Planet Terror

Undeterred, or possibly spurred on by my mixed reaction to DeathProof, it was incumbent on me to watch Rodriguez's Planet Terror.

Hahahhahahahahhahahaha, oh dear, hahahahahahaha.


To expand, I can't decide whether the exploitation of the old exploitation genre is cool, ironic and post-modern, or whether it's just self-indulgent and morally dubious. On the whole, I incline to the latter.

Planet Terror features a superficially strong female character, Rose McGowan as Cherry, who despite having had her leg amputated after zombie attack, goes on to blow lots of shit up and kick bottom. But really she isn't strong at all - all her power is derived from male validation. Her male counterpart has to encourage and provide the tools for her: it's male permission/approval that gives her the confidence to blow shit up. Spoiler: She doesn't even appear to have reproductive autonomy in that he claims "never misses" as though her own fertility is irrelevant; he tells her she is pregnant as if she is completely out of touch with her own body and he knows it better than she does.

On one level, I enjoyed its daftness and wallowing in its own excesses, but if I turn my brain on at all, it's pretty dubious stuff.

Anyway, what did I expect?



Finished (reading to children): Matilda