More to the point, "Deathproof". Has there been a more overhyped bad movie all year, I think not. This is boring dumb and a real killer to what could have been a enjoyable two pack with "Planet Terror".

Why? Too slow for ya? Too many Vanishing Point references?

Lots of people claim Death Proof is boring, but I didn't think so. If the cast had Keitel, Jackson, Madsen, etc. spouting the dialogue, everybody would have thought it was really good dialogue. When you switch sexes and have mostly not big names saying it, it all of a sudden becomes boring, at least to some guys.

That is a one great point mark. Many people remarked that Tarantino was trying to prove he could do "female dialogue" and miserably failed. The guy can do any kind of dialogue he wishes, he knows how to write period.

I feel that Death Proof is a terrific movie from top to bottom. Besides the fact that Tarantino knows how to direct unlike many others, the movie is never boring and the writing is interesting and highly enjoyable.

Yes it was too slow for me and no I could care less about the Vanshing Point references. You say the dialogue was cool, I say the dialogue was two sets of four girls talking about who slept with who, who is currently sleeping with who, and who wants to sleep with who. It maybe "realistic" dialogue people have but then again I don't think a movie should be made about some of my conversations. No build up no suspense just a car crash and a chase. I will give credit when it is due, the stunt with Zoe on the hood was pretty cool. The rest was just bad.

i think tarantino has an issue, not with gender politics but with being self-referential.

his dialogue, at times, is intentionally smug, pretentious, or cute. he tries hard to make low-grade speech high. he will not write realistic characters a'la kubrick because he doesn't respect them or believe in them.

he respects himself, a person he takes to be a miraculously perfect mix of high and low. this means
a tarantino character is a half-real being endowed with the power to pontiifcate on all matter of
mundane nonsense with due aplomb, speed, and ultra self-confidence.

Hey, syzy, can you tell us more about what you like than what you hate? Just a friendly question.

For example, Kubrick is my second-favorite director. Who are your favorite realistic Kubrick characters and why?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

We already saw that movie, it was called Reservoir Dogs we don't need to see it again in Deathproof. It's no longer cool it's just tired. What may have worked 15 years ago doesn't work today. Besides Bell, Dawson, and company can not be put in the same level as Kietel, Busemi, Roth, and company. They are great actors.

quote:

Originally posted by syzygy:
i think tarantino has an issue, not with gender politics but with being self-referential.

his dialogue, at times, is intentionally smug, pretentious, or cute. he tries hard to make low-grade speech high. he will not write realistic characters a'la kubrick because he doesn't respect them or believe in them.

he respects himself, a person he takes to be a miraculously perfect mix of high and low. this means
a tarantino character is a half-real being endowed with the power to pontiifcate on all matter of
mundane nonsense with due aplomb, speed, and ultra self-confidence.

There's a whole lot of pontificating in this post too....does that make you a Tarantino character?

If you want Kubrick characters, watch a Kubrick film. Why are you expecting realistic? I mean, if you saw any of those trailers you should be aware that this movie barely had a serious bone in its... erm body.

No insult intended, syzygy. btw, have you read any short stories by Theodore Sturgeon? I just read this one the other day that taught me what syzygy means...

this movie has to be the BEST movie of 2007, or should I say movies, i could have left after Planet Terror satisfied, but then you have another feature length film, they were both easy 10's for me, I didn't like one more than the other, I cant wait til the DVD, i just hope they dont screw it up by seperately releasing them, it would ruin the Grindhouse experience, people claim that Death Proof's dialogue wasn't any good and that it was boring, I couldnt disagree more, it was very well made and the directing was top-notch, Planet Terror was another great Rodriguez film, it stayed true to his style, and i mean, who doesnt like seeing Rose McGowan.... with a machine gun for a leg, it was just a great overall night at the movies, do not miss it!

"Grindhouse" really was horrible. I actually kinda/sorta enjoyed "Planet Terror" - I could see that it was imitating old 70s gorefests - but what the heck was "Death Proof"? It started out with hokey titles and scratches and missing reels to uphold the Grindhouse feel, but after ten minutes, it ditched them and became four irritating girls talking about having sex. How is "Death Proof" a grindhouse movie at all? There's no sex, no nudity, no gore (well, a little), nothing at all to make it an exploitation movie that'd fit in with "Grindhouse".

And, of course, "Death Proof" was just bad (and this isn't anything gender-related; if it had been a bunch of men, it would have been much more disturbing, but no better at all). And while I like movies where people talk a lot, the talk served absolutely no purpose - it didn't develop the characters, it didn't forward the plot, it didn't bring forth any emotions in us at all (except for deathly boredome...and repulstion), it was just a bunch of bratty girls talking. The end car chase was okay, I guess, but it would have been much, MUCH better if we actually gave a crap about the people in it. If only "Grindhouse" had been two "Planet Terrors"......

Well said Jack Dack. I couldn't agree with you more. Deathproof was horrible, Planet Terror was campy but fun.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by August:
It maybe "realistic" dialogue people have but then again I don't think a movie should be made about some of my conversations.

I actually wouldn't call Tarantino's dialogue realistic. There's certainly an art to the way he writes but I've never met anyone who talks like a Tarantino character.

I LOVED this movie -- both the Rodriguez and Tarantino segments.

I saw Grindhouse in theaters, and I think I actually preferred Death Proof to Planet Terror. I guess because it was more subtle in what it did, not that Planet Terror wasn't also great. I think one critic (too lazy to get specific but it's on MC) said it best when he said, essentially, that Tarantino cheated at what they were doing, in that he actually made a good movie. Er...not that Planet Terror isn't also good, but you know what I mean.

Early on I found the dialog boring too, honestly. I've always held that against Tarantino, the completely unrealistic chit-chat that just made me feel awkward more than anything (the best example is probably Mia Wallace in Jackrabbit Slim's) but the second group of girls were infinitely more engaging for me, maybe it was the Kiwi And yeah, it happens to have one of the best chase scenes probably in all of cinema (and a hilarious ending.)

The friends I saw it with and I kind of compared it to Russ Meyer stuff ("LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: WELCOME TO VIOLENCE!") archetypal women leads, sexual gratification through violence, that kind of thing. In that way, I think it was like an old sexploitation movie, but like whatshisface said, Tarantino "cheated" in that he made a good movie out of it, and I think that's why it gets lost in the translation. But I probably preferred it (maybe I'm trying too hard) and I think probably my favorite part of both movies, where the guys in the bar are making fun of Stuntman Mike and one says something like "look at that big gash on his face - I think he cut himself coming out of his time machine" oh, that killed me.