Category: Quentin Tarantino

TARANTINO XX: 8-FILM COLLECTION with Mondo Artwork on Blu-ray November 20th

In anticipation of the release of TARANTINO XX: 8-FILM COLLECTION on Blu-ray this November 20th, 2012, check out the full interior artwork created by Mondo artist Ken Taylor. Stylistic, bold and unique, Ken Taylor add the same artistic flair to this boxed set as he has for so many of his Mondo poster designs, including this amazing poster for DRIVE (2011) amongst others. A fitting addition to a boxed set already so highly anticipated it could literally make some film buffs’ heads actually explode. For many, this may be a rare opportunity to own some Mondo art, even if mass produced, as original Mondo prints typically sell out within minutes, if not seconds. For many, it’s been a long wait as we’ve watched various Blu-ray editions of Tarantino films pop up in other countries, but not in the United States… ’till now. Tarantino + Blu-ray + Mondo = a very happy fan of cool cinema!

Celebrating Quentin Tarantino’s legendary filmmaking, Lionsgate and Miramax are proud to present the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection, arriving on Blu-ray Disc November 20th.

Tarantino XX contains eight films chosen by Tarantino to illustrate the first 20 years of his career, featuring the films that helped define his early success, including Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof and Inglourious Basterds.  To complete the stunning high definition 10-disc set, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection also features two discs with five hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by a critics’ retrospective on Tarantino’s groundbreaking catalog of films and “20 Years of Filmmaking” that contains interviews with critics, stars and other masters of cinema.

Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection showcases one of the most innovative filmmakers of our time and is a must-have for serious film fans, as Tarantino’s highly-anticipated new film, Django Unchained, prepares to hit theaters. Honoring the 20th anniversary of Reservoir Dogs — the cultural milestone that brought Tarantino to the forefront as a cinematic legend — the collection is highlighted by recurring appearances from celebrated actors including Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill), Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), and also includes starring performances from iconic actors such as Brad Pitt (Inglourious Basterds), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown).

Tarantino XX on Blu-ray also features striking, original artwork designed and illustrated by MONDO (www.mondotees.com). Housed in collectible packaging, the Tarantino XX: 8-Film Collection will be available for the suggested retail price of $119.99.

CONTENTS SUMMARY

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES — 2 Discs*

  • Critics Corner: The Films of Quentin Tarantino — In-depth critics’ discussion piece exploring Tarantino’s films that redefined cinema and the impact of one of the most influential writers/directors of our time.
  • 20 Years of Filmmaking — Take a look at Tarantino’s career from the beginning, with interviews from co-workers, critics, stars and master filmmakers alike as well as a tribute to his greatest collaborator, Sally Menke.

RESERVOIR DOGS

Quentin Tarantino’s directorial debut, nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (1992) and awarded the International Critics Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (1992), is raw, violent and unforgettable. Four perfect strangers are assembled to pull off the perfect crime, but when a botched robbery reveals a police informant among them, their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Pulp Factoids Viewer
  • Playing It Fast and Loose
  • Profiling the Reservoir Dogs

TRUE ROMANCE – DIRECTOR’S CUT

Runaway lovers Clarence and Alabama (Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) play a dangerous game with a stolen suitcase containing $5 million worth of cocaine. They head for Los Angeles, where they’ll sell the goods and begin a new life, but both sides of the law have other ideas. This dark comic web of crime, murder and mayhem from writer Quentin Tarantino and director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Spy Game), features an ensemble cast including Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Christopher Walken.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Audio commentary by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette
  • Audio commentary by Tony Scott
  • Audio commentary by Quentin Tarantino
  • Scene selective commentaries by Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, Brad Pitt and Michael

Rapaport

  • Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Director Commentary
  • Alternate Ending with Optional Director and Writer Commentary
  • Original 1993 Mini-feature
  • Behind-the-Scenes Interactive Feature
  • Animated Photo Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer

