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Death Proof (2007)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Time Out rating

Average user rating

26 reviews

Synopsis

For Austin’s hottest DJ, Jungle Julia, dusk offers an opportunity to unwind with two of her closest friends, Shanna and Arlene. The three fox posse sets out into the night, turning heads from Guero’s to the Texas Chili Parlor. Not all of the attention is innocent though: covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike, a scarred, weathered rebel who leers from behind the wheel of his muscle car. As the girls settle into their beers, Mike’s weapon, a white-hot juggernaut, revs just feet away…

Movie review

From Time Out London

The connections between Quentin Tarantino and Apichatpong Weerasethakul are not, it must be said, extensive. Still, it’s striking that, like Apichatpong’s ‘Syndromes and a Century’ (also out this week), ‘Death Proof’ offers two incarnations of the same story and, in its own way, is concerned with seeking meaning through iteration and the practice of cinema. Still, we aren’t likely to see Apichatpong making a film about a former stuntman who gets his kicks by offing honeys with a weaponised sedan any time soon.

The first time we meet Kurt Russell’s Stuntman Mike, he cosies up to a group of chicks in a Texas roadhouse; next time round, he takes on another three in Tennessee. Despite its double structure, ‘Death Proof’ is something of a spare limb, made as part of ‘Grindhouse’, the high-concept retro genre pastiche double bill that tanked at the US box office. It was always going to be an action-heavy, plot-light exercise in fan-boy indulgence, an essentially masturbatory fantasy project (almost literally when it comes to foot fetishisation), and being extended by 25 minutes only serves to exacerbate these tendencies.

So, yes, the characters talk in Tarantino-speak-squared, the violence is hand-rubbingly sadistic and the whole thing is swathed in several layers of quotation marks. But smart attention is also paid to some interesting tensions between old and new in areas as varied as pop culture, photography, effects work, automobile construction, telephony and audio recording technology. And if you have an inner (or outer) fan-boy to indulge, the climactic extended car chase is a bona fide old-school tour de force.

Author: Ben Walters 2007-09-17 16:15:02

Time Out London Issue 1935: September 19-25

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User reviews of this film

Chsdudhf said...

Posted on Aug 21 2009 10:50 I honestly believe this was the worst movie ever created the dialog went no where and for that movie to be made in 2007 it has the worst so called action sequense I've ever seen I honestly think I could give my came phone to a Jr. High School student and let him/her use her imagination and they will come up with something utterly trumping this waste of film and money QT could have done so much better there's no point in puting out a movie if it wasn't finished or if he didn't put his time into it Im sorry to all the QT fan boys who will say that I'm retarded and have no idea what I'm talking about but for u saying this is a jewel or even a ok/tolleralable movie get off QT's sack and really look at the movie for what it's worth not for who made it. IMO worst movie I ever sat down and watch all the way through 2 times (to make sure I didn't miss out on anything) I gave that movie a fair chance and will not give the movie and good review to anyone who asks QT needs to step his game back up and create some better movies again

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hannah said...

Posted on Mar 06 2009 10:31 Deathproof is an amazing film. QT's style always work although the dialogue was to long in some parts I found the character of Stuntman Mike both witty and charming while still on the pyschopathic side. The cars were amazing. QT took the 70's expolitations and slasher film genres and made them his own in his own fucked and disjointed way, it seemingly uses the strcture of a slasher film, hopefully against you. Best film I've seen in a while.

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alex said...

Posted on Nov 09 2008 21:50 What a complete disappointment of a film. QT's efforts were lazy as well as mediocre. I am a big fan of his and this is his worst offering, he had his 70s tribute with kill bill and worked well. This was just tripe, I couldnt wait for it to finish. Kurt Russell was wasted in it, the dialogue was piss-poor, it doesnt go ANYWHERE. He basically made a homage to his own movies as well as 70s b-movies. Come on you can do better surely!!!

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Magmabulle said...

Posted on Jun 09 2008 11:14 Death Proof is at times surprising, suspense and great. Tarantino shows that he is a master of camera work, music and light, and the car scenes are really good. However, the dialogue is not remotely close of being as good as in, for example, Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, which is one of the problems with Death Proof. If a movie should have hours of talking, at least make it good.

