The MoFo Movie Club Discussion - Death Proof

Because some people (ahem...me) love those trashy films...

So, what about the people who hated Lady Snowblood? Wouldn't those people say "why remake a trashy 70's martial arts movie?"

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It's a shame that people have to watch these films separately, both films were never intended to be viewed ALONE. They were two separate movies sure, and the directors have stated that they were never directing half of one film, but a whole film, but viewing these films alone is robbing you of what they were intended to be.

I gave GRINDHOUSE is perfect score when I first saw it in theatres. Never have I ever had so much fun in a theatre (excluding audience participation RHPS). I own Death Proof by itself and it still holds up, but it doesn't have the same impact.

Sure we have long scenes of nothing but useless dialogue, but that's what the grindhouse films were. Tarantino captured it perfectly. I think the film might have been better if it were never revealed that there were two groups of women. Oh well.

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BTW - Why remake trashy grindhouse films? The same reason he remade blaxploitation or spaghetti westerns. He loves the genres.

I'll wonder again as to why it was released separately.

Milk the fans even more?? The Weinsteins???

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

God, don't get me started. As that is the reason I still haven't seen either film yet, and since I neglected to pack my soapbox with me today, I'll just leave it at that. It does appear to be working though if the numbers I'm reading are correct, so good for them frigging *ss clowns...

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You really think that matters?!

The last shot of the girls kickboxing Stuntman Mike to death is riveting. It certainly kept me awake at 1 AM when I was already falling asleep. Death Proof bored me originally, but that was because I had just watched Planet Terror, it was late at night and girls chit-chatting didn't interest me.

Seriously, Death Proof would be a better film if it wrapped up what happened to Lee and what the hicks would say about the car? VROOM! VROOM! "We're back! The car's messed up. Can we like, pick up our friend? Oh, she's giving you a blowjob? We'll wait outside..."

I think it's left for you to imagine. These girls just killed Stuntman Mike - I think they can handle the man who loaned them the car.

Unless he happens to be Stuntman Mike's brother and it leads to Death Proof 2?

In spite of my incessant bitching, and trust me it's incessant and annoying to be sure. My Father who lives with me still chose to bring both of these flicks home yesterday, so... I suppose I'll be forced to watch this at some point this weekend and I'm sure you'll all be waiting with baited breath for my dizzying and sparkling review of the flick... More to come. Good day sir!

Ok, now I've joined the club so I can be cool too!

Well, I still liked it quite a bit, even though I sat there through the whole damn thing wondering how much was added to the original piece. And wishing that I was watching all the silly little trailers. But I digress...

How many MoFo's saw this in the theater? And have now also seen this so-called extended edition? How much was truly added? I believe this was going to be about 80 to 90 mins in the theater so at the very least there was 20 minutes added.

I get all of the complaints and my first one would simply be that it is to long. There just isn't enough story there for it to be almost 2 hours long. However, I still enjoyed a good deal of it for what it was. I loved the cars and the collision when he killed the four girls was absolutely over the top frigging great. I, thanks to Tacitus spent a lot of time waiting for the scratchy screen to stop and when it did and never returned I was a little surprised by that. It sure seems like that should have continued, it was really kind of the main theme throughout wasn't it? Especially in the first one Planet Terror; excessively if you ask me, at times I didn't care for it.

I gotta say though that even though it was surely flawed, and I still believe that was intentional Death Proof is the better of the two. Mostly because of Zoe Bell, she was fantastic! She's the one thing that I hadn't heard a single thing about and she owned the second half of the film. In case you didn't know that in fact was her hanging off the front of that magnificent 1970 Dodge Challenger that entire time. That's what she does. Click her name above and read all about her, she's spectacular!

All in all though I'm still more than a little saddened that I didn't go see this in the theater, I really just want to see it the way it came out and god knows how long I'm going to have to wait for that. But I've gotta disagree with you Tatty it wasn't sh*t either. I think my earlier assessment of him trying to achieve poop was probably pretty accurate.

