Machete - Red Band Trailer Directed by: Robert Rodriguez Starring: Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Robert de Niro Rating: R Release Date: September 3, 2010

TRAILER SCORE: 7/10

MY THOUGHTS: The thing to remember when watching the trailer for Machete is that it doesn't pretend to be anything but sex and violence down to its very core. I'm not terribly Puritanical about either of these values so that's never gotten to me. In fact, a weird part of me really enjoys the idea of using a man's intestines to swing through the window below. Seriously, it's probably one of the more hardcore trailers I've come across recently. More than anything else though, it looks like a good time and using Planet Terror as indication of Rodriguez's skills as a gritty, semi-exploitation film maker, I have some high hopes for this one. Will it break the bank or sweep the Oscars next year? Probably not so much, but who says we can't have a little fun before hit with the Oscar bait? This is what mindless blockbusters are all about! There are definitely some parts that it looks like Rodriguez picked up from his good ol' buddy Quentin Tarantino but I've enjoyed their previous collaborations (Fron Dusk Till Dawn anyone?) so that's never a bad thing. The only downside to this trailer was probably solely a PR move. What with all the hot water that little LiLo has gotten herself into she's been cut from the trailer. I'm interested to see what role she'll play, but I guess I'll just have to wait till theaters to find that out, otherwise a very solid effort.