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Kev said...

Posted on May 30 2008 09:52 I am not a great fan of QT's ... I turned pulp fiction off after 15 mins ...but luved from dusk till dawn ... mixed reviews on this 1 ... luved the car scenes .. but it drawled on & on & on & on ....oh & on ... till the end car chase scene which I thought was totally gripping and a rush.
If your a QT fan you'll luv it ..if not .. be preppared for a long haul... Kurt russell is, once again, you'll believe his character apart from that ermmmmmmm ...read from top again

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Jason Hall said...

Posted on Apr 16 2008 00:23 Utterly banal, utterly pointless and totally and utterly shite. I have never hated a film so much in my life - although it's as much a hatred of the cult of Tarantino and the fawning fanboys and critics who happily accept and defend even garbage like this and give it far more kudos than it ever deserves. And who mentioned "girl power"? Pur-lease! This film is the latest dry-wank to be spat out onto celluloid by a screaming misogynist. Tarantino's idea of a 'strong female character' is a woman who knows how to say fuck 30 different ways (usually in the same sentence), can throw a punch, shoot a gun, talk about cars, films or car-films and treat other women just as shittily as the men can. The fact that they beat the living crap out of the guy in the end does not make it OK.

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Edwina said...

Posted on Apr 06 2008 00:29 The worst movie I've ever seen in my life. Rubbish rubbish rubbish.

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Nick said...

Posted on Feb 03 2008 05:06 Great movie loved it

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Robert said...

Posted on Oct 24 2007 03:58 Hey guys! It's only a movie. It has been made to entertain you. Intelligent dialogue, beautiful girls, sexy dancing, great music, car crashes, car chases, blood and guts....what else do you want to be entertained? Simply put, this was a great movie!!!!

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Liz said...

Posted on Oct 14 2007 21:15 A definite Tarantino best, this film captures you and you become part of it. After being entranced by the car chase in the second part, with the memories of the first part, your adrenaline will be pumping with the ultra-climactic ending. The video effects and soundtrack make this movie quite an art. You will only be disappointed if you don't understand the Tarantino genre. This became an instant favorite of mine before the movie ended.

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Thomas said...

Posted on Oct 11 2007 15:45 Having read some reviews I was a little dubious, and a little hesitant to go and see the film, However from the scratchy opening trailer, with Keith Mansfield fantastically putting me in the right mood for this piece of genious. Possibly the sexiest film I've seen for a long time, although Tarrentino's (ironic?) foot fetish features so promenantly. This is also one of the most feminist film's I have ever seen, Kurt Russel is absolutely wonderful, and the dialogue hits home run's 85% of the time and is the only film I can think of to give great lines to women as well as men. Also features the world's best car crash, and then the most ridiculously extreme car chase ever.
I found this film beautiful.

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J in Wandsworth Town said...

Posted on Oct 11 2007 14:51 This movie rocked. People actually clapped after the film was over...I can't even remember the last time that has happened in a cinema. Highly recommended.

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JENN said...

Posted on Oct 10 2007 16:42 Very disappointed in Death Proof. It was almost like someone trying to imitate QT's work; but it was actually HIM. It seems as if he was trying too hard with the dialogue scenes; not near the caliber of Jackie Brown or Pulp Fiction..very disappointing (I really wanted to love it).

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alex said...

Posted on Oct 06 2007 19:16 I thoroughly enjoyed Death Proof, And I love the fact that nearly every critic in the world has suddenly turned on both the film and it's director, QT should take comfort in the fact that it flew right over their heads. Believe me, in twenty years time they'll all be hailing it as a masterpiece.

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mary said...

Posted on Sep 28 2007 13:28 I am french and i saw this movie in France, during the Festival de Cannes, where Death proof was presented. I like it!!!!! But, like the French people, the English people has the same reaction : they love it or they hate it. And it is always the same critics about Tarantino. But it is his style, his way. For me, Death proof is a little jewel of quality and a big diamond in the world of cinema....

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