Grindhouse

Grindhouse is a 2007 anthology film co-written, produced and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. The film is a double feature consisting of two feature-length segments bookended by fictional trailers for upcoming attractions, advertisements, and in-theater announcements. The film's title derives from the U.S. film industry term "grindhouse," which refers to a movie theater specializing in B movies, often exploitation films, shown in a multiple-feature format. The film's cast includes Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Bruce Willis, Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Jordan Ladd, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, stuntwoman Zoë Bell, and Vanessa Ferlito.

Planet Terror Synopsis

In a rural town in Texas, go-go dancer 'Cherry Darling' (Rose McGowan) decides to quit her low-paying job and find another use for her numerous 'useless' talents. As she meets her ex-boyfriend El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) at the Bone Shack, a restaurant owned by JT Hague (Jeff Fahey), a group of military officials, led by the demented Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis), are making a business transaction with a scientist named Abby (Naveen Andrews) for mass quantities of a deadly biochemical agent known as DC2 (codename "Project Terror"), but when Muldoon learns Abby has an extra supply on hand, he attempts to take Abby hostage and as he does, Abby intentionally releases the gas into the air. The gas reaches the town area and turns its residents into deformed bloodthirsty psychopaths, mockingly referred to as "sickos" by the surviving humans. The infected townspeople are treated by the sinister Dr. William Block (Josh Brolin) and his abused, neglected anesthesiologist wife Dakota (Marley Shelton) at a local hospital.

As Cherry and El Wray are attacked by the sickos, Doc Block learns of his wife's plans to abandon him and reunite with her lesbian lover, Tammy (Stacy Ferguson), who was brutally killed by the sickos earlier. Doc Block attacks Dakota with her own anesthetic hypodermic needles, inflicting multiple puncture wounds on her hands as she tries to defend herself. He then locks her in a closet before returning to the overwhelming amount of infected patients, including Cherry who has lost her right leg in a sicko attack. El Wray is detained by Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) based on past encounters between the two men. As the patients transform into sickos, El Wray escapes the police station and arrives at the hospital, attaching a wooden table leg to Cherry's stump. As El Wray and Cherry fight their way out of the hospital, Dakota escapes to her car but in trying to open its door with her numbed hands, accidentally breaks her wrist. Meanwhile, Doc Block becomes infected by one of the first sickos, Joe (Nicky Katt), and the others take refuge at the Bone Shack.

The rebels imprisoned by renegade soldiers led by Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis)

Dakota rescues her son Tony and takes him to her father, Earl McGraw (Michael Parks). Tony, who had been given a handgun and was told by his mother to shoot "anyone who isn't me" shoots himself, after being told to be careful where he pointed the gun. Panicking, due to Tony's death and approaching sickos, she pounds on the door and Earl lets her in. Meanwhile, the survivors, including Cherry, El Wray and some of the police, hole up in The Bone Shack. Cherry and El Wray make love in J.T.'s bedroom, and the film catches fire and skips to the next part. After the missing scene, Sheriff Hague has been shot in the neck, sickos have amassed outside and The Bone Shack is burning to the ground. Also, El Wray's past has presumably been told to the sheriff, who has much more respect for him. Dakota, Earl, and Tony's crazed babysitter twins (Electra and Elise Avellan) arrive at the Bone Shack. With Sheriff Hague critically injured, the group decides to flee to the Mexican border, before being stopped by a large mob of sickos. Muldoon's men arrive, and kill the sickos before arresting the rebels. They learn from Abby that the officials are stealing Abby's supply of the gas because they are infected with it and the only treatment is by constant inhalation of the gas, which delays the effects. They also learn that a small percentage of the population is immune to the gas, suggesting a possible treatment, which is why Muldoon quarantined the survivors.

As Cherry and Dakota are taken away by two soldiers who intend to rape them, the others defeat the security guards, with JT receiving a fatal gunshot wound in the process, and search for Muldoon. Discovered by El Wray and Abby, Muldoon explains that he killed Osama bin Laden before he and his men were infected with DC2 and were ordered to protect the area. After killing a mutating Muldoon, El Wray and Abby arrive and save Cherry and Dakota, ultimately replacing Cherry's wooden leg with a custom-made M4A1 carbine assault rifle/M203 grenade launcher,(after stabbing one of the rapists in the eye and dakota who shoots him with her trademark needels which she promptly uses to defeat the rest of Muldoon's men. In the final battle, Sheriff Hague dies of his injuries as JT sacrifices himself to eliminate the sickos, shortly before Abby is killed in combat. Doc Block then arrives and is killed by Earl, shortly before the survivors use a nearby helicopter to defeat the remaining sickos. However, while saving Cherry from a sicko, El Wray is shot to death, and the remaining survivors flee. In epilouge, Cherry (now sporting a Gatling gun prosthetic leg) leads the group to Tulum, Mexico, where they start a new society. In the final moments of the film it is revealed that Cherry Darling has given birth to El Wray's daughter.

