Death Proof

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faisay

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Even though it's only half of what Tarantino intended, it's very funny and has some hair raising stunts.
I'm not sure how much more mileage there is in QT's "have everyone sit around and talk irrelevant bull" dialogue technique, but it hasn't (yet) outstayed its welcome.
The exchanges between Tracy Thoms and her frienRAB are priceless: "You know what happens to people who carry knives? They get shot!".
Although it looks like 70s tat (even the blood is that odd shade of red they used to use) it's still gripping and Kurt Russell is terrific.:cool:
 
Sadly no, because, much as I like Kurt Russell, that would've meant having to endure Jonathan Ross.
His documentary about Steve Ditko tonight will be my JR ration for the year.
Let's hope the second part of Grindhouse, Planet Terror, together with the fake trailers, turns up eventually.
I think Miramax made a massive blunder splitting this movie down the middle; in its original form it would've been something special.
 
It wasn't Kurt Russell on Jonathan Ross, it was QT. He was very hyper and very funny, and there were some great stories about making the film. QT himself said that the decision to split the film was made because people don't want to go out and watch 2 movies.
I'm hoping the originally intended version will be released on DVD, but it would be great to see it at the cinema - especially my local, which is very like a grindhouse cinema!
 
i made this point the other day, is the running time not aproxx 3 hours for the 2 films? coz ppl will sit through 3 hours of harry potter but not this! i just dont understand!

QTs take on HP was cool!!
 
Planet Terror is apparently being released in November in the UK. In my opinion, Planet Terror was the better movie from Grindhouse, it had more of a grindhouse style feel to it, and it was by far the more entertaining movie. Death Proof is still good though, but its got a lot more talking in it, and it does start to annoy after a while. Kurt Russell is awesome in it though, and the final car chase is brilliant.
 
I have this film in the original format with Planet Terror showing first and the hilarious fake trailers in-between.
It is good, but I enjoyed Planet Terror more (it was funnier). Kurt Russell is great though.
 
I've seen the UK release of deathproof, and while I've never seen grindhouse, I think they could have probably cut a half hour from it quite easily. The final 20 minutes or so were really good fun though.
 
I saw QT at the Death proof opening and discussion at the Brixton Ritzy last Sunday.
This will sound strange but one of my fav bits was
the "color by Delux" stuff! Took me back!
I don't know what to make of the movie to be honest. It's just something I watched that filled in a few hours. I guess that's what these type of films did 'back in the day'.

DP also reminRAB me a little of Steven Spielberg's 'Duel'. But there was a lot less talking in that film!
 
I believe that this was intentional....just like for Kill Bill, Tarantino used old school blood capsules for special effects. He (they, if you count Planet Terror as well) is paying homage to a bygone age of B-movie style cinema
 
I know the 70s tat look is intentional, even down to the splices in the film, and it's very well done, even though it gradually disappears.
It's not so long ago that prints like this were in circulation and the best quality ones were those made for tv use, as they were often newly-struck.
It's a pity that US audiences didn't seem to get, or go along with, the idea and we clearly won't get a choice.
 
to me Deathproof is really a 'film of two halves'.

I loved the first half, where we meet all the characters in the bar. i think Tarantino did a excellent job of recreating the atmosphere of a good night out and introducing us to all these weird and wonderful characters. i also loved Kurt Russells Stuntman Mike and the way that, even though he is the baddy of the piece, he is a complete loser and quite awkward around people (like the scene where he is explaining what he has been in, yet no one has heard of any of the shows)

however, the second half annoyed me more than anything else. Although Tarantino has never really done moral characters i just couldnt warm to these girls, as they happily left their friend with a someone who is quite obviously going to rape her (he is the rapist from Kill Bill) just in order to test drive a car and the whole thing with them chasing stuntman Mike seemed a little harsh....i mean, once captured they could have just let the police handle him rather than beating him to death. I also felt the whole second half was a more of a very sycophantic showcase for Zoe Bell and found her 'playing myself but not really' acting style a little grating.

all in all, i would say Death Proof is clearly Tarantinos weakest film and it is very different to what i was expecting, in that it is barely a horror film and more of a cult 70's road movie (think Vanishing Point). however, viewed as it was intended to be (as part of the Grindhouse package) it does a great job of recreating that 70's b-movie style. I also agree with the postings about Planet Terror as i thought that is clearly the better half of the Grindhouse package (although i'm a little biased because i love zombie movies).

it is just a pity we wont be able to experience all the fake Grindhouse trailers in the uk, as it looks like neither films will be getting these
 
I've not seen Grindhouse, but I've seen this version of Death Proof.

The actual car scenes are exciting - but the rest of the film is crap!

Far too much contrived dialogue and the fake coolness, and too little action.

All that stuff about those girls for the first 45 minutes or so, was pretentious and annoying.
And when it turned out to be irrelevant - I just felt like I'd had my time wasted, to be honest.

I did like some of it, like the Sheriff and his Son form Kill Bill - but I'm not sure it was worth sitting through the long and boring dialogue to see the good bits.

I'm normally a big Tarantino fan, and I'm still looking forward to his next films - but this just wasn't my cup of tea.
 
Saw this yesterday and thought it was brilliant!! So much better than I expected as I was looking forward to Planet Terror more but it was an excellent film with amazing dialogue (again!)
 
I don't think I've ever been as disappointed with a film(s) as I was with Kill Bill and since the consensus seems to be that Death Proof is worse I can't imagine enjoying it. Mark Kermode's explanation (on his Five Live slot) is that Tarantino showed he was capable of real quality film-making with Jackie Brown, but he realised that he'd make more money with trashy exploitation films. Don't know how true that is, but Jackie Brown is in a different league to his other films, except possibly Pulp Fiction, so why does he persist in making gimmicky plot-free drivel?
 
I thought it was good, espeically the 2nd part which i found myself more involved in, the acting was great, especailly Traci Thoms, Zoe Bell, Rosario Dawson and Mary Elizabeth Winstead great chemistry between them.

And Kurt Russell has another classic charcther to add to his list
 
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