PULP FICTION

Pulp Fiction has been hailed by critics and audiences worldwide as a film that redefined cinema. A burger-loving hit man (John Travolta), his philosophical partner (Samuel L. Jackson), a drug-addled gangster’s moll (Uma Thurman) and a washed-up boxer (Bruce Willis) converge in four tales of violence and redemption. The film was honored with an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay (1994) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It has also been listed as one of the best films of all-time by Time and Entertainment Weekly.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Interviews with Cast
  • Critics’ Retrospective on the Movie’s Place in Film History
  • Behind-the-Scenes Footage
  • Pulp Fiction: The Facts
  • Production Design Feature
  • Siskel & Ebert At the Movies — The Tarantino Generation
  • Independent Spirit Awards Footage
  • Cannes Film Festival Footage
  • Charlie Rose — Tarantino Interview
  • Stills Galleries
  • Trivia Track
  • Deleted Scenes

JACKIE BROWN

Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch follows a cash-smuggling flight attendant (Pam Grier) who is busted by an ATF agent (Michael Keaton) and a cop (Michael Bowen). When pressured to help with their investigation, she agrees to do one last run for a ruthless arms dealer (Samuel L. Jackson). Mistrust and suspicions arise when Jackie plays the opposing forces against each other in an effort to walk away with the dough. Robert Forster earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar® nomination for his role as Max Cherry, a bail bondsman who falls for Jackie and becomes embroiled in the scheme.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Breaking Down Jackie Brown
  • Jackie Brown: How It Went Down — Retrospective Interviews with Cast and Crew
  • A Look Back at Jackie Brown — Interview with Quentin Tarantino
  • Chicks with Guns Video
  • Siskel & Ebert At the Movies – Jackie Brown Review
  • Jackie Brown on MTV
  • Marketing Gallery
  • Stills Galleries
  • Trivia Track
  • Deleted and Alternate Scenes

KILL BILL VOL. 1

In the first volume of this gritty revenge saga, an assassin (Uma Thurman) is shot at the altar by her ruthless employer, Bill (David Carradine), and other members of his Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad. In this epic tale of survival The Bride sets out to bring justice to all those who wronged her, including a reformed suburban mother (Vivica A. Fox) and the Japanese Yakuza crime-lord (Lucy Liu).

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • The Making of Kill Bill Vol. 1
  • The 5.6.7.8’s Bonus Musical Performances
  • Tarantino Trailers

KILL BILL VOL. 2

The murderous Bride (Uma Thurman) mercilessly continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill (David Carradine), and his two remaining associates: Bill’s degenerate younger brother (Michael Madsen) and a vicious one-eyed swords-woman (Daryl Hannah).

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • The Making of Kill Bill Vol. 2
  • Damoe Deleted Scene
  • Chingon Musical Performance

DEATH PROOF

Kurt Russell stars as a tough-talking, psychotic serial murderer who transforms his stunt car into an indestructible killing machine, then climbs behind the wheel to stalk and terrorize a group of women on the road. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s picked the wrong babes to mess with.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof
  • Introducing Zoe Bell
  • Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike
  • The Uncut Version of Baby, It’s You performed by Mary Elizabeth Winstead
  • The Guys of Death Proof
  • Quentin’s Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke
  • Double Dare Trailer
  • Death Proof International Trailer
  • An International Poster Gallery
  • BD Live

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

A Jewish cinema owner in Nazi-occupied Paris is forced to host a movie premiere for the Third Reich, where a radical group of American soldiers, The Basterds, led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), plan to roll out a score-settling scheme. The film was honored with an Academy Award® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (2009, Christoph Waltz) and earned seven total nominations, including Best Motion Picture of the Year for Lawrence Bender and Best Writing, Original Screenplay for Quentin Tarantino.

Blu-ray Special Features*

  • Extended and Alternate Scenes
  • Roundtable Discussion with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell
  • The Making of Nation’s Pride
  • A Conversation with Rod Taylor
  • Nation’s Pride — the film within the film
  • The Original Inglorious Bastards
  • Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel
  • Film Poster Gallery Tour
  • Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter
  • Hi Sallys
  • Killin’ Nazis Trivia Challenge
  • Trailers

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Years of Production: 1992-2009

Reservoir Dogs: 1992
True Romance – Director’s Cut: 1993
Pulp Fiction: 1994
Jackie Brown: 1997
Kill Bill Vol. 1: 2003
Kill Bill Vol. 2:2004
Death Proof: 2007
Inglourious Basterds: 2009

Title Copyrights:

Pulp Fiction/Jackie Brown/Kill Bill Vol. 1/Kill Bill Vol. 2: © Miramax
Reservoir Dogs: © 1991 Dog Eat Dog Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Inglourious Basterds: © 2009 Visiona Romantica. All Rights Reserved.
Death Proof: © 2007 The Weinstein Company LLC. All Rights Reserved.
True Romance – Director’s Cut: © 1993, Supplementary Material Compilation © 2009 Morgan Creek Productions, Inc.

