Jason KingMACHETE (8/10)
November 11th 2010 08:59
:
Exploitation Rocks :)
Category: Reviews
MACHETE REVIEW (8/10)
Machete is the latest "exploitation" action film co-written, produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. It is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's 2007 Grindhouse. Machete continues the B movie and exploitation style of Grindhouse, including in part the same footage.
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex, violence, romance, etc. An exploitation film, however, relies heavily on sensationalist advertising and broad and lurid overstatement of the issues depicted, regardless of the intrinsic quality of the film. Very often, exploitation films are of low quality in every sense. Even so, exploitation films sometimes attract critical attention and cult followings.
It should be clarified that this is not really a "grindhouse" but an exploitation film. Grindhouse is an American term for a theatre that mainly showed exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theatres, on 42nd Street, New York, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease used to be on the bill. In the 1960s these theatres were put to new use as venues for exploitation films.
As the drive-in movie theater (an outdoor theater into which the patrons drive and watch the film from their car) began to decline in the 1960s and 1970s, theater owners began to look for ways to bring in patrons. One solution was to book exploitation films. In fact, some producers in the 1970s would make films directly for the drive-in market. Many of them were violent action films which some would refer to as 'drive-in' films, or Grindhouse films.
Danny Trejo stars in his first lead role as the title character. He also played a character named Machete in the Spy Kids franchise, which Rodriguez also directed.
The film also stars Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Steven Seagal, who filmed scenes for the film during the autumn of 2009. Cheech Marin and Jeff Fahey returned to portray their characters from the original trailer.
It is bloody brilliant - I loved it - the film perfectly depicts and exhibits what it was intended for, B Grade Exploitation that shocks and offends pretty much everyone, the only group of people I do not think it offended were Muslims and gays. From the first five minutes watching a naked lady stab someone and then remove her vibrating mobile phone from 'you can only imagine where' this film does not hold back from its intended B grade style. It is so over the top that a lot of people will not like this film and it is made to look B grade. My viewing partner in crime, Seb, commented to me in the first 5mins "why is the film condition so bad?" - I had only just told him a couple of minutes prior it was a screening in DIGITAL (which means NO film). I had to laugh and ask him if he had seen any "grindhouse" films - he had no idea what I was talking about so I had to quietly explain it is a style of film unto itself where everything is over the top and intentionally B grade - he got into it. After 5 or 10 minutes the intended scracthes on the master print and print jumping all stop.
Most people assume that Machete was born from the now legendary fake trailer from the film Grindhouse but Machete's inception dates back many years prior to this. It actually commenced while Rodriguez was about to commence shooting Desperado - he thought the time was write for a Latin movie hero, which he codenamed Machete. He was inspired by John Woo's movies which he said "they made me want to be Asian". He wanted that style and inspiration to come across in a Latin arena. He says the idea of Machete began to crystalize when Trejo reported onset for Depserado which was shooting in a small Mexican town. The locals all flocked to Trejo, even though he only had a small part, because they thought he was the star. He knew then he had his eventual Machete, he handed him a knife and told him to start practicing. It was actually Trejo himself that eventually convinced Rodriguez to make the film - after filming the fake trailer he harassed Rodriguez until he said the time for Machete had finally come.
After being betrayed by the organization who hired him, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss. That is the basic plot without ruining anything with too many spoilers.
Trejo is pretty impressive but he is no standout - he is the silent achiever and it is very hard to judge acting in an "exploitation" film as it is all supposed to be bad and B grade. The funny thing was that Steven Seagal acts like he has in every other film he has been in hahaha. I also laughed out loud when the opening credits state "And introducing Don Johnson", Johnson has been in many films and was famous from Miami Vice - the TV show - he has put on a few pounds these days, I guess all that Coke finally caught up with him. My absolute standouts in this are Michelle Rodriguez, looking smoking and a role model for feminists that will eventually be offended beyond belief - but Michelle is the strong woman they can hang onto. I thought DeNiro and Alba were as good as each other - these two can both act, OK - DeNiro a little better, but they both have quite a few serious films under their belts and to see them both act intentionally B grade made the film for me - I think this takes more skill than just being stupid to pull this off.
One of the standout moments in the film is that this is the first time you will get to see Jessica Alba naked. It is a side on nudity shot that fills the screen. Seb actually turned around and watched the cinema for the scene - as it is an intentional scene where the camera starts with Alba in a shower, completely naked, however the camera is on it's side so while Alba is standing up, it appears as though lying down - Seb's comment on Facebook that night was "200 males in the cinema (excluding Jason) all had their heads on their left side as they followed the camera into the upright position" - this is GOLD and I can't wait to sneak into a cinema to watch it again this weekend and to see all the straight boy heads on an angle.
Another standout for me that I jokingly commented deserves an Oscar is Lindsay Lohan - she is pretty much naked in every scene, is a drug addict and completely out of control - this would have been a walk in the park for her. She also manages a 3some with her mother and Machete that they film. But 90% of the time you will see her in full glory until she feels the need to don a nun's habit and take people out with a machine gun
.
If you are a church goer then avoid this film as it will heavily offend you and you will loathe the film - it is supposed to get shock reactions out of everyone and it will for sure and this is what makes it so succesful. It is constant laughs at the audacity of itself or from Machete making a one liner and having Alba or Lohan or Rodriguex desperate to have sex with him. The film did slow to a lull for about 20mins in the middle before returning to its pace but this did not effect the viewing for me - it was still thoroughly enjoyable. More so than leaving my umbrella in the cinema and after catching a bus with Seb we had a 1km walk to my car in the most torrential rain since Noah - it was out of control. But worth it for the laugh and for the fun of watching Machete.
