• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Death Proof was the only Tarantino film I haven't seen, until last night...

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

MagicWithEarvin

Member
And it was the only movie of his that I completely disregarded after 45 minutes of watching. Horrible, horrible movie with no point to it. I haven't read any of Tarantino's thoughts or comments on how this film came to be in his mind, but what was he thinking? After Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill - Death Proof was just an odd one in Tarantino's catalog.

Also, the dialog in Death Proof didn't really engage me like with Tarantino's other films, which was rather disappointing. It's weird to me how people put this at the top of their list when ranking their favorite Tarantino films.
 
G

geomon

Member
I haven't watched it either and to be honest I haven't really wanted to. It just never looked that interesting to me.
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
It felt like an afterthought. Like they really wanted to do the Planet Terror/Death Proof thing and he was able to put it together in time. But it honestly wouldn't even come to my mind if you asked me to name all his films.
 
M

Markitron

Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
earvcunanan said:
And it was the only movie of his that I completely disregarded after 45 minutes of watching. Horrible, horrible movie with no point to it. I haven't read any of Tarantino's thoughts or comments on how this film came to be in his mind, but what was he thinking? After Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill - Death Proof was just an odd one in Tarantino's catalog.

Also, the dialog in Death Proof didn't really engage me like with Tarantino's other films, which was rather disappointing. It's weird to me how people put this at the top of their list when ranking their favorite Tarantino films.
Click to expand...

45 Mins? Did you even get to the part where
Kurt Russell crashes into the girls car?
Whole film completely shifts after that bit.
 
L

Lothar

Banned
geomon said:
I haven't watched it either and to be honest I haven't really wanted to. It just never looked that interesting to me.
Click to expand...

If you know the premise of the movie and I tell you that it's really boring, whatever you're thinking in your head is probably pretty much the movie. That's just as good as seeing it.
 
D

DontBeThatGuy

Member
Grizzlyjin said:
It felt like an afterthought. Like they really wanted to do the Planet Terror/Death Proof thing and he was able to put it together in time. But it honestly wouldn't even come to my mind if you asked me to name all his films.
Click to expand...

I have no doubt this is exactly the kind of film he wanted to make. It felt more "Grindhouse" than the crazy shit Rodriguez was doing.
 
C

Cronox

Banned
Sounds like you still haven't seen the film OP, maybe come back when you've completed your task. You know, so you can deliver informed thoughts and stuff.
 
DJ_Lae

DJ_Lae

Member
The last part of Death Proof was the best, where it stops the endless droning character wankery and actually starts doing something. It's still not great, but it's watchable.

I'd easily put it at the bottom of his movies, however. Only one I haven't seen is Jackie Brown, but based on feedback I would probably like it.
 
D

DontBeThatGuy

Member
earvcunanan said:
When I watch a Tarantino film, I don't look for stuntwork - I look for his characterization, dialog and exposition. I guess Death Proof was sort of an experiment for him?



I stopped after 45 minutes in.
Click to expand...

It was a throwback to retro films, exploitation, and a lot of those b-films were slow like this, had a ton of dialogue, and spurts of action. (although the second half had a huge chunk of car chase action, and it was dynamic as fuck)

DJ_Lae said:
The last part of Death Proof was the best, where it stops the endless droning character wankery and actually starts doing something. It's still not great, but it's watchable.

I'd easily put it at the bottom of his movies, however. Only one I haven't seen is Jackie Brown, but based on feedback I would probably like it.
Click to expand...

Jackie Brown is a classic.
 
M

MagicWithEarvin

Member
Dishwalla said:
Um, he was thinking about doing a tribute to car chase movies from the 1970s?
Click to expand...

Like I said, I didn't read what he was trying to do with the movie. Can't say I have much knowledge about car chases from 70s movies.

Markitron said:
45 Mins? Did you even get to the part where
Kurt Russell crashes into the girls car?
Whole film completely shifts after that bit.
Click to expand...

Yes, I stopped after the part where they introduced the next set of girls.
 
C

chiba

Member
Quits watching a slow burner after 45mins...declares it trash.

Seriously, go back to it. The last 40mins is some of the best stuff QT has ever made.
 
SoulUnison

SoulUnison

Banned
Both of the Grindhouse films I feel are extremely weak Tarantino experiences.

Literally every time I try to watch Planet Terror or Death Proof I end up falling asleep.
 
R

Red

Member
It's got a fantastic chase scene and a great ending, but it's still his worst. The most indulgent thing he's done. But I think that was the point.
SoulUnison said:
Both of the Grindhouse films I feel are extremely weak Tarantino experiences.

Literally every time I try to watch Planet Terror or Death Proof I end up falling asleep.
Click to expand...
Planet Terror isn't Tarantino, it's Rodriguez.
 