Type: Blu-ray Disc Special Edition Set

Rating:

Reservoir Dogs: R for strong language and violence
True Romance – Director’s Cut: Not Rated
Pulp Fiction: R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality
Jackie Brown: R for strong language, some violence, drug use and sexuality
Kill Bill Vol. 1: R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content
Kill Bill Vol. 2: R for violence, language and brief drug use
Death Proof: Unrated; this motion picture previously was released in a version rated R for strong graphic bloody violence and gore, pervasive language, some sexuality, nudity and drug use. This unrated version contains material different from the original R-Rated version.
Inglourious Basterds: R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality

Genre: Compilation; Crime; Drama; Thriller

Blu-ray Closed Captioned: English SDH

Subtitles:
Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof: English and Spanish
True Romance -Director’s Cut, Inglourious Basterds: English, Spanish and French

Blu-ray Format:

Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Death Proof: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.35:1)
Jackie Brown: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (1.85:1)
Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, True Romance: 1080P High Definition 16×9 Widescreen (2.40:1)

Feature Running Time:

Reservoir Dogs: 100 minutes
True Romance – Director’s Cut: 121 minutes
Pulp Fiction: 154 minutes
Jackie Brown: 154 minutes
Kill Bill Vol. 1: 111 minutes
Kill Bill Vol. 2: 136 minutes
Death Proof: 113 minutes
Inglourious Basterds: 153 minutes

Blu-ray Audio Status:

Reservoir Dogs: DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX
True Romance -Director’s Cut: English, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2: English 5.1 Uncompressed, English and French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Death Proof: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, English, French, Spanish, Italian Dolby 5.1 Dolby Digital
Inglourious Basterds: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English 5.1 Dolby Digital
*Subject to change

Tarantino Speaks a Little on His “Western”

Quentin Tarantino has been saying for years how he wants to do a Western, and, save for the spaghetti Western style of KILL BILL VOl. 2 and the small role he played in SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO, that goal has yet to be achieved.   However, that isn’t stopping the auteur from talking about the project and divulging what his vision for it could be.   While lunching with Rush & Molloy of the NY Daily News, Tarantino had this to say about the vision for his “Western” project:

I’d like to do a Western. But rather than set it in Texas, have it in slavery times. With that subject that everybody is afraid to deal with. Let’s shine that light on ourselves. You could do a ponderous history lesson of slaves escaping on the Underground Railroad. Or, you could make a movie that would be exciting. Do it as an adventure. A spaghetti Western that takes place during that time. And I would call it ‘A Southern.’

This would certainly be somewhat along the same lines as his idea to make a feature film adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 40 LASHES LESS ONE, a project that Tarantino has been talking about since all the way back in 2000.   Nothing much has come from that project being on his plate since 2007, so it could very well be dead in the water.

Tarantino is a man who likes deciding between any number of projects, but the idea of him doing a Western has to come to fruition soother rather than later.   Some were speculating KILL BILL VOL. 3 might be next on his plate, but I don’t see that coming to be for a few years, especially if it follows the intended storyline of Vernita Green’s daughter coming after The Bride for revenge.

Of course, this news from The NY Daily could just be Tarantino spit-balling ideas.   That’s something he likes to do, also, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone to never hear about this slavery Western idea ever again.   Time will tell.

Quentin Tarantino Reveals The Bride will Fight Again!

killbill_thebride

This is good stuff, man, even if it is in Italian. Quentin Tarantino, speaking on an Italian television talk show, reveals some tasty bits about his future plans, the most alluring of which is his desire to bring KILL BILL 3 to the screens, stating “The Bride will fight again.” His does, however, stipulate that he wants to wait ten years after KILL BILL, PART 2 before he makes the third volume. In addition, Tarantino also eludes to the slight possibility of a follow-up to INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Kick Ass ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Posters

inglourious basterds

Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ has come and gone, and it has kicked ass in theaters all over America.   Today, we thought it would be   nice to show you some of the posters the film inspired.

