The word Grindhouse dates back to 1927 according to Merriam-Webster. Most of us probably think that it dates to the 1960’s and 1970’s at the peak of their popularity. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez longtime friends came together to make a double feature and Tarantino insisted on naming it Grindhouse. I will try to answer the question of why Tarantino and Rodriguez worked together and what their connection to one another is. I will also discuss highlights of the career of Rodriguez and what he has done to establish himself as a director. The last thing I will discuss is the type of films one could expect to see at a Grindhouse.
According to Merriam-Webster online a Grindhouse was a downtown movie theater in disrepair since its glory days as a movie palace in the 1930’s and 1940’s. These theaters were known for grinding out non-stop double bill programs and B-movies. It was said that they would grind them out like mincemeat. A Grindhouse theater would feature exploitation genres such as kung fu, horror, sexploitation, and blaxploitation films. These theaters were way past their glory days by the 1960’s. They were considered dark and dirty, the type of place that people from all different walks of life would visit for an unforgettable movie viewing experience. These theaters died in the 1980’s with the invention and widespread use of the VCR. Movie viewers could now watch their exploitation films in the privacy of their own homes.
Robert Rodriguez is an American Writer and Director who is well known for shooting low budget films in Texas and Mexico. Rodriguez made his directorial debut in 1992 with El Mariachi. The entire films budget was a measly $7000. This film was about an out of work guitar player looking for work in Mexico named El Mariachi. The plot involves a convict named Azul who has recently escaped from prison. Azul is out to get revenge against his former crime partner Moco who ripped him off. El Mariachi is caught in the middle of this and is forced to kill 4 of Azul’s hit men. These hit men and Azul carry their weapons around inside of guitars. In the end El Mariachi is victorious and kills Azul and Moco who killed the woman he loved. This film was very popular despite its modest budget. Columbia Pictures eventually picked it up and then transferred it from 16mm film to 35mm film.
This film is considered by some to be the beginning of one of Rodriguez’s more mainstream films Desperado. Others considered it to be a remake of El Mariachi. Tarantino makes a quick appearance in Desperado and Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas are starred in it as main characters. We have seen that Tarantino likes to re cast stars in many of his films. Rodriguez likes to do the same. This is just one of their many similarities.
Rodriguez also directed From Dusk till Dawn, which was written by Tarantino. Tarantino and Rodriguez are self-described best friends since the 1990’s and they met at the Toronto film festival. They have worked on several projects together such as directing segments in the film Four Rooms. They were both executive producers in the two sequels for From Dusk Till Dawn. Rodriguez helped write some of the music used in Kill Bill Volume 2 and did it for the sum of one dollar. Tarantino in turn loaned Rodriguez some of the swords from Kill Bill for use in his movie Sin City. It is easy to see these two have a strong connection.
According to Merriam-Webster online a Grindhouse was a downtown movie theater in disrepair since its glory days as a movie palace in the 1930’s and 1940’s. These theaters were known for grinding out non-stop double bill programs and B-movies. It was said that they would grind them out like mincemeat. A Grindhouse theater would feature exploitation genres such as kung fu, horror, sexploitation, and blaxploitation films. These theaters were way past their glory days by the 1960’s. They were considered dark and dirty, the type of place that people from all different walks of life would visit for an unforgettable movie viewing experience. These theaters died in the 1980’s with the invention and widespread use of the VCR. Movie viewers could now watch their exploitation films in the privacy of their own homes.
Robert Rodriguez is an American Writer and Director who is well known for shooting low budget films in Texas and Mexico. Rodriguez made his directorial debut in 1992 with El Mariachi. The entire films budget was a measly $7000. This film was about an out of work guitar player looking for work in Mexico named El Mariachi. The plot involves a convict named Azul who has recently escaped from prison. Azul is out to get revenge against his former crime partner Moco who ripped him off. El Mariachi is caught in the middle of this and is forced to kill 4 of Azul’s hit men. These hit men and Azul carry their weapons around inside of guitars. In the end El Mariachi is victorious and kills Azul and Moco who killed the woman he loved. This film was very popular despite its modest budget. Columbia Pictures eventually picked it up and then transferred it from 16mm film to 35mm film.
