Planet Terror: After 15 Years, Still as Tasty as Texas BBQ

Planet Terror Poster 0
Dimension Films

When it comes to making a ubiquitous mark on the cinematic craft, few directors hold this auspicious honor. The work of Robert Rodriguez has landed him on that list for good reason. His hallmarks of tone, music, humor, and violence are shared by many directors. But no one makes a flick like how Rodriguez makes a flick. The man just knows how to entertain people. 

Since the ’90s, Rodriguez has amassed a large body of work. In 2007, he partnered with distinctive storyteller Quentin Tarantino to create Grindhouse, replicating the ’70s double-feature experience. For his portion of the project, Rodriguez crafted a perfect blend of all of his strengths into one film, Planet Terror. Like a secret Texas BBQ recipe, Planet Terror is better than the sum of its parts. It’s tasty and delicious, gross and gory, familiar yet not entirely safe. More on that last particular point later.

I’ve often hypothesized that Planet Terror was billed first in the super-fun two-movie Grindhouse experience because it was paired with a Tarantino film. Tarantino’s film, Death Proof, was an interesting exploration of ’70s culture. Par for the course, sure, but I’ll give it to Tarantino — the guy knows his stuff. There are plenty of Tarantino-isms in it; there’s catchy dialogue, fun action, obligatory feet fetishing, I could go on. And if you’re a fan of the filmmaker’s work, it definitely shouldn’t be missed. 

“No more dead bodies for Daddy tonight.”

Dimension Films

But the follow-through of this movie-billing hypothesis is that people watching a grindhouse double feature stick around through the ostensibly weaker first film because the stronger second film is their reward. Tarantino is a bankable name, who makes epic, fun, and sometimes polarizing movies that keep people talking. Because of his more commercial success, Death Proof ended up shown second. People are welcome to split hairs on which flick is better. But I contend that Death Proof is largely in the shadow of Planet Terror in terms of rewatchability and satisfaction.

However, if you’re interested in a thesis that pits these two films against one another, look elsewhere. I won’t be doing that here. I only bring the point up because I feel Planet Terror has gone sadly overlooked, and it’s a shame because it is a totally fantastic experience. It’s all Rodriguez, all the time. It aged beautifully these last 15 years. Also, it disproves my shoddy hypothesis.

The first item worth mentioning is this incredible cast. Rodriguez really outdid himself. He employs character actors in the best way in Planet Terror. Staples such as Rose McGowan, Michael Parks, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, and even Tom Savini make strong contributions. Bruce Willis, who became more of a character actor in the twilight of his career, stepped up to the plate in his rather minor role. Josh Brolin’s turn as a villainous doctor was full of life and conviction. And this was in 2007 when Brolin was finally getting into the big leagues after starring in No Country for Old Men, W., and American Gangster. Marley Shelton, singer Fergie (billed as Stacy Ferguson), and Freddy Rodriguez round out the cast. Tarantino himself makes a creepy guest appearance in the third act. Not one character feels out of place, miscast, or superfluous. 

“And after my red-headed friend, you’ll never see me again.”

Dimension Films

Secondly, the plot of Planet Terror is not terribly original or complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s a zombie movie, a horror sub-genre thoroughly explored in the modern landscape. The story shows military troops partnering with a greedy scientist to cure themselves of a disfiguring disease emitted via toxic gas. This chemical agent, known as CS-2 or Project Terror, transforms virtually everyone exposed into violent, blood-thirsty, skin-bubbling zombies. The innocent bystanders of a small Texas town soon become infected after the scientist causes the gas to leak. The eventual group of survivors band together, defeat the infected military troops, and flee to Mexico. That’s the plot. Previously mentioned, the ingredients of Planet Terror amplify its power and identity. This includes the sub-plots and smaller story threads that work together nicely and reach satisfying conclusions. The film’s strengths lie in the silly, crafted universe it lives in. It carries a fun, nuanced tone which assists the audience in being comfortable with what the film knows it is: an A movie wearing a B-movie skin. 

