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For those who weren't aware of the whole Grindhouse scenario let me fill you in. Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, (the directors of the sensation that would have been the Grindhouse double bill - but unfortunately now shown separately as Planet terror and Death Proof ), are both director buddies, and one day when they met up at Robs house to watch a movie, Quentin saw that Rob had the same poster on his wall as he did , of an old Grindhouse flick. They thought, as I do, that this form of cinema was very influential and individual and therefore something that was worth their making a tribute to. This would also allow today's generation to be exposed to what would otherwise be a lost cinematic genre. It is akin to the recent revival of making big budget musicals. In "Grindhouse", the idea was also to give cinema goers two movies for the price of one, like they would have at old drive in cinemas (which in the case of both directors was an influential experience of their childhoods). These aren't films you are meant to go to and watch just the surface of the movie. They must be seen in the context of what they are paying homage to and how skillfully this is pulled off in both films. They are bloody, they are gruesome, they are exploitative but -THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE PAYING HOMAGE TO. If it was a French director paying homage to an old style of French film, they'd be nominated for an Oscar! This is an American art form. The fact the two films had to be split due to it being an initial box-office bomb, shows the lack of true movie appreciation by movie-goers today. They can hack sitting through three and a bit hours of 'how many times does this film have to end before it actually ends' Lord of the Rings Return of the King. I do actually like the first two LOTR movies. But they cannot manage to view two films of an hour and a half back to back with some quirky specially shot adverts directed by big upcoming film makers such as Eli Roth and Edger Wright and horror legend Rob Zombie. This does not bode well for how able we are to appreciate an original and thoughtful revival of a classic form of American cinema when nothing similar exists today. Given the afore mentioned split forces me to review the films separately. I shall do so as to further correct the inaccurate and/or uninformed reviews I have read previously. I'll start with Death Proof. Showing the films separately has damaged the cinema experience that could have been, but it doesn't damage the great content within the two films. Death Proof is a truly original bit of film making. Though paying a clear tribute to films of the past, Tarantino has also truly put his individual stamp on this film. Kurt Russell (SNAKE PLISKIN RULES!) is incredible in this film playing Stuntman Mike. Words cannot summarize just how fantastically he has brought such a character to life. This film also has some truly tough heroines, something still not really seen in cinema. I don't like to play favorites with two such great movies but I will admit Death Proof is my favorite of the two Grindhouse movies. Planet Terror (directed by Robert Rodriguez), I think is more effected by the split due to it forcing Rodriguez to add scenes to the film he had taken out to make the film longer. However it doesn't stop the film from being a worthy addition to the showcase of films that demonstrate the talent of some modern day filmmakers. Rodriguez I believe is an exceptional director; I don't think I'd be exaggerating to even say one of the best, as is Tarantino. It is also a well acted and exciting film boasting an exceptional cast; it is a showcase of legendary B-movie actors as well as some upcoming stars.