Grindhouse: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof

By: DThompson | in: Movies |

In the 70’s and early 80’s, before CGI, when reality ruled the day, “special effects” meant one of four things for a low-budget action film: 1) car chases and crashes, 2) explosions, 3) gun shots and blood-spewing squibs, 4) pretty girls in skimpy outfits. Grindhouse, the new film from Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino stays true to its origin in the era’s action and exploitation films. It’s more a meticulous recreation than an homage or parody though at over three hours there’s room for elements of all three. So if you’re expecting anything complicated or human you might want to give that new Travolta biker film a shot. The two movies that make up Grindhouse’s double bill are deliberately surface only affairs, an exercise in style by two master stylists.

Death Proof

Quentin Tarantino’s highly entertaining Death Proof is the second bill, coming after a nifty trailer by Eli Roth that parodies the 70’s penchant for holiday themed horror films. This one is called Thanksgiving and though it was pretty funny it had a hard time competeing with my memories of actual films like My Bloody Valentine or April Fool’s Day. Better was the trailer for Werewolf Women Of The SS an Ilsa knockoff, featuring Udo Kier who was born to be in an Ilsa film but sadly never was.
If Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror focused on explosions, blood-spewing squibs and hot chicks in tight T-shirts then Death Proof takes on the ultimate 70’s special effect, the muscle car car chase, and even more hot chicks, lots and lots more.

Death Proof

As any afficionado of 70’s trash cinema knows, the hot chick film is about breasts and jive talkin’ ass-kickin’ mamas, and much of the first half of the movie is dedicated to just that. It’s fun to see the recreation of the lingo but a (mandatory in the 70’s) cat fight is sorely missed. Almost making up for the missing cat fight is Tarantino’s foot fetish, never so prominently or shamelessly on display. There are a LOT of naked feet in this movie, in fact, a fairly decent drinking game would be to tip back a shot every time a pair hits the screen.
Tarantino lets the first half build slowly as the bad guy in the black Chevy Nova with the skull and crossbones on the hood stalks a bevie of hotness. This slow build is unfortunate, and very NOT 70’s trash film. Roger Corman never let anything build slowly, there’d be an explosion in there, probably cut in from a completely different movie. It all balances out in the end though. If the hot chick part is a little slow, well, except for the ten or twenty hot chicks on display, then the second part which ascends directly to car chase heaven is exactly the opposite. When the white 1970 Dodge Challenger shows up Death Proof fulfills its promise. Let the automotive carnage begin! First the psycho serial killer “Stuntman Mike”, well played by Kurt Russell, goes after our heroines and then, even better, they go after him. Mike’s made the error of underestimating the hot chicks and now he’s tangling with some stunt WOMEN. Needless to say, after about 500 miles of rubber laid down on the road it culminates in a well-deserved 70’s-style ass whuppin’ that sends you out with a smile.

Death Proof

Vagaries of plot and cast are pretty much useless to discuss other than saying everyone acquits themselves in ass-kickin’, jive talkin’, fast drivin’ fashion. This kind of movie only exists as a frame to hang about fifty acres of tight T-shirt on and provide a wide screen canvas for the gutteral roars and snarls of their true stars, the muscle cars. In fact, as good as he is, Russell is hardly needed. The film would work just as well with a demon or devil possessed car, maybe even better.

Death Proof

Tarantino references several clasics of 70’s car chase / crash cinema here’s a short list of some excellent films from the era if you become interested in seeing the “real thing”:
CARS: Eat My Dust, Grand Theft Auto, Gone In Sixty Seconds, Vanishing Point, Death Race 2000, White Line Fever, Two-Lane Blacktop
CHICKS: Candy Stripe Nurses, Big Bad Mama, Caged Heat, Coffy, The Big Bird Cage, Big Doll House, Women In Cages, Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death.

VERDICT: AWESOME!

[Subscribe to this feed]

Posted on April 7, 2007

Comments

18 Responses to “Grindhouse: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof”

Giovanna on April 7th, 2007 8:45 am

“- You know what the funniest thing about Europe is?
- What?
- It’s the little differences. A lotta the same shit we got here, they got there, but there they’re a little different.”
Here’s one more difference between the US and Europe: I’ll have to wait till June to watch this movieeeee!!! Lucky guys….

Rustycat on April 7th, 2007 9:22 am

Me too

mozzer on April 7th, 2007 9:49 am

Great write-up DThompson. I really liked the background info you gave on “70s trash cinema”. I must see this flick!