There is a lot of emphasis on character development and character growth. Freddy Rodriguez’s mysterious and enigmatic character of El Wray had lots of fun pay-off. I seriously wouldn’t mind a spin-off dealing with his past. His love interest is Rose McGowan’s Cherry, who has dreams of being a doctor that slowly washes away as she go-go dances for money. She later makes the best of the zombie situation by brandishing a machine gun where her leg once was. Marley Shelton, who plays Dr. Dakota Block, finds the strength to persevere despite tenuous family issues from her father, husband, and son. The two brothers, Sheriff Hague (Biehn) and J.T. (Fahey), are believable as stubborn Texas brothers as they coalesce around blood and BBQ, rendering a touching, tender moment in their final moments. While every character doesn’t show a fully satisfying arc in the traditional way, almost all appear to grow or learn in some capacity. Even the crazy Babysitter Twins (Electra and Elise Avellan) aren’t wasted. 

“Give him the gun. Give him all the guns.”

Dimension Films

The action is intense — lots of guns, lots of bullets, so much blood. The gore and special effects crank the notches up to the highest threshold. Legendary effects pioneer Greg Nicotero elevates the standard zombie fare. The amount of practical effects put on screen is incredible. The hard work of the talented teams cannot be missed. Literally, most of this movie’s wildest scenes rest on the shoulders of these specific production teams. And they should be proud. It can get heavy and brazen with the volume of blood, pus, and guts at times. But this overt delivery is necessary for the context of this type of film. Something else to be appreciated is the moxie Robert Rodriguez has by rendering no one safe from the story’s violent spiral, including children and dogs. He doesn’t just pull the rug out from under you. He then rolls you up in it.

RELATED: 15 YEARS LATER: ‘DEATH PROOF’ IS STILL AMONG TARANTINO’S BEST

Countering all of the ferocity, Planet Terror is also extremely funny. The comedic lines are spicy, yet everyone plays it straight when they say them. That’s why it works. J.T.s name for his BBQ joint, The Bone Shack, ends up being something of a double (even triple) entendre. And it isn’t just the dialogue that cracks up the audience. There are lots of physical gags layered throughout that vary from chuckle-inducing to side-splitting. There are even some not-so-funny moments that play into the heightened mood of the scene that will draw out nervous laughter anyway.

Some of the funnier scenes include Dakota trying to do practically anything when both of her hands go completely numb and seeing Tom Savini’s character’s absolute determination to grab his wedding band despite having lost his finger. Or El Wray’s ninja-flip off a wall before piercing a zombie with two switchblades. Or Dakota later on, acting like a femme fatale, removing a sedative holstered to her thigh and shooting it into Quentin Tarantino’s eye. Seeing El Wray shoot down zombies can inspire anyone to take up arms against the undead after they get finished laughing at the fact that he is doing it on a child’s pocket bike. One of the funniest gags comes after an extremely brief but convincing romantic moment that turns into a sex scene featuring a peg leg aimed at the ceiling. If that doesn’t scream B-movie, nothing else in this film will.

“Are you ok?”
“I’m just Cherry.”

Dimension Films

Planet Terror succeeds due to its self-awareness. It knows what it is and what it is trying to say. The Mexican exploitation motif is dynamite in Rodriguez’s hands. The spare parts of ’70s grindhouse features blend well, and the writer/director has created a homogenous rendition of them. These components include the aforementioned gore and the objectification/adoration of women. Planet Terror’s opening credit sequence has Rose McGowan titillating her audience (on and off-screen) as she dances on stage. The list includes the Texas blues soundtrack, riddled with electricity. The incredible sound design and grainy, scratchy filters on screen round out the film’s final product, making it an equitable addition to the earlier films it was inspired by. That is why this movie is so damn fun. It transplants the viewers not to a time period but a particular experience. Planet Terror is a love letter to the past, but it shares its remembered passion with uninhibited earnestness. 

RELATED: PROOF OF FRIGHT: THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTABLISHING CONCEPT IN HORROR

A running theme Cherry drags through the film is explaining her inexplicable useless talents and their numerical identity, i.e., “Useless Talent #32.” Dakota later extolls wisdom to Cherry that all talents aren’t useless and will one day find their purpose. “It’s like connecting the dots.” That is what Planet Terror is. It is a barrel of “useless talents” wrapped up in a secret Texas BBQ recipe. It’s Rodriguez’s bag of tricks dumped out for our entertainment. Like J.T.’s own recipe, Rodriguez may take his formula to his grave. But in the 15 years since Planet Terror’s release, it still packs a savory punch. 

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