Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Eli Roth, Edgar Wright & Rob Zombie/ USA 2007/ 191 min/ 18

Showing for one night only, in its rarely seen original format, Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s infamous double feature, Grindhouse explodes onto the screen for an evening of comedy, modern warfare, murder and anything else that takes your fancy.

This tribute to the American Grindhouse films of the 60s and 70s begins with Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, a zombie action movie that follows go-go dancer, Cherry (Rose McGowan) and the mysterious Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) as they fight to escape some very hungry zombies after an unknown but deadly gas leak in their town.

Tarantino’s Death Proof, the second movie of the double feature, pays homage to the Carspoitation genre, specifically the cult classic, Vanishing Point. Featuring Rosario Dawson and stuntwoman Zoe Bell, the film follows the psychotic Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) as he stalks and kills groups of young women in his specially adapted ‘death proof’ stunt car.

Following poor ticket sales upon its release in the US, Grindhouse was split into two separate features for its European release in 2007, a decision that ultimately damaged profits and caused confusion amongst many cinema goers. Still unavailable on DVD in the UK, this original cut of the movie featuring trailers for fictional horror movies directed by Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and Edgar Wright, this double feature is a timeless tribute to a cult and often overlooked genre of 20th century cinema. Frequently billed as exploitation films, the reputation of Grindhouse films as cheap, violent and sexually explicit movies has done little to diminish their popularity. Both films compliment and seamlessly connect, as several of the same actors are used in both movies, which was a hallmark of the era. This double feature showcases Rodriguez’s and Tarantino’s work and influences, creating a double bill of action, horror, car chases and revenge that their fans will love. The ultimate Saturday night movie, Grindhouse is a deliciously decadent helping of two great contemporary directors at their very best.

Showing as part of the FAB Fest @Filmhouse until 2nd May
More details here