Can Grindhouse really be an art form?
Like the velvet Elvis, that was obviously not the original intention. The B-movie and early indie films provided us with great directors and talents, but when it came to being over-the-top for over-the-top sake, if it was not Italian, it was messy. And to appreciate the mess, you had to be of a disenchanted age.
Many say that you cannot consider the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's "Grindhouse" double feature to be true grindhouse, but the result is the same. Alienation of those who cannot stand the excess of violence and sex without dramatic goals. The only difference between these auteurs and the original grindhouse productions are that the creators appreciated the format regardless if it may or may not be art.
The most important question to this following review is, can Steven Seagal be involved with art?
Machete (2010)
Drug kingpin Torrez (Seagal) had taken everything from super federale Machete Cortez (Danny Trejo). He had taken Machete's badge and killed his friends, his wife and family. Left with nothing, Cortez heads to the Texas to find work as a day laborer. This is a risky relocation because it is during a heated election year where vigilantes have declared open war on illegal immigrants.
Tejanos need a hero, so the mysterious Booth (Jeff Fahey) hires Machete to eliminate Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) to prevent an electrified fence from be built by immigrant labor. Machete accepts, but it turns out to be a double cross providing a face for the anti-immigration sentiment. It seems like a clever plan except for they chose the wrong Mexican to do that too.
"Machete" is strictly for those who ask why not literally rip the bad guy's head off. (Since I am trying to produce my B-movie script, "Main Event of the Dead", a movie about down on their luck indie wrestlers facing off against zombies, I am among this audience. Feel free to email russthebus07@gmail.com for a treatment of the script). The feature's action is the most over the top to ever be considered mainstream (It was only topped by its sequel "Machete Kills (2013)". This is quite a feat since I have seen foreign zombie films that provide less gore.
Like the best zombie films, the violence cannot be taken too seriously. It is shocking, but as the film advances, even the faint of heart can get into it. (My mother was all about seeing the sequel.) This may leave those who want each scene to further escalate the mayhem disappointed by the climax, but this film is supposed to be the first in a trilogy, so it is only going to get messier.
If the sequels have scripts as clever as this film, audiences will be in for a treat. Being for or opposing amnesty, you have to appreciate the sinister twist of our villains. Robert Rodriguez is not necessarily a brilliant director ("Sin City" being his peak), but he is extremely clever. Mis en scene may not be his specialty (If it was, this would have been a NC-17), but he knows how to get his point and more importantly, his humor across.
The best thing about Rodriguez's sense of humor is that the best actors get it. Some may need the work, but to do something different offers audiences fresh and fun takes on legends like Seagal and De Niro. It is also comforting that actors like Linsey Lohan, Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez's career still have life in them. Working with Rodriguez is like earning a badge of honor. It labels you as a talent which is important in an age where celebrity is paramount.
The only problem with the film is that while so many actors get cast, many get underutilized. Cheech Marin only has one role and Rodriguez's usual suspects in James Parks and Tom Savini do not get enough to do.
"Machete" is a film for the psychotic and those who truly have a sense of humor. It is a clever ultra-violent romp that offers something for everyone. Like immigration, it is something that the audience has to want to support. A clever approach to a political film, Rodriguez provides us with an extremely entertaining variant on "Billy Jack, " and with its success, there is hope that double features may return.
Machete Movie Posters - IMP Awards
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