May 5th is celebrated in the States as Cinco de Mayo, commemorating a famous 1862 victory by the Mexican army over attacking French troops at the Battle of Puebla. So it seems appropriate that Robert Rodriguez should choose the day to launch the first full trailer for his Grindhouse-spawned Mexploitation thriller Machete.
The timing’s also right given the political situation across the pond, with the state of Arizona aiming to pass new laws about illegal immigrants. And Danny Trejo’s blade-happy lead has a few words for the state before the promo kicks off.
If you saw the trailers that ran in the middle of Grindhouse (or attached to Rodriguez’ and Tarantino’s entries in the film), then you already know the rough plot for the movie: Trejo’s ex-Federale is hired by a shady organisation to kill a senator (Robert De Niro), only to discover that it’s a big ol’ double cross.
Eager to get revenge on the organisation that betrayed him, Machete launches a campaign of chaos and raises an army. The likes of Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin and even Steven Seagal also feature.
Regular Rodriguez editor Ethan Maniquis is behind the camera for this one, and the trailer’sover at Ain’t It Cool. Oh, and beware of strong language if you're at work...