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Machete: Movie Review

Krystal Clark — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:00:14 +0000

Machete is an old school, grind house action flick with guns, knives, and a strong political undertone. The last description doesn’t really fit but that didn’t stop Robert Rodriguez from using this trailer turned film to vocalize his disdain for U.S. immigration policies. The filmmaker has a huge bone to pick but instead of addressing Congress, he’s taking his argument to the theater!

Check out the review…

The Players:

Director: Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez,
Screenwriters: Robert Rodriguez,
Cast: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Jeff Fahey, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro, Don Johnson, Shea Whigham, Daryl Sabara, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal
Cinematographer: Jimmy Lindsey
Original Music By: John Debney

The Plot:

Machete follows an ex-federale who is betrayed by his superiors in his native Mexico. After years on the run, he ends up in Texas taking odd jobs to make ends meet. After taking down a tough street fighter he’s commissioned to assassinate a controversial politician who’s trying to crack down on illegal immigration. From that point on he finds himself embroiled in an “us vs them battle” between the Latin natives who are part of an underground community called “The Network” and a group of extremists who work for border patrol.

The Good:

The Characters: Every person in this film is an exaggeration of someone who really exists. The characters are all based on stereotypes. There’s the overzealous southern politician, the Mexican drug lord, the hard pressed cop, and of course the vigilante hero, whose blades are faster than bullets. That’s obviously the exaggerated part.
The Action: Gun play? Check! Explosions? Check! Knife fights? Hell yes! Machete has a lot of obscene and almost obnoxious action sequences that are filled with gore. There’s a reason the protagonist’s weapon of choice is a giant blade. He’s not trying to just get the job done. He’s trying to make a point.
The Story: Like I said earlier, the plot heavily leans on the current state of immigration in the U.S., specifically the cities near the Mexican border. This is an underdog story, not just for Machete but for his people. At times the political tone does get a bit heavy handed but it’s an entertaining way to shed light on the topic.

The Bad:

Jessica Alba: Why was she cast as the female lead? Her acting is unbelievable — literally she was UNBELIEVABLE. You don’t buy her as a immigration officer who’s torn between her allegiance to the law and to her people. Her performance didn’t feel genuine. Michelle Rodriguez (one of the highlights of the film) could have done a lot better with the role than Alba.
Steven Seagal: So this is why Seagal wasn’t in The Expendables? He plays a Mexican drug lord who’s also Machete’s arch enemy. Seagal is a shadow of his former self. His squinted gaze, bloated figure, and obvious hair piece was nothing more than a distraction when he appeared on screen. This is not the same guy from Hard to Kill. It just can’t be!
The Length: This movie was entirely too long. It was overextended by one too many villains. There’s always a guy, behind a guy, behind another guy, and then you get the real guy who’s pulling the strings. It takes forever for them to get to that point and when they do, we’re exhausted.

Overall:

If you liked Grindhouse, you’ll love Machete. It’s got sex, drugs, action, and low riders as far as the eye can see. If that’s your thing, this will be the perfect flick for you to spend your money on this Labor Day weekend.

Rating: 7.5/10

Machete opens in theaters everywhere September 3rd.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Are you interested in seeing Machete this weekend?

Machete Cinco de Mayo Trailer Premiere

Krystal Clark — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:49:04 +0000

Robert Rodriguez is a marketing genius! In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the director decided to release an “illegal” teaser for his upcoming film Machete. Do you remember that grainy trailer that appeared during Grindhouse that was sandwiched between Death Proof and Planet Terror? Yeah, he made a feature length movie out of that. Take a look…

The folks over at AICN got first dibs on the new trailer that features a special introduction by its star Danny Trejo. The actor will be joined by a supporting cast that includes Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey just to name a few.

Besides Trejo, Marin is another actor who consistently appears in Rodriguez’s films and to see him as a gun toting priest is classic. Also, is it just us or does De Niro look like he’s showing some range in his role as the Senator? It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen him step outside the box and he looks damn good here.

There are so many things to like about this trailer but our favorite is the small credit given to Don Johnson. It says “Introducing” in front of his name as if he hasn’t been in the film industry for 40 years already. The irony!

What do you think of the first trailer for Machete?

