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Was arguing not that long ago with the Metal Manlet,the dudee with the best/worst shit-stache ever over which of the so far 10 movies is Quentin Tarentino's best and worst films.
And by 10 films we meant the 10 that he directed and are available for viewing in full. So no My Best Friends Birthday,True Romance,Natural Born Killers or Four Rooms.
Starting with what I think is QT's worst movie here on this lovely Tuesday in December.
#10-Death Proof
April 2007
Ya I know this is universally considered Tarantino's worst movie. What differs is how much the people that think it is his worse dislike this movie.
When Death Proof came out as the second film in Grindhouse,I was already not happy with QT. I decieded to not bother going to a theater to see this. Something that I had only done with 2 previous QT films. When it hit DVD I didn't bother buying or even renting it for close to a year.
Seems like for me I was right in skipping seeing this in a theater. And yes I know the DVD and Blu ray out there are a different cut of this movie from what was shown in Grindhous. And yes I have seen both cuts of this movie. I have had the Grindhouse cut of this and Planet Terror on DVD-r for years from when it aired on Starz. Unlike Planet Terror I prefer the Grindhousee cut of Death Proof. Mostly cause it is shorter and one of my big issues with the DVD cut of Death Proof is the length. It feels like what happened with Stephen King in the book industry in the early 90s is now happening with QT in the film industry. They both are so big that no one will tell them "Hey asshat might need to edit that book/movie down."
Stunt Man Mike ,Kurt Russell,has made his stunt car DEATH PROOF. If you are sitting on the driver's side that is. And after long scenes adding more ammo to the people that bang on and on about how QT has a foot fetitsh,we get long scenes of a group of younger adult women having conversations. In which each of the ladies sounds exactly like any other character in a QT film having a long conversation about anything that has almost nothing to do with the plot of the film,.
QT appears as the bar tender. And Stuntman Mike offers a tipsy Rose McGowen a ride home. He kills her in a gruesome bloody way. But by the time I reach this point of the film I am already wishing this entire movie was a 30 to 45 minute segment in an anthology film.
We time jump ahead some years. Again we get 4 women talking exacly like QT does. But this time it is kind of relevent to the plot. These ladies are 2 stunt women,a make up lady and one of the stars of a film. They are bored being stuck in this rural tiny town. And one of the stunt women sees that a rare muscle car is up for sale.
They go to check out the car,talk the star into staying behind while the other three take it out for a test drive. Out oon this drive,while doing a dangerous stunt,that shows why Zoe Bell is one of the best stunt women of the modern era,Stunt Man mike appears and wants to kill these women.
The three fight back. And we get a bunch of stuff taken from Faster Pussycat Kill Kill. End of film.
Man I wanted to like this movie. After seeing it the first time I thought maybe the Grindhouse cut will fix the issues. It helped but not enough. The cast is good. Kurt Russell is amazing. Zoe Bell aint great at delivering dialogue,but she makes up with the ship's mast stunt. Plus Rosario Dawson is her normal movie stealing self.
All of the above greatness can't make up for the bad pacing and long rambling chats in the movie.
Which is why Death Proof is the worst of Quentin's Tarantino's movies for me.
Is it a horrible movie? Nope. Just he had ,be sides one stumble before this,set the bar so high.
So come back Thursday to see what film number 9 is.
