Grindhouse: The Sleaze-Filled Saga of an Exploitation Double Feature

by Robert Rodríguez, Quentin Tarantino

Join directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez as they resurrect the blood-soaked, sex-fueled exploitation double features of the "grindhouse" circuit. Together with cast and crew, Tarantino and Rodriguez chronicle the making of not one but two motion pictures: Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof and Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. Compiling never-before-seen production artwork, hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive interviews and enough blood, flesh and gore for two books, Grindhouse: The Sleaze-Filled Saga Of An Exploitation Double Feature offers fans the definitive insider's guide to the world of Grindhouse!

Genres: Film, Horror, Nonfiction, Reference, Art, Media Tie In

251 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2007

About the author

Robert Anthony Rodriguez is an American director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor and musician perhaps best known for making profitable, crowd-pleasing independent and studio films with fairly low budgets and fast schedules by Hollywood standards. He shoots and produces many of his films in Texas and Mexico.

Reviews

[Paolo Aguas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun read it really is not what you expected it to be, I thought that it would be similar to the Moulin Rouge wherein it would only be discussing how the film was made and notes from the director. But I was pleasantly surprised that suddenly out of nowhere the script of Planet Terror in its entirety was there and the making of the Machete trailer was also there so all in all it was just really really fun.



PS

This is not related to the book at all but yeah this whole COVID19 pandemic has really affected me and I’ve been down lately I just hope that I’ll feel better soon and that this whole thing will end soon.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good book looking into the history of Grindhouse cinema and the conception and production of "Planet Terror" and "Death Proof". There's more on "Planet Terror", to be fair - it even contains the screenplay. I preferred "Death Proof" as a film (and Tarantino as a director) so although the there is much less on the Tarantino half of Grindhouse (no screenplay as the publishers can no doubt sell that separately), reading about the behind the scenes stuff - particularly the stunts, interviews with the two directors and crew, the hundreds of photos and the Ami Continental 2 Jukebox playlist is worth the money alone. :) Just as a little warning to Tarantino fans so they won't be disappointed with the apparent bias towards "Planet Terror" if they weren't so keen on it.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this book you'll exactly get what you see on the cover: Two legendary and iconic double features. Planet Terror, the art of exploitation, the cars, the girls, the crypt; Death Proof with its graphic violence, its spectacular stunts (remember the white Dodge Challenger), Machete, blood, lust and violence. Absolutely must read if you like those kind of movies and already watched them. Great source of inspiration if you ever wanted to watch those movies. Highly recommended!

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

249 - 2018

[J.H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool little book on a kickass double feature

[Richard H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This movie was a big deal for me, and I'm very fortunate to have seen it and experienced it firsthand.

[Viridian5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the companion book on the making of the movie Grindhouse. A lot of the book didn't sit right with me, you know, the obsessing over all the expensive set and costume design, CGI, and computer aging you're using to make this movie look like a battered 70s film made on a cheap. Hearing the film techs say that the best way to make the film look beaten to crap was often just to take it outside and physically beat it to crap is also such a "Duh!" thing.

But the bit on Death Proof about it being a car duel with these old cars, stunt people, and actual stunts instead of effects made me happier contemplating that part of the movie. '72 Mustang! Charger vs. Challenger! (Too bad I hated about 50% of Death Proof when I watched it.)

But the thing you have to browse the book for is the six to eight hilarious pages about the making of Thanksgiving, the preview for a fake early '80s slasher film. They recount the entertaining tale of how the guy behind Hostel: Part 2 squeezed in Thanksgiving after filming Hostel: Part 2 in Prague. There's the brain-bendingly disturbing picture of the Thanksgiving roast with stuffing coming out his orifices and meat thermometer in his ass. You have the 5 to 10-year-old Czech majorettes in their own uniforms and white boots for the parade filmed at 7 a.m. in Prague. Filmmaker to translator: "Make sure they and their parents know there will be blood involved, okay?" Once the Czech majorettes really understood what they'd signed on for, they really got into the running and screaming. The filmmaker hopes that they manage to get the fake blood out of their white boots. *g* There's the turkey mascot costume guy getting decapitated, the costumed parade Pilgrim with machete....

So while Rodriguez and Tarantino obsessed over set and costume design and computer-aging the film, the Hostel guy was scrounging for extras and materials in Prague on a strict time limit filming in actual grindhouse style. Bless him.

There's some fun stuff in the book about design and cars and what-not, but the creme of the book for me was definitely the few pages and hilarious photos for Thanksgiving.

[Jason harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of B movies both old and new. I'm also familiar with the "grindhouse" theaters of the 70's and 80's. My mother once took me to see a double feature of Don't Answer the Phone and Terror Island.....when I was 7. Anyway. when the Tarantion/Rodriguez grindhouse double feature came out, I was all over it.
But when I heard that there was a book detailing the behind the scenes action, I think I was more excited for the book than the 2 flicks.
This book is awsome. It not only contains behind the scenes photos, but the full script for Planet Terror and the fake trailers.
If your a filmmaker or an avid fan of the two directors, then this book will not disappoint.

[Jon Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the movie come in retro packaging, ignoring the usual square format for something closer to the old annual style.

Excellent lookinto the creation of what should have been a great idea. Sadly its been shown outside the US as two seprate films.

Get the book findout how to do your own

A great making of book, but still nowhere near the Monster House book.

[Emily]

Fantastic behind-the-scenes action with the cast, crew adn directors. Fabulous color movie stills and photos of the set fill this book along with Rodriguez's entire screenplay and never-before seen artwork.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book chronicling the failed experiment to turn everyone in the world into hardcore film geeks. Lots of behind the scene stuff on the two features and the fake trailers and the entire script to Rodriguez's "Planet Terror".

[Jamil · Rating 2 out of 5]

spider-man 3 sucked.

[Kaptainmyke.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

i saw the hardback and had to get it

[Aurora]

ma sembra di leggere topo gigio invece di quentin tarantino. i ogni caso bell'idea, bello sviluppo, forse serve troppo fantasia per visualizzare il tutto, davvero.

[Tea Susca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ovviamente leggendo la sceneggiatura si chiariscono molte più cose rispetto al film. E' stato capace anche di aggiungere T. S. Eliot (anche se solo nominato). Che ve lo dico a fare?