DThompson on April 7th, 2007 10:29 am

Well Mozzer, I paid for that background by having to live through the 70’s.
And Charbarred, you said yesterday you thought you’d be getting the full four and a half hour version in Europe. The movie is 3:05 (give or take a minute or two) and I sincerely hope you DON’T get a version an hour and a half longer than what I saw because that would trash the whole thing. Dr. D says just keep playing that theme music .mp3 I sent you and watch a video of Mr. Majestyk!

Charbarred on April 7th, 2007 11:07 am

Hey Doctor D, playing that theme song… Not enough. We’ve been watching a whole season of 24. Still not enough…Maybe a good steak will help.
Off to the pub!

pligg.com on April 7th, 2007 11:39 pm

Grindhouse: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof

In the 70’s and early 80’s, before CGI, when reality ruled the day, “special effects” meant one of four things for a low-budget action film: 1) car chases and crashes, 2) explosions, 3) gun shots and blood-spewing squibs, 4) pretty girls in ski…

Jamie Lynn on April 10th, 2007 4:11 pm

I have never been so exited about a car chase.I am a lover of muscle cars, and this was a treat and a a hlaf! I am still flying high from it! I want more! BEST! BEST! BEST! Amazing!

Mike on April 10th, 2007 7:22 pm

Thanks for the list of related films! Always looking for more car chases, any vintage is ok with me.

DThompson on April 10th, 2007 11:34 pm

No problem, Mike. Here’s a few more 70’s car chase / crash movies:
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, Duel, The Junkman, Crazy Mama.
Also, these two films, which aren’t specifically “car chase” films have definitive, fifteen or twenty minute-long car chases in them: Bullit, The Seven-Ups.
A car chase heavy comedy I remember is: Freebie And the Bean.
I also think Spielberg’s other notable pre-Jaws effort The Sugarland Express has its share of fast drivin’ and tires squealing on gravel roads.

HMTKSteve on April 11th, 2007 5:30 am

I have been hearing rumors that the new movie is being split in half for US theatres…

Charbarred on April 11th, 2007 6:13 am

Yeah, I’ve read that as well. Apparently audiences didn’t get the 2 for the price of one idea, so now they will have to pay for 2 movies.

DThompson on April 11th, 2007 9:47 am

That rumor could be based on the film being split in half for the foreign market. Dimension said there is no “grindhouse tradition” outside America so the films will be released as separate movies (and lengthened a bit) for other countries (except for Britain). Both movies will contain all the trailers so if you see them both you’ll have to sit through the extra non-movie stuff twice.
However, given the film’s truly below dismal performance so far it’s entirely possible that they think they can “save” it this way. (Note to self: Does post production tinkering to “save” a film EVER work? Why do they bother?)
I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but if a movie is really good, and Grindhouse is REALLY GOOD, it doesn’t matter how long it is. You’ll be entertained and the time will fly by.

DThompson on April 11th, 2007 10:03 am

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/what-went-so-wrong-with-grindhouse/
EXCLUSIVE: Harvey Very Disappointed; May Re-Release ‘Grindhouse’ As 2 Pics
Harvey Weinstein told me this morning that he’s “incredibly disappointed” with the half-than-expected $12 mil box office for Grindhouse released on Easter Weekend (a controversial move itself). So much so, that he’s considering abandoning the double feature as a single feature concept and re-releasing the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez movie around the U.S. “in a couple of weeks” as two separate feature-length movies with additional footage
OK, I guess you guys are right. Well, as Bugs Bunny would say “What a revoltin’ development!”

DThompson on April 11th, 2007 10:19 am

And not to beat a dead horse but check this out.
http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/grindhouse-couldnt-get-grindhouse/

chevon tiffany on April 11th, 2007 10:23 am

no the movie is not split in two here (u.s.) so that’s good. i loved it. want to see it again. but my bum hurt sitting there. well that’s about all.

jessica on November 4th, 2007 2:47 am

fantastic review, you gave away the whole movie, so glad ive allready seen it, what were u thinking?

The Plugg: Best Moments in Film 2007 : Maor Ezer on December 8th, 2007 6:12 am

[...] • Kurt Russell gives us a knowing leer just before climbing into the “Death Proof” car with doomed Rose McGowan. We all know what’s coming. Grindhouse: Death Proof. [...]

Death Proof | Baron VC on May 9th, 2008 10:57 am

[...] The car chase was priceless and breath-taking but I’m sure you could find that on YouTube rather than spend a good hour and a half getting to it. Over and out.Death Proof Grindhouse: Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof : The Plugg – Music and Entertainment [...]