DVD Review: Death Proof
Death Proof (2007)–**
DVD Review
It seems that Quentin Tarantino finally missed with Death Proof. The prolific writer/director, whose nearly infallible career made some believe Christ had returned, stepped out of bounds with his half of Grindhouse, now a standalone film thanks to a DVD director’s cut release.
Of course there are some who still believe that his slasher/revenge film is just as great, maybe even greater, than his other work. To them I say, if Death Proof is a masterpiece, then Tarantino made one of the most unwatchable masterpieces in cinematic history.
The film is split into two parts with the first following crazed killer Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) as he stalks a group of unsuspecting ladies in Austin, Texas. How does Stuntman Mike attack his victims? With his reinforced, “death proof” stunt car. While Stuntman Mike succeeds with in taking out the first group of girls, that other clique in the second half (you know, the half without a grainy filter) doesn’t cave so easily. He tries to run them off the road, and they try to run him off right back. Only they have guns… and a lead pipe.
Yes, guns and a lead pipe and a fast car. You can tell Death Proof wasn’t an attempt to make a great film. Worse, the storylines aren’t even elevated by the fact that Tarantino is intentionally making a bad movie; they are just bad.
You may try to put Death Proof on the same level as the genre pictures that Tarantino has made in the past, but it’s hard to see anything resembling the effortless, avant garde masterpieces that he delivered consistently for years. The jump cuts designed to mimic a lost reel or missing frames don’t seem revolutionary, instead adding an artificial look to Tarantino’s weakest big budget attempt at low budget filmmaking.
Certain bad shots in the slasher half of the film seem do have an inspired quality about them, but Tarantino’s much beloved dialogue gets in the way of our ability to focus on the little successes. Still, the first half’s dialogue is better than the taxing chit chat in the second part of the film. The latter half is an hour of excruciating, uninteresting personal anecdotes without the coolness we’ve come to expect.
Yes, I did just use the word coolness, because if we can call Tarantino one thing, it’s cool. He’s earned a reputation for being hip among the critics and cinematic elitists. But among his circle of friends, Robert Rodriguez, Eli Roth and others, maybe he wasn’t cool enough. His movies weren’t the same as theirs. They were just too damn good. If nothing else, Death Proof can be looked at as a reason not to cave into peer pressure. Because, just as I said the first time I reviewed Grindhouse, if you set out to make a bad movie, that’s exactly what you are going to make.
Special Feature that aren’t worth writing home about but are listed nonetheless:
- Finding Quentin’s Gals
- The Guys Of Death Proof
- Kurt Russell As Stuntman Mike
- Introducing Zoe Bell
- Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
- Double Dare Trailer
- International Poster Gallery
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