Death Proof” stands alone quite well in its extended form. However, the fact that it’s separated from “Planet Terror,” the other half of “Grindhouse,” is a shame. So what’s the big deal? Well, “Grindhouse” was meant to capture the feel of a 1970s double-feature. “Planet Terror” preceded “Death Proof” to accomplish this goal. To enhance the experience even more, four fake trailers were included in the film, one before “Planet Terror” and the others between the two main features.
Although “Planet Terror” and “Death Proof” both paid homage to exploitation flicks, they proved to be an interesting contrast of styles. “Planet Terror” contained almost nonstop action with intentionally poor acting and dialogue, while “Death Proof” showcased more realistic dialogue and performances with a slower pace.
Now, the two look as if they may never be one again. Presumably, the films have been separated because of poor ticket sales in theaters. And to add insult to injury, the fake trailers aren’t on either DVD release.
At the same time, “Death Proof” remains an enjoyable experience, and the extra scenes-which amount to about 30 minutes-in this extended cut add much to the movie’s sordid plot: Stuntman Mike, played by Kurt Russell, drives a stunt car around to stalk and then kill women.
As simple as the premise is, writer/director Quentin Tarantino-“Pulp Fiction,” anyone?-just can’t help himself. Tarantino’s movies have always been dialogue-friendly (with the exception of “Kill Bill Vol. 1”), and “Death Proof” is a heavyweight when it comes to words. The female cast is particularly talkative, with actresses ranging from Rose McGowan to real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell racking up the sentences.
In general, the dialogue isn’t as humorous as the language presented in “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs” or “Jackie Brown.” And many viewers have said the long conversations in the film are annoying and serve no purpose. However, these scenes reinforce the idea that Stuntman Mike is watching the women live their normal lives, and in that respect, the dialogue is effectively setting up the kill. During the majority of the second half, Stuntman Mike virtually has no lines, but his very presence can be felt as the women babble on and on.
In contrast to his dialogue, Tarantino’s direction cannot be easily dismissed. In fact, this movie contains what could be the best-directed (and coolest) car crash sequence of all time, in which Tarantino presents the explicit deaths of four characters with successive replays as if the ordeal is a sporting event.
But clearly, the anchor of “Death Proof” is Russell. His portrayal of Stuntman Mike-at times suave, perverted and laughingly pathetic-transcends the boundaries of horror villain roles. Unfortunately, no other performer can match Russell’s screen presence, even though the cast does an above average job. The one actress who might take your attention away from Russell is Bell, specifically as she manages some impressive stuntwork during a frantic car chase.
Lastly, here’s something that should make traditional audiences happy: There is no CGI in “Death Proof.” Incidentally, the car chases and violence displayed look more realistic than anything generated by computer graphics. So whether or not you like Tarantino as an individual (or even as a writer/director), you must give him credit for maintaining artistic integrity.
A couple of things should be noted about the distribution of this DVD. First, the DVD is a two-disc special edition; however, when I rented the DVD from Blockbuster, the case only contained one disc. This suggests that some rental places may only use the first disc of the special edition.
Second, Blockbuster is the only rental store that may receive “Death Proof” directly from the distribution company. Why? Because of the idiotic Weinstein brothers, who distribute the film through their company, The Weinstein Company. Not long ago the Weinsteins made a deal with Blockbuster: Any Weinstein-distributed film will only be provided to Blockbuster if the DVD is from the primary source.
What does this entail for other rental places? Establishments like Movie Gallery can still provide “Death Proof” for rental, but they must purchase it from a source other than the distribution company (e.g. a retail store like Wal-Mart). When this article was written, Movie Gallery had indeed acquired copies of the film. Video USA had not.
Moreover, the Weinsteins were also one of the main reasons “Grindhouse” became two movies internationally and on DVD. So any hate mail should be directed to them, if anyone.
“Planet Terror” will be released on DVD in October.