Can 'Grindhouse' Grind Out an R?

Graphic mock trailers may pose a problem for the MPAA

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Monday, March 19th 2007 at 7:49 PM

An interesting article is up at the New York Post in which one of their Page Six writers had the chance to check out an early look at some footage Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's Grindhouse, primarily the faux trailers that will play in between the double features. The report was that "some of it is so graphic and outrageous for a major Hollywood studio, there's no question it's headed for an NC-17 without big cuts."

The interesting dilemma here is that this movie is supposed to be about exploitation and have that grindhouse, who gives a shit feel. Unfortunately the world is run by the almight dollar bill, and while I don't see the audience for this movie being huge outside of Tarantino followers and online fanboys I am sure the Weinstein Co. is going to fight to keep as much in as possible and cut as much as they need to to get the R rating so mainstream theaters will carry it.

The article gives a brief, slightly spoiler filled, description of some of the offending material:

"Grindhouse" is actually two short movies – one directed by Tarantino, the other by Rodriguez – with an intermission between them. During the break, a series of fake trailers will be shown for such fictitious titles as "Werewolf Women of the SS," directed by Rob Zombie.

"In one scene, a cute, topless girl is roughly tied down on a table by evil female Nazi experimenters who begin draining her blood and, as she screams in agony, they brand her like livestock with a coal-hot steel swastika," our source said. "And every girl in the Nazi concentration camp is topless."

Another trailer, directed by Eli Roth, of "Hostel" fame, is called "Thanksgiving," in which a town's celebration of Turkey Day is interrupted by a mad slasher.

"There's a part where Jordan Ladd [daughter of Cheryl Ladd of 'Charlie's Angels'] is in a car with her boyfriend and giving him [oral sex] when she lovingly reaches to stroke his hair and discovers his neck is just a bloody stump – some maniac had just cut off his head while she was in the act."

Later, a frisky cheerleader climbs onto a trampoline and begins stripping naked as she jumps up and down until she does a split and her skirt blows up without panties underneath. "You get the full 'Britney Spears-getting-out-of-the-limo view,' " our source says. Another jolting scene shows a grossly obese man chewing on a baby.

Sounds about right to me, can't expect any less. However, I think to cut the scenes will really hurt the intention of the film. Of course NC-17 rated films don't get the pub of lower rated films, but if we are going to stick to the true intention of Grindhouse don't you think it should all stay?

Grindhouse is currently set to hit theaters on April 6, click here for more info.