Thunder Bolt/Death Proof

I just don't get why people don't like this movie. Ok, if you don't like Tarantino, you're screwed. But if you've enjoyed his other films...I don't know. It's quite surprising.

This movie is a double feature in a double feature. Shown in theaters alongside Rodriguez's Planet Terror - wich is some truly mind-blowing, amazing zombie extravaganza - Death Proof (cause it's really Death Proof, not Thunder Bolt) feels like two movies, one being the prologue to the other, each one really different and both wildly enjoyable. When I talk to people that didn't like it, they all say it started out well, then it got bad. Why ? Because of the second half ? The crazy-ass car chase ? Man, who doesn't love a car chase ? I guess a lot of people do.

Death Proof is really a love letter to the car chase genre of the 70's. It's plain and simple, and if people can't wrap their head around that concept, maybe they'll dislike the film. For myself, it made me want to run and rent Vanishing Point or Faster Pussycat Kill Kill. Its really a shame I haven't rented them yet, must be the third time I see this one. Another thing the movie did was prove me, yet again, that Tarantino is a master at absolutely everything. Pull out an old-school, no CGI, 20 minute car chase that isn't boring one bit - altough some people might find that arguable - is just genius.

So ;

Death Proof
USA
2007
Directed by Quentin Tarantino,
starring : Kurt "badass" Russell, Zoë "I did all the stunts in Kill Bill and have a gorgeous accent" Bell, Rosario Dawson, Eli "yeah, I'm the one that directed Hostel" Roth, Tarantino himself, the crazy twins from Planet Terror, Vanessa "I sure know how to lapdance" Ferlito and Rose McGowan, just to name a few.

About the title "Thunder Bolt" : it's juste a joke that Tarantino put in the movie where the title Thunder Bolt flashes for half a second just before the title Death Proof shows up, as if the title was changed for American audiences, as it was often the case in the 70's. I just decided to keep the title cause it's fun.

Lets talk about the first half. The movie starts great, with another reference to Tarantino's foot fetishism, and follows a group of gorgeous girls - the first group, wich consists of Jungle Julia, Butterfly portrayed bt a terribly sexy while not so beautiful, but oddly smoking hot Vanessa Ferlito, and Shanna, a cute little blonde. They plan to go to Julia's lake house but first meet up with some other friends at a bar, run by Tarantino - yup that's right. We meet our villain, the badassest man alive, Stuntman Mike, portrayed by Kurt Russell, and the whole scene is just superb fun, amazing dialogue, all ponctuated by glorious music and an amazing atmosphere.

Butterfly and Tarantino (forgot the name of his character)

The scene is just amazing and ends with the hottest - dressed, that is - lapdance ever, by Butterfly. Word.

Now let's talk about Kurt Russell. He's just out of this world. Amazingly badass, amazingly good, just insane. Twice in the movie, he smiles at the camera, I mean, directly at the viewer and he's just great. His scar - ok, Kurt Russell doesn't really have a scar, but still - is so amazing. He just has the perfect face for the role. Every scenehe's in is frame worthy. It got me thinking, "man, if Andy Warhol could be alive to do a Kurt Russell serie of paintings, that would be GREAT" Ok, maybe I like Kurt's face too much, but it's just so badass.

They then - of course - die. In the most well-shot carcrash in history. And Butterfly - ok I liked her - gets it worse than anybody.

The second half of the movie takes place 14 months in the future. It's basically the same thing - Kurt finds girls, Kurt chases girls - but what makes it a load of fun are the characters. I just LOVE Zoë Bell. She's great. And I don't know, there was something oddly sexy about seeing her struggling on the top of that car for 20 minutes. Or maybe that's just my fucked up mind. Anyway, without rambling too much about the last half, suffice to say that it was pretty fun. That whole car chase - no CGI, just real cars! - was so much fun. Plain and simple. I didn't get bored one second, and just the way the whole thing was shot, it just proved me - again! - how much of a genius Tarantino is.

For that one people reading this blog out there, sorry this post took me so long, I had other things in mind all week long and I was pretty busy watching Heroes Season 2 - that I could do a flash-review of, now that I think about it. I have really no idea what I'm going to review next, been a couple of weeks since I've rented a movie myself and I have absolutely no money to go to the theater - although those would be quick-reviewed. Fun movies are coming out in the following weeks and I'd really like to see The Blindness. Looks tremendous. As usual, I'm gonna finish this slightly rushed review by adding some poster. Which are awesome by the way.

This one, which is absolutely gorgeous, both for the composition and Ferlito's - hrm -hips.

And those two, who are probably those most people have seen. The're still pretty amazing I think.

I want to see a grindhouse sequel, I have to admit. Pretty badly.

See you next time.