Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof (Extended and Unrated) (Two-Disc Special Edition)

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Master director Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION) indulges his inner fan boy by paying homage to his favorite B-movies in DEATH PROOF. Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) stalks beautiful women with his deadly vintage car, but when he picks a trio of tough girls (Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, and Zoe Bell), he learns they aren't such easy prey. As with any Tarantino film, there are plenty of nods to pop culture. Most of the scenes are deliberately short on plot development, the dialogue comes thick and fast throughout, and the film stock is often cleverly manipulated to perfectly replicate the B-movie aesthetic. DEATH PROOF was originally released as part of the GRINDHOUSE double feature with Robert Rodriguez's PLANET TERROR. Director Quentin Tarantino Star Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Zoe Bell, Quentin Tarantino, Eli Roth, Special Features: Director Quentin Tarantino Year of Release: 2007. AMAZON.COM Loud, fast, and proudly out of control, Grindhouse is a tribute to the low-budget exploitation movies that lurked at drive-ins and inner city theaters in the '60s and early '70s. Writers/directors Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) cooked up this three-hour double feature as a way to pay homage to these films, and the end result manages to evoke the down-and-dirty vibe of the original films for an audience that may be too young to remember them. Tarantino's Death Proof is the mellower of the two, relatively speaking; it's wordier (as to be expected) and rife with pulp/comic book posturing and eminently quotable dialogue. It also features a terrific lead performance by Kurt Russell as a homicidal stunt man whose weapon of choice is a souped-up car. Tarantino's affection for his own dialogue slows down the action at times, but he does provide showy roles for a host of likable actresses, including Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rose McGowan, Sydney Poitier, and newcomer Zoe Bell, who was Uma Thurman's stunt double in Kill Bill. Detractors may decry the rampant violence and latch onto a sexist undertone in Tarantino's feature, but for those viewers who grew up watching these types of films in either theaters or on VHS, such elements will be probably be more of a virtue than a detrimental factor. -- Paul Gaita SET CONTAINS: In regard to the Extended and Unrated part of Death Proof's two-disc DVD presentation, director Quentin Tarantino has essentially provided the version of the film he showed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, which ran some 30 minutes longer than the 85-minute version shown during Grindhouse's theatrical run. The additional footage is given mainly to dialogue between the female cast, as well as the much-discussed lapdance sequence featuring Kurt Russell's Stuntman Mike and Vanessa Ferlito's Butterfly, which was removed from the theatrical version (and replaced with an amusing "Missing Reel" edit). Hardcore devotees of Tarantino's dialogue and its penchant for referring all manner of obscure pop culture material will undoubtedly enjoy the additional scenes, while those that felt that the theatrical version slowed to a crawl due to the conversations may find themselves reaching for the fast-forward button. However, it's hard to imagine that any self-respecting grindhouse movie fan would take issue with the restored lapdance. As for the special features, which get the entire second disc in the set, they highlight a fun and familial atmosphere behind the scenes that contrasts greatly with the white-knuckle action of Death Proof. It's also sure to please Tarantino fans by providing a further look into the decisions and thought processes that brought the film to life. The director is featured prominently throughout the six short featurettes that comprise the special features; it's a fair trade for a traditional commentary track (which Tarantino excels at), and he gives his standard passionate and knowledgeable testimony about his cast and crew, as well as his reasons for hiring the diverse players in the feature. Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof is a conversation with the many veteran stunt men who handled the film's elaborate automotive action, including such industry heroes as Buddy Joe Hooker. Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike is an affectionate valentine to the much-loved leading man from Tarantino (who discusses Russell's career and image down to the most obscure detail) and his castmates, and Finding Quentin's Gals is an involved conversation with the director on how he found his powerhouse actresses, with reactions from Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan, Sydney Poitier, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and stuntwoman-turned-actress Zoe Bell. The latter two actresses also get their own featurettes; Winstead's full-bodied vocal rendition of "Baby, It's You" is shown in its entirety, and Tarantino's discovery of Bell in the documentary Double Dare, which lead to her turn as Uma Thurman's stunt double in Kill Bill, and her debut as an actress in Death Proof are covered in Introducing Zoe Bell. The Guys of Death Proof is a loose and funny look at the film's male supporting cast, including cult favorite Michael Parks and director Eli Roth (who cringes visibly while recalling how his character disparages Kurt Russell), and Quentin's Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke is a self-explanatory tribute to his longtime partner-in-crime, which includes numerous on-camera greetings to her from cast and crew. A trailer for the terrific Double Dare rounds out the extras. --Paul Gaita See more