowed from the term frequently used to describe the seedy, 1970s-era inner-city movie theaters that screened excessive, low-budget independent films containing copious amounts of violence and nudity as a means of offering counter-programming to the decidedly more restrained big-budget studio films, Grindhouse takes its love for these unabashedly sleazy efforts one step further by offering a jaw-dropping collection of fake exploitation trailers from such directors as Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and Edgar Wright. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 3 hr. 12 min.
Directed By: Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino
Written By: Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez
Genres: Action & Adventure, Horror

In Theaters: Apr 6, 2007 Wide
Studio: The Weinstein Co./Dimension

Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Grindhouse is both impressive and disappointing. From a technical and craft point of view it is first-rate; from its standing in the canon of the two directors, it is minor.
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
The whole thing runs a bit over three hours, goes by swiftly, contains countless film references and includes hilarious fake trailers.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
A rowdy jolt of quasi-nostalgic escapism.
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News
A weaponized adrenaline rush.
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
RR and QT do an excellent job of simulating the content of grindhouse offerings, but they don't simulate the experience or the giddy kick.
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
Go, I say, and enjoy.
Joshua Starnes, ComingSoon.net
A paean to the exploitation films of the 70s, built more for titillation than story-telling, Grindhouse - especially the Rodriguez sequence - is nearly impossibly silly, not necessarily a bad thing, and is certainly not for everyone.
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
Grindhouse is a great experience, packed with fun, thrills, chills and gore galore.
Ian Buckwalter, DCist
Delivers all the trashy, seat-squirming, eye-covering moments your fiercely racing heart craves. Forget about "guilty pleasures." Call it a pleasure, and leave it at that.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Half smirk, half transcendence
Jeff Bayer, The Scorecard Review
This is a movie theater experience. It needs to be seen at night, with a big screen and lots of friends.
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
As amusing as the concept is, the actual result is a considerable disappointment - a high-tech forgery that lacks the disreputable charm of its models, which were made without the self-conscious affectation on display here.
Lucius Gore, ESplatter
Hopefully Rodriguez and Tarantino will make more of these.
Brian Holcomb, Beyond Hollywood
A mediocre attempt to play with exploitation fire without getting burned. A pair of anti-septic fakes that miss the entire point of exploitation.
Shane Burridge, rec.arts.movies.reviews
3-D Naughtiness! Perverts in Revolt! Sinful Dwarfs! And Even a Movie Review, Why Not?
Brandon Fibbs, BrandonFibbs.com
Has Tarantino ever made a singularly authentic, sincere, innovative frame of film in his entire life?
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
The trailers for grindhouse movies were always better than the films themselves. Sadly, the same is true of Grindhouse.
Bruce Bennett, Spectrum (St. George, Utah)
Each film would have fared better as a 15-minute short.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
It is a movie about watching itself, and that is both solipsistic and pure genius.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

KICKASS!!! Quentin looks weird. Weirder.
Matt G

Planet Terror: 5 out of 5 Death Proof: 4 out of 5
Daniel L

Grindhouse emulates the exploitation films of old. It is delirious, violent, and disturbing fun that is great for adrenaline junkies.
Unknown H

These movies were awesome. A lot of people have commented on them not being believable, real etc. but that is the whole freaking point! These are straight forward hours of viewing pleasure best served in the early hours of the morning when everyone else is asleep with a giant back of… More
These movies were awesome. A lot of people have commented on them not being believable, real etc. but that is the whole freaking point! These are straight forward hours of viewing pleasure best served in the early hours of the morning when everyone else is asleep with a giant back of blue doritos and comfy pjs!
Zach B

If I am even going to attempt to review this film (more like experience), I need to go and explain a few things about what a Grindhouse is. During the 1960s to 1970s, there were these rundown theatres that were known for showing cheap, low budget films that had terrible acting,… More
If I am even going to attempt to review this film (more like experience), I need to go and explain a few things about what a Grindhouse is. During the 1960s to 1970s, there were these rundown theatres that were known for showing cheap, low budget films that had terrible acting, terrible scripts, scores, directing, etc. Those films were called Grindhouse films. Now, with the term Grindhouse meaning the film genre, a Grindhouse film is an exploitation film that exploits everything from sex to violence and all in between. Not having a good double feature film in theatres, friends Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino decided to team up to bring us one of the most important and exhilarating film experiences of the past few decades. Now, I can not review this film as a film, because of the fact that this film is two movies in one. But, for the sake of this review, I will explain the experience of watching this film and which of the films included are the best plus which of the fake trailers are worthwhile. Okay, basically when watching this, you start to think that you know what each film is going to be like. But, as I discovered, you will find yourself wrong on so many levels. What the directors were trying to do was make good movies that are bad. What they ended up with were bad films that are actually good. From the zombie apocalypse film Plant Terror to the homage to Slasher films and Car films Death Proof, these directors pay homage to this long lost genre of films while making it fresh and exciting. Now the fake trailers. Like a real Grindhouse film, there are some cheap trailers made (four in the American print, five in the Canadian print) for this film, that actually are just as amusing as the films themselves. The best of these includes Machete (Robert Rodriguez (would later be made into a real film), Hobo With A Shot Gun (Released in the Canadian print only (would later be made into a real film)) and Werewolf Women of the S.S. (directed by Rob Zombie). As an experience, this is a total blast. As the individual films, well, you will just have to check my reviews for them. The rating system for this film is basically me adding up the ratings for the films plus the trailers, then dividing it by four.
Kristijonas F

