PLANET TERROR – 2 Disc Unrated and Extended Edition
© The Weinstein Company
Mania Grade: B
Rated: NR
Cast: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Marley Shelton, Josh Brolin, and Bruce Willis
Writer: Robert Rodriguez
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Distributor: The Weinstein Company and Genius Products
Original Year of Release: 2007
Extras: Feature Length Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Robert Rodriguez, Audience Screening Track, 10 Minute Film School, Sickos, Bullets And Explosions: The Stunts Of Planet Terror, The Badass Babes Of Planet Terror, Casting Robert Rodriguez's Son Rebel, The Guys Of Planet Terror, The Friend, The Doctor And The Real Estate Agent, International Poster Gallery and International Trailer.
Rated: NR
Cast: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Marley Shelton, Josh Brolin, and Bruce Willis
Writer: Robert Rodriguez
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Distributor: The Weinstein Company and Genius Products
Original Year of Release: 2007
Extras: Feature Length Audio Commentary By Writer/Director Robert Rodriguez, Audience Screening Track, 10 Minute Film School, Sickos, Bullets And Explosions: The Stunts Of Planet Terror, The Badass Babes Of Planet Terror, Casting Robert Rodriguez's Son Rebel, The Guys Of Planet Terror, The Friend, The Doctor And The Real Estate Agent, International Poster Gallery and International Trailer.
PLANET TERROR – 2 Disc Unrated and Extended Edition
By: Robert T. TrateReview Date: Monday, October 15, 2007
‘Grindhouse Presents: Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror’ is a cinematic experience. Opening with a faux trailer that sets a mood, a great mood, I knew that ‘The Grindhouse’ was going to be something different. It is a great tribute to all the writers, directors, and actors who gave it their all when Hollywood only cared about making a quick buck. Oddly enough, the Weinsteins, to make a buck or make a few back, ripped this cinematic tribute apart to cash in by selling both ‘Planet Terror’ and ‘Death Proof’ as separate movies. I could bitch and complain about splitting up the two movies and the fact that this “Extended and Unrated” edition doesn’t have the words “Ultimate” or “Definitive’, another indication that there is another DVD on the way, but let’s talk about this DVD and the movie itself.
‘Planet Terror: Extended and Unrated’ doesn’t lose any of its punch, style, silliness, or gore that the theatrical cut had. Usually “Special Edition” and “Extended” versions are my first choice over the theatrical cut. You might see a few more scenes that flesh out a few of the side characters, but this may be the first time I was bummed that I didn’t get the theatrical cut. There are longer takes and extended moments to nearly half the movie in this cut and I found them to be bothersome. I wanted my quick, balls to the wall version that I had watched in the theater, what Rodriquez and Tarantino called the ‘Grindhouse’. The ‘Planet Terror’ I watched on DVD was more like watching the movie at a second run theater which had a bad 35mm print. It wasn’t nearly as cut up as the one I saw back in April. This time I was watching more moments with the Block family, both at home and at work, watched a longer sex scene with Rose McGowan (okay, not something to complain about) and had a few more moments with Quentin Tarantino’s disgusting character, The Rapist. Just a few gripes here and there, however the theatrical, cut up, beat up, spliced up, patched up version was the true Grindhouse experience. This film is like someone found a few missing reels and then put them back into the film. Perhaps the “Restored Version” or the “Practically Restored Version” is how they should have packaged and sold the DVD.
Special Features
The commentary track is missing Quentin Tarantino’s input so Robert Rodriguez goes it alone pointing out how they did certain effects, stunts, and what was added to the DVD cut. Rodriguez’s commentary works nicely with his “10-Minute Film School” (on disc 2) which breaks down how they did many of the special effects and the aging of the film (it was actually shot on Digital Video). Like all directors who do commentary tracks Rodriguez points out various people in the film who play Sickos (‘Planet Terror’s’ term for Zombies), interesting enough Zoe Bell who was one of the stars in ‘Death Proof’ plays a Sicko in Planet Terror. Her scene is extended in this version.
Even though they changed the cinematic experience of ‘Planet Terror’, they included an audience reaction track. Reminding us all how much fun it is to sit in the dark and watch a movie like this with a group of people. The laughing and cheering were just as good as when I saw it both times in the theater, yet I have to ask, where is the theatrical cut and how long will we have to wait to get that on DVD?
Rodriguez included some nice features on his guy and girl cast (two separate features) and even on how and why he cast his son as the Block’s only child Tony (all three features on disc 2). Rodriguez also reveals he had very little written for the side characters and let the actors who auditioned for the parts fill the roles out and rewrote many of the roles based on what he liked about them in their auditions. Josh Brolin, for one, had a complete rewrite for Doc Block.
Besides no theatrical cut or actually getting both movies together, as my $9.00 movie ticket got me, I was disappointed that there were no other faux trailers, outside of ‘Machete’. I searched for an Easter Egg of them and found nothing. I thought it would have only been appropriate to run them after the final credits of ‘Planet Terror’ and then gone to a reel missing sign that said, “Please put in your ‘Death Proof’ DVD”.
Robert Rodriguez mentions what he’ll “some day put” on later release of the movie, one of those things being his barbeque recipe. I just hope he’ll put on the right version of ‘Grindhouse: Planet Terror” as it was originally intended to be seen. With that balls to the wall theatrical cut, multiple faux trailers, and ‘Death Proof’ right behind it.
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I hate this shit! I loved this Grindhouse experience so I will of course, by this DVD when it comes out. But to release another one later, just so I can get the trailers is not only fucked up, but like I just said, ripping off the fans of the movie...Great job Weinstein fucknuts!