The one you see there at the top comes to us courtesy of Poster Wire and is designed by illustrator James Goodbridge.   It’s actually a completed piece of artwork that was unused for the film, and, as beautiful as it is, I can’t imagine why it was passed over for the posters actually used.   Luckily, as indicated by the interview on Poster Wire’s site, Goodbridge is still holding out hope that his illustration will be used somewhere down the road.

Next up are three poster designs brought to us by the fine people at Mondo Tees.

inglourious basterds 1

inglourious basterds 2

inglourious basterds 3

Fortunately, the three posters you see here are on sale over at Mondo Tees’ website.   Unfortunately, these things flew out the door like frisbees.   Currently, they are completely sold out, but keep checking back.   They might come up with a few more.

The first one up was from Print Mafia.   The last two were designed by famed illustrator Tyler Stout.   Each one has a different feel, but they are all equally cool.

Now, if we can only get Drew Struzan to come out of retirement long enough to design a HUGO STIGLITZ! poster, the world would be a better place.

Special thanks to the boys over at Gordon and the Whale for giving us the heads up on all these badass designs.

Review: ‘Inglourious Basterds’

inglouriousbasterds

“We ain’t in the prisoner taking business. We‘re in the Nazi killing business. And cousin, business is a booming”

As soon as this line comes out of Brad Pitt’s mouth you sink into your chair and say “damn, this is going to be a great ride”. I told you guys when Brad Pitt was first cast in this film that Tarantino would make him a bigger badass than he has ever been before…and I was right.

Quentin Tarantino takes a WWII to an entirely different level that may or may not match what history has show us but   ‘Inglourious Basterds’ is still a triumph that begs to be seen more than once. After you watch this you are going to jump back in line to see the next showing, because this movie is that fun.

When I heard that he was going to be remaking ‘Inglorious Bastards’ my first thought was “How is this going to fit into the Tarantino body of work?”. This film can easily stand with ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Kill Bill’ and that isnt being overly generous with my feelings just because its a Tarantino film.

The movie is split into 5 chapters, the first chapter features Nazi officer Hans Landa, AKA “Jew Hunter” played by   Christoph Waltz. His main duty is to seek out and find homes that are hiding Jewish families and the opening scene is delves into one such endeavor. This scene, even though it features none of the “basterds”, is absolutely amazing and really sets the tone for the film. Almost entirely dialogue driven, Tarantino creates a slow mounting tension that is almost unbearable at times.

From there the movie delves into each additional chapter, the next which features all of the Basterds and how they became the merry band of Nazi hunters that they are. Led by the twang filled back woods LT Aldo Raine, Brad Pitt, their only goal is to find Nazi soldiers, attempt to get information from them and then eventually “scalp” them. The first scalping scene is pretty graphic but super badass at the same time. Every once in a while when a Nazi soldier helps them, they let him go, but fearing that he will take his uniform off they always want to be able to recognize him so they cut a swastika into their foreheads.

Hitler is made to look both ridiculous and entertaining at the same time, played by Martin Wuttke who does a pretty convincing job as the former dictator. As soon as he comes onto the screen you immediately hate him and cant wait to see what exactly the fate is that Tarantino will give him by the end of the film. I will tell you that the fate he does meet, doesn’t stand to historical facts but I would have preferred this ending to the real one.

I was completely blown away by Eli Roth who plays Sgt. Donny Donowitz AKA the “Bear Jew”. His specialty is killing the Nazi soldiers with his bat, again pretty graphic the first time you see him take one out. He doesnt talk much but when he does its pretty entertaining. Even without much dialogue you cant help but love his facial expressions, especially those during the theater scenes.

The entire cast is absolutely impeccable. Diane Kruger   does an incredible job as Bridget von Hammersmark, the world famous actress who is moon lighting as a double agent.   I could easily see Christoph Waltz getting nominated for Best Supporting Actor. I honestly cant say enough about this damn film. Almost everything is brilliant and perfect…except Mike Myers in the movie but we wont go there

Tarantino Video Clip for Friday: QT Strutting His Stuff

tarantino

For most of us Quentin Tarantino fans, it seems like there is nothing the man can’t do…almost.   As indicated by this video clip, he isn’t exactly Fred Astaire.   Regardless, the guy’s having a blast at the premiere of ‘Inglourious Basterds.’   Can you blame him?

