[.ca] Death Proof

Owning this movie is owning a part of movie history!,:
This flick was pretty good. Quentin Tarantino could of written this story behind a paper coaster if he wanted to. This story of a stuntman and his fetish for auto-erotica seem just that, split as it is into two separate but corresponding stories. The first half sees four girls getting drunk and dirty at a filthy old bar in town, where they meet the sinister Stuntman Mike (Russell). The latter half sees Mike in pursuit of four new female targets, consisting of Abbie (Dawson), Lee (Mary-Elizabeth Winstead), Kim (Tracey Thoms) and stunt girl Zoe (Bell, playing herself). In both stories, Mike uses his "death proof" car to hunt the girls down and get his rocks off. The scratched film certainly looks the part of a B Film, while audio is badly synched, scenes are spliced together in a slapdash fashion and the camera work is shaky. It's a charming and well-meaning idea, but this amateur effect only applies to the first half of the movie. The second half, shot in glorious Technicolor (except for a Kill Bill-esque slip into black and white), is immaculately shot and acted, Tarantino circling the camera around his girls in a seven minute uninterrupted take like a consummate pro. So is this a grind house movie or not? Intentional inconsistency is no excuse. Despite his aping of B-movie directors like Roger Corman, "Death Proof" is still very much a Quentin Tarantino film; characters spend what seems like an eternity discussing moot points in that inimitable pop culture patter of his; people and themes pop up from Tarantino adventures been and gone; the requisite lingering foot shot makes an early appearance. Only Russell, in full-on Insano mode, leaves a lasting impression as Stuntman Mike, stealing the entire movie from under the noses of his eight female co-stars, none of whom particularly argue their case well. If you can forgive its flaws (both intentional and unintentional) and just go along for the ride, then "Death Proof" is tremendous fun once it kicks into gear. It seems like it takes forever to introduce Stuntman Mike but once Russell moseys into frame, it's game on. The crash in the first half easily ranks as one of Tarantino's most impressive set-pieces (so good you'll be glad it's replayed four times) and the stunt work from Bell in the second half is genuinely gripping: it'll have you digging your thumbs into your armrests. However, if you're looking for something a little meatier than what's essentially a drive-in movie, then this isn't it. As part of something bigger, a more grandiose statement, it absolutely works. Without the context of Grindhouse, however, "Death Proof" comes across as little more than an exercise in vanity on behalf of the director, destined to be of interest only to die-hard fans who remember the kind of movies being parodied in the first place. Bring on "Planet Terror" to me baby!

entertaining...:
Some parts of this movie drag on and on like long conversations between the girls, but when the action actually happens it's great fun!! If you want, forward the long boring conversations and just watch the car scenes and you won't miss a thing.

Too much chit-chat, not enough story:
I am a big fan of Tarantino's, but I am sorry to say that this film was a let-down for me. I found that this movie was too long. It lacked in the plot department, most of the movie focuses on a group of young women talking about things that do little to move the story forward. I did find some of the dialogue mildly entertaining, and that is probably what kept me watching the film. I am now looking forward to Tarantino's next project.

Ending too quick and,really-UNSATISFYING!:
The movie started very intriguing like and the first half of this movie was a GREAT RIDE.Unfortunately the last half of this movie(even though the car chase was,IS AMAZING)does not live up to the so-called hype. I understand that this is a throw back of sorts to the good ol' days of "B" movies,Drive-In "Double Features" but still i was very unsatisfied by the ending. I found it ended too quickly.And to be completely honest,i found Kurt Russell's character much more interesting and wanted to see more of him.Infact,i found myself rooting for him to outlive the gals in the second half,much like he did in the first. Am i a big fan of "Bad Guys" in film?No,not really.But i am a fan of ANY CHARACTER that is MUCH MORE INTERESTING then the others. Those that LOVE the "Q" are gonna dig on this.It's not a bad movie.But the end did not live up to the beginning(imo). I do(as another reviewer pointed out here)want to see what good ole' Quinton cooks up next.