When I saw this behemoth of an exploitation homage in theatres back in 2006, with the whole charade present - fake trailers, fake food ads, vintage transitions, missing reels, and of course, the two fantastically off-kilter films within - I was simply blown away. Grindhouse is simply… More
When I saw this behemoth of an exploitation homage in theatres back in 2006, with the whole charade present - fake trailers, fake food ads, vintage transitions, missing reels, and of course, the two fantastically off-kilter films within - I was simply blown away. Grindhouse is simply a juicy and explosive thrill ride that I thought was long gone since they released the two movies separately... However, now that I possess the Blu-Ray Collector's Edition (In the wicked Theatrical version), it's a true Tarantino/Rodriguez classic that I can enjoy endlessly, with the same genuine appreciation as before.
Jeff "

Grindhouse aka: Planet Terror and Death Proof are a collaboration between Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, two of Hollywoods most maverick directors. In Grindhouse they pay tribute to the Grindhouse genres of the 1970's. Both films look sleazy and poorly made (in a good… More
Grindhouse aka: Planet Terror and Death Proof are a collaboration between Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, two of Hollywoods most maverick directors. In Grindhouse they pay tribute to the Grindhouse genres of the 1970's. Both films look sleazy and poorly made (in a good way) just like those films would look. Grindhouse is an awesome anthology and is another thrill ride and tour de force from both directors. Robert Rodriguez serves up an action horror zombie film with Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino serves an action horror film about a maniacal stunt driver bent on killing young women in Death Proof. Planet Terror Review: Planet terror is a terrific film with a dark, gritty look. The film looks unsettling, and it looks cheap, which adds a certain creative element to the film. The film is action packed, it's comical, it's bloody and gory and it's one great zombie film to watch. It's one of the most creative zombie films I've seen in a long time, and is possibly one of the most original ones since 28 Days Later. Planet Terror has a solid cast and is action packed with awesome horror elements thrown in to make this a thrilling, horrifying action packed ride. Death Proof Review: Death Proof is an awesome film in the style of Steven Spielberg's Duel and the most recent Joy Ride. The story surrounds a stunt driver named Stunt man Mike and he's bent on killing young women with his Death Proofed stunt car. Death Proof, much like Planet Terror has a damaged, cheep feel to it, just to add to the films "Grindhouse" look. Tarantino offers something different from his Pulp Fiction days as he cooks up this action packed horror film with a road rage attitude. With awesome car chases, Kurt Russell acting like a psychopath and lots of gore, Death Proof is an awesome ride. Grindhouse overall is not for everyone. The films may seem boring to some, but these two films are very good when you actually sit down and watch them. They're well made, and thrilling. Not to mention it's a fitting homage to the Grindhouse films of the 70's, I know nothing about the genre, but I've seen a few Grindhouse films, in the past, and these two films are awesome and capture the essence perfectly well. But some people will tend to dismiss it as just two big budget movies trying to look cheap, if you just think that, then skip it, People like that are so picky. Overall a solid anthology that blends action, horror and thrills into two gritty, raw and well acted, well made films, Grindhouse delivers the thrills, the scares and the wicked action you so crave from Masters such as Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez.
E.J. B

