You don’t fuck with the official MACHETE trailer
You don’t fuck with the official MACHETE trailer
May 06
The project that started as a faux trailer is now a complete feature film with a release date and a new ‘real’ trailer– with footage from the actual film. Unlike the original fake one… Are you following? I’ll explain below.
For those already aware of Robert Rodriguez’s Machete (being released in the States on September 2nd 2010), be prepared to enjoy the unbelievably brilliant first ‘official’ trailer for the upcoming feature film. It’s everything a grindhouse trailer needs to be while remaining faithful to the original faux trailer and sparking excitement for the film it promotes.
Seems Rodriguez has also delivered an impressive cast to join star Danny Trejo. Machete also stars Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez and Lindsay Lohan. Yes, Lindsay Lohan… why are you laughing?
You really have to see it to believe it:
Grindhouse, the film that brought us the B-grade double-bill of Robert Rodreguez’s Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, completely bombed at the box office. It bombed so hard that the complete Grindhouse experience never made it to wide release in Australian cinemas. Instead, Tarantino released Death Proof theatrically on its own, and Planet Terror went straight to DVD without any fuss. For whatever reason, the Grindhouse concept just didn’t work. What did work, however– and became immensely popular by word of mouth and via YouTube uploads– were the faux trailers for films that never existed (but we wish did) which sandwiched the two Grindhouse features. Each one was directed by a guest director (including Edgar Wright, Eli Roth and Rob Zombie) and were deliberately aged and akwardly cut (ironically, with great precision) to fit the old-school grindhouse motif.
One of the most popular trailers was Machete, shot by Robert Rodriguez and starring long-time actor-friend Danny Trejo. Now, long after Grindhouse has been and gone, the fake trailer for Machete has evolved into an actual feature film thanks to unprecedented fan support. Some hope this might help spawn a second (much better) Grindhouse attempt. Others hope some of the other trailers get the feature treatment. I’m just glad the Machete trailer kicks all kinds of ass and I look forward to seeing the complete film in all its grainy, filthy, violent glory.
I wonder how much of the success of INGLORIOUS BASTERDS was due to the relative failure of the Grind House concept? Did QT pull his finger out a little extra? I was always a little annoyed that PLANET TERROR was treated like DEATH PROOF's awkward little brother when it was actually the superior film that delivered on the Grindhouse idea more thoroughly and enjoyably. Looking forward to this. They fucked with the wr0ng Mexican is a great tagline.
I managed to catch Grindhouse in its natural habitat — double-headline at an outdoor theatre, complete with faux-trailers in between — and had a blast. Planet Terror was funny and entertaining the whole way through and served as a good warm-up to Death Proof. Viewing them separately diminishes them — perhaps Grindhouse is better than the sum of its parts?
Anyway — stoked to see Machete taking shape, looks set to maintain the Grindhouse aesthetic and ideal.