"Grindhouse": Failure or Success?

It came with great fanfare: Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez were going to revive the 70s exploitation double feature. Critics loved it, the posters were eye catching, and in the tradition of sleazy B-Movies, the trailers promised more than possible. Everyone from the most esteemed film critics to fans of the cult movies upon which it was based expected a huge success. How could you go wrong with a scantily clad Rose McGowan shooting oozing zombies with a machine gun prosthetic and Kurt Russel in elaborate car chases?

The April release of date came quickly. Crowds packed the Orpheum theatre, cheering for Cherry Darling (McGowan) and cringing at the infected "sicko" zombies in Rodriguez's blood-spattered gore fest "Planet Terror." As the "Funky Fanfare" signaled the fantastic intermission and "prevues of coming attractions," audiences were teased with trailers for movies never to come, featuring such tantalizing titles as "Werewolf Women of the SS," "Don't," and "Thanksgiving," a slasher very much in the same vein as "April Fool's Day" and "New Year's Evil." The positive reactions continued. Things slowed down with Tarantino's talkative "Death Proof," but the project was a success.

Or so it seemed...

"Grindhouse" crashed and burned. While somewhat popular on the East and West coasts, Midwestern Americans were not drawn to the idea of zombies, blood, and Nazi werewolves. Many factors worked towards the demise of "Grindhouse" that few caught up in the excitement expected. The two films for the price of one added up to a whopping three hours, and the only intermission was clearly part of the show. Also, "Grindhouse" brought audiences back to a time and place to which few were inclined to return. The film's release date of 6 April was not very well chosen; not many families celebrated Easter with exploitation. "Grindhouse" suffered a fate similar to "Snakes on Plane" in that it was too funny to truly be scary, much like the campy films that served as the directors inspiration, but also the extreme violence was too harsh and scary to be funny.

The distinctly American history of the grindhouse itself, an old, run-down cinema which constantly "ground out" double and triple bills of exploitation movies like mince meat, did not translate well to the European market. In a powerful turn of fate that would prove eternally damaging, both halves of "Grindhouse" were extended and split internationally, leaving Rodriguez's "Machete" faux trailer the only one to survive, kept in it's original slot before "Planet Terror."

Grossing a revenue of only $25,422,088, the Weinsteins doomed "Grindhouse." For it's DVD release, the European versions were used. Rodriguez and Tarantino had failed in their quest to triumphantly bring the double feature back into cinemas after a seemingly interminable hiatus and revive exploitation at it's finest (or worst, depending on one's opinions and taste).

Or had they?

In popular culture following the April of 2007, an artistic phenomenon occurred. The aesthetics of grindhouse advertising are brilliant. Always using alluring promises of shocking extravaganzas, bright colours, and decidedly post-modern stylized explosions of text, the exploitation posters grab audience's attentions and never let go. As a result of the "Grindhouse" film, it's directors' presence in the world of film, and the sheer brilliance of exploitation advertising, the style had a resurgence. Notable examples include the below commercial for Fox's television series "Dollhouse" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" advertised as a grindhouse double feature.

The film industry has also inclined toward more homages to grindhouses. For example, "Zombie Strippers" could easily be from the era of "The Last House on the Left" and "I Drink Your Blood," but it was actually released in 2008. Even the poster screams 70s exploitation.

Even more blatantly inspired by "Grindhouse" is "Blitzkrieg: Escape from Stalag 69." Despite working perfectly in a double feature with "Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS" or "Fraulein Devil," "Blitzkrieg is from 2008. An interesting experiment in reviving Nazisploitation, "Blitzkrieg" utilizes the same false "ruined celluloid" effect as "Grindhouse."

On a much less extreme scale, the poster for 2009's Seth Rogen comedy "Observe and Report" has a creased poster, reminiscent of the poster for "Grindhouse."

No medium has escaped the sleazy grip of "Grindhouse." Even video games have been influence by the exploitation films of the 1960s and 70s. The 2008 release "House of the Dead: Overkill" is gloriously campy, with fake film scratches and a grindhouse-style trailer that could be played at the drive-in.

"Grindhouse" has showed influence in almost every aspect of entertainment, and yet it bombed in the box office. But revenue from initial releases is not an accurate way of gauging popularity. Cult classics such as "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" have seeped into popular culture, and "Grindhouse" has reached their ranks in less than a year. However, the question remains: is "Grindhouse" a bomb? It's dominance in the public consciousness says that the answer is certainly a resounding "no!"

