Editorials > DVD Review: Planet Terror, two-disc special edition

"Extended and Unrated" is normally the best way sub-par action and comedies get their DVDs flying off the shelves and into the home entertainment centers across the country. But what happens when part of the joke involves missing some of that gore?

Not much has changed from the first half of Grindhouse where a quaint Texas town is the start of a worldwide infection by a nerve gas that turns people into pus-strewn Sickos that crave flesh and the unlikely crew of a one-legged stripper (Rose McGowan), a quiet bad-ass (Freddy Rodriguez, no relation to Robert) and a doctor on the run from her husband (Marley Shelton) try to escape with other survivors they pick up on the way. 

As a zombie B-movie? Still the best nod to the originals.  

Terror retains all the scratches, cuts, burns and dust from the original–perhaps even more fitting since all were digitally added by Rodriguez to evoke the mood. As with any Rodrgiuez DVD, the stand-outs include his commentary and the 10 Minute Film School if just to learn how he pulled off a majority of his shots.

But as a DVD? This is awful.  

 "Just like some real film school bullshit," Rodriguez intones about the transitions, as JT (Jeff Fahey) pushes through a door, cutting directly to the hospital entrance of Drs. Dakota and William Block (Marley Shelton and Josh Brolin). The DVD extends the original 90-minute cut with 15 extra minutes of exposition  and not much else. The splatter-happy gore genre crowds loved in the original is still here, Naveen Andrew's testicle obsession is still in it and the incredible "Missing Reel" segment hasn't been altered in any way.

After that, it just goes downhill.  

Terror's Film School eschews actual technique and replaces it with digital effects. In fact, filmmaking is on the back burner when all you need is a few million for effects. He explains how the Machine Gun Leg worked, but also a majority of shots–even simplistic gore or the bite on Nicky Katt's arm–are wholly CGI. It isn't that surprising when you think back to Sin City, but Rodriguez has completely given up on physical effects and props. Halves and quaters are used, then painted in later; even stunts are perfectly timed, tied to rails and incredibly detailed in their execution–later giving it a digital wash to "look" as if it was perfectly filmed on set.

Another slap? You may notice the lack of a Cooking School extra. That's because it's on the two-disc special edition. Now you may see this is the two-disc special edition. But Rodriguez refers to–a few times, I may add–the GRINDHOUSE two-disc dvd special edition unrated and uncut blah blah blah. 

Yes. The version that will come with Death Proof and is rumored to have the faux trailers from Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright. To have more commentaries and basically be an all-around better DVD. The commentary and extras are used here to pimp a second DVD. Take a second to let that meta-consumerism wash over you.

Speaking of "meta," one of the best, unintentionally hilarious features is the "Casting Rebel" segment on disc two, where Rodriguez talks about using his son in the film. In the original cut, you may remember one of the more terrifying scenes where Dakota (Shelton) is struggling for her father to answer the door while her son inadvertantly shoots himself. In "Rebel," Rodriguez reveals he shot two versions of Terror where his son didn't die–all so he didn't have to tell him that the script did kill him. He later elaborates that Rebel never knew he died in the film, since he only screened the "good" version to his own family. 

Even the shot where Rebel holds the gun is CGI, his father having told him it was a toy gun he'd keep.

Man, between that and leaving his wife for McGowan I am sure the Rodriguez family loves Planet Terror. 

Nothing is remotely added to Terror save for a little dialogue and some explanation, but even Rodriguez admits on the commentary everything cut was for the sake of trimming the fat. If this upcoming special edition has the trailers and the original versions, you'd be better off waiting for that. If Tarantino's Death Proof is an ode to 70s, then Terror's the obvious 80s nod. And if that's all you want, then this is perfect.

But if you want the original Grindhouse faux-experience, wait for the special edition combo. Hopefully, it'll take less time than the Kill Bill special editions. 

-John Lichman