Planet Terror (2007)

   
Produced & Directed by: Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarrantino

Written by: Robert Rodriguez

Starring:

Marley Shelton .... Doctor Dakota Block
Freddy Rodriguez .... El Wray
Rose McGowan .... Cherry Darling
Michael Biehn .... Sheriff Hague
Josh Brolin .... Doctor William Block
Jeff Fahey .... J.T.
Naveen Andrews .... Abby
Michael Parks .... Earl McGraw
Jason Douglas .... Lewis
Tom Savini .... Deputy Tolo

Special Appearances:

Bruce Willis .... Lt. Muldoon
Quentin Tarrantino .... The Rapist / Zombie Eating Road Kill
Nikki Katt .... Joe
Stacy Ferguson .... Tammy
Danny Trejo .... Machete
Cheech Marin .... Priest

Release Dates: Theatrical: April 6, 2007; Vukovar Film Festival: July 6, 2007; Screamfest Horror Film Festival: October 15, 2007; Horrorthon Festival Dublin: October 29, 2007; Astana International Action Film Festival: June 28, 2010

 

 

 

Rating:

 

Sherrif Hague (Michael Biehn) has to cope with a bunch of zombies as which was caused by some gas that was used by another army of infected people called Sickos led by a sergeant Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis) as he hopes to take over humankind.
Soon his town of Texas is being invaded and he tries to protect the survivors which involves a recently retired stripper Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) whom was almost slaughtered along with her ex-boyfriend El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) and a doctor Dakota Block (Marley Shelton) as they all battle these people to the death and to save humankind.

 

A perfect beginning with greatly focused camera shots on Cherry Darling doing a strip dance at a ar as things look funky while we watching this with the opening credits. This added great retro tribute style as well as later on her arguing with her employer at the bar backstage which seemed to draw you in on not being happy with her job as this is a nice start off to a horror story that will unravel later on.
Great setting with her walking on the side of the road and a bunch of army type vehicles speeding past her causing her to fall behind some garbage cans as this offered mediocre comedic timing.

Nice timing with a mafia type leader Abby endangering someone and ordering
his clan of people to castrate someone as that will make you truly cringe and squirm. This scene is shocking but well written in offering good dark comedy with crime and action too. Plus we have Lt. Muldoon coming in having unfinished business as well as him blowing some people away offering nice graphic violence along with what looks like some people being infected which leaves a nice clue on what the horror story will be all about.
A great shot of Tammy when she steps out of her car and it's foggy. You just know that something is going to happen and you will jump when it does and it's perfect.
A nice flowing discussion between El Wray and Cherry at J.T.'s barbeque which looked crisply done by what they were talking about as well as humoress moments on J.T. himself discussing stuff. The settings on this looked very old school and it's perfect to have a barbeque grill for a grindhouse flick.
A great moment with
Doctor William Block checking out one of his patients with gruesome looking marks on his skin as this leaves a great clue that he's going to be infected and turn into something not so good as well as him breaking the news that he will be losing his arm which leaves a good horror feel to the story with an evil type of doctor on how he explains this situation. This all looked well done.
We also have an effective moment with
Doctor Dakota Block when she is giving this patient some needles as it looks perfectly comedic with how it's done but yet very intense to those like me who hate getting shots. Seems to offer a good wickedness on not trusting anyone at that hospital.
Perfect bone chilling moment when William finds out that his wife has been cheating on her and he corners her with needles ready to stab her as you wonder if he will actually do it. Things look good and evil with all of this happening. This scene was perfectly written into the story.
We have a great shot of the bar-b-q restaurant and the zombies invading it too as this involves
J.T. at being witty too trying to do away the zombies.
Well put in moments when both El and Cherry driving in their vehicle and spotting zombies eating roadkill with interesting one liners on this situation offering some okay comedy. Also a good suspenseful moment with this vehicle swerving and turning upseide down with a funny one liner by Cherry and then a great fast action moment with some zombies breaking in and dragging her away which is a nice dark horror touch to the story making this look like an exciting drive in type of flick.
Great struggling and battling moments with the police squad battling away against these zombies with powerful force as well as slaughtering moments too showing great camera shots on all of this. This moment was a true classic offering plenty of gruesome action here and there.
Nice near romantic situations between El and Cherry which looked fairly decent to watch and seemed necessary to put into a grindhouse flick and then we see the film cutting out and announcing technical issues which was common in grindhouse drive in flicks back in the days so this totally pays a tribute to those kinds that had screw ups.
More terrific action sequences when Muldoon takes the survivors like El, Cherry and J.T. as hostage along with one of his men who's a rapist getting forceful towards Cherry and being nearly brutally manipulative towards her in which this
looked disturbing and intense to watch. Then great vengeful moments later on with what Cherry does as this packs a punch big time.
A neat campy special effects moment when Muldoon confronts someone but his face slowly changes with that virus which looked boggling and then changing into a creature which looked too corny than scary but nicely put into a flick like this one.
Then later on more great battling sequences with the survivors firing away against the zombies with more graphic results which will please all you gorehounds big time while watching this as this was done in great horror taste. Plus we have Cherry with a machine gun used on one of her missing legs springing into action here and there which looked awfully funny to watch.
Near the end of the film we spot a sad moment between El and Cherry but this scene was way too hard to be taken seriously.
Bottom line is that this was an exciting drive-in type of movie bringing back the exploited low budget horror genre. It offers a great tribute to those old low budget drive-in horror films along adding plenty of tongue-in-cheek dark comedy too. Looks very much like a tribute to those good old horror flicks Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Night of the Living Dead. At first, it's hard to understand what is going on but you'll catch on
It was also cool watching the fake trailer spoofs too as they were campy fun along with everything involved in this flick. If you haven't seen it yet check it out.