Death Proof Synopsis

Three friends – Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito), Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and radio disc jockey Jungle Julia Lucai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) – are driving down Colorado St in Austin, Texas to celebrate Jungle Julia's birthday, unknowingly followed by a man in a souped-up 1970 Chevy Nova. While drinking at Güero's Taco Bar, Jungle Julia reveals that she made a radio announcement earlier that morning, offering a free lap dance from Arlene to anyone who calls her Butterfly, buys her a drink and recites a segment of the poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," much to the chagrin of Arlene. As the night goes on, and the girls meet up with some boys at the Texas Chili Parlor, they run into Pam (Rose McGowan), a childhood enemy of Jungle Julia's, who is being studied by Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a scarred, charming stunt double for Hollywood action films. He spends the night wooing the women, working his way up to Arlene, who realizes that he’s been following them all day, but gives in to his charm. After receiving the free lap dance, Mike offers Pam a ride in his car, assuring her that it’s “death proof”. In the car, he is revealed to be a psychopathic serial killer who takes pleasure in murdering young women on the road. After taunting Pam by telling her that the car is only death proof for the driver and brutally murdering her by slamming his boot to the brake, causing her to smash her face in on the dashboard, Mike chases after the girls and, with his lights off, causes a high-speed head-on collision with the other girls' car, violently killing the three women (Shanna being launched from the front window and smashing into both Mike's windshield and the pavement, dismembering Jungle Julia's leg, and Arlene's face torn off by the front wheels) and also their driver, Jungle Julia’s pot dealer, Lanna Frank (Monica Staggs). Mike suffers only minor injuries and, because the girls were driving while intoxicated and Mike had not drunk any alcohol, he is cleared of all criminal charges, much to the chagrin of Texas Ranger Earl McGraw (Michael Parks), who knows Stuntman Mike's guilty.

Fourteen months later, Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Abernathy (Rosario Dawson), Kim (Tracie Thoms), and Zoë (Zoë Bell), a group of women working below the line in Hollywood travel through Tennessee. Zoë, a stunt driver, has lusted after the 1970 Dodge Challenger car model, and they visit a man who has one for sale. They pretend to take a test drive prior to purchasing, but just want to fulfill Zoë's desire to drive the car, and drive it at high speed as it was driven in the film Vanishing Point—a favorite of hers. Kim, against her will, and Zoë have decided to play a dangerous game called "Ship's Mast", and therefore prefer Abernathy not to come with them, but she insists. On the insistence of Abernathy, Lee is left behind as a guarantee that they do not steal the car. Zoë, holding on to two belts attached to the car, rides on the hood as Kim speeds faster and faster down the road. During this game, Mike targets them with his 1969 Dodge Charger repeatedly crashing into them, and eventually Zoë is thrown from the hood. Kim, who carries a gun for protection, shoots Mike in the arm, causing him to flee. Abernathy and Kim look at the fields, dazed by both fear and the loss of Zoë. However, Zoë, unharmed except for a "bruise on her bum," emerges from the brush, where she had been thrown. The three girls decide to take brutal revenge against their sadistic attacker, with Abernathy being the one who decides they should "kill that bastard." Zoë grabs an abandoned length of galvanized fence pipe and jumps into the car as it speeds off.

Stuntman Mike's injury causes him stop the car and attempt to tend to his wound. As he tends to himself, his true personality is revealed: he is nothing more than a bullying coward who hides behind his cars to feel safe. In doing so, he releases his safety harness. The women find him, violently crash into the back of the Charger, and attack him brutally, and Mike flees again without refastening his harness — nullifying much of the 'death proof' aspect of his stunt car. An extended chase scene follows, which includes multiple collisions. Previously uninvolved vehicles are struck by both cars as the women pursue the frightened stuntman. Just as he becomes convinced that he has escaped, the pursuing vehicle blindsides him and he crashes to a stop. Screaming in pain, he is hauled out of the car and the three women brutally punch him dozens of times. Stuntman Mike is knocked to the ground, and the women leap in celebration, caught in a midair freeze-frame as the film ends. As the film credits roll, we cut back to the girls who are still celebrating. Abernathy raises her leg and, with an ax kick, smashes in Stuntman Mike’s skull with her boot heel, officially killing him right before it goes back to the credits.