Not only does Tarantino have a way of breaking rules in his filmmaking, he proves in this clip he knows how to break the red carpet rules, as well.

Check it:

Tarantino’s Lost Projects: ‘Double V Vega’

tarantino

Almost more interesting than the films Quentin Tarantino has chosen to do are the ones he has either been rumored to be behind or has stated himself that he would like to do.   In honor of Quentin Tarantino week here on the site, we thought it was time to go back and look over some of these lost projects.   Some of them never got past the concept stage.   Some might even still be lingering somewhere in the back of QT’s mind.

Of all the on-again-off-again projects in Tarantino’s filmmaking career, none have been more up and down than ‘Double V Vega,’ the continuing adventures of The Vega Brothers.   After the release of ‘Pulp Fiction’ in 1994, the writer/director began talking up how he wanted to revisit the characters he set up in that film and ‘Reservoir Dogs.’   For those of you who don’t know, Michael Madsen’s character in ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ Mr. Blonde AKA Vic Vega, is the brother of John Travolta’s character, Vincent Vega, in ‘Pulp Fiction.’   Despite the film’s actual title, many just referred to it as ‘The Vega Brothers,’ and for 15 years now, it has been one that every Tarantino fan has been awaiting official word on.

In 2002, the UK Sun had word from a source that the film was moving along:

Expect the charm to come from Travolta and the crazy stuff from Madsen. It will follow the pair’s exploits around a club they own, set in the late Eighties. There is also an argument between the brothers over a woman. In true Tarantino fashion, it will be a film full of twists, plenty of action with gangsters a plenty. Tarantino hopes to complete writing The Vega Brothers early next year so he can start shooting in the summer.

In 2004, Tarantino spoke about the potential film in an in-depth interview with Rolling Stone.   After the critical and financial success of ‘Kill Bill,’ Tarantino was in the mood to really challenge himself.   At that time, he wanted to do his war movie, which would eventually become ‘Inglourious Basterds,’ he wanted to do a straight action movie, and he wanted to do his first sequel.

It’s a sequel to both Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, actually, it’s a sequel and it’s a prequel. It’s the Vega Brothers, played by Michael Madsen and John Travolta. I have been trying to do it for years, and the more time I take, the older these two guys get. But I’ve come up with an idea that won’t much matter how much they age….the magic of movies. It’s going to be great. It’ll be funny, and these guys are so great, alright, they’re going to be like two oversized mob-men fighting over the last bowl of pasta, that we can’t go wrong. It’s just going to be John and Michael, and I hope to make this my next movie. We’re laying down the pipework for it now.

However, at this same time, Tarantino was telling other sources that, even though he had the idea, he didn’t have a story.   Tarantino told a radio station in San Antonio that without the story, there was no point trying to get the film made.   It was at this point that Tarantino fans realized ‘Double V Vega’ would definitely NOT be his next movie after ‘Kill Bill.’

In 2005, there was a small snippet of information where Tarantino said he had finally gotten his head around how to write the story.

Even though the character’s have gotten older…I just have to have the ambition to write it.

In late 2006, CHUD conducted an interview with Michael Madsen, and the subject of the possible Vega Brothers film came up.   While he didn’t offer up any idea when the film would begin production, he did give a little more details than had been previously divulged.   Here is what he had to say about the project and its potential synopsis.

Well, first he said he would do it, then he said he wasn’t going to do it. Then he called me and said, ‘You know, I’ve figured out a way to do it. It can’t be a prequel because you and John don’t look the same. “It wouldn’t make sense as a sequel because you’re both dead.’ And he gave me an idea that would be really outrageous – that John and I would be the twin brothers of Vic and Vincent. We come from Amsterdam to LA to avenge the deaths of our brothers. I think that’s pretty interesting. For me, I’d love to do it.

Again, nothing came out of this, and months went by without any word.   In April of 2007, we would receive what would more than likely be the final word on the matter. While doing an interview on Opie and Anthony, Tarantino had this information to give about the potential film.

I even had a title for it. It was called Double V Vega. It actually would have taken place during the time Vincent was in Amsterdam, when he was running one of Marcellus’ clubs in Amsterdam. And Vic goes to visit hi.

But we’re a little older now, and since they both died – it would have to be a prequel.   I actually came up with a way I could have done it, even being older and dead where they all had older brothers and both of their brothers got together because the two guys died. And they wanted revenge or something like that. But now, they [the actors] are too old for that.   I got to say, it’s kind of unlikely now.

