"Death Proof" the movie...quite blah.

[cleandan]

The other day I purchased DEATH PROOF, another Quentin Tarantino movie. I liked PULP FICTION and the KILL BILL movies so I took a chance on this one too...My goodness is DEATH PROOF blah. I fully understood I was purchasing a movie geared directly at the new style of making "old style" B movies so the expectations were not high from the get go. NOTHING about this movie grabbed my interest, not even the cars and I am an insatiable car nut. The acting was flat. Kurt Russell did make for a charming bad guy but the rest of his time on screen was...well, just time. I, and my wife, watched until the bitter end all the while thinking to myself, Quentin is doing this for the B movie effect. When the movie finally ended she and I had similar expressions and feelings about the movie, which is very odd as we differ on this subject most of the time. The movie was not good, nor bad, it simply exists. I gained nothing from it, felt nothing for any character, situation, or event, and basically ended up thinking what a waste. I have really liked movies, and really disliked movies, but this is the first time I have ever felt nothing for a movie, other than it is a waste.

[jojopuppyfish]

When it was part of the Roundhouse....it was terrible except for the chase.

[A.G. Pennypacker]

The last time I saw it was in the theater (as Grindhouse), and I remember liking it. It did make me cringe at how many Challengers they destroyed though. I wasn't nuts about Planet Terror, but I really liked Kurt Russell in Death Proof.

[Director]

Yeah you're right. Its just exists. Not very good. Liked "Planet Terror" much more.

[macready]

The only enjoyable element of DEATH PROOF is Kurt Russell.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h3/phitdemon/DeathProof640x480.jpg

[Oatsdad]

I like it. I think it works better the second time.

My review:

http://www.dvdmg.com/deathproof.shtml

[doubleaapn]

I saw "Grindhouse" in the theater and found it interesting and maddening in equal parts. "Planet Terror" wore it's cheesiness on it's sleeve and as such, I think I enjoyed it more. "Death Proof" seemed more ambitious, but the overtly "Tarantino-esque" elements did seem forced in the dialogue scenes. The action sequences did deliver, however, and i'm now eager to see it again... with reservations.
I understand "Planet Terror" will be released next month also as a stand-alone feature. Will this release have the fake trailers? I thought those were the most interesting parts of the package, frankly. (A current thread talks about Eli Roth and "Hostel" - which I didn't particularly care for - but his "Thanksgiving" trailer was brilliantly realized, if wholly demented.) I hope those become available at some point.

Aaron

[A.G. Pennypacker]

I understand "Planet Terror" will be released next month also as a stand-alone feature. Will this release have the fake trailers? I thought those were the most interesting parts of the package, frankly.

Agreed! Those fake trailers were great! I still don't totally get why the two movies weren't released at the same time. I thought it would be a two disc double feature package, including the trailers. If they're going to split them up, they really should have included the trailers on both.

[spillville]

I'm with you. Saw "Grindhouse" in the theater & am frustrated that it was not issued on dvd as it was originally presented.
I don't think either of the two movies were great, but I loved the "double feature" presentation, trailers and all. While it would be impossible to duplicate the "Grindhouse" movie theater experience, I would jump at the chance to have a "souvenir" of the original presentation.
And I suspect that we will get that release somewhere down the line.
But when?

[Mike B]

Since Grindhouse is obviously a tribute/homage/spoof of B movies from the 70s and 80s, Tarantino follows the structure of a lot of those movies quite accurately.

Car chases and revenge plots were very common, and those action scenes were the fun of the movies. But like most movies based on a gimmicks and visuals, offer little else in terms of plot or character, and the dialogue exists to pad the running time. Tarantino does the same thing. So Death Proof succeeds at what it sets out to do.

Tarantino's entire career is based on homage. Death Proof is no different.