G

-griffy-

Banned
It's essentially a movie length joke and deconstruction of 70's horror movies, while homageing 70's car movies, where the climax serves as the punchline. It really follows the slow buildup of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre almost exactly. It's an exercise that probably doesn't work as well outside of the context of the midnight Grindhouse double feature complete with fake trailers and amped audience who are already in on the joke. But in that context it was pretty great.
 
C

Cronox

Banned
SoulUnison said:
Both of the Grindhouse films I feel are extremely weak Tarantino experiences.

Literally every time I try to watch Planet Terror or Death Proof I end up falling asleep.
Click to expand...

Planet Terror is such a weak Tarantino experience, it's almost like he didn't even make it.
 
A

Abounder

Banned
Machete trailer sold the Grindhouse experience but I loved Death Proof. Wouldn't rank it at the top of Tarantino's list but few do. That car wreck halfway is pretty gruesome though, dat jiggly dismembered leg flying across the screen! I can see why some people stop watching after that lol
 
Grizzlyjin

Grizzlyjin

Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
DontBeThatGuy said:
I have no doubt this is exactly the kind of film he wanted to make. It felt more "Grindhouse" than the crazy shit Rodriguez was doing.
Click to expand...

You're probably right. QT does shift his influences around. If he was in the mood for Grindhouse at the time, this is certainly the type of movie he'd make.

I won't complain. I enjoyed it for what it was, it just never sticks as a Tarantino movie in my head. And Death Proof is the only reason I got to meet him while he was down in Austin, so I'm not mad.
 
M

MagicWithEarvin

Member
The film just wasn't for me, I felt after I made up my mind I couldn't bring myself to watch the rest of it. I've been on a Tarantino film binge lately, watching the other films I haven't seen yet (Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown), and rewatching some of my favorites (Pulp Fiction, Basterds). I know he makes slow burners, I get that - I just couldn't stick with Death Proof all the way through. Maybe I'll just watch the chase scenes people are talking about.
 
X

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
earvcunanan said:
The film just wasn't for me, I felt after I made up my mind I couldn't bring myself to watch the rest of it. I've been on a Tarantino film binge lately, watching the other films I haven't seen yet (Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown), and rewatching some of my favorites (Pulp Fiction, Basterds). I know he makes slow burners, I get that - I just couldn't stick with Death Proof all the way through. Maybe I'll just watch the chase scenes people are talking about.
Click to expand...

Oh so you mean the entire rest of the film? Great, go do that.

Death Proof is by far not his best work but I think the second half is much stronger than the first.
 
davepoobond

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
The movie shines in its last half. The first half is boring garbage but that is on purpose to elevate the last half
 
C

Cronox

Banned
Guys I got 100 pages into Moby Dick and nothing happened, they never even left the port. Horrible book with no point to it.
 
T

Trident

Loaded With Aspartame
I haven't seen it in years, but I remember absolutely loving the entire movie. The back half is completely different from the front half though.
 
L

Lothar

Banned
Cronox said:
Guys I got 100 pages into Moby Dick and nothing happened, they never even left the port. Horrible book with no point to it.
Click to expand...

45 minutes is close to half. If you're not liking a movie and you're almost half done, you should stop.
 
M

MagicWithEarvin

Member
So, this must be one of those movies that the majority of GAF secretly love when all I've seen everywhere else the movie was deemed as dreadful.
 
J

jackdoe

Member
earvcunanan said:
So, this must be one of those movies that the majority of GAF secretly love when all I've seen everywhere else the movie was deemed as dreadful.
Click to expand...
No. I personally don't think it's a great movie. But the second half is better than the first and it is worth watching to completion at least once.
 
R

Rembrandt

Banned
Death Proof was an amazing movie. I'm really convinced that those that don't like it let the negativity around the movie get to them.

This movie has some of the dumbest complaints.


The only legit complaint is that Mary Elizabeth Winstead doesn't get the screen time that she deserves.


Also the first half is so good. You think these are the main characters and they show you 4 times that they're not. So fucking good.
 
N

Net_Wrecker

Member
Car crash in the middle and car chase at the end are dope, but the rest of the movie is a slog.

It's at the bottom of Tarantino's filmography with The Hateful 8 and Django.
 
P

Pamplemousse

Member
It wasn't my favorite. I liked Planet Terror, but the best part of Grindhouse was the fake trailers. The Thanksgiving trailer was great.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Tarantino went downhill since Django Unchained
Opinion 2 3
102
5K
BadBurger replied
True Stories is one weird movie and I love it.
5
1K
k_trout replied
  • Locked
How The Last of Us became 'the greatest story' ever told in video games
Opinion Analysis 2 3 4 5
203
18K
Elysium44 replied
Interview with Shuji Utsumi (SEGA Co-COO) by Japanese media outlet Seizo-Trend
Business Game Dev
1
1K
Unknown? replied
Alone in the Dark | Review Thread
Analysis Review 2 3
136
9K
Alan Wake replied
Top Bottom