And that seems to be it on the subject.   There is no telling where this project lies in Tarantino’s mind.   Judging from the last interviews he did about ‘Double V Vega,’ it seems like a done deal with Vincent and Vic Vega remaining in their coffins and off the sequel radar.   While the chances of ever seeing a Vega Brothers film is extremely unlikely, you can never say never.   Who knows what potential storylines could open the doorway for this film to finally get off the ground?

Tarantino Week: Revisiting ‘Death Proof’

death-proof

Two tons of metal, 200 miles an hour, flesh and bone and plain old Newton… they all princess died.

It’s almost unfair that most people (in the US, anyway) who saw ‘Death Proof’ in the theater had to sit through the barrage of mayhem and massacre that was ‘Planet Terror’ beforehand.  Not to say that Robert Rodriguez’s half of ‘Grindhouse’ is bad, but it’s easy to see why so many people were disappointed in Quentin Tarantino’s half of the entire film.  ‘Death Proof’ served as a bit of a comedown after the left and right pummelling of Rodriguez’s movie.  In fact, ‘Death Proof’ itself is like two movies under one roof.  The first half is incredibly dialogue heavy, and, if you’re not a lover of Tarantino’s brand of dialogue, you might be turned off before the whole thing gets going, before the engines begin to rev up for the second half.

It’s just one more instance in Tarantino’s career as a filmmaker that he looks at the rules of movie making and says “To hell with that.”  The first half of ‘Death Proof’ follows three women, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, and Sydney Tamiia Poitier.  Like ‘Jackie Brown,’ this half takes its time establishing these three women.  We follow them as they go about their evening, preparing themselves for heading out to a lake house for some weekend partying.  Little do they know a psychopath is stalking them.  When they first meet Stuntman Mike Mikke, played by Kurt Russell, they just think he’s creepy but nothing too harmful and nothing they should concern themselves with.  Over the course of the night, Stuntman Mike maneuvers his way into their good graces, even convincing one of the girls, Ferlito, into giving him a lapdance.  In keeping with the Grindhouse style of the whole experience, Tarantino gladly hacked this scene out of the finished version, as if some, horny projectionist had spliced it out for his own collection.  Needless to say, the night doesn’t end well for any of these girls.

If you haven’t seen ‘Death Proof,’ it’s probably a pretty good idea you not play this video.

Like with so many of the genres he has tackled, Tarantino takes the modern slasher and turns it on its ear.  ‘Death Proof’ is unlike any slasher film we have ever seen, setting up a first act that makes you believe the remainder of the film is going to be about this killer working his way through one group of helpless victims.  Fortunately for us, we are dealing with a filmmaker who has no intentions of running along the rails.  Therefore, what we are given is a film in two halves, the first of which is a slasher movie where there are no survivors from the clutches of the villainous killer.

The second half of ‘Death Proof’ is a whole other matter.  It takes place 14 months after the events of the first half, and Stuntman Mike has moved on to a whole new cropping of women to victimize.  This time around, he sets his sights on a group of women working on a local film crew.  Among these women is stuntwoman Zoe Bell, who plays herself here.  The others in the group are Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thomas, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  The group of girls, at the behest of Bell, go to look into test-driving a white, 1970 Dodge Challenger, just like the one Kowalski drives in ‘Vanishing Point.’  After getting the car out on the road, Bell unveils her true plan.  She wants to play a game called Ship’s Mast, in which she ties herself to the hood and someone else drives at top speeds.  It isn’t long after they begin playing that Stuntman Mike takes the opportunity to try to run the women off the road.