This film is considered by some to be the beginning of one of Rodriguez’s more mainstream films Desperado. Others considered it to be a remake of El Mariachi. Tarantino makes a quick appearance in Desperado and Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas are starred in it as main characters. We have seen that Tarantino likes to re cast stars in many of his films. Rodriguez likes to do the same. This is just one of their many similarities.
Rodriguez also directed From Dusk till Dawn, which was written by Tarantino. Tarantino and Rodriguez are self-described best friends since the 1990’s and they met at the Toronto film festival. They have worked on several projects together such as directing segments in the film Four Rooms. They were both executive producers in the two sequels for From Dusk Till Dawn. Rodriguez helped write some of the music used in Kill Bill Volume 2 and did it for the sum of one dollar. Tarantino in turn loaned Rodriguez some of the swords from Kill Bill for use in his movie Sin City. It is easy to see these two have a strong connection.
The idea of making Grindhouse came to Rodriguez and Tarantino while they were setting up screenings of double features at Tarantino’s home. Rodriguez discovered that he had the same double feature movie poster as Tarantino. It was a poster for the 1957 for Dragstrip Girl and Rock all Night. Rodriguez told Tarantino that he always wanted to do a double feature and suggested he direct one and Tarantino direct the other. Tarantino agreed and insisted it be called Grindhouse. This is how the movies Planet Terror and Death Proof were born. I have attached a link of an interview with Rodriguez and Tarantino discussing the creation of Grindhouse.
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/grindhouse2007-interview-with-tarantino-and-rodriguez/1551842233detail/grindhouse2007-interview-with-tarantino-and-rodriguez/1551842233
One could expect to see sex and violence at a Grindhouse. A typical film could be one such as Cannibal Holocaust. This film came out in 1980 and was directed by Ruggero Deotado. It was very controversial because many viewers actually thought it was real. It was a horror film about documentary filmmakers who went missing while filming primitive tribes in the Amazon. The film was banned in Italy and Deodato was arrested on obscenity charges and accused of making a snuff film. He was forced to prove the actors were actually still alive. The film is still banned in the UK because of its violence, sex, and killing of animals. It featured everything one could expect to see in a Grindhouse or in a film by Rodriguez or Tarantino. I have attached a link to the trailer of this movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvflno8ydJk
The last film I will discuss is Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! This was a 1965 film directed by Russ Meyer. This film was rated by ign.com as the number one Grindhouse movie of all time. It is a sex and violence filled film about three go go dancers who go on a killing spree. It has also been rumored by Rotten Tomatoes that Tarantino is considering remaking this film using characters such as Porn Star Tera Patrick and Britney Spears. I have also attached a link for the trailer of this film.
Grindhouse movie theaters are a thing of the past and show no signs of making a come back any time soon. Today’s movie masses seem more interested in flashy movies featuring high budgets. It appears doubtful that these low budget films shown in grungy theaters are a thing of the past, for now. Rodriguez and Tarantino share a love of sex and violence in movies. This made the idea of making a double feature simple for them. We will probably see more joint operations by them in the future.
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindhouse_%28film%29 retrieved June 29, 2008.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary online. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grind+housewebster.com/dictionary/grind+house retrieved June 28, 2008.
Movieweb.com – Interview with Tarantino and Rodriguez. http://www.movieweb.com/news/13/18813.php%20retrieved%20June%2028retrieved June 28, 2008.
Ign.com Tarantino Interview. http://movies.ign.com/articles/778/778715p1.html%20retrieved%20June%2028retrieved June 28, 2008.
Ign.com Top Grindhouse movies. http://movies.ign.com/articles/778/778253p1.html retrieved July 4, 2008.
Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/faster_pussycat_kill_kill/news/1703576/faster_pussycat_kill_kill_getting_tarantino_treatmentpussycat_kill_kill_getting_tarantino_treatment retrieved June 28, 2008.
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rodriguez , retrieved July 8, 2008.
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