The double feature Grindhouse from 2007 is a really fantastic example of a lot of things described in the Silverblatt, Ferry, & Finan chapter we read, but I'm going to talk a bit about lighting, since it seems to be one of the main differences between the two films.
Planet Terror, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is basically a standard zombie movie, and fitting with that genre has an incredibly dark vibe to it. The movie is shot almost entirely at night (I can't think of a single daytime scene off the top of my head), and when the characters do venture indoors (the hospital especially) the light is harsh, which makes the death and sickness being portrayed seem harsh as well.
After Planet Terror ends, we are suddenly transported down to Austin, TX for Deathproof, a film that is almost entirely set during the day, bright sunlight shining. I remember being in the theater, and during the opening sequence (below), I felt like squinting.
It is pretty significant that the only night-time scene in Deathproof is the actual death scene halfway through the film. Deathproof is actually quite the uplifting movie, and I think a lot of that is because of the lighting choices.
I can't believe I got one of these posts done before midnight.
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