Death Proof; Planet Terror

Audacious in concept but flawed in execution, Grindhouse—a big-budget double-feature- homage to exploitation films of the ‘70s—was a box-office flop of historic proportions, which is perhaps why it's being released on DVD as two separate films. Director Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror is a delightfully bloody takeoff on ultra-gory zombie flicks set in a small Texas town overrun with flesh-eating, reanimated corpses. When a stripper (Rose McGowan) loses a shapely leg trying to escape, she replaces it with a prosthetic machine-gun appendage fitted to her stump…and she isn't afraid to use it. Marley Shelton, ‘60s heartthrob Michael Parks (—Then Came Bronson—), and direct-to-video regulars Jeff Fahey and Michael Biehn are along for the enjoyable ride. Quentin Tarantino's much-ballyhooed Death Proof, however, doesn't truly reflect the grindhouse genre's sensibility. Kurt Russell stars as a maniac who gets off on killing young women by forcing their cars off the road and into spectacular crashes, but he meets his match tangling with female stunt drivers from Hollywood. The extended car chases in Death Proof are truly spectacular, adrenaline-pumping scenes—but they're sandwiched between lengthy slabs of pointless, prattling Tarantino-esque dialogue. If there was one thing the old grindhouse movies didn't do, it was talk themselves to death. Planet Terror is recommended; Death Proof is optional. (E. Hulse)[Note: DVD extras on the two-disc set of Death Proof include “Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof” (21 min.), “Finding Quentin's Gals” on casting (21 min.), “Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike” (10 min.), “Introducing Zoe Bell” on the actress/stuntwoman (9 min.), “The Guys of Death Proof” (8 min.), “Quentin's Greatest Collaborator: Editor Sally Menke” (5 min.), the uncut version of “Baby It's You” performed by costar Mary Elizabeth Winstead, international trailer and poster galleries, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a somewhat disappointing film.][Note: DVD extras on the two-disc set of Planet Terror include audio commentary by writer-director Robert Rodriguez, an optional audience reaction track, a “10-Minute Film School with Robert Rodriguez” featurette (12 min.), “The Guys of Planet Terror” (17 min.), “Sickos, Bullets, and Explosions: The Stunts of Planet Terror” (13 min.), “The Badass Babes of Planet Terror” (12 min.), “The Friend, the Doctor, and the Real Estate Agent” on the cast (7 min.), “Casting Rebel” on Rodriguez's son's role (6 min.), an international poster gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a winning extras package for a fine drive-in homage flick.]