The acting is very campy but in a very good way as the filmmakers wanted the performences to be goofy as you can tell. They pull their weight very well with their characters involved. Marley Shelton (Doctor Dakota Block) really has a knack for her character and proves herself convincing for a retro looking film like this one. Shows off a very strange and mysterious behavior especially when she approaches towards someone planning to give them a needle. Also does a nice job acting timid when she fears for her life as she does this good and natural. Shows decent energy when the terror and action happens as well as offering some nice comdic one liners too.
Freddy Rodriguez (El Wray) offers a perfect seriousness and tough looking type of attitude. Offers a good hearted and charming behavior too. Really packed a punch within whatever he did here with good taste. Had the right looks for his role as someone who comes across as a clever type but a tough looking type of appeal.
Rose McGowan (Cherry Darling) also shows good attitude with her role too as a retired stripper. She was very sharp in her performance as well as having a no bullshit type of behavior along with showing good aggressions whenever she needed to behave this way. Also springs into action greatly when the terror starts as she was full of adrenaline. Does well getting into a romantic phase. However near the end of her performance when she is sobbing it looked a bit phony.
Michael Biehn (Sheriff Hague) was nothing too memorable in his role but as always does a great job but didn't seem to shine off as well as the others mentioned. Still I thought he was worth reviewing. Offers a good seriousness to his role as well as showing a likeable attitude.
The best one out of all is supporting cast member Josh Brolin (Doctor William Block) as a nasty vengeful one and he knows how to be intimidating. He shows a good stern behavior along with being cold hearted and creepy during a scene when he uses needles about to corner someone which he really brought this on incredibly well. Also does a great job acting crazy too especially when he becomes infected. Had the perfect rough looks too for his part which was one of the films plus.
Jeff Fahey (J.T.) was a natural ham as an owner at a barbeque grill having a nice uplifting type of behavior as well as getting kinda cocky too. He showed a ton of spunk within everything that he did in this flick. Was a true character actor. Does everything with great style. Knew on how to come across slick with his appeal.
Naveen Andrews (Abby) did a splendid job portraying mafia type of leader and his nasty deeds to others who cross him. Shows a good silent motive too. He knew his craft quite well within what he had to do but didn't have as much scene's as the rest of the cast. Yet had the great look and appeal and can be well remembered to anyone who saw him in this one.
Michael Parks (Earl McGraw) also had an effective supporting role and didn't have a ton of scene's but came off greatly within all that he did here. Plus shows off a good knack when he behaves heroic in a certain part of the story showing great pride by what he did.
Tom Savini (Deputy Tolo) sprung to life a terrific deal with his obnoxious and arrogant type of appeal as well as offering decent timing with his comedy along with showing terrific energy when going into battle while firing his gun. Seemed to study his role inside out as he was a natural character.
It's a surprise we have a special appearance by Bruce Willis (Lt. Muldoon) since he has never really acted in a horror flick but makes his role very worthy too as an evil one. Shows a nice dark wit to what he does but doing it in a serious fashion which shines off greatly. He always knew on how to portray these types and give him a two thumbs up.
Quentin Tarrantino (The Rapist) had the most effective special appearance in which he shows a great insane type of behavior and comes across a perfectly intimidating as well as getting in your face which looked extremely believable within all that he did here. He was a true force of negativity and knowing how to act perfectly evil.