The culminating car chase is arguably one of the greatest car chases ever put to film.  Tarantino was never impressed by car chase sequences that utilized CGI.  He felt the last, great car chase sequence came from ‘Terminator 2,’ and, as such, he filmed his car chase without the usage of computer special effects and without speeding up the film.  He wanted to make a car chase that he could “feel in his stomach,” like the ones found in ‘Vanishing Point,’ ‘Dirty Mary Crazy Larry,’ and the original ‘Gone in 60 Seconds.’  Like those films, ‘Death Proof’ wasn’t simply a film that had a car chase somewhere within it.  The car chase was a part of the film, it became a part of why the film is so memorable, and the way it is devised and executed is breathtaking.  When the cars smash into one another, you can almost feel the metal hitting metal.  I’ll be the first to admit I enjoyed the shit out of the car chase in ‘Matrix Reloaded,’ but the way that car chase was shot and the usage of CG just made it all feel plastic.  ‘Death Proof’ is hardcore steel through and through, and you notice the weight of the objects flying down the road in excess of 100 miles per hour.  This chase scene and the delicate way Tarantino wanted to handle it is also, more than likely, the reason the director served as his own director of photography for the first time in his career.  With full control on what was being shot, he could pin-point every, little detail that made the car chase found in ‘Death Proof’ work so well.

But car chase and amazing stunts aside, there is so much more working under the head, if you’ll excuse a pun, in ‘Death Proof.’  Back to the dialogue, it is undeniably Tarantino, and, just as he does with all of his films, he has chosen actors and actresses who can sing those lines of dialogue.  It’s not kitschy and quirky like something you might find in a film written by Diablo Cody, although that isn’t all bad either, but there’s a rhythmic way Tarantino’s converse with one another that you just don’t find anywhere else.  Some of the lines are monologues, some of them are redundant, and some are just, plain cool, but you know once someone says a line of dialogue Tarantino is proud to have written down.

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It was a stroke of genius for Tarantino to hire Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike.  Russell wasn’t Tarantino’s first choice, though.  Actors like John Travolta, Willem Dafoe, John Malkovich and Sylvester Stallone were all considered.  None of them worked out due to prior commitments.  Even Kal Penn was approached at one point to star in the film.  However, Tarantino knew how much of a badass Russell was in his early career.  The films Russell collaborated with John Carpenter were enough to make Tarantino hand over the reigns of Stuntman Mike to him, and Russell does not disappoint one bit.  There are so many, different aspects Russell has to pull off in his performance of Stuntman Mike.  At one point, he has to be cool, but not too cool to overpower any amount of creepiness the character might need to convey.  Late in the film, he has to turn the character in a completely new direction, as the second set of would be victims turn their sights back on their attacker.  For the last, few moments of the film, alone, Russell deserved awards for his performance in ‘Death Proof.’

The film, as with all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, has a booming soundtrack full of eclectic and lost greats.  Tracks like “Paranoi Prima” by Ennio Morricone and “Jeepster” by T. Rex bring the full force of the film’s badass potential to a head.  But it’s the end track, the song that would cap off the entire evening for those who attended the full ‘Grindhouse’ experience, that really sticks with you.  April March’s “Chick Habit” is not only an incredibly inspired choice for the end of ‘Death Proof,’ it is a song that commands your attention.  It is also a song that you will not get out of your head anytime soon.

As part of the three-hour-plus ‘Grindhouse,’ ‘Death Proof’ didn’t generate much box office buzz.  ‘Grindhouse’ cost the Weinstein Company a total of $67 million, and it only made about $25 million back.  Of that $25 million, there is no telling the amount of people who even stuck around for ‘Death Proof.’  Many people, after ‘Planet Terror’ and the fake trailers that ran between the two films, got up and left, not being able to handle the cumbersome running time of seeing two features in one evening.  Internatinoally, ‘Death Proof’ was released by itself, just as ‘Planet Terror’ was.  27 minutes were put back in to the film, scenes that included the “lap dance” sequence taken out for effect in the ‘Grindhouse’ double feature.

While it ended up being a box office failure, and while many consider ‘Death Proof’ to be Tarantino’s first step towards his decline as a filmmaker, it remains, for me, anyway, as a true Quentin Tarantino film.  It has all the essential parts that make a Tarantino film so recognizable, measured and seasoned dialogue, beautifully crafted sequences of extreme violence, and a complete thumbing of the nose to modern, filmmaking convention.  It is Tarantino’s passion for film that drive him, and each of his films are his answer to a love he has for that particular genre.  While ‘Death Proof’ might be considered his version of a grindhouse movie, his version of a B-movie that is a long way from high art, it is still no less remarkable in its conception or execution than any of Quentin Tarantino’s other films.

