Hollywood bad-girl Lindsay Lohan licks the barrel of a big handgun in the poster for “Machete,” which is the raunchy actioner that 20th Century Fox is scheduled to release Sept 3. The film is not yet rated.
UK newspaper the “Daily Mail’s” website says that the film is “ultra violent” and Lohan “plays April Benz, an avenging socialite with a penchant for guns. In one scene, Lohan goes topless while swimming in a waterfall.”
The scandalous poster should generate considerable media sensation, though it’s not clear if this will lift box office. Discerning moviegoers may conclude that the film from Robert Rodriguez is simply a lot of hype. “Zack and Miri Make A Porno” did mediocre business in theaters and Sacha Baron Cohen’s over-the-top satire “Bruno” under-performed, despite pumping up controversy.
“Machete” also stars Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Robert De Niro, Rose McGowan and Don Johnson, so it’s not like it needs to beg for attention.
“’Machete’ has already fallen foul of controversy after a trailer that was released with a special ‘Cinco De Mayo’ message inviting viewers into a violent on-screen race war caused outcries of racism,” says the “Mail” article. “Rodriguez has a history when it comes to making violent movies, past projects have included the gory vampire movie, ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ and the 2007 hit ‘Grindhouse.’”
UPDATE: “Machete” grossed a mediocre $26.6 million in domestic boxoffice (or $45.5 million worldwide), despite gobs of domestic media attention for its outrageous marketing images. The arresting images turned heads but didn’t convert readily in want-to-see for the cinema. The R-rated film was something of a parody of 1970s grindhouse movies, which is a genre that younger contemporary audiences have little knowledge.
Leave a Reply