DVD Review HTF Review: Death Proof - Extended and Unrated (1 Viewer)

[Corey3rd]

having picked up the lastest re-issue of Eat My Dust, I can safely say that Tarantino has zero clues onto how to pay tribute to anything except his ego.

His Psycho moment lasted three times as long as the real one. Did I really need to see a scene about a guy at a Zippy Mart who sells Italian Vogue? Riveting Cinema! This film should have been chopped down to an hour and it would have been a medium level episode of "Masters of Horror."

 

[John CW]

Hi Rich, I know what you're saying, but in actuality this is "consumer nonsense", not "filmmaker spin".

Firstly, I actually have reasons to believe what I'm saying and have evidence to back it up. Your argument however (and everyone who is saying the same, it's not just you), relies solely on speculation and suspicion... and nothing else.

Secondly, I believe Tarantino because I heard him talk about it in the context of lots of other stuff. He was very honest and candid, and there was no reason to believe he was lying, at all. Having once been married to an actress (yes, a famous one), I can honestly tell you that the people you suspect of "spinning" are actually being, more often than not, completely honest. The same way you and I are.

Do you honestly believe that Tarantino just happened to make a film that was precisely 90 minutes long? Or do you think, possibly, after putting all this time and effort into shooting a script that was *easily* 30 thirty pages longer than necessary, he might maybe have planned to release a longer cut? His cut. The cut that he actually wrote?

Thirdly, do you recall the all consumer nonsense that surrounded the release of Kill Bill? Hmm. If memory serves we were all going to get six versions of Kill Bill in a year. Remember that? Still waiting...

Tarantino even talked about Kill Bill and how the reason we haven't seen the longer cut until now is simply because, after all was said and done, he prefers it in two films. As far as he's concerned, it worked brilliantly as two films and he's very happy with what was released.

If that's just "spin", why haven't we seen the longer cut sooner?

Considering he spent *years of his life* working on Death Proof and Kill Bill, why on earth would he lie? He's not a marketing department, he's an artist.

Fourthly, nowhere else in the world (outside of the UK and Australia, and possibly Japan) were ever going to get Grindhouse. What were they going to release there, can you tell me, if not the individual films?

Fifthy, your A, B and C options are, I'm sorry, ludicrous. A) would be too costly, who, but your die-hard Tarantino/Rodriguez fan would buy over six hours of their films in one go??

B) Doesn't make any sense either. You would be forced to pay extra for Grindhouse whether you liked it or not. Who's happy with that? Not only that, but you'd have to pay the extra cost twice if you wanted both films.

C) Is the only sensible option, and if you think about it, the one that was clearly planned from the start.

If these companies are all about ripping off consumers, and Tarantino and Rodriguez are just their dancing marketing monkeys, why did they release Grindhouse at all? Why not just split them up from day one?

I'm sorry but I'll take my evidence, knowledge and experience over doubt, cynicism and suspicion. This isn't all directed at you Rich, sorry, but rather at the general moaning masses that seem to follow this film around wherever I look.

 

[JeffMc]

Incorrect as far as what was planned from the start.

I agree with most of what you say about spin, about the separate releases always planned, etc., but the fact is, Weinstein was going to release the theatrical version of GH on DVD in the US *first* before any of the separate releases (irregardless of what Tarantino was spewing at the time). I know for a fact the theatrical GH was already officially listed on Weinstein's official company DVD release schedule at the time of its theatrical release. And if the film had been a huge success here theatrically, cashing in on the theatrical name and awareness for the initial DVD release would have made perfect sense. However, since it bombed, plans flip-flopped and they decided to release the separate films first on DVD. The "GH" listing on their corporate DVD release schedule suddenly disappeared about two weeks into the theatrical run. Later on, "DP" showed up on their schedule instead. So separate releases may have always been planned, but not in the order we're getting them in now. I think this current order makes perfect sense considering the failure of GH theatrically. If GH had been a success theatrically, this order would make no sense.

I don't think anyone is being forced to double-dip here if they don't want to. Any diehard fan should see the obvious plan here and pick and choose what they want accordingly. Complaints about any of this at this time are pretty much unnecessary. All versions will be available eventually and you only have to buy what you want.

