Planet Terror

For the first time in his career, Rodriguez trumps his pal Quentin Tarantino by directing the better half of the Weinstein Bros. B-movie double-feature "Grindhouse." Almost every schlock-film cliche makes an appearance, which is the point, really. After a rogue military team sets loose a nerve gas that turns people into surprisingly gross zombies, it's up to El Wray (Rodriguez), his gal Cherry Darling (McGowan), and a gaggle of terrified Texans to try to stop the gas from spreading. McGowan steals the show with her M16-prosthetic leg, but the flurry of cheap thrills starts to feel... well... "cheap" after an hour or so.