Planet Terror (2007)

The most moving relationship in Planet Terror is between a sheriff and his brother’s barbecue sauce recipe, which tells you everything. Robert Rodriguez built a love letter to scratchy old drive-in junk, with fake film damage, a missing reel and a plot that just connects explosions. The catch is that a joke about bad movies is still, for long stretches, a bad movie on purpose. The infected townsfolk are pure goo, the camera keeps shoving it at you, and it wears thin fast. This one is strictly for grown-ups. The cast is all in, though. Rose McGowan’s Cherry ends up with a weapon upgrade so dumb it became iconic. Freddy Rodriguez plays El Wray like a cowboy who knows exactly how good he looks. Michael Biehn and Jeff Fahey bicker like real brothers. It made $11.4 million worldwide on a reported $23M. A 6.8 because the swagger is real and the goo gets old. $93.49 says you tell everyone at the next cookout your sauce has a secret ingredient and refuse to say what it is.

What works: Rodriguez nails the scratchy drive-in look, and the cast plays every ridiculous line with a straight face that makes it funnier.

What doesn’t: The gross-out effects are relentless and the plot is mostly a delivery system for them, so the joke wears thin before the finale.

Who it’s for: Grown-ups who collect old drive-in posters and want a movie that’s fully in on the gag.