The Playlist reports that Machete’s midnight debut is sure to spice up the typically dry Venice Film Festival with an all-out onslaught of exploitation cinema. This years panel includes Robert Rodriguez’s long time pal and fellow Grindhouse connoisseur Quentin Tarantino. Now I’m not suggesting that this film gained entry into the festival because of the all powerful QT. I am merely pointing out that it probably didn’t hurt the matter. Machete will provide a reprieve from the the critically praised slow-moving festival line up. With a star studded cast that includes Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert Di Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Steven Seagal, Don Johnson and Rose McGowan Machete is sure to deliver a huge amount of fame per frame.
Robert Rodriquez was once hailed as the reincarnation of Sergio Leone. El Mariachi burst onto the indie scene and a then twenty-three year old Rodriguez was considered the next wunderkind filmmaker of his generation. Since then Rodriguez has been given several opportunities and hundreds of millions of dollars to recreate the magic of a film that he made for seven thousand and the man simply can’t come close. With several moderately successful children’s films and his once promising carrier set adrift on an unknown body of water I ask where has he gone? Sin City was Roberts biggest success to date both critically and commercially, but he didn’t create the concept. I say direct more, write less and stop attempting to be a jack of all trades. Film crews, especially department heads are there for a reason and Rodriguez has proven that he is simply incapable of doing everything on his own.
Machete will premiere on Sept 1st at Venice then hit theaters Sept 3rd in the US.
Do you agree? Has Rodriquez’s carrier fallen short of expectations or has he simply gone an unorthodox route?