Finally saw Grindhouse. It is about what I expected and that is an homage to the film scene that was around in the late 60s and early 70s. As someone who grew up in that era, I can attest that it is quite amazingly authentic in that regard. Then, there were drive-ins and low-budget theaters catering mostly to teens and young adults. The theaters would charge maybe 50 cents or a dollar per person and the drive-ins would charge about a dollar per carload.
What was shown in those venues was really low-budget, B-movies and it was, by far, mostly horror schlock. It didn't really matter if the movie was any good because only about half in attendance were even watching it. :)
Grindhouse somehow pretty faithfully recreates that late 60s, early 70s experience. All you need is stale popcorn, a pickle, and a watered-down soft drink. The difference between Grindhouse and those earlier films is that, in Grindhouse, it was done intentionally. GH is a double feature (If you don't know what a double feature is, ask your parents or grandparents). The two films inside the film are Planet Terror, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, and Death Proof, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It has some of the old cheesy intros, the intermission, the previews of upcoming films, the film breakdowns, the hissing and popping, the really bad acting, bad writing, bad editing, bad directing, and even a cartoon. I don't think younger viewers will get it. That said, these kinds of movies are extinct for a reason. Grindhouse is gimmicky and the gimmick kind of wears on you sooner rather than later. Glad I finally saw it because it is worth seeing. Kinda sorry I spent money on it, though.
Today's QOTD is Tracy Porter talking about his famous Super Bowl play. Tracy and Peyton are now teammates in Denver.
Saints take on the Redskins today at noon. It will be the debut of RGIII for the Redskins. I expect him to have a nice career in the NFL ... starting tomorrow. As always, the formula for the Saints is a simple one. If they take care of the ball, they take care of the Redskins. Welcome to the NFL, kid. :)
Once more, I offer a familiar one from CrabAppleLane:
5 song iTunes shuffle:
- The Grand Illusion - Styx - The Grand Illusion
- Thank God I'm A Country Boy - John Denver - Back Home Again
- Making Believe - Emmylou Harris - The Very Best Of Emmylou Harris
- Firelight Dancers - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
- 5:15 - The Who - Quadrophenia
Quote of the Day
Though we haven't talked about it, it's kind of understood that the play happened
Tracy Porter, Denver Broncos
Blog of the day is here.
Quote from said blog: "Relive some of those days by watching a cool doc about Jason Voorhees. The sweetest part about this is all the original cast members make an appearance to talk about their scenes. It's interesting to check out n see how they've all aged."
Death Proof was kind of two movies itself. I enjoyed that one for the Austin scenery. The Texas Chili Parlor, where we first meet Kurt Russell's character, is only a few blocks from where I work. There's no porch or parking lot there, though. That threw me when I saw it. That porch and parking lot belong to another restaurant several miles from where I work.
I enjoy some of Quentin Tarantino's work, but rarely do I want to watch anything of his twice. True Romance, maybe.
I love the hummingbird videos. :)
I bet I saw most of the Disney movies of the last half of the sixties at a drive-in. Mom and Dad would bundle us five kids into the station wagon and off we would go. The early years they would even put us in our PJs first. The local drive-ins survived a few years past my high school days, but not by much. My favorite is now a bunch of office buildings. The land just got too valuable for a drive-in. Some good times there.
Austin and New Orleans have both embraced the film industries, kinez. Both cities have always embraced music. I love that. I like a lot of Tarantino films. Have Kill Bill I & II, Pulp Fiction, and Grindhouse on DVD.
The Westgate Drive-In near where we lived is a giant shopping strip now. There was a screen at each end. Early in its time, it showed all family movies on both screens. Later, it would show family movies on one screen and mostly adult movies on the other. In the last few years, it was showing adult films on both screens.