We have lots of breasts performed by the actresses in the fake trailer spoofs.
There is a brief breast shot of a woman changing in a dressing room.

This was probably the goriest horror film of the year with the first film Terror Planet and it's a shame underground German goremaster filmmaker Andreas Schnaas wasn't involved as her'd love it.
We have faces torn off as well as melted
Preverted looking body gore
Decapitations
Leg bitten off
Heads blown off
Bodies being ripped apart
Zombies being chopped off and blown up
Someones testicles are cut off (OUCH!!!!)
Lots and lots more too as its totally gore packed and people with a storng stomach with not want to watch this movie but if you're a gorehound, you'll eat it up.

During the trailer spoofs there's some perverted gore and lots of blood too which will gross you out totally.

We have terrific music composed by Graeme Revell, Robert Rodriguez and Carl Thiel with the dark sounds and thumps. Plus we have alot of low keyboard playing sounding perfectly gloomy as well as prickly string sounds as this offers some chills by what the creepy situations are about. Also some nice wavy synthesizer music which is also catchy. All of this sounded marvelliusly retro like which beats todays score of most horror films we spot during this time period.

[from faux trailer Machete]
Narrator: This Time... They Fucked With The Wrong Mexican!

Abby: I also want your balls.

Wray: So what are you going to do now?
Cherry: I'm going to be a stand-up comedian.
Wray: You're not funny
Cherry: That's what I keep trying to tell everybody but they all say I'm hilarious
Wray: But you're not
Cherry: There's a difference between being frank... and being dick.

Wray: Would you quit crying over fucking spilt milk?
Cherry: I have no leg!

J.T.: Hey, hey. You want some barbeque? Best in Texas.
Cherry: Oh, no thanks.
J.T.: What's the matter? You don't eat meat?
Cherry: Oh, I eat meat. I also eat lots of shit.
Cherry: [grins] See that?
J.T.: What's that?
Cherry: Shit-eating grin.
J.T.: [laughs] You ought to be a comedian.
Cherry: What do you think of the leg?
J.T.: [laughs] Sure as funny.

[repeated line]
J.T.: Best in Texas.

Earl McGraw: God, dammit! Ramona, you've been fartin' like a goddamned pack mule.

Wray: Did you find what was in the pocket?
Cherry: Fuck no.
Wray: Look for it.
Cherry: [searches through one pocket]
Wray: No, the other one.
Cherry: [searches through the other pocket and takes out a box with a ring inside it]
Wray: I was gonna give it to you, but you left me. 'Cuz you took the jacket...
Cherry, Wray: ...and I looked for it for two weeks.
Wray: Read it.
Cherry: Two against the world.
Wray: Remember that?
Cherry: I never forgot it.

Dr. Dakota Block: [Looking at the glove compartment] I want you to open that for mommy. Can you?
[He opens it, and there is a gun sitting inside]
Dr. Dakota Block: Take the gun.
[He takes it]
Dr. Dakota Block: Careful! That's it. And if anyone comes to the door that isn't me, I want you to shoot them. Okay? I'm not kidding Tony, you shoot them in the head.
Tony Block: What if it's dad?
Dr. Dakota Block: ESPECIALLY if it's your dad.

Dr. Dakota Block: No more dead bodies for daddy tonight.

Sheriff Hague: Where the hell are you going?
Wray: I'm going to get Cherry.
Sheriff Hague: Fine, but we're taking my car.
[his car explodes]
Sheriff Hague: [looking back at Wray] I'm riding with you.

Announcer: [From Segment "Don't] If you... are thinking... of going... into... this house... DON'T!

Trailer voiceover: [from segment Werewolf Women of the SS] Featuring Udo Kier, Sheri Moon Zombie, Tom Towles, Sybil Danning, Bill Moseley, and Nicolas Cage
[pause]
Trailer voiceover: as
[pause]
Trailer voiceover: Fu Manchu!
Fu Manchu: THIS IS MY MECCA! AHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHA!