Grindhouse is a
American high concept action film co-written, produced, and directed by
Robert Rodriguez and
Quentin Tarantino. The film is a
double feature consisting of two feature-length segments, the Rodriguez-directed
Planet Terror and Tarantino-directed
Death Proof, and bookended by fictional trailers for upcoming attractions, advertisements, and in-theater announcements. The film's title derives from the U.S. film industry term "
grindhouse", which refers to (now no longer existent) movie theaters specializing in
B movies, often
exploitation films, shown in a multiple-feature format. The film's cast includes
Rose McGowan,
Freddy Rodriguez,
Michael Biehn,
Marley Shelton,
Josh Brolin,
Jeff Fahey,
Naveen Andrews,
Bruce Willis,
Kurt Russell,
Rosario Dawson,
Jordan Ladd,
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, stuntwoman
Zoë Bell, and
Vanessa Ferlito.
Rodriguez's segment,
Planet Terror, revolves around an outfit of rebels attempting to survive an onslaught of
zombie-like creatures as they feud with a military unit, while Tarantino's segment,
Death Proof, focuses on a misogynistic, psychopathic
stunt man who targets young women, murdering them with his "death proof" stunt car. Each feature is preceded by faux
trailers of exploitation films in other genres that were developed by other directors.
After the film was released on April 6, 2007, ticket sales performed significantly below
box office analysts' expectations despite mostly positive critic reviews. In much of the rest of the world, each feature was released separately in extended versions. Two
soundtracks were also released for the features and include music and audio snippets from the film. In several interviews, the directors have expressed their interest in a possible
sequel to the film.