By now, you’re probably well aware that Grindhouse is a collaborative double-feature film comprised of Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. The film is a nostalgic throwback to the cheesy and exploitative B-movie double bills that littered drive-in theatres during the '70s. Complete with several phony trailers (Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving is a must-see) and classic intros, Grindhouse certainly isn’t lacking in effort. The final product, however, is a different story…

Clocking in at a total of three hours (!), neither the zombie-inspired Planet Terror nor stalker-flick Death Proof have enough substance to justify their feature-length running times. In all fairness, both films contain great moments (you’ll definitely know them when you see them). But that’s exactly the problem. Both features essentially consist of a few terrific scenes that have been extensively padded with disposable filler in order to drag out their running times. In the end, although both films are relatively enjoyable as guilty pleasures (I favored Death Proof for Kurt Russell’s performance and its hysterical climax), it is certain that Grindhouse would’ve benefited greatly from some serious trimming. Instead, we’re left with two bloated schlock films that frustratingly hint at brilliance, but never quite mange to achieve it.