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entertaining u newspaper: your monthly guide to entertainment
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by kellie abrahamson
kabrahamson1@aol.com
Grindhouse, the double feature box office flop from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, is making its way to DVD as two separate films. First up is Death Proof, Tarantino’s dialogue-heavy high speed revenge flick, which is available now.
Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) is a seemingly nice guy. He visits bars strictly for the food and the conversation, is for the most part a gentleman when chatting up the ladies and is kind enough to offer up a ride when a pretty young thing is stranded. Unfortunately for the people he comes in contact with, Stuntman Mike’s nice guy routine is all a ruse. In reality, the aging has-been is a serial killer, using his “death proof” car as his weapon. We meet Stuntman Mike as he stalks his prey.
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A group of three good looking 20-somethings in short shorts and clinging tops has caught his eye, and after a carefree night of boozing it up at a local bar, the girls discover the truth about their new acquaintance a bit too late. The psychopath then moves on, choosing a new set of unsuspecting victims. What Stuntman Mike doesn’t know, however, is that his latest targets are far more formidable: two of them are stuntwomen. What happens next is quite possibly one of the best car chases ever to be caught on film, as the girls set out to revoke Stuntman Mike’s driving privileges.
To say Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse experiment was a disappointment at the box office is like saying Reservoir Dogs is a tad violent. The B movie double-feature proved to be too much for mainstream audiences, making only $25 million of its $53 million budget. A flop in the US, the films got separated for their international release in what many consider a move to recoup some of the money the studio lost, drawing the ire of fans who didn’t want to pay twice for a film American audiences saw for the price of one. Still, the split must have made the powers that be happy because it’s carried over to the DVD release. While we all have to wait a couple more weeks for Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, Tarantino’s high-octane thrill ride Death Proof is now available on DVD.
Those who saw and liked Death Proof in theaters will be happy to hear that an additional 25 minutes or so has been added to the DVD release. Much of the new scenes are extended dialogue, a problem for those who found this particular QT offering too talky. Those folks may perk up when they see the sexy lap dance one of the girls (Arlene- played by Vanessa Ferlito) performs for Stuntman Mike around the half-way point, a scene deleted in the theatrical cut. Another welcome addition is a scene that happens a little later where we see the extent of Mike’s creepiness. I won’t get into the details but I’ll tell you it involves Rosario Dawson’s feet, a drooling Stuntman and the sweet sound of Mary Elizabeth Winstead singing “Baby It’s You” a cappella.
As for extras, the two-disc extended and unrated edition is the way to go (your only other option is a single-disc version available for rent at Blockbuster which has next to nothing as far as supplements go). First up is “Stunts on Wheels,” a 28 minute featurette that pays tribute to the stuntmen and women and the stunt coordinator. Next is “Introducing Zoë Bell,” where the stuntwoman-turned-actor and the rest of the Death Proof family reflect on her initial reaction to the script, her relationship with QT and the cast, and doing her own stunts. “Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike” is much of the same, with everyone showing Russell his fair share of love. “Finding Quentin’s Gals” is next. This 21 minute featurette explains how and why Tarantino chose his female leads. The men get their turn in “The Guys of Death Proof,” which clocks in at around 8 minutes. The entire cast says “hi” to Sally Menke, QT’s go to editor in “Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke.” This cute extra is the closest the disc gets to bloopers, with all of the actors breaking character to say a quick and sometimes creative hello to the often underappreciated woman behind the scenes. The DVD is rounded out with the entire uncut version of Winstead’s serenade and the trailer for the documentary Double Dare, about Zoë Bell’s rise to stuntwoman super stardom.
Initially, I was annoyed that Planet Terror and Death Proof were split up for the DVD but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Back in the days of actual grindhouse cinemas, people would go in and catch a double feature of exploitation films. Once home video caught on, those films would go on to receive single releases (if they were ever released at all). Splitting up the films keeps with the grindhouse tradition, something I’m certain Tarantino and Rodriguez were planning the whole time, poor numbers at the box office notwithstanding. In terms of this release, the big disappointments here are no audio commentary and no fake trailers, which were a big hit with fans back when the flick was in theaters. Hopefully both will find there way on the inevitable double dip (it’s been rumored that one is already in the works for next summer). The extras that are present are entertaining, especially when Tarantino shows up and drops some film knowledge. This guy is first and foremost a movie buff, so it’s always fun- for me anyway- to see him speak so passionately about the films and genres he loves.
Grindhouse was a terrific time at the movies. I personally saw it three times in theaters and could have gone again. The Death Proof DVD isn’t as much of an “experience” as the theatrical release, but it is a terrific throwback to the era and very much a “Tarantino” movie in tone and pacing. You may be tempted to hold out for a double feature DVD release, but I wouldn’t. This one is definitely worth owning now.
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