A Scorned Woman's Fury !!!!!..........:
Quentin Tarantino is quite clever when he crafts his movies. At the beginning of this homage to Grind house classics like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and 70's muscle car movies like Crazy Larry and Dirty Mary, and Vanishing Point, he gives us the old fashioned restricted warning with the cute kitty running across the screen. When we were younger and sometimes underage, we sneaked into the local theatre and we knew when we saw that warning we would see something a little different than Leave it to Beaver on black and white TV. Whatever we saw and heard, we wouldn't complain because we got the warning. The same goes for QT movies. We are introduced to three lovely young ladies (feet first, in the QT tradition) who embark on a "girl's only" road trip. Little do they know they are being stalked by a highway serial killer who uses his beefed up Chevy Nova muscle stunt car as the instrument of death. Kurt Russell plays Stuntman Mike, a strange, aging, scarred, and out of work stunt driver who seems to hate and target beautiful young women for reasons we will never know. On the way to their destination the girls stop in at a sleazy honky tonk bar, proceed to get drunk as they party the night away with a girlfriend who meets them there for more drinking and smoking weed. They even share free shot glasses full of Wild Turkey whiskey with and courtesy of the bartender who seems to drink more than the patrons. The bartender is who else but QT. When they ask what the special occasion is, he replies "drink now, ask questions later". And it seems QT is really addressing the audience watching this movie. One of the young women is tricked into doing an amazing lap dance for stuntman Mike. Later, when the girls have left the bar and are driving on the highway laughing, talking trash, and listening to great music, they meet an extremely violent death in an extended version of a split second car crash. Stuntman Mike gets away with scratches but totals his car. In the hospital we meet some unforgettable characters even if they only had a few lines to speak. There is the toothpick chewing local cops who know they have a murderer on their hands but can't prove it, so they just go back to the office. At the hospital is a beautiful young female doctor dressed to kill, including spike heels, not a hair out of place, and doesn't really seem like a regular doctor. Up to this point the movie screen is constantly covered with threads running up and down and small defects giving the impression of a well worn and old piece of film playing on an old 35mm projector manned by a projectionist asleep at the switch. The car crash (which was perfectly edited) seems to split the movie into two with a short black and white sequence in the middle. The screen defects are gone and perfect color returns with a flick of a switch by another beautiful young woman who is part of a new foursome who stops at a road side convenience store. Of course they are driving a hot yellow 70's Mustang with a "Pussywagon" sticker on the back. Stuntman Mike is back; taking pictures of his new prey, and he is now driving a 70's Plymouth Charger (one of my favorite cars). One of the foursome, who has traveled from Australia to see her three friends, has a burning desire to drive a white 1970 Dodge Challenger powered by a 440 hemi just like in the movie Vanishing Point. She has located the car and they proceed to con the owner to let them test drive it while one of their friends stay behind with the owner. Zoe Bell, the Australian girl, uses her real name in the movie. As Zoe's friend drives the crap out of the car, Zoe is on the hood of the car holding on to two belts fastened to the side windows. Stuntman Mike is watching and uses this time to chase and rear end the three girls with his Charger. What follows is one of the most amazing and heart stopping car chases and stunt work to hit the silver screen in years. By the time it is over, both cars are mangled but still run. Mike gets out of his car, laughs at the shocked girls and bids adios. However one of the girls pulls out a gun and shoots him in the shoulder. Wounded, surprised, and frightened, he exits very quickly in what's left of his Charger. Zoe is okay after their car crashes but Mike is unaware that she is also a stunt woman in this movie (and also in real life). Just an aside here, Zoe stood in as a stunt double for Lucy Lawless in Xena and Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. The three women now pumped with adrenalin decide to pursue Mike for bloody revenge. Again, what follows is another incredible, glass breaking, metal grinding, and gritty car chase ending with the serial killer being dragged from his wrecked car by the three vixens, seething with road rage. Not looking like the menace he once was, he is now injured, bleeding, crying, and begging for his life. Do they show mercy? Remember the movie is written and directed by QT and is restricted. The soundtrack alone is worth the price of the DVD. All the music is originals from the 70's and is familiar but hard to place a title to. This is a terrific movie and more fun to watch each time you view it. I am glad it was decided to split this movie from the other half (Planet Terror) and release it by itself.