When director buddies Robert Rodriguez (Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Machete) and Quentin Tarentino announced in 2006 their next project would be a collaborative double feature homage to low budget 1970s drive-in cinema, movie nerds around the world let out a collective sigh of deep satisfaction.   

Unfortunately however the concept didn’t see the light of day as originally intended.  The initial double feature of Rodriguez’ Planet Terror and Tarentino’s Death Proof, replete with fake period trailers, vintage advertisements and in-theatre announcements didn’t test well with early audiences, who for the better part of three decades had been used to watching their films one at a time, and with a modicum of cinematic ability incumbent throughout, the complete artistic antithesis of what the Grindhouse project was supposed to encapsulate.  The end result was that the films were released separately worldwide, in cuts of various lengths, and the bulk of the fake trailer/grindhouse/double feature concept fell by the wayside. 

That is, until now.  Buoyed by a strong critical reception, enthusiastic fan response and solid DVD sales and rentals, the Grindhouse double feature is finally seeing the light of day in its original format.  The first disc of this two Blu-ray set contains the feature in its entirety – that’s Planet Terror followed by Death Proof, replete with trailers for Machete, Don’t, Thanksgiving and Werewolf Women of the SS. 

Disc 2 is laden with several hours’ worth of excellent extras, including extended versions of the fake trailers along with making of featurettes and audio commentaries, all the bonus features previously contained on the standalone Blu-ray special editions of Death Proof and Planet Terror and some excellent exclusive content.  It’s an absolute treat to finally watch these fantastically enjoyable retro throwbacks the way they were meant to be seen, and both films are a crazy, grimy and gory exercise is cinematic abandon that are absolutely not to be missed. 

Special Features

The Grindhouse collection brings together all the bonus features of the individual Blu-ray Special Editions of both films, and, even better, contains all the fake trailers along with director commentaries, extended cuts and Making Of featurettes.  There are also several exclusives in the form of an extended interview with Tarantino and Rodriguez, footage from the 2006 Comic Con with cast and crew members and the two-minute trailer for the upcoming grindhouse homage Hobo With a Shotgun.  It’s a monumental and near-peerless crop to say the least.  The full swag is: 

- commentary track on Planet Terror with director Robert Rodriguez

- optional audience screening track on Planet Terror

- Robert Rodriguez 10-minute film school

- Robert Rodriguez 10-minute cooking class

- 6 Planet Terror featurettes

- Planet Terror poster gallery

- 9 Death Proof featurettes on the stunts, casting, design, music and production of the film

- Double Dare trailer

- extended Werewolf Women of the SS trailer

- extended cut with commentary by director Rob Zombie

- making of the Werewolf Women of the SS trailer

- extended Don’t trailer

- Don’t storyboard trailer comparison with commentary by director Edgar Wright

- Don’t stills gallery

- Don’t poster

- extended cut of Don’t trailer with commentary by director Edgar Wright

- the making of Don’t trailer

- the making of Thanksgiving trailer

- New York Times talk with Tarantino and Rodriguez (65 minutes)

- 2006 Comic Con featurette (24 minutes)

- Hobo With a Shotgun trailer