Machete

Promo Poster for Robert Rodriguez’ MACHETE KILLS Starring Danny Trejo

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 8:44 am

A promo poster for Robert Rodriguez‘ Machete sequel, Machete Kills, has popped up online.  Unfortunately, Machete was a massive disappointment and I’m wary of a sequel, which is part two in a planned trilogy; the finale will be Machete Kills Again.  Machete misunderstood what a gritty B-movie was supposed to be, gussied it up with movie stars, used a bloated storyline to accommodate all of them, and its biggest crime was making Machete (Danny Trejo) a supporting character in his own movie.  Hopefully, Machete Kills will be leaner and trust Trejo to carry the flick.  The plot has Machete tasked to “take down a madman cartel leader and an eccentric billionaire arms dealer who has hatched a plan to spread war across the planet with a weapon in space.”  So…space weapons and global war…that’s leaner, right?

Hit the jump to check out the promo poster.  Filming on Machete Kills is set to begin filming in April.

Robert Rodriguez Eyeing April Start Date for MACHETE KILLS; Danny Trejo in Talks to Return

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 6th, 2012 at 6:31 pm

While director Robert Rodriguez has been touting 2010’s Machete as the first in a planned trilogy for quite some time now, I wasn’t exactly holding my breath for the franchise to come to fruition. This past August, Rodriguez said he was waiting on scripts for both Sin City 2 and Machete 2, and now it looks like the latter is geared up and ready to go. Rodriguez is readying Machete Kills with producer Alexander Rodnyansky, and star Danny Trejo is currently in talks to wield his machete once again. Hit the jump for more, including the storyline for Machete Kills.

Weekend Box Office – THE HELP On Top For Third Week. THE DEBT Strongest of Weak Labor Day Releases

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 4th, 2011 at 10:23 am

We have arrived at the official end of summer: Labor Day weekend.  Never a blockbuster in terms of grosses, this year’s late summer crop of movies – two horror titles and a thriller – appears weaker than usual.  In fact, it looks like it will take four days for the newcomers to earn what last year’s Labor Day releases made in only three.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	The Help	$14,200,000	$118.6
2	The Debt	$9,670,000	$11.6
3	Apollo 18	$8,700,000	$10.7
4	Shark Night 3D	$8,640,000	$10.5
5	Rise of the Planet of the Apes	$7,800,000	$160
6	Colombiana	$7,400,000	$21.9
7	Our Idiot Brother	$5,180,000	$15.4
8	Don’t be Afraid of the Dark	$4,940,000	$16.3
9	Spy Kids 4	$4,630,000	$29
10	The Smurfs	$4,000,000	$131.9

Robert Rodriguez Updates SIN CITY 2 and MACHETE 2; Says He Is Waiting on Scripts for Both

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 9th, 2011 at 2:57 pm

During his Hall H panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, director Robert Rodriguez provided some brief updates on his Machete sequels and Sin City 2. At that time, he stated that the Machete sequels had been greenlit and that they would be titled Machete Kills and Machete Kills Again respectively. In regards to Sin City 2, Rodriguez claimed that the sequel would, like the first entry, center on three separate stories, two of which would be new and one that would adapt Frank Miller’s A Dame to Kill For. While doing press for his upcoming children’s film Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D, the director updated the status of each of the above properties a little more. Hit the jump for what he had to say.

Comic-Con 2011: Robert Rodriguez Updates on MACHETE Sequels and SIN CITY 2; Announces HEAVY METAL Remake

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 21st, 2011 at 6:06 pm

Director Robert Rodriguez was back in full-force at Comic-Con this week for a Hall H panel regarding all of his upcoming projects, as well as his new production company QuickDraw Studios. The director gave updates on Machete sequels, Sin City 2, Heavy Metal, a new Frank Frazetta museum in Austin, TX, and more. Hit the jump for my recap of the panel.

MACHETE Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: January 18th, 2011 at 5:10 am

The film Grindhouse included a number of fake trailers for (mostly) awesome looking movies. At that time, Robert Rodriguez’s trailer for the then imaginary film “Machete” offered a lot of awesome images of asskickery, but what made it great was that it had Danny Trejo in a leading role. Trejo has been kicking around Hollywood for over twenty five years, starting as an extra and moving up to “that guy” status after turns in films like Desperado and Heat. 2010’s Machete then is Trejo’s first starring role as an ex-federale turned day-laborer hired by Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey) to kill Senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro). It turns out the shooting is a double cross, and Machete must then get revenge.

