Grindhouse to be split-up for DVD ? (1 Viewer)

[Stephen_J_H]

With all due respect (and please don't flame me for this), these films will have to be released on two separate discs to avoid a drop in sound and picture quality. I have seen 3 hour films fare well on a single DVD-9, but they are few and far between. I wouldn't be surprised to see this released as a 3-disc set.

 

[Michael Elliott]

This is the only country that they're being released this way. The cast members didn't sign on to do "Grindhouse". They signed on to do whichever film they were a part of. Rose McGowan had to sign two contracts to be in both films.

And yes, it's a double feature so neither film has anything to do with the other. You can't blame Tarantino for something that happens in PLANET TERROR. If you feel DEATH PROOF is full of bad performances then this can't go against PLANET TERROR.

Overseas will be getting the complete versions while the U.S. got two shortened films together. From what the directors have said, both films will be released uncut overseas. Even Canada got an extra trailer so the U.S. version of these films/event will be the most cut up out of anywhere.

 

[Jon Martin]

But from the beginning, everyone involved knew that this was going to be one film. They were talking about the idea of having one film before they even began shooting.

It was originally set to run around 2 1/2 hours, but when it went longer, then they decided to split them up.

 

[Craig S]

Well, those of us who have seen GH know this is not completely true...

 

[David_Blackwell]

I want to see Grindhouse. Both films have me excited. Yep the release time was odd, but maybe the W briotehrs thought they could replicate Scary Movie 4's numbers from the same time last year.

 

[JeffMc]

Completely incorrect. There are several very sly references and recurring characters crossing over into both films. For example, the blonde over-heated radiator chick in PT has the radio on for a few seconds and it mentions "Jungle Julie" from DP. The female doctor works at the same hospital in both films and has the same sheriff dad. Cripes, even the girls in DP are drinking a cup of Acuna Boys soda (one of the middle restaurant-food trailers). I don't give a sh*t if the actors had to sign two contracts to be in both films, this was CONCEIVED AND CREATED to be one giant experience. I've seen the recent Tarantino and Rodriguez interview on Charlie Rose and it is absolutely 100% clear that this is the way the project was always intended and how it came into fruition, how it was pitched and conceived, and written and produced. Go look for that interview and you'll understand better. Or check out the interviews on the promo DVD that Hot Topic was giving out a couple of weeks ago. Or check out any written interview with QT or RR. It's very clear what this project started out as and has become. Just that Europe won't 'understand' this american phenomenon, that's why they get the butchered separate entities. That's a business decision that was made after the fact.

And I really don't care about seeing those "missing reels". GRINDHOUSE is about recreating an experience of the 70's in fleapit theaters with scratchy prints and scratchy trailers. It's not about showing two separate films. If you really think that that was the motive behind this project to make two separate films for release individually, then you should move to Europe where they apparently don't understand it either.

 

[TravisR]

While I'd rather see the movies together, I don't think it's fair to call the international releases "butchered separate entities". It's not like Dimension took the movie away from QT and RR and just did what they wanted to their movies. They were involved with both the US and international release. Although maybe I don't understand and should move to Europe too.

 

[Sean Richardson]

Tarantino publicly lobbied for them to let him direct 'Casino Royale', starring Pierce Brosnan (my understanding is that he thought Brosnan was a great Bond but had not yet been used in a great Bond film), doing it like the book, stripped down of all the crazy stuff that has become synonymous with Bond since the Roger Moore era (if not earlier).

They told him no thanks, because it would be taking too much of a chance. Then they decided to adapt 'Casino Royale' anyway, pretended they were doing it stripped down like the book, and made another cool Bond action movie with explosions and crazy chases that were nothing like the book.

So I don't think we'll be seeing Tarantino do a Bond movie. (To be fair, they probably wouldn't want to wait two years for QT to get around to writing a script anyway.)

 

[Chris Bardon]

I hadn't even realized that this was out yet-strange. I'm a fan of both Tarantino and Rodriguez though, but I don't really have any interest in the genre that they're working in. I still might check out the DVD sometime, but maybe not if it's split up like they're talking about now.

Doing this right on DVD would be a great idea-it seems like the kind of movie that would have serious legs based on word of mouth.

