MovieChat Forums > Dead Hooker in a Trunk (2011) Discussion > Great Grindhouse Entry

Great Grindhouse Entry

posted 10 years ago by jonhopper217
7 replies | jump to latest

Listen, if you went into a movie called Dead Hooker in a Trunk thinking Meryl Streep, you watched the wrong video. The same way I embraced movies like the Exterminator & Maniac back in the day is how I went into this. I had already seen the Soska's brilliant film American Mary, so I knew what I was going to get. Strong women, crazy violence with just enough humor to add levity to twisted actions by the Twisted Twins. The great thing about the film is you start off disliking all the characters for their depravity, but grow to love them for their honor, virtue & loyalty, both to each other and their quest. Is the movie great? Not compared to Kubrick & Scorsese, but for a debut film it rivaled other over the top low budget films
like El Mariachi, Hobo with a Shotgun & Bellflower. A must see for fans of grindhouse.

[–] starcraftbw88 10 years ago

You know you've got an acquired taste when you like Dead Hookers in a Trunk, yet crap all over Prisoners.

This is why you got turned down by all those movie critic jobs you applied for.

[–] jonhopper217 10 years ago

Or maybe I'm sick of Hollywood fluff. I'm sure my movie range is far more vast then your, since I never comment just to bash another's opinion

[–] Disposable_Heroes0586 10 years ago

I agree it was a great grindhouse style film

[–] Deliberate_Stranger 10 years ago

You have to be friend or family of the director. This terrible movie, has nothing to do with grindhouse and how do you even have balls to compare this horrible POS to awesome movies like 'Maniac' or 'The Exterminator' is beyond me.

I watched the whole thing even though I lost any interest after like 10 minutes. I know It's a debut and I know It's very low budget but It's not the case. This movie just sucks horribly and it has nothing to do with Meryl Streep but...If you want to base your movie on actors then hire real actors who actually CAN ACT. For God sake...Soska's twins are not only ugly as hell(yeah, matter of taste) but they can't act, neither can anyone else. It's just a horrible pain to watch them trying. I wouldn't care if those were small parts but being a lead when you can't act is just...well, snobby. And don't tell me that It's because of the budget. You can hire real actors who actually graduated with acting for a 100 bucks/day, probably even less if It's non union(which it was).

'Hobo with a Shotgun' was a grindhouse like movie and you could feel it and it also had Rutger Hauer, tons of blood and gore and enough stuff to get your attention. To make long story short - it had production value. DHIAT - have no production values, no acting, nothing.

[–] jhopp217 10 years ago

So you don't understand what grindhouse is. That's fine, but to call the Exterminator & Maniac awesome? They are horribly acted exploitation films, like DHIAT & Hobo. They difference is they aren't campy. All this film was meant to be was fun, which it was. Also, attacking one's looks as a reason for disliking it seems immature. I also question these actors you desire who have "graduated." What have they graduated from exactly?

This was the first movie these two lovely ladies ever made and it was silly, sexy & violent as hell. Does it have your coveted production value? No, but did you see their follow up movie? Everyone starts somewhere and I'm glad some were open minded and recognized the potential, because we wouldn't have American Mary if they didn't.

[–] Deliberate_Stranger 10 years ago

Ok so by saying 'This was the first movie these two lovely ladies ever made' you just made it clear that you are indeed their friend or family otherwise how would you know they are lovely?

Actually son, I do know exactly what grindhouse is while you and Soska's have no idea. To them Tarantino and Rodriguez are grindhouse. LOL. Just because something is silly and no budget doesn't make it grindhouse. There was many grindhouse movies with a serious budget and serious actors involved.

And nope, 'Maniac' and 'The Exterminator' are not horribly acted. They are well acted and well made. Sure, It's not a 'Broadway' but at least those are serious movies with a serious look and serious budget. Joe Spinell was a first rate actor and he did an amazing job as a creep in 'Maniac'. Unless you really want to believe that he would be casted in some major movies if his acting sucked.

And where exactly I said that I disliked the movie because I think those ladies are butt ugly? I said they are and It's a matter of taste but their horrible 'acting' is not a matter of taste. It's a fact. I could swallow their looks if they could act at all. You know, Meryl Streep and Hellen Mirren(and tons of others) are also far from being stunning but It's their acting that makes it worth to see the movie, not their looks. Soska's don't have looks and they don't have acting chops.

What actors do you question? I never mentioned any actors. Just said that you can get REAL actors who graduated from acting school instead of being a lead by yourself when you can't act. I'm not talking names, I mean actors who know how to express themselves on the screen. Countless amount of *beep* on screen won't do any good.

I haven't seen 'American Mary' yet but I will. If you think that DHIAT is a violent movie then you haven't seen anything. Now, 'Hobo with a Shotgun' is a violent movie. It has a lead guy who is a great actor(which is important because most of the cast can't act but It's really all about Hauer) and to me this movie is not sexy at all. Haven't seen a single good looking lady in it. And then I know it was no budget/low budget so I won't even speak about sound issues and other technical stuff.

Also, I'm not sure if anyone saw the potential(or rather lack of it) in those directors. Imdb says that their parent mortgaged their house to fund 'American Mary' so to me looks like DHIAT was pointless if their parents gave them money to make the second film anyway.

[–] billperez414 10 years ago

Why are you so angry? You "hate" the movie and "hate" the filmmakers but simply cannot stop discussing them? Did they turn down your advances at a convention or something?

Busting trolls...it's what I do.