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Tarantino Delivers High Octane "Death Proof" Earlier this year, Quentin Tarantino's film "Death Proof" was released alongside Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" in a double feature called "Grindhouse." Accompanying the two movies were fake trailers for old school-styled action and horror films, and even a fake commercial for a Mexican restaurant. Tarantino, Rodriguez, two movies for one admission. It sounded like a can't miss proposition, but "Grindhouse" flopped in theaters, despite critical raves. The armchair box office analysts speculated that the public wasn't interested in a three-hour-plus gore fest over Easter weekend, and they were probably right. I was there on Good Friday to see "Grindhouse," and though I'm thankful for the experience of having done so (since it's unlikely to be replicated any time soon), I'm actually happy the two halves of "Grindhouse" have been split for home video. Rodriguez's "Planet Terror," a zombie-flick homage to John Carpenter movies of the 1980s, sat first on the bill, and I didn't care for it too much. My movie buddy that day opined that "Planet Terror" fulfilled his expectations of a movie in the "grind house" tradition more than Tarantino's did, and I had to agree with him. But although "Planet Terror" had plenty of zany zombie moments, and Rose McGowan's machine-gun leg looked pretty cool, "Planet Terror" was also a little hard to follow, felt too long, and for my taste, slapped on too much of the goo with its pustule-faced zombie creations. Plus, a kid gets shot for no reason other than to freak out the audience. That seemed a little sadistic. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed "Death Proof," Tarantino's self-admitted take on slasher movies. The film is more deliberately paced than "Planet Terror," and despite its supposed schlock "grind house" pedigree, it's a terrific thriller. "Death Proof" opens in Austin, as a group of chatty young women go out for a night of drinking and carousing before heading up to the lake for the weekend. While at a bar, they come across the mysterious Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), who drives a mean-looking 1970 Chevy Nova. Mike offers to take one lady home for a ride in his "death proof" stunt car, although he unfortunately informs his unwitting passenger (Rose McGowan), "To get the full effect, you really have to be sitting in my seat." The other women have their own encounter with Stuntman Mike a short time later. After a brief interlude, the movie shifts gears to Tennessee, and Stuntman Mike is on the prowl again, looking to introduce lovely ladies to his new car, a 1969 Dodge Charger. But this time, the women he stalks decide to fight back, using a 1970 Dodge Challenger (painted white, a reference to the movie "Vanishing Point"). The final 20 minutes of the film are hands-down one of the best white-knuckle car chases I've seen. It's better than "Bullitt," and better than "The French Connection." Then there comes an unexpectedly sudden ending that left me laughing at its brazen audacity when I saw it in the theater. New Zealand-born stuntwoman Zoë Bell has great charisma in this, her first acting gig; she's terrific playing a version of herself. She also spends a great deal of time perilously riding the hood of a car. Kurt Russell is effective as the malicious Stuntman Mike, and when the tables are turned on him late in the film, I liked the way Tarantino reveals the chink in his armor. The two-act structure of "Death Proof" actually reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho." In both films, a brief, violent act takes place midway through the picture. We, as the audience, spend the rest of the time dreading what will happen next. Of course, "Death Proof" is loaded with references to the car chase and stunt-based movies Tarantino loves, and it sports a killer soundtrack. Can you enjoy "Death Proof" without knowing about "Vanishing Point" or other 1970s fare? Sure. But those in on Tarantino's game will find plenty of winking film history references that add an extra layer of enjoyment. The DVD of "Death Proof" adds an extra 20 minutes to the movie, but retains the look of the film from its theatrical release. The image has been manipulated to simulate a worn out 35mm print. There are skips, splices, scratches, and pops on the soundtrack. Funnily enough, watching the DVD at home made me feel like I was back in a theater.
Extra features on the two-disc set include short featurettes about the casting of the film, and most interestingly, a 20-minute documentary on the stunt persons who made those incredible car crashes and chases happen. How anyone finds themselves doing that for a living is beyond me. I get upset when I pull a muscle in my back at the gym. I can't imagine crashing a car for a living. Fanboys on the internet are upset that neither this release nor the "Planet Terror" DVD set includes any of the fake trailers that accompanied the theatrical "Grindhouse" experience. They're also lamenting the fact that the two films are being sold separately to make more money for the Weinstein Company. Who can blame the Weinsteins? After such a colossal theatrical failure, I guess they're trying to recoup as much cash as they can through two different DVD sets. And I'll bet that sometime next year there'll be a special edition set that includes both films as they were seen in theaters. For now, I'm happy not to have to sit through "Planet Terror" to get my "Death Proof" fix. 10/1/07 Back to the main Cinema Tuesdays Reviews page More about the Cinema Tuesdays series  |
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