Long Before “Grindhouse,” Rodriguez's “Machete” Was Years in the Making

Common lore is that the movie "Machete" came about as a fake movie trailer segment in 2007's "Grindhouse" -- a trailer that was so killer that Robert Rodriguez just had to make the movie.

But the truth is, director Rodriguez and "Machete's" tough guy star Danny Trejo have been talking about this project since Trejo starred in "Desperado."

"Robert has been training me for this since we did 'Desperado,' " says Trejo, speaking at the film's press day. "He said that I was perfect for this character for this movie 'Machete.' That was 14 years ago."

Trejo says took all those years and "780,000 phone calls asking when are we going to do 'Machete'?'' before it finally happened. Rodriguez says Trejo was simply perfect for the part, even after all those years.

"I guess we've just rehearsed it over the last 14 years by osmosis," says Rodriguez. "When he walked on the set he was 'Machete.' "

Beyond the wait, making the movie was simply bizarre because it was a fake trailer first that set the internet aflame in demand for the movie. Then they went back and recreated the trailer and expanded it for the feature which will finally be released on Sept. 3. If this makes your head spin, just imagine making it.

Trejo says it was a trip shooting just the "Machete" trailer for "Grindhouse."

"Usually you do the movie and then the trailer," says Trejo. "So I felt doing this trailer that I had Alzheimer's. It was like, did I do this movie?'

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