IT’S a story to make the most ardent cinema fan go mad with rage but Grindhouse, the double-feature exploitation-homage from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, is to be split into two separate features for its UK release.

The decision has been taken following the film’s poor US box office performance and means that Tarantino’s slasher fick Death Proof – which is in competition at Cannes – will open in cinemas on September 21, with Rodiguez’s zombie-horror, Planet Terror, following some time thereafter.

In announcing the decision, Weinstein Company head-honcho Harvey explained: “Based on US audience’s positive reactions to Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror combined with their resistance to the three-hour running time, we’ve revised our UK release plans to allow audiences the chance to see the films separately, like they will be shown in all international territories.”

News of the decision to split the films down the middle is certain to anger fans who have been keenly anticipating its uncut cinema release in Britain in spite of the poor US performance.

It also makes a mockery of the idea of the film, which was conceived to recapture the style of the grindhouse movies of the 1970s when two or three features were shown back to back.

It remains to be seen what becomes of the special trailers that accompany the two films, three out of four of which were shown in between the two films.

Having seen the film itself while on a recent trip to America, we can report that it works perfectly fine as one complete feature and would like to join the ranks of dissent that are sure to be forthcoming in light of the decision…

What do you think?

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