Friend of TACO Danny Trejo finally gets a headlining and starring role in Machete, directed by Robert Rodriguez and also starring Michelle Rodriguez, Cheech Marin, Lindsay Lohan, Don Johnson, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Robert DeNiro and Jeff Fahey. The film's plot is both timely and awesome:
The film focuses on Machete (Trejo), a renegade former "Mexican Federale". After a shakedown with a druglord (Seagal), Machete roams the towns and streets of Texas looking to do yard work in exchange for money. Michael Benz (Fahey), a local businessman and spin doctor, explains to Machete that McLaughlin (De Niro), a corrupt senator, is sending hundreds of illegal immigrants out of the country. In order to stop this, Benz offers Machete $150,000 to kill McLaughlin. Machete accepts the murder contract. As Machete attempts to assassinate McLaughlin during a rally, he is double-crossed and one of Benz's henchmen shoots him. It is revealed that Benz orchestrated the entire attempted assassination as part of a false flag operation to gain public support for McLaughlin's harsh anti-immigration laws. By setting up Machete as the patsy, the conspirators make it appear that an outlaw illegal Mexican immigrant has tried to assassinate the senator.
A wounded Machete is taken to a hospital to be treated for wounds, and escapes from the guards before he can be arrested. Agent Sartana (Alba), a persistent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, is sent by her superior, Lt. Stillman (Johnson), to go find and capture the injured Machete. Machete, with the help of Luz (Rodriguez), a saucy taco slinger, recruits Padre Benito del Toro (Marin), Machete's "holy" brother. To take revenge on Benz, Machete kidnaps Benz's wife and his daughter, April (Lohan), who has a penchant for guns. After encountering Machete, Sartana begins to have a special interest in the blade slinger. Machete rallies a group of illegal immigrants together, and begins to hunt the people who double crossed him.
(from Wikipedia)
This isn't the first movie to be called Machete, but it looks like the best. Check out the old movie poster for a 1958 film of the same title, but with a decidedly different slant.
