Digital Retribution, along with and a whole lot of fans, was quick to voice its disapproval at Roadshow's handling of the local release of the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse. The film was originally due to hit cinemas in May, but after poor box office takings in the US Roadshow decided to cancel the release, split the movie in two, and then subject us to a 6 month delay before we could finally see the first half of the double feature – QT's Death Proof - released locally on November 1 . And did this "split it up and make 'em wait" strategy pay off? Well, not really. Released last Thursday, Death Proof managed to pull in just under $392,000 in its first weekend at the Australian box office, which put it in sixth spot overall. Saw IV, in it's second week of release, came in third with over a million dollars, and four of the five films to beat Death Proof at the box office were not even new releases. Would Grindhouse have fared any worse had the original release gone as planned back in April or May? It's doubtful. Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror still doesn't have a local release date, and one wonders if Roadshow will even bother releasing it theatrically at all after Death Proof's disappointing opening weekend figures.

Source: Movie Marshal

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