Joined by an all star and random cast of actors that range from Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, the aforementioned De Niro and Fahey, Cheech Martin, Michelle Rodriguez, Don Johnson and Tom Savini, it’s a weird collision of actors all making a film that was born of a fake trailer. The results are mixed, but it’s hard to hate a film like this. My review of Machete on Blu-ray follows after the jump.

Weekend Box Office – THE TOWN Takes In $28.3 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 19th, 2010 at 9:28 am

Everything went according to plan for the movie The Town after its somewhat surprising first place finish on Friday. That means that the R-rated drama is America’s new number one movie; taking in an estimated $23.8 million from 2,861 locations.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	The Town	$23,800,000	$23.8
2	Easy A	$18,200,000	$18.2
3	Devil	$12,500,000	$12.5
4	Resident Evil 3D	$5,840,000	$43.9
5	Alpha & Omega	$9,200,000	$9.2
6	Takers	$3,000,000	$52.3
7	The American	$2,756,000	$32.8
8	Inception	$2,015,000	$285.1
9	The Other Guys	$2,000,000	$115.4
10	Machete	$1,700,000	$24.3

Weekend Box Office – RESIDENT EVIL AFTERLIFE Lives Large with $27.7 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 12th, 2010 at 9:19 am

Welcome to the all-Resident Evil edition of the weekend box office report! The fourth entry in the RE series was the only new release of the weekend, which means its ascendency to number one was all but ordained by God.  God is still a big 3D fan, in case you didn’t know.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Resident Evil 4	$27,700,000	$27.7
2	Takers	$6,100,000	$48.1
3	The American	$5,890,000	$26.7
4	Machete	$4,200,000	$20.8
5	Going the Distance	$3,835,000	$14
6	The Other Guys	$3,600,000	$112.6
7	The Last Exorcism	$3,450,000	$38.1
8	The Expendables	$3,250,000	$98.4
9	Inception	$3,015,000	$282.4
10	Eat Pray Love	$2,900,0000	$74.6

Friday Box Office – RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE Breaks Franchise’s Friday Record with $10.9 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 11th, 2010 at 9:17 am

Unlike the last Friday of summer – when underachievers Machete and The American battled for number one – the first weekend of fall has given us one unequivocal winner: Resident Evil: Afterlife. The fourth installment in writer/producer Paul WS Anderson’s successful franchise earned an estimated $10.9 million: a Resident Evil record. The series’ previous two features, Extinction in 2007 and Apocalypse in 2004, both opened below $10 million. Of course, considering that Afterlife was the sole wide release of the weekend and that 62% of its 3,203 locations screened the film in its original 3D format (it was shot, not converted, in 3D), that estimate could have been higher… ticket price premium and all. Still, RE: Afterlife is now poised to break its previous weekend record as well – with three day projections coming in at just under $30 million. Full details when you check back tomorrow.

	Title	Friday	Total
1	Resident Evil 4	$10,900,000	$10.9
2	Takers	$1,775,000	$43.7
3	The American	$1,700,000	$24.1
4	Going the Distance	$1,305,000	$11.4
5	Machete	$1,300,000	$17.9

Running Dialogue #15: THE AMERICAN, CENTURION, and MACHETE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 9th, 2010 at 8:16 pm

In this week’s installment of Running Dialogue, we discuss three movies about folks serving up healthy dishes of murder to other folks: Anton Corbijn’s The American, Neil Marshall’s Centurion, and Robert Rodriguez’ Machete.  Of the three films, The American is a film that demands to be discussed due to its quiet and contemplative nature, and after talking it out with Russ and Curt, I liked the movie even more.  Our discussion of Machete also led to a conversation about this summer movie season and how most of the big films disappointed but the smaller films like Exit Through the Gift Shop and Get Low were worth checking out.

Click here to listen to the new episode.   Also, you can hit the jump for a list of all the movies we’ve recommended so far. Finally, click here to add Running Dialogue to your RSS feed.