Thanks PW.

What next for Tarantino? Carry On films? Are they cool yet?

Hmmmm resurrecting Jim Dale's career might even be beyond QT's Lazarus-like powers...

...and who could possibly replace Kenneth Williams?

You probably shouldn't give him any ideas. You know how idea starved Hollywood is these days. I suppose they ought to be safe for now as it doesn't sound like he grew up watching them in the first place.

Overall, I tend to agree with some of the critics who pointed out that perhaps it's not such a great idea to do a tribute to films that were ranged from crap to ultra-crap. But, it did take balls, I can't believe there were a lot of folks lining up to tell QT and RR both how excited they were to rush out and see a bad double feature. And if there was then mores the pity. I don't think I can change you're mind on this Tatty so I won't try, I do think you may be taking this a little teensy weensy bit too seriously.

How very dare you!

Yeah, maybe but can you really separate the Tarantino style from the generic dialogue? I can't. As much as the dialogue stinks and you can argue it's his homage, too much of it is him; hip, referential words opposed to 'useless' dialogue. I can't see how Tarantino captured dialogue when it's reeks of him trying to show everyone he's an auteur. And if he has captured it perfectly, he's not really revised the genre and has just copied them and made a 'bad' film (as they were intended) which seems somewhat redundant. And you can argue his intentions etc but i can't see someone with his ego wanting to make a bad film.

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That's true, but only if you think it's a bad film. Some of us don't. I think I would include Tarantino in the "us" group.

In the context of Grindhouse, the opening of Death Proof was supposed to give you a little breather after the non-stop assault of Planet Terror. Stripped of its context in the entire film, it does seem much more sluggish and drawn out, especially with the added footage. However, I still find it not to be a bad film even with the umbilical cut.

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Did you see it in the theater mark? Or only on DVD. I hope someone here at some point could weigh in on how much was added to the film. I'm getting the impression that it was quite a bit. And not that it really matters I guess, I still liked it. I'm just one of those people that wants to know stuff like that so I can dazzle you at parties. Also mark, which one did you like better?

They added the entire lapdance scene. At the theatre, it just has a card come on the screen saying "Reel Missing". They extended the scene where the lapdancer goes out to make out in the car in the bar parking lot. They also added more scenes in the transition from the first set of women to the second set. This makes it seem more like Kurt Russell is playing the same character in both halves. In the original, there is only a brief scene of Russell snapping photos of the second set. Although he has the same m.o. as Stuntman Mike, the drastic change in his personality leaves the door open to an interpretation that he's a Copycat or different character. I think they added about 15-20 minutes, basically in three scenes. I'm wondering if Europe got an even longer version because the U.S. Death Proof DVD runs 113 minutes.

I probably liked Planet Terror better. It wasn't trying to do anything drastically different from schlocky horror sci-fi films, except for making it wittier. Tarantino was trying something more complex, and in the context of Grindhouse, it works better than as a stand-alone flick.

Thanks mark. What did you think of Zoe Bell? I could not take my eyes off of her. For a stunt woman I think she's got some pretty decent acting chops, I hope to start seeing more of her soon.

I somewhat agree with you about Planet Terror, I don't know... It just didn't really "do it" for me I guess is all it comes down to. It was a little to Kung Fooey at times, if you get my meaning. I didn't dislike it. I was just so impressed with Zoe that I liked Death Proof that much more I suppose.

My local Blockbuster didn't have this one. Am going to get it through the mail, I guess. Sorry I've been a dork and not seen it yet.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

Should finally be able to see this this evening and dive in.

Did you ever watch this?

Is this the one that everyone wanted to see? . . .

Grindhouse Presents, Planet Terror - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)

I dunno. I've always avoided Pulp Fiction as well, and that one seems to be loved by most of the people on here. So does this movie. I'm dwelling!