Tarantino Video Clip for Thursday: QT Fights Off the Paparazzi at Sundance

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I can’t make the claim that I’m any kind of a celebrity, but I think it’s safe to say there isn’t much of anything more annoying than the papparazzi.   Okay, maybe if some papparazzi jerk is shoving their camera right up in your face during a potential blizzard and just after you’ve come out of a Starbucks.   Little did the camera guy in this clip know that Tarantino had been working some martial arts magic with Gordon Liu in preparation for ‘Kill Bill.’   You can see the results below.

It’s probably going to break out as a debate whether or not QT was justified in getting pissy with this guy.   Personally, I don’t blame him one bit.   Regardless how you come down on it, you can’t help but smile just a little at Tarantino’s laugh after the guy slips on the ice.   Classic.

Tarantino’s Lost Projects: ‘Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!’

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Almost more interesting than the films Quentin Tarantino has chosen to do are the ones he has either been rumored to be behind or has stated himself that he would like to do.   In honor of Quentin Tarantino week here on the site, we thought it was time to go back and look over some of these lost projects.   Some of them never got past the concept stage.   Some might even still be lingering somewhere in the back of QT’s mind.

There’s no surprise to anyone in saying Tarantino has been working for a few years now on getting a remake of Russ Myers’ 1966 ‘Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!’ off the ground.  The rumors began flying about this project back in January of 2008, when Liz Smith ran a small snippet about it in her column on Variety.  The announcement also came from the New York Post.  In her column, Smith had this to say about the project:

Tarantino wants his version to be even raunchier, natch. His first casting choices are Kim Kardashian, Eva Mendes and — oh, please! — Britney Spears. What, no Lindsay Lohan?

Almost immediately, the rumor wagons began circling about who would be cast, particularly in the role of Varla made completely unforgettable by the performance in the original by Tura Satana.  Later in 2008, July to be exact, Liz Smith ran another column, this time claiming that Tarantino had found his Varla.  Smith claimed Tarantino was considering casting porn star Tera Patrick in the lead role of his remake.

Tarantino, who has admired her past performances, thinks his “Pussycat” remake may be the mainstream jumpstart Tera needs.

Once again, the New York Post followed suit in making this announcement even getting a comment from Patrick about the potential of her playing the part.

It would be the hottest remake ever, and I’m honored to be considered.  I was built for this part.

These rumors quickly died out as another one came screaming at us later in the Summer.  In August, the UK paper, The Telegraph, seemed to confirm something Liz Smith had hinted at all the way back in January.  They claimed Tarantino had chosen, not “considering”, but had already cast, Britney Spears to the part.  Here is what The Telegraph claimed a source told them:

Quentin is convinced Britney will be brilliant. She’s delighted. She thinks it could turn her career around.

It is perfect Tarantino material. He wanted to get Britney first. She’s playing the most important character.

This rumor, evidently, had reached Tarantino’s ears earlier in the year.  He was claiming at Cannes in May that the idea of Britney Spears being cast in the film were complete bullshit.  Those cries of falsehood were confirmed just days after The Telegraph ran their story.  An unnamed rep for Spears had this to say to Access Hollywood:

Though she definitely intends to explore acting roles down the road, right now she’s concentrating on recording her next album.

Another source “close to Tarantino” simply said:

There is no truth to this.

In the Fall, we had the opportunity to sit down with none other than Tura Satana.  Needless to say, the idea of Tarantino remaking her famed film came up.  Here is what she had to say:

WAMG: So Tura, there are plenty of rumors going around about Quentin Tarantino remaking ‘Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill!’, can you tell us about that?

Tura: Yes, he is definitely making it.

WAMG: We are also hearing that he is looking at casting Britney Spears

Tura: No, that is not true. When I first heard that, I sent him an email and told him that, if she fills my role, I would come and castrate him!

WAMG: HA! Well, is he looking at you for advice and things of that sort?

Tura: Yes, we have talked about it. He is currently rewriting the entire script, I will definitely be involved.

You can check out the entire interview right here.

And that’s pretty much where the news about QT’s remake of ‘Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!’ ends.  Since mid-2008, he has been hard at work on ‘Inglourious Basterds.’  The remake is still at the forefront of Tarantino fan’s minds, and it remains the one film talked about in this column this week that still has a pretty good chance of getting made.  The IMDB page for it is still live, and, though he has been talking recently about finally doing a wester, this could be a project he revisits some day down the road.

And, for your chance to dish out who you think should play Varla, check out the Fantasy Cast we put together in this film’s honor.