Grindhouse

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Grindhouse: Death Proof
Quentin Tarantino's and Robert Rodriguez's double-feature Grindhouse movies, Planet Terror and Death Proof, will be released on separate DVDs, so today's release is just the Tarantino-helmed Death Proof. As a movie, Death Proof is difficult to categorize. It's sort of tribute to stunt-people, and much the way that Kill Bill took the martial arts movie and Tarantinofied it, Death Proof gathers inspiration from car-chase films and horror flicks to invent what feels like an entirely new genre.

The story follows a serial killer who uses his car as a killing machine, but he soon chooses the wrong pack of badass ladies to terrorize on the road. Check out my review for more of my thoughts on both of the Grindhouse features.

The Death Proof "extended and unrated" DVD includes several extra features, including the "missing reel" of Vanessa Ferlito's unseen lap-dance sequence, "Finding Quentin's Gals" featurette, "The Guys of Death Proof" featurette, and "Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike" featurette.

One more interesting new release today, so read more

Where does a director with Grindhouse and Spy Kids on his resume go next? Possibly to the future! At least, the future as envisioned by a 1960s cartoon. According to Hollywood Reporter, Rodriguez is in talks to direct a live-action version of the "The Jetsons" for Warner Bros.

At the same time, the director — whose highly entertaining Planet Terror was the far better half of Grindhouse — is also considering another TV-inspired project. According to the Hollywood Reporter:

At the same time, the helmer has met with Will Ferrell and Universal execs for helming duties on "Land of the Lost," based on the 1970s Sid and Marty Krofft fantasy TV series to which Ferrell is attached to star.

While no offers have been made, sources say "Jetsons" has the edge because its script, whose latest draft is by Adam Goldberg ("Fanboys"), is further along.

At first, it seemed pretty odd that Rodriguez would follow Grindhouse (not to mention Sin City and Once Upon a Time in Mexico) with a movie based on a cartoon. But then I remembered Spy Kids, which I haven't seen but I hear is excellent, so read more

• I told you it was a genre! Best Week Ever points us to the Will Ferrell movie formula generator.
• Popwatch ponders Lewis Black's Comedy Central pilot "The Root of All Evil."
• Give Me My Remote shares the exciting news that my favorite part of the "Grey's Anatomy" gag reel is back on YouTube. Watch fast!
• Take it from Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily: Lollapalooza is going to rule.
• The Movie Blog mulls the rumor that Quentin Tarantino stole the idea for Grindhouse.
• TV Squad hears about the possible plot for next season of "24" (spoilerphobes, beware).
• Defamer gives a nod to Lloyd on "Entourage" as a role model to abused Hollywood assistants.
• Pay tribute to Kurt Vonnegut in song on Idolator.
• The TV Addict tells you how to get hooked on "Drive" — in just four minutes.
• Cinematical reports that Halle Berry will not be playing Catwoman in the Justice League movie, because, the actress says, "I'm not a masochist."
• Buddy TV hears what Haley had to say as she left "American Idol."
• Merry Swankster finds the Arcade Fire album for sale in a strange spot.
• Popcandy tells us how to put your face on Sanjaya's, so you can be inexplicably famous for a few minutes, too.
• Bravo's Andy Cohen reveals fans' suggested send-off phrases for "Shear Genius." My fave? "This is where we part."

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Rosario Dawson looked happy while leaving a club in West Hollywood this weekend, but it probably wasn't due to Grindhouse's box office ratings. The highly anticipated double feature couldn't compete with Will Ferrell & Disney (or even Ice Cube) and came in at #4 for the weekend, grossing $11.6 million. I guess the masses didn't want to spend their holiday weekend watching sex, gore, and women with machine guns for legs.

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Mediocrity topped curiosity at the box-office this weekend, with two tepidly reviewed holdovers — Blades of Glory and Disney's Meet the Robinsons — landing in the No. 1 and 2 spots with $23 million and $17 million in ticket sales, respectively. Both movies beat out Grindhouse, the groundbreaking double feature directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, which earned just $11 million.

Grindhouse getting trumped by Blades of Glory doesn't surprise me; after all, it's easier for hordes of movie-going teens to flock to a PG-13 flick than two hard-core R movie. What's tragic is that Grindhouse didn't even manage to win the race against the new Ice Cube movie, Are We Done Yet?, which sounds fairly dreadful. What movies did you guys see this weekend?

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• The Cure's Robert Smith collaborating with Ashlee Simpson? Weird.
• Do you like "Dog the Bounty Hunter"? If so, tell me why, and while you're at it, vote for your favorite FX show.
• If you love good movies, go see The Hoax or Grindhouse this weekend. If you crave crappy editing and boredom, go see The Reaping.
• Do you have the sass to recast "Designing Women" with modern-day actors?
• Plush bears, Norwegian soldiers, and great music come together — finally! — in Of Montreal's music video.
• TV networks are spring cleaning some lame shows (like "Wedding Bells") and have declared their love for certain others (like "30 Rock"!) by giving them more seasons.
• Is Jessica Alba becoming a legitimate actress? Perhaps there is more than meets The Eye.
• "The Hills" are alive with the sound of another season of spoiled, pretentious rich kids.

Should you spend three hours of your life indulging two directors’ fanboy fantasies with a parade of gross-out humor, awkward pacing, bad acting, and obscure movie references?

Yes, you absolutely should.

As you've probably heard by now, Grindhouse is actually two movies in one: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. But it's also an ambitious attempt to recreate an obsolete experience — seeing a double-feature at a '70s B-movie parlor, complete with trailers, missing film reels, scratched frames, and the freedom to applaud ass-kicking moments and "ew" over icky ones.

In this regard, collaborators and comrades Rodriguez and Tarantino are entirely successful, and it's highly entertaining to watch how they pull it off, so read more

Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's double-feature of sex, violence, and gross-out humor, Grindhouse, premiered in LA last night. The film was reportedly so offensive that scenes had to be cut to avoid a NC 17 rating, but the trailer shows us that it will still be a stomach churner. Eva kept it casual while out to support her friends, but obviously was fine to let the other girls shine. Rose McGowan is always up for that task and worked her black hair magic on the red carpet. We're not sure we have the stomach for this one, but we're always happy to see glammed up stars.

For more pics including Rosario Dawson, Robert Rodriguez, Kurt Russell, Kobe Bryant and more just read more