Machete Set Photos: Jessica Alba and Steven Seagal

Krystal Clark — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:15:11 +0000

Since it’s been confirmed that Robert Rodriguez is currently shooting his trailer turned feature Machete, some behind the scenes photos have popped up online. The most recent batch feature Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal (yes, he’s alive), Danny Trejo, and Rodriguez. I’m not exactly sure what their filming, but for some odd reason it involves Alba standing on an old school car in four inch heels. Make what you will of that when you view the photos below. Enjoy!

The rest of the Machete cast includes Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey. Machete is the title character of the film based off of a fake trailer that was featured during Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse collaboration. Rumors started circulating that the short should be made into a feature length film, and lo and behold it’s happening!

The film’s star Danny Trejo has been in the business for a long time. He’s known for being a supporting character actor in most of Rodriguez’s films. This will be his first venture as the lending man of such a large ensemble. Hooray for Danny!

Images courtesy of JoBlo.

What do you think of the latest set photos from Machete?

Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba and More Confirmed for Machete!

Krystal Clark — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:20:16 +0000

Can this really be true? We’ve heard so many rumors about the Danny Trejo headlined film, Machete we don’t know what to believe. The character and now film is based off of the fake trailer that was featured during Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez‘s Grindhouse collaboration. The film has been at the center of production speculation along with it’s cast, but according to a legitimate source (Variety) not only is the movie happening, but every actor you could possibly think of is in it!

According to the trade, Machete began filming this week with Robert Rodriguez co-directing alongside his protege Ethan Maniquis. They went on to confirm the film’s cast which includes Trejo as the title character and Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey in supporting roles. Last weekend Lohan actually announced via her Twitter page that she had landed a role in the film. For the most part people chalked it up to wishful thinking, but it appears to be true!

First of all, will this movie give me the Robert De Niro aka Bobby D. I know and love? I couldn’t get Seagal in The Expendables, but a role in this film comes as an awesome close second. Not too mention the “Lawnmower Man” himself Jeff Fahey. I’m so happy to see him get work, I love him on Lost. We also get the original Sonny Crockett, Don Johnson in the mix. I love this line up! Hopefully it will work wonders for everyone involved. I can’t wait to see some photos and footage from the film.

What do you think about the cast for Machete? Are you excited to see it?

ROUND-UP: New Hellraiser Director, Darth Vader Toaster, Seagal on TV…

Mali Elfman — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:39:17 +0000

OK… so much going on in the world of Hollywood today that we thought we’d make it easy for you. Here is your brief rundown of Hollywood news and other cool commentary from around the blog world today…

FilmSchoolRejects response to the top 10 most overrated directors [FilmSchoolRejects]
Steven Seagal joins reality TV show: Oh how the mighty have fallen [Variety]
Anagram movie posters gone VERY wrong (one of which is featured above) [Cinematical]
Vera Farmiga Joins Jason Reitman’s adaptation of the book “Up In The Air” [/Film]
French Director Pascal Laugier might be signing on to Hellraiser [FirstShowing]
What every teenager wants: A Darth Zader toaster that makes Darth Vader toast! [Cinematical]

Finally, some sad news…

John Michael Hayes, screenwriter for Hitchcock dies of natural causes at age 89 [Variety]

Special Edition and Straight to DVD: Halloween and Steven Segal

Andrew Payne — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:33:34 +0000

SPECIAL EDITION OF THE WEEK

Actually three this week as a trio of Alfred Hitchcock classics hit shelves with the full special edition treatment. Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window all get refurbished editions with plenty of documentaries and extra features to go around. These are three of Hitchcock’s best, and essential viewing for any cinephile.

ALSO – Halloween 30^th Anniversary Edition and Sleeping Beauty 50^th Anniversary Edition

STRAIGHT TO VIDEO RELEASE OF THE WEEK

Steven Seagal. He’s still alive. He’s still making movies. This week, you can catch Kill Switch where Seagal is on the trail of a serial killer terrorizing Memphis. Luckily, his Detective Stillwell is known for carrying out his own brand of street justice. The only question is will Seagal attempt a southern accent? You’ll have to rent it to find out.

Buy now on Amazon.com

ScreenCrave.com » Steven Seagal

Machete: Movie Review

The Players:

The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 7.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

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