Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Parks, James Parks, Eli Roth.

Imagine you’re having the wildest and most unbelievable sex of your life only to see it come to an abrupt conclusion because the postman’s knocked on the front door beseeching your signature - That’s how Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof” will feel for many, its absolutely orgasmic but you know there could’ve been much, much more.

You see the film was originally intended to be one of two movies released as a double bill under the title “Grindhouse”, it’d have been director Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s homage to the classic drive-in double header, with fake trailers in the middle to complete the experience. Unfortunately, since minors are cinema’s biggest market and Lindsay Lohan was nowhere in sight, the film bombed. Teenagers had never experienced a B-movie double feature, let alone attended a drive-in theatre, so one of the year’s most creative endeavours was sadly – and annoyingly – lost on them; they just didn’t know what to make of it (And as Tarantino has said in interviews people didn’t care to sit in a theatre for three and a half hours).

After the disastrous opening weekend of “Grindhouse” in the states, the distributor (The Weinstein Co) decided to split the two films – Rodriguez’s effort is a zombie film called “Planet Terror” – for the rest of the world; hence robbing viewers of what would’ve been not just a double feature but an event in itself. Not content with just letting the big boys slap their members in his face, Tarantino’s gone to the trouble – Rodriguez reportedly has to – of at least stretching the duration of “Death Proof” so audiences will feel less jibbed and more like they’ve sat through a stand-alone movie.

Now, for all intents and purposes, “Death Proof” does seem to be it’s own beast… but that doesn’t mean some won’t be waiting around after the final credits roll for the ‘next one to start’.

“Death Proof”, whether it’s in a relationship or playing with itself, is still great entertainment – and how could it not be with the king of cool, Quentin Tarantino, behind the camera, and the equally slick Kurt Russell filling up most of it’s frames? It’s intended to be a really tacky B-grade film – like those we endured at the drive-in as youngsters- and that’s definitely part of the appeal, but more so it’s a fast, fun, funky and hugely enjoyable experience regardless of how worn the film stock looks. Quite simply, it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on!

Russell – in a role originally intended for Mickey Rourke – undoubtedly had the time of his life playing the film’s lead villain, Stuntman Mike, a has-been bruise-for-hire whose set his sights on taking down the town’s young ladies… in his charger!, just because, well, he can.

Russell is sensational in the part and it’s clear he’s glad to be doing something a little more ‘him’ – or ‘John Carpenter’ – again. If “Death Proof” has done anything it’s remind us just how great Russell is, and how underutilised he’s been of late. Having said that, he does really only appear in the first and third acts of the film.

Not to say the bodacious bouquet of beauties that surround him in the film aren’t just as grand – Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Sydney Poiter, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Tracie Thoms, Rose McGowan, and real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell (she was Uma Thurman’s double in “Kill Bill” and plays herself here) are superb, and look like they’re having just as much fun as their legendary co-star. Bell, in particular, finally gets the chance to show us what she’s made of her acting-wise… though, needless to say, her stunt work again takes centre stage (she straddles the bonnet of a fast-moving charger at the end of the film – very impressive).

There will no doubt be a lot of folks who ‘don’t get’ the movie – mainly because it looks (with its scratchy film stock) and plays (its very cheesy, and the plot is very reminiscent of one of those thinly-written exploitation flicks of the 70s) – but those that do know the language its speaking, will be welcomingly and instantly transported back in time. (and even if you do think the film plays trite, you’ve gotta admit that it features Tarantino’s trademark cooler-than-cool dialogue!)

Yes, many will have wished they’d seen “Death Proof” and “Planet Terror” in a double bill, but think of it this way… at least we’re getting the films, and extended versions of them of that, sure beats sitting through another “Grudge” or “Garfield” sequel, right?

Worth the double dip!

The extras – which sad to say doesn’t include a commentary track by Tarantino – will largely only appeal to die-hard QT fans; they include featurettes on Russell’s character, Bell, casting the actors and the film’s editor. Hopefully the inevitable “Grindhouse” ‘double’ DVD includes those fake trailers we would’ve seen had the double-bill stayed intact.

Rating :
Reviewer : Clint Morris