Could Have, Should Have, Would Have- Disney's Hollywood Studios

There are three approaches to the history of Disney's Hollywood Studios. One group, the "official" story, claims that the Studios' Great Movie Ride was intended as the focus of an entertainment pavilion for EPCOT Center, and Michael Eisner thought that it was an excellent idea that could anchor an entire park. Group two insists that it was all a plot by Eisner to undermine the success of the nearby soon to open Universal Studios. In reality, it is most likely a combination thereof, an idea for an entertainment pavilion was proposed and Eisner thought that it would anchor a park that would keep guests from going to Universal. The park is currently undergoing a major rehab, with name changes, new areas, and new attractions galore. Yet, there are only three things that Disney could have, should have, and would have done to improve the Studios.

Could Have- Done Actual Filming

Actual filming while guests toured the park. That was Disney's plan to lure guests to the Disney-MGM Studios, as it was then known. It's seemed to be the perfect idea, a win-win-win situation- Disney could shoot television series and films in Florida much cheaper than in California, guests could experience show business first hand, and the state of Florida and city of Orlando could get the prestige of becoming Hollywood east. Everything was set. The promise of filming was printed in guide books and advertisements, Disney had multiple shows and movies to film at the park, and guests were anticipating seeing real movie stars. Then reality came in fantasyland. It cost just as much to film in Florida as it did in California once the price of airfare was added in. That ended Disney's desire to do much of anything, other than a few television shows and animation, but even those stopped filming. Guests were upset, as whenever shooting actually did happen, those parts of the park were closed off. Disney finally set up cast members with cameras along the backlot tour route, and had the tour guides tell guests to be quiet, due to the filming of a music video. Frequent guests caught on to the ploy, and Disney stopped. Actual filming in the park of television and animation could easily happen again, and guests could walk through sound-proof halls with audio playing inside the hall for guests to hear. Also, if the price was the same for movie making, then Disney could film in Florida without problems.

Should Have- Indiana Jones Adventure

Disney has often had a good friendship with George Lucas, leading to such attractions as Star Tours, the Studio's Indiana Jones stunt show, and Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure attraction. Disney's Hollywood Studios prominently featured the works of Lucas in the form of the Stunt show and Star Tours. Rumor began to circulate in the late 1990s that Disneyland's amazing Indian Jones Adventure attraction would be coming to Disney-MGM Studios, a park in desperate need of expansion. The attraction would have been the perfect compliment to the similarly-themed stunt show, and was considered by Disney executives. However, Disney's Animal Kingdom opened in 1998 with the Countdown to Extinction ride, which used the same technology and track layout as Anaheim's Indy. Disney decided that two similar rides should not be on the same property, so in a twist of fate similar to that of the Western River, Indy was doomed. With the current emphasis on refurbishing the Studios, rumours have started again that the Temple of the Forbidden Eye will be an aspect of a proposed Lucasfilm Studio expansion, which would be very beneficial to the Hollywood Studios, still very much a "half day" park. Disney's notion that two similar ride systems are not good when close together is a bit far fetched considering most of Fantasyland is the same type of darkride, and rarely do guests ride Peter Pan's Flight and deem it the same as Snow White's Scary Adventures. Technology does not usually affect the average guest; it's the theme that makes two rides different or similar.

Would Have- Maroon Cartoon Studios

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was an excellent success for the Walt Disney Company, so naturally they capitalized on the characters, opening Mickey's Toontown in California, devoting much of Disneyland's fortieth anniversary to Roger, making theatrical shorts, and naturally having him be a heavy influence on their newest park in Florida. Eddie Valiant's office from the film is seen over Echo Lake, complete with "No Toons" sign and a Roger shaped hole in the window. On Hollywood Boulevard, Roger, Jessica, and Baby Herman are the focus of Maroon Cartoons' billboard. Disney even intended to devote much of the Sunset Boulevard area to Roger, opening the Maroon Studios. The area would include the Red Car from the film, a simulator ride through Toontown, a diner with actual Toons eating along with guests, Baby Herman's runaway buggy miniature roller coaster, in which guest would ride a baby carriage while wearing a giant diaper and bonnet, making for hilarious photos throughout the ride, and Roger's multilevel Car-Toon Spin, where guests would ride in Benny the Cab through Toontown. The problem was that Disney did not completely own the rights to the film. Steven Spielberg and Amblin also owned the movie, and had to agree with everything Disney did, or Disney could not use the characters. Spielberg denied Disney the privilege to create more shorts after a dispute over who's film would open with "Roller coaster Rabbit," so Spielberg began preventing anything Disney wanted, killing the Maroon Cartoon Studios. The Red Car Track still remain in the Sunset Boulevard pavement, both as a sign of the Maroon Studios idea not coming to fruition and the time in which Sunset Boulevard is set, when the Red Car was being phased out, a scandal alluded to in the Roger Rabbit film.