DVD Review Death Proof Extended DVD Review (1 Viewer)

[John CW]

It's up!

http://thunderpeel2001.blogspot.com/...-q-part-2.html

 

[Don Giro]

Say what you want about QT, but, DAMN, can that guy assemble a KILLER soundtrack for his films. I don't know how I made it this far in life without ever hearing the songs "Hold Tight" and "Down in Mexico" before.

I didn't get to experience GRINDHOUSE in the theater, and from reading this thread, I really wish I had. I hope they do eventually release the theatrical release. I'll gladly double-dip.

I did find that the film dragged on quite a bit, but I have the feeling that a lot of the dialogue will grow on me upon repeated viewing.

As far as comparing DEATH PROOF to QT's other work, well, I don't think we're even SUPPOSED to. It's supposed to be schlocky, and it sure worked for me.

Just for the record, Vanessa Ferlito can give me an extended lapdance anytime she wants (I won't hold my breath). Her "bad-ass" attitude really cemented the "bad 70's B-film" aesthetic for me.

One more thing:

Thanks to the car-crash scene in the middle of the film, I now know how the original audiences for "Psycho" must have felt when the leading lady got offed so during the first half.

 

[Benovite]

Quick note about watching Death Proof:

If you can watch this movie with a few women I HIGHLY recommend it. The car chase scenes are exciting but when you're watching it with at least 2 women the entertainment value increases. They really get into it.


Just saying.

 

[Don Solosan]

The second time I saw it, I went with one woman and she hated it. That's the problem: we were one woman short!

 

[Benovite]

Indeed, my friend. Also no pseudo-intellectual wannabe snooty women.


A guy needs to watch this movie with chicks. (preferably hot chicks)

 

[Dave Simkiss]

Just watched the extended cut at my local British cinema.
Im surprised no-one has referanced Mad Max yet, there were times when I felt I was watching that instead of what I expected to see. I was also annoyed that Mad Max was not referanced in the film it self, amongst all the dialogue - heavy film references - Vanishing Point, Gone in 60 Seconds (original) etc etc

Anyway, I was let down and impressed at the same time. I am deeply annoyed that we in the UK were not given Grindhouse. DP while an enjoyable homage to B-movie, exploitation flicks would clearly have worked better in it's truncated form. I haven't even seen the shorter Grindhouse version but I can already guess I would have enjoyed it more. This film needs to be 90 minutes, it felt desperately padded out at 2hrs and I suspect that any tension built up in the GH version was severely lost in the extended version as character after character reel off overly long and overly articulate speeches that can only be described as a Tarrantino self homage.

And who the hell talks like that? Mob Bosses, Samurai warriors and bible quoting hitmen churning out overly elaborate monologues I can handle... but gangs of young women - many of whom were clearly not the brightest sparks - coming out with this kind of stuff... I know one was a radio DJ, but come on!

And added to that the inclusion of Big Kahuna's, red apples and the excessive foot fetish, I just felt I was watching a 'fresh out of film school' kids attempt to suck up to Tarrantino. Is Quentin just buying into his own hype too much? I dunno?

But saying all that, there were plenty of astounding moments throughout, I giggled my way through every film scratch, mis-frame, fudged soundtrack moment and scene jump.
Kurt Russell proves once again to be the most underrated actor known to man, Tarrantino turned in a good performance, and the car chases themselves were legitimately tense, possibly due to the superb stunt work of Zoe Bell, but the fact that it was clearly not under cranked helped a great deal.

Regarding the obvious shift in quality between the two sections, I for one assumed this was an in-joke to this being two 'bad' films that the Grindhouse theatre had simply spliced together to make one film, sort of like what we got with Shogun Assassin (Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance)

One other minor quip, I recently saw an interview with QT on UK TV (Johnathan Ross) where he made a big point of saying that his car chases had to live up to what he considered the greatest car chases ever... clearly he hasn't seen Frankenheimers Ronin then?

I must see the Grindhouse cut, I know I will love it. The extended cut felt like a workprint cut (in terms of it feeling un-trimmed in length) I feel we in the none US have been quite short changed of an experience that could have been fantastic.

 

[Benovite]

Tarantino is stuck in the 70's style-wise and even though Mad Max came out in 1979, it's still too recent of a movie for him to draw influence from or overtly mention in a movie. Even though some of the car chase scenes seem very much influenced by MM.

Eventually he'll probably get around to being stuck in the 80's in terms of cinematic style and music. Some day he may do something completely un-retro but rather futuristic, not holding my breath though.

I also think that the original slimmer version of DP was just fine, if still not a bit overdrawn. IMO DP should be an 80 minute cheap and fast drive-in flick. It's almost there but instead we get the David Lean version for DVD. It doesn't need to be that long, but we all know of Tarantino's infatuation with dialogue.

The lap dance was interesting to me only because it was cool to hear that particular song "Down in Mexico" from the Coasters which is on the soundtrack but I couldn't recall hearing it in the theatrical version. So when watching the extended cut and the lap dance scene came on there was a 'tada!' moment of there it is.



Btw Quentin: I have a foot fetish too, a serious one that rivals if not eclipses yours.

So why then do you show nasty women's feet in your movies? The only cute pair of feet I've seen in your movie belonged to Bridget Fonda in Jackie Brown. Sorry but Uma's big ol' feet aren't sexy. Neither are Jungle Julia's or Rosario Dawson's.

Just saying if you're gonna have a foot fetish and depict on the screen numerous times especially in the same movie, at least show some attractive pair of feet, no large bumpy hobbit feet please!

That said, there may have been a recurring thing with Stuntman Mike's character and liking dark women's feet.



What were we talking about again?

 

[Corey3rd]

Ringo Lam's City on Fire was made in '87. No City on Fire - No Dogs.