It is out now on limited release (surprisingly) so get out and watch it - but be warned - it will offend. Worth 8/10.
RED BAND TRAILER:
Machete is the latest "exploitation" action film co-written, produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. It is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's 2007 Grindhouse. Machete continues the B movie and exploitation style of Grindhouse, including in part the same footage.
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex, violence, romance, etc. An exploitation film, however, relies heavily on sensationalist advertising and broad and lurid overstatement of the issues depicted, regardless of the intrinsic quality of the film. Very often, exploitation films are of low quality in every sense. Even so, exploitation films sometimes attract critical attention and cult followings.
It should be clarified that this is not really a "grindhouse" but an exploitation film. Grindhouse is an American term for a theatre that mainly showed exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theatres, on 42nd Street, New York, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease used to be on the bill. In the 1960s these theatres were put to new use as venues for exploitation films.
As the drive-in movie theater (an outdoor theater into which the patrons drive and watch the film from their car) began to decline in the 1960s and 1970s, theater owners began to look for ways to bring in patrons. One solution was to book exploitation films. In fact, some producers in the 1970s would make films directly for the drive-in market. Many of them were violent action films which some would refer to as 'drive-in' films, or Grindhouse films.
Danny Trejo stars in his first lead role as the title character. He also played a character named Machete in the Spy Kids franchise, which Rodriguez also directed.
The film also stars Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Alba, Don Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Steven Seagal, who filmed scenes for the film during the autumn of 2009. Cheech Marin and Jeff Fahey returned to portray their characters from the original trailer.
It is bloody brilliant - I loved it - the film perfectly depicts and exhibits what it was intended for, B Grade Exploitation that shocks and offends pretty much everyone, the only group of people I do not think it offended were Muslims and gays. From the first five minutes watching a naked lady stab someone and then remove her vibrating mobile phone from 'you can only imagine where' this film does not hold back from its intended B grade style. It is so over the top that a lot of people will not like this film and it is made to look B grade. My viewing partner in crime, Seb, commented to me in the first 5mins "why is the film condition so bad?" - I had only just told him a couple of minutes prior it was a screening in DIGITAL (which means NO film). I had to laugh and ask him if he had seen any "grindhouse" films - he had no idea what I was talking about so I had to quietly explain it is a style of film unto itself where everything is over the top and intentionally B grade - he got into it. After 5 or 10 minutes the intended scracthes on the master print and print jumping all stop.
Most people assume that Machete was born from the now legendary fake trailer from the film Grindhouse but Machete's inception dates back many years prior to this. It actually commenced while Rodriguez was about to commence shooting Desperado - he thought the time was write for a Latin movie hero, which he codenamed Machete. He was inspired by John Woo's movies which he said "they made me want to be Asian". He wanted that style and inspiration to come across in a Latin arena. He says the idea of Machete began to crystalize when Trejo reported onset for Depserado which was shooting in a small Mexican town. The locals all flocked to Trejo, even though he only had a small part, because they thought he was the star. He knew then he had his eventual Machete, he handed him a knife and told him to start practicing. It was actually Trejo himself that eventually convinced Rodriguez to make the film - after filming the fake trailer he harassed Rodriguez until he said the time for Machete had finally come.
After being betrayed by the organization who hired him, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss. That is the basic plot without ruining anything with too many spoilers.
Trejo is pretty impressive but he is no standout - he is the silent achiever and it is very hard to judge acting in an "exploitation" film as it is all supposed to be bad and B grade. The funny thing was that Steven Seagal acts like he has in every other film he has been in hahaha. I also laughed out loud when the opening credits state "And introducing Don Johnson", Johnson has been in many films and was famous from Miami Vice - the TV show - he has put on a few pounds these days, I guess all that Coke finally caught up with him. My absolute standouts in this are Michelle Rodriguez, looking smoking and a role model for feminists that will eventually be offended beyond belief - but Michelle is the strong woman they can hang onto. I thought DeNiro and Alba were as good as each other - these two can both act, OK - DeNiro a little better, but they both have quite a few serious films under their belts and to see them both act intentionally B grade made the film for me - I think this takes more skill than just being stupid to pull this off.
One of the standout moments in the film is that this is the first time you will get to see Jessica Alba naked. It is a side on nudity shot that fills the screen. Seb actually turned around and watched the cinema for the scene - as it is an intentional scene where the camera starts with Alba in a shower, completely naked, however the camera is on it's side so while Alba is standing up, it appears as though lying down - Seb's comment on Facebook that night was "200 males in the cinema (excluding Jason) all had their heads on their left side as they followed the camera into the upright position" - this is GOLD and I can't wait to sneak into a cinema to watch it again this weekend and to see all the straight boy heads on an angle.
Another standout for me that I jokingly commented deserves an Oscar is Lindsay Lohan - she is pretty much naked in every scene, is a drug addict and completely out of control - this would have been a walk in the park for her. She also manages a 3some with her mother and Machete that they film. But 90% of the time you will see her in full glory until she feels the need to don a nun's habit and take people out with a machine gun
.If you are a church goer then avoid this film as it will heavily offend you and you will loathe the film - it is supposed to get shock reactions out of everyone and it will for sure and this is what makes it so succesful. It is constant laughs at the audacity of itself or from Machete making a one liner and having Alba or Lohan or Rodriguex desperate to have sex with him. The film did slow to a lull for about 20mins in the middle before returning to its pace but this did not effect the viewing for me - it was still thoroughly enjoyable. More so than leaving my umbrella in the cinema and after catching a bus with Seb we had a 1km walk to my car in the most torrential rain since Noah - it was out of control. But worth it for the laugh and for the fun of watching Machete.
It is out now on limited release (surprisingly) so get out and watch it - but be warned - it will offend. Worth 8/10.
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