One of the cooler aspects of the upcoming Robert Rodriguez/ Quentin Tarantino collaborated speemfest GRINDHOUSE was that there’s 2 full length features wrapped into 1 ticket- I mean, seriously, when was the last double feature you went to? And with faux trailers to boot!
Sadly, according to Variety, this is one aspect of the project that’s only cool enough for North American audiences, as it looks like distributors are planning on releasing PROJECT TERROR and DEATH PROOF as 2 separate feature films! The reason? Most non-English-speaking territories have little tradition of a grindhouse double bill. And without that tradition, the coolness factor, the throughback to the grindhouse experience, will be lost. That, or they found a way to make a little bit of extra cash doing it this way.
The official titles will then be GRINDHOUSE: PLANET TERROR and GRINDHOUSE: DEATH PROOF, with a plan on releasing them theatrically 3-5 months apart.
I’m not really sure how to react to this at this point. I mean, there’s the fact that I live in Seattle, so this has no real effect on me whatsoever, so why should I care… but then I have this feeling of moral dread, as watching distribution companies trying to squeeze even more dough outta people just ain’t cool, no matter where they live. Plus, the fact that it’s a double-bill feature is one of the draws to the project, including all those faux trailers, which may or may not be attached to the films when released separately.
Either way, both segments of the GRINDHOUSE look awesome, and it still remains my most anticipated movie of the year, so you know I’ll be there April 6th regardless. The only ‘cool’ thing to come out of seeing them separately in other countries… extra footage may be added in to make the features longer. But I’m sure if we wait for DVD, that footage will be on there as well.
UPDATE: Not happy about this idea? Filmmaker Craig Luck has created a petition for all to sign who don’t want GRINDHOUSE split into two different movies, no matter what country they’re in. Click HERE to sign the petition, and let The Weinstein Company know how you feel about this!