Planet Terror (2007)
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Josh Brolin, Jeff Fahey
If you haven't seen Planet Terror yet, Sean has a message for you: turn this podcast off right now and go watch it. We'll wait.
This week on Dewey Pod Monster, we're diving deep into Robert Rodriguez's gloriously unhinged 2007 grindhouse masterpiece — a movie about zombie mutants, a go-go dancer with a machine gun for a leg, and somehow the best barbecue scene ever committed to film. John has seen this thing approximately 15 times in a theater (yes, really), and Sean just watched it for the first time and immediately felt like an idiot for waiting this long. The result is one of the most enthusiastic, borderline unhinged episode we've recorded.
In this episode, we discuss:
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Go-Go, Not Stripper — The level of detail Rodriguez packed into this movie is insane, and John will correct you on the terminology. We break down why Planet Terror works as both a loving grindhouse homage AND as a legitimately great horror-comedy, and why so many modern movies fail to pull off what this one does effortlessly.
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Jeff Fahey Tastes His Own Blood and Gives Zero F*s — We make the case that Jeff Fahey is the unsung MVP of this film and the entire Rodriguez universe. The man is covered in wounds, tasting his own blood dripping into his barbecue sauce, and somehow STILL delivering the performance of a lifetime. He deserved an award. He got nothing. We're still mad.
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The Kid Shoots Himself and We Laughed. Sorry. — Rodriguez had the absolute audacity to telegraph exactly what was going to happen and then do it anyway, and somehow it's one of the funniest moments in the movie. We discuss why it works, why we're both going to hell, and why the movie is smart enough not to dwell on it.
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The Missing Reel is Cinema — The sex scene that cuts to everything being on fire is a stroke of genius, and we get into why Rodriguez's use of fake film damage and missing reels is more than just a gimmick — it's the best scene transition in the whole damn movie.
We Also Talked About:
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At the Video Store (2019) (Amazon) — A nostalgic documentary about the death of video store culture featuring John Waters, Bill Hader, Gus Van Sant, and Todd Haynes. Sean's watched a suspicious number of these.
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The Last Ride (1991) (Tubi) — An AIP gem where a crazed truck driver terrorizes a recently released ex-con. Everyone is dubbed. The best line involves a shit pot. It's incredible.
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Massacre in Dinosaur Valley (1985) (Tubi) — An Italian jungle adventure featuring an alligator that genuinely does not want to be in this movie. The quicksand looks like oatmeal. John watched it before a Tigers game.
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Against the Dark (2009) (Tubi) — Steven Seagal in a trench coat “fighting” vampire zombies. Keith David shows up to collect a check. John stayed awake for all 90 minutes and regrets nothing and everything.
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Untold: The Jail Blazers (Netflix) — The chaotic story of the early 2000s Portland Trail Blazers. John doesn't really follow basketball but watched the whole thing. It's an easy hour.
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