Digital Sextant

I enjoyed this movie, but I can see why people were disappointed in it.  I found myself wishing it were more, somehow.  The effort to make a simulacrum of a 1970s exploitation film was great, with the grainy, dirty filmstock and the “missing reel” gag in the middle of the film.  The outrageous effects (super blood splatters and goofy, gory explosions) fit the niche, as did the busty, scantily-clad ladies of the film.  Most notable in this regard was the female police deputy, whose clothes got a little more risque with each scene but never had a line or a significant moment.

The humor in the film worked for me as well — the gag about the barbeque being better after it had blood in it was funny.  I thought the film fell flat once we got to the army base, though.  The Tarantino material should have been cut entirely.   I did think Tom Savini as the bumbling deputy was funny.

Ultimately, though, I didn’t find anything to latch onto.  The violence was goofy but not goofy enough (Rodriguez was at his best with Desperado, in this regard), the zombies were kinda creepy but not really creepy, the sex was kinda sexy but not really.  It’s like the film’s best channel of simulacra was in its mimicry of mediocrity.