 

[Michael Elliott]

No one in America understands it either and that's why future films in the series are now dead and why this double features looks to be dead in the matter of weeks when the film is cut in two.

A character from FROM DUSK TILL DAWN also crosses over into both of these films so I guess you'll try and tell me that these movies are connected to that one?

This is a double feature of DEATH PROOF and PLANET TERROR. People don't understand that and that's why the film was a dud and that's why it's going to be cut in two. Again, all the blame goes to the studio and the directors for never making it clear. They threw out the word grindhouse and expected everyone to know what it was. The word grindhouse was rarely used in trade papers or major newspapers back in the days when these films were somewhat popular.

 

[Mike Heenan]

One thing it had going against it is the running time... I collect prints and rarely do true "grindhouse" flicks run over 100 minutes, most are 4 to 5 reels long, 80 to 100 minutes. Like someone else said, most of those flicks were made for $1000 (well not really but you get the idea). Death Race 2000 runs a full 4 reels for example as do alot of other Roger Corman flicks from the era. Yes I'm aware both of the films run under that time, however when you include the missing reel of each, the RT's run closer to 2 hours long each. These flicks should have run about 80 min each or so and then the added trailers.

 

[Craig S]

That "sheriff dad" was Earl McGraw, played by Michael "Then Came Bronson" Parks. This character first appeared (I believe) in From Dusk Till Dawn and also showed up in Kill Bill Vol. I. I think he's supposed to be a Texas Ranger.

 

[Darren Gross]

I don't get why it was released on Easter weekend. Passover also fell over that weekend,QUOTE]

Actually Passover was the week before...

 

[Matt-Brooks]

As far as IMDB and Village Cinemas say, Australia is getting it on May 31st as a complete movie. Well at least I hope we do. As far as I know the same goes for the UK.

http://www.villagecinemas.com.au/movie/movie_16132.htm

I hope this isn't the last of the Grindhouse, I think it has potential. Even Joe Carnahan gives his 10c worth on his website.

"What is wrong with American moviegoers? Is there nothing NEW that they're willing to embrace? Jesus, it's the worst kind of erosion. We're making dumber and dumber films and they're becoming cash cows."

http://www.smokinjoecarnahan.com/

 

[Colton]

I would love nothing more than to see more Grindhouse double-features! If the studios dare to do another Grindhouse - it should be with two different directors. Zack Snyder and Brian DePalma!

 

[CaseyL]

I just wanted to say that I loved the experience of the two films together, with the trailers and the commercials inbetween. I can't possibly imagine seeing them any other way. I think it would be a shame to seperate the two films.

On another note, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the double feature experience fairly unique to the US? If that is indeed the case, it'd make sense to seperate the films for the foreign market, as there's really no basic reference of said experience.

 

[Gereon_B]

Well, dunno about other countries, but here in Germany we had a tradition of so-called Bahnhofkinos (train station cinemas) that showed adult-oriented movies like spaghetti westerns, martial-arts movies and softcore from the fifties onwards. Most of them had two movies that were shown non-stop, so you payed once and could stay as long as you wish. Also, there was a tradition of sunday matinees showing two youth-oriented movies (e.g. Al St.John-westerns or Godzilla movies) in a row. What we didn't have was a tradition of double features (a-movie/b-movie) like the US had from their depression era onwards. Yet the phenomenon of the Bahnhofskino is rather forgotten today over here (the cinemas turned into hardcore cinemas in the late seventies and slowly went out of business).

 

[Nathan V]

I believe he's also the guy who does the Mexican Brando impersonation in Kill Bill 2.

Grindhouse needs to be available as a single entity. It's such a key element of the experience. Imagine watching the bad burrito restaurant ad as a special feature. That wouldn't even make sense.

Regards,
Nathan

 

[Darren Gross]

Thanks for that interesting tidbit, Gereon. I love knowing stuff like that.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Quentin Tarentino was interviewed on KROQ this morning, and according to him "the first go around" on DVD will be separate films on separate releases with added footage. He said that Death Proof would get approximately 30 minutes more added in, and Planet Terror would get approximately 20 minutes added back in. He didn't specifically say anything about future releases after the initial release, but he did use the terminology in quotes above.