 

[rich_d]

Your math is quite different from my math. It's approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes of film and they could have used DVD branching and got it all easily on two discs.

 

[Benovite]

Which one?

 

[Frank@N]

Is Death Proof being rented in B&M spots like HV and BB?

I'm wondering because DF wasn't exactly in theaters and doesn't have much mainstream visibility.

I typically buy rentals after the fact, but I don't exactly stop in at BB/HV all the time...

 

[BarryS]

Yes. Death Proof is "Blockbuster Exclusive" because it's a Weinstein Company release. Other rental outlets have to buy the movie retail in order to rent it. The Blockbuster version is just a single disc version with no extras except for an exclusive Hot Rods of Death Proof featurette.

 

[Travis Brashear]

Well it certainly is, by a country mile, I daresay (and I'm a fan of both parts of GRINDHOUSE), but I'm not sure that was a meaningful factor in its earlier release...

 

[Benovite]

Death Proof the stronger film by a country mile? Did we see the same Grindhouse in theaters? It's like BZZZZZZZZZZ- edited. =/


I think they released Death Proof first because it's a Tarantino movie and his name will sell DVD's. Also Planet Terror is a great Halloween movie so it seems right to release it closer to Oct. 31st.

 

[RickER]

We dont do politics here, but as with all things. Its a matter of opinion.

 

[Benovite]

Sorry, I'll edit my comment to remove said political reference.

 

[RickER]

Ditto, on my end. That was a hell of a buzz you got by the way.

 

[John CW]

Just to let anyone know, I've written the final part of my write-up of the Tarantino Q&A session. I have to say this is the weakest part, but if you're a Tarantino fan you may want to read the last little bit!

http://thunderpeel2001.blogspot.com/...-q-part-3.html

rich_d, I'm not sure what you mean exactly. The theatrical release of Grindhouse in the US definitely affected its release outside of the US - is that what you mean?

 

[BarryS]

You never call a Kiwi an Aussie..... unless you want to get your ass kicked...

But seriously... As far as Tarantino's feelings regarding adapting other people's material, I can understand what he means. He certainly likes to create his own characters and situations. However, there are plenty of other filmmakers who do pretty much nothing but adapt other people's work. Stanley Kubrick for example. I don't think Kubrick ever wrote an original story for the screen. But he was obviously very passionate about the films he was making. So it just depends on the filmmaker.

Reading your write-up really makes me wish that Tarantino would do a "An Evening with Quentin Tarantino" like Kevin Smith's "Evening with Kevin Smith". He obviously loves to talk at great length about his movies and movies in general . I would love to see him answering questions from fans and relating stories about his experiences and movies that he loves. Maybe someday.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

A point actually made in the movie!

 

[John CW]

I know, I think BarryS was making the reference to pour salt into the wound (I can't believe I did that! Doh!) Thanks for pointing it out and, once again, for the very kind words.

I think you're right Barry, considering how voluble he is, "An Evening with Quentin Tarantino" might be a very fun thing indeed!

 

[Sean Richardson]

Post-'Killer's Kiss', this is basically true, although I'm pretty sure that '2001: A Space Odyssey' is officially credited as an original screenplay [which is somewhat based on Clarke's story, 'The Sentinel']; the novel '2001' is a novelization of the screenplay Clarke and Kubrick wrote together.

 

[Frank@N]

I don't know if this counts as news but in this week's Home Media Magazine (p.26), it is reported in the review of the PT DVD that RR confirms in the extras that there will be a 2-disc Grindhouse theatrical DVD release.

 

[Sean Richardson]

is he expecting it to street before or after the 'Spy Kids' SE, the 'Spy Kids' box set, the 'Faculty' SE, and/or the 'Roadracers' SE?

He confirmed all of those at least a year or two ago. To be honest, I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure none of them has been released yet. And, unlike 'Grindhouse', 'Spy Kids' was a hit.

 

[Frank@N]

Many people seem to think the absence of the fake trailers is fairly clear sign of a Grindhouse triple-dip.

But like you said, it ain't out till it's out.