[axnyslie]

Usually Tarantino's strong point is his creative casting but not so for Death Proof. Kurt Russell was great, reminded me a bit of his Snake character in Escape From New York. The women though just didn't rise to the occasion and none really stood out like Uma Thurman or Lucy Liu as good performances. He should have left the cell phone and text messaging out if it and made it a full 70's period setting. That seemed to subtract from the gritty nostalgic ambience.

[zappa]

ZOE BELL!

[Rael]

I agree with the original post. I felt like I was watching studio outtakes and not a fully realized Tarantino film. I even found the action sequences dull. When it was over, I felt relieved.

I wasn't even all that thrilled with Planet Terror, although it was more entertaining than Death Proof. The best thing about Grindhouse was the trailers.

[Yankee8156]

I liked it, and I thought it was much stronger than Planet Terror when I saw Grindhouse. I actually saw Grindhouse twice in the theaters: the first time I saw it, I think I enjoyed both films equally, but after seeing it again, I was a little bored with Planet Terror, but Death Proof held my attention very well.

I'm looking forward to seeing the extended version by itself, but DVDPacific still hasn't shipped it to me, despite the fact that I preordered it the night before its release.

[ex_mixer]

I like car chases and stunts as well as great written dialog. I'm very partial to actors who add that extra something to their roles, nothing like seeing an actor who loves his part and makes it memorable. Like Jack Nicholson as Randle Patrick McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

I love Quentin Tarantino, but this one let me down big time. If he wants to shoot hot chicks and their sexy feet, cool with me, just write a better story and hire a few that can act. This was not an inspired effort and I've watched it twice. A rather sub par effort. I hope his next film returns him to his former glory like "Jackie Brown". Pam Grier and Robert Forster made this one for me. When it comes on late at night, I can't stop watching these 2 on the screen!!
Come on Tarantino, you still got it in you! Put the little black book away and stick to a killer story with witty dialog and your usual dead on soundtrack and I'm yours again!!
cheers.........

[tommy-thewho]

The best part of Grindhouse I thought was the funny trailers between the 2 pictures and in the beginning. Loved the missing reel parts, etc....

[inperson]

ZOE BELL!

Watched the DVD yesterday.


In my opinion, a good stunt-woman but not a good actress. I couldn't stand her facial expressions when she talked....and listened.
I thought the movie was too long and too wordy. Tarantino has way to much dialog that is just NOT interesting in this film. The cars scenes are the only 'cool' parts of this movie.

[Surfin Jesus]

so the grindhouse trailers are not available on this DVD?

just about the only agreement I've read or heard about the movie is that the "trailers" were great

[ATSMUSIC]

Tarantino gets a pretty bad rap at this site I noticed.

[Yankee8156]

so the grindhouse trailers are not available on this DVD?

just about the only agreement I've read or heard about the movie is that the "trailers" were great

Nope....no trailers. And they won't be on the Planet Terror DVD either, apparently.

[Surfin Jesus]

Nope....no trailers. And they won't be on the Planet Terror DVD either, apparently.

thanks for the info :righton:


should I wait for a grindhouse trailers DVD? :winkgrin:

[jojopuppyfish]

I believe there will be a grindhouse dvd with everything...not sure when

[inperson]

My DVD, Death Proof, has the Grindhouse trailers. 4 trailers to be exact. Death Planet is one and the others...I forgot the titles.

[Director]

My DVD, Death Proof, has the Grindhouse trailers. 4 trailers to be exact. Death Planet is one and the others...I forgot the titles.
Death Planet?:confused:

You must mean Planet Terror.

[Yankee8156]

My DVD, Death Proof, has the Grindhouse trailers. 4 trailers to be exact. Death Planet is one and the others...I forgot the titles.

I think the trailers Surfin Jesus was referring to were the trailers that were shown in between Planet Terror and Death Proof in movie theaters, when the movies were shown as a double feature. These were "fake" trailers for movies that don't exist (yet).

The current DVD has trailers for Death Proof, Planet Terror and a couple of other movies that, well, are actually movies.