Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez may have vastly overestimated audience interest in watching two deliberately trashy B-movies back to back complete with trailers and an intermission, leading Grindhouse to bomb at the box office after bringing in a little over $25 million against a $60 million budget, but the one silver lining was that it led to the short-lived Machete franchise.
After decades as one of the most recognizable supporting players in the business, Danny Trejo finally ascended to leading man status as the titular federale in 2010’s tongue in cheek romp. The spinoff performed well enough to warrant a sequel, with Rodriguez stepping behind the camera for a second time out to take things in an even crazier direction in Machete Kills.
One of the major selling points of the first movie was the eclectic cast, and Machete is likely the only place you’ll ever see Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan and Robert De Niro in the same ensemble, so a pretty unusual bar was set. The second outing didn’t disappoint on that front, either, with Charlie Sheen being credited under his real name of Carlos Estevez for a cameo as the President of the United States.
Walton Goggins, Cuba Gooding Jr., Lady Gaga and Antonio Banderas all boarded Machete Kills as well, with Mel Gibson also signing on to play megalomaniacal arms dealer Luther Voz. The veteran action star clearly had a great time chewing the scenery, too, even if the movie itself wasn’t up to scratch. After a poor commercial performance, Machete Kills Again… In Space stalled in development with any hopes of a trilogy now gone, but fans will at least have the chance to check out the second installment next month when Machete Kills arrives on Netflix on November 22nd.