It's a shame that this movie, or double feature, failed at the box office. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez went out of their way to entertain. Grindhouse is a love letter to the kind of trashy cinema that B-movie fans would eat up like a Big Mac meal. But not just a… More
It's a shame that this movie, or double feature, failed at the box office. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez went out of their way to entertain. Grindhouse is a love letter to the kind of trashy cinema that B-movie fans would eat up like a Big Mac meal. But not just a homage, Grindhouse aims to recreate the entire theatrical experience you'd probably have in this kind of theatre. I've heard that the actual experience in a grindhouse theatre is nothing like what Rodriguez and Tarantino set out to imitate. Maybe the film has created a kind of uber-realistic experience. I've seen a few grindhouse type films, and let me tell you, they are A-W-F-U-L! The segments, Planet Terror and Death Proof, are more thrilling than riding a high speed roller coaster through a zombie theme park. Cheeky, self-referential, and downright witty humour can be found in almost every scene of either film. The addition of fake trailers only add to the fun. This is the kind of movie you'd play on a Saturday afternoon when you don't want to do anything all day but sit around and watch B-movies. In Grindhouse's 3 hour running time you'll get two entertaining-as-hell films, plus a bunch of fake advertisements that will have you howling in laughter. Not back for the price of one regular ticket!
Tim S

Thankfully I got to see this in theatres upon its intial release. Unfortunately it didn't do much business but has a very strong following. Finally released here in Region 1, I'm happy to finally revisit this and watch it the way it should be watched.
Steven C

"Grindhouse" is it's own film. While three of the six segments went on to have longer, better feature length versions ("Machete", "Planet Terror", "Death Proof"), this three hour extravaganza is a beast all it's own. The energy is… More
"Grindhouse" is it's own film. While three of the six segments went on to have longer, better feature length versions ("Machete", "Planet Terror", "Death Proof"), this three hour extravaganza is a beast all it's own. The energy is palpable. Robbert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have crafted a loving homage and update for 70s and 80s exploitation cinema. With non-stop laughs, a cast that is clearly having a great time and memorable stunts and special effects, this experiment is never boring. On their own, "Death Proof" is the clear winner, being the best written, acted and a much leaner and meaner entertainment than the goofy "Planet Terror" and "Machete", but when see all together, "Grindhouse" is a one of a kind experience.
John H

(NEW REVIEW COMING SOON) Rodriguez and Tarantino team back up once more to give they tribute to grindhouse films; a lost genre not know by many. honestly, I wish this movie could have been more serious. Not many would expcet this to turn out as a Comedy; it's mostly action the… More
(NEW REVIEW COMING SOON) Rodriguez and Tarantino team back up once more to give they tribute to grindhouse films; a lost genre not know by many. honestly, I wish this movie could have been more serious. Not many would expcet this to turn out as a Comedy; it's mostly action the people saught out for in this, especially from the genre:"grind house". it just exaggerated all the errors in grind house films and turned them into a 3 hour parody. neither film had a point. they were both random and moronic. I just wish this wasn't a Parody Just a little incitfull paragraph for your... this will be divided into 3 sections.... more will come soon the way i figure, GRINDHOUSE was the way to show the audience the enate differences between Rodriguez and Tarantino. That's basically what it was. Each made their own film in their own style and had them intertwine very subtley. Personally, I hate them both. Rodriguez uses anything to grab the audiences attention and avoids a straight forward story. He just makes them entertaining with the consolt of acting or anything. He's all visuals. Tarantino isn't too far away, except he chooses to center his films on dialogue. Though it isn't a bad idea ("Sleuth" and "12 Angry Men" are great examples of all-dialog movies that worked) Tarantino neglates to lead a story to any real place. And i hate how he sees that a crime film should be a lot of white guys stoned and stupid and dying, while the black guys run in to just say "fuck you motherfucker for fucking my nigger". OKay, i mainly am refering to PULP FICTION, but his other movies aren't so different. in a nut shell, he tried too hard to develop the characters and enevitabley the characters become douchebags. I hate what Tarantino's idea of an adrenaline rush is. Ugh, and death proof was the worst of all of his. I was so fucking annoyed by every girl in there that i wish i could have killed them too. The goddamn cheerleader thing was pointless and Kurt Russell cannot be a badass. Again, Tarantino thinks he can make an older man appear to be the darkest, roughest guy around. Not believable. Only Clint Eastwood can pull that off. Goddamn.. i could talk shit about Quentin for so long, but i'll stop here. Grindhouse was just great for Planet Terror and the fake trailer were are actually becoming movies now. Death Proof was shit! It wasn't even a parody It was just Tarantino showing how lame his movies are and if anyone will like DP. And people did, becuase it's Tarantino. He was just paroding himself.
Jon L

Planet Terror This was what I expected. It's really hard to rate these movies as they are designed to mimic over the top sci-fi action movies. Was the acting great? If the actors were trying to be bad actors then I guess it was. Were the effects cheesy? Absolutely, but that… More
Planet Terror This was what I expected. It's really hard to rate these movies as they are designed to mimic over the top sci-fi action movies. Was the acting great? If the actors were trying to be bad actors then I guess it was. Were the effects cheesy? Absolutely, but that was the goal of the film. So I'm just going to say this, film was fun to watch, not for everyone. Death Proof After watching Planet Terror I was really looking forward to Death Proof, what an amazing title. Unfortunately I was extremely disappointed and bored. If I knew it was going to be a showcase for stunts, this review might be different, but the first half of the movie is filled with so much dialog that I almost wanted these people to die. Now the conversations were well written and somewhat entertaining, but had nothing to do with the story so I lost interest, fast. This film features an amazing car chase scene which is worth watching, but that is all you will get out of this film.
Conner R