Weekend Box Office – THE AMERICAN Slices Past MACHETE with $12.9 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 5th, 2010 at 9:38 am

Attendance picked up on Saturday after a typically slow start to the Labor Day weekend on Friday. George Clooney’s The American was able to pull ahead of fellow newcomer Machete, resulting in a clear weekend win for the understated action movie.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	The American	$12,900,000	$16
2	Machete	$12,300,000	$12.3
3	Takers	$11,400,000	$37.8
4	The Last Exorcism	$7,700,000	$32.4
5	Going the Distance	$7,100,000	$7.1
6	The Expendables	$7,000,000	$92.5
7	The Other Guys	$5,100,000	$106.5
8	Eat Pray Love	$4,800,000	$68.9
9	Inception	$4,700,000	$277.2
10	Nanny McPhee Returns	$3,800,000	$22.6

Friday Box Office – It’s a Photo Finish for THE AMERICAN and MACHETE

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: September 4th, 2010 at 9:26 am

George Clooney’s  The American gets to claim Friday’s top spot for now. One day into summer’s final weekend – and three days after it debuted in 2,721 locations – The American made an estimated $3.9 million: barely ahead of Machete’s estimate of $3.8 million from 2,670 venues. That’s pretty much too close to call, in my opinion. And if those numbers feel kind of, er,  low to you, know that both films managed to best (barely) what last year’s Labor Day “top five” earned going into their own four-day holiday. Finally, there’s New Line’s Going the Distance. The new romantic comedy just made the top five with an estimated $2.2 million from 3,030 locations. That really is as low as it appears… even with the diminished expectations typically associated with Labor Day factored in. Full details on summer’s final curtain call when you check back later this weekend.

	Title	Title	Total
1	The American	$3,900,000	$7
2	Machete	$3,800,000	$3.8
3	Takers	$3,000,000	$29.4
4	The Last Exorcism	$2,300,000	$27
5	Going the Distance	$2,200,000	$2,2

MACHETE Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 3rd, 2010 at 7:31 am

Robert Rodriguez’ Machete could use some serious cuts.  Despite adopting the tone of a lean, mean exploitation flick, the film feels flabby and is burdened with too many characters and a convoluted plotline that reduces the screen-time of its Mexploitation hero.  It’s particularly frustrating when what works in the movie works so damn well.  The action is exciting and the jokes are hilarious.  But Rodriguez runs up against the same problem he had with Once Upon a Time in Mexico when he reached for an epic and neglected the power of the angry little bloodbath at his disposal.

MACHETE Co-Stars Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez to Team-Up in SKINNY DIP

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 30th, 2010 at 2:10 pm

It seems as if Machete will not be the only film featuring the combined talents of co-stars Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez.  In a conversation with 24 Frames, Trejo confirmed that the two will reunite in the indie flick Skinny Dip.  Produced, and potentially co-directed, by Trejo’s 22-year-old son Gilbert, the film is described as a “revenge picture involving a young woman who kills a policeman.”  Also helming Skinny Dip is director Frankie Latina whose 2009 film Modus Operandi also featured the elder Trejo.  While Trejo jokes in the interview that he hopes his son’s presence in the industry will garner him more work, the fine actor’s laundry list of upcoming projects (including another lead role in Vengeance) suggests he can land work all on his own.

For more from Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez, check out our recent interviews with each here and here.  You can catch the two in Robert Rodriguez’s Machete which opens this Friday, September 3^rd.

Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba Interview MACHETE

by Christina Radish    Posted: August 30th, 2010 at 8:19 am

When ex-Federale turned Texas day laborer Machete (Danny Trejo) becomes the fall guy for a crooked political assassination attempt, he finds a web of corruption and deceit that spreads so deep that he needs help to take it down. Helping Machete even the odds are Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), a sexy taco truck lady who is a revolutionary at heart, and I.C.E. Agent Sartana (Jessica Alba), a beautiful and street-savvy woman who realizes that things aren’t what they first appear when it comes to this bad-ass.

At a press conference for the film, co-stars Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Alba talked about what it’s like to have a movie like this released while immigration is such an important issue for people, what makes Danny Trejo such a compelling leading man and finally putting stilettos to some good use. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design