Well, I can say that this was an amazing experience in the theater. I loved getting over 3hrs of footage, along with the best previews ever shown. Planet Terror is an amazing movie, a complete honoring of 70's grindhouse cinema. Death Proof was just a odd choice to go along with,… More
Well, I can say that this was an amazing experience in the theater. I loved getting over 3hrs of footage, along with the best previews ever shown. Planet Terror is an amazing movie, a complete honoring of 70's grindhouse cinema. Death Proof was just a odd choice to go along with, it's not really anything at all. It's not a grindhouse style at all, but it's not really a legitimate bit of film-making either. It did have redeeming qualities though and is certainly worth a view.
Film C

i loved this movie! ithought it was extremely funny, great graphics, great storyline ad a great zobie movie. to compare it to anything it could be sau of the dead but i think its safe to say 10x's better! i have only seen the grindhouse part movie not deathproof but i could… More
i loved this movie! ithought it was extremely funny, great graphics, great storyline ad a great zobie movie. to compare it to anything it could be sau of the dead but i think its safe to say 10x's better! i have only seen the grindhouse part movie not deathproof but i could probably imagine grindhouse being ten times better! Well good movie!
Anthony L

What a great idea, make two films back to back in the old grindhouse style. It could have been awful but luckily it wasn't, its very good! The fake trailers were very well done although Rob Zombie's effort is a bit weak compared to the others. I'd love to see Machete… More
What a great idea, make two films back to back in the old grindhouse style. It could have been awful but luckily it wasn't, its very good! The fake trailers were very well done although Rob Zombie's effort is a bit weak compared to the others. I'd love to see Machete made into a real film! I think Planet Terror is much better for being cut down in its original print than the extended release but i think, and it looks as if I'm the only one, that Death Proof is much better in its extended version. Still, they could have both been extras on the DVD, why the producers decided to separate these films is a mystery to me, dumbass producers!
Phil H

50/50 here, Planet Terror is yet another zombie fest with all the usual cliches and predictable action but its damn fun. The effects are OTT and gorey and action is as you would aspect from Rodriguez...silly but cool, the cast is good too. The second film, Death Proof, is a 70's… More
50/50 here, Planet Terror is yet another zombie fest with all the usual cliches and predictable action but its damn fun. The effects are OTT and gorey and action is as you would aspect from Rodriguez...silly but cool, the cast is good too. The second film, Death Proof, is a 70's style revenge movie about a group of women chasing, catching and beating up Kurt Russell because he scared them badly as a joke. There's plenty of sexual hints throughout and the whole thing leans towards the fetish of women beating men. Its interesting and well done but just not that good, its also pretty dull apart from the final chase. Inbetween the two films are trailers for other fantasy movies, these are really good and I think would be cool as proper films. There are two main trailers each made by seperate directors, one being Rob Zombie, these are almost better than the actual movies. As a whole its very good but seperate I think Death Proof will lose out. On a final note, the women in every part of this huge movie are stunning hehehe
Morgan G

Brilliant pair of films, no major problems as long as you don't take it too seriously. The double film within Deathproof was odd....definately weakened that half of the double-feature. Best seen apart and Planet Terror is clearly superior. The straight-laced, deadpan delivery of… More
Brilliant pair of films, no major problems as long as you don't take it too seriously. The double film within Deathproof was odd....definately weakened that half of the double-feature. Best seen apart and Planet Terror is clearly superior. The straight-laced, deadpan delivery of every line made it utterly hilarious. One of the best films going.
Martin S

Planet terror was a big surprise and death proof was a big disapointment...but overall it was good stuff. Don't get the deal with Bruce Willis though....It's a mystery
Lewis C

This movie is not for everyone. Read the synopsis, and if you like the idea and the directors then chances are that you'll enjoy both movies. They are uneven however, most people seem to prefer Planet Terror. Death Proof offers a few cool moments, but a bit too much of… More
This movie is not for everyone. Read the synopsis, and if you like the idea and the directors then chances are that you'll enjoy both movies. They are uneven however, most people seem to prefer Planet Terror. Death Proof offers a few cool moments, but a bit too much of Tarantino's indulgences.
Brian D

Nice idea shame about QT part of the film!!!!!