Image: Four great girls! On their way to kick some ass! Note: Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms reuinted, in a Tarantino-flick no less, a wonderful event for any and all Rent-fanatics! Love the style! ;) Copryight, blahblahblah. Please serve the rights. Don't do like me and steal from Google. Bad fangirl!
Just a short update, whilst I am still on vacation. Well no, actually, but I'm home and not-home at the same time. Delighted to see my folks again, of course, though somewhat strange to spend my summer holiday doing the same things I've always been doing during summer holidays, but in a different context and with my life and living/working situation being severely altered from what it was like last year. I am a summer-girl, a California-dreaming surfer-girl in fact, and I wish the weather was a bit more...gratifying. Grey, dusky, drizzly, relatively cold. Not exactly warm, soothing and July-like. I want the true, proper holiday-sensation, and thus far we have yet to achieve that. But, more weeks to go, one month still left of my holiday period, I'm sure we'll eventually get some nicer forecasts. And the rest of the surroundings are indeed excellent!
For instance, we enjoy the fun things we use to, like going to the theatre and watching films. And tonight - being a family of Tarantinoholics - we went to see "Death Proof"; the "European version"; meaning the extended and edited standalone-cut of Q.T.'s Grindhouse-feature. In short, it was absolutely amazing! Incredibly entertaining, certainly the best B-movie ever made, and it had the entire audience cheering and applauding afterwards. Few films manage to come near such a response, but "Death Proof" was true entertainment from start to finish and highly deserving. Kurt Russel was ridiculously brilliant, Rose McGowan surprisingly convincing and cute, but it were my favourite Rent-girls; Rosario and Tracie; who really stole the show. Together with Uma Thurman's stand-in and stuntwoman, New Zealander Zoe Bell, they rounded off the ride with an...unbelievable finale; including the best car-chase ever caught on film and a beat-him-dead-sequence with a superb jubilation-jump at the very end, that won't ever be outdone. As in, ever! It was sooo much more - and BETTER! - than I had expected and imagined and dreamt it could possibly be; hype, critics and audience popularity taken into consideration. Disappointing attitude, people. And the reviews! What's going on in the US?! I thought Q.T. was everyon's favourite, but that being said I also thought I'd never get to say this; how "Death Proof" will probably remain the one and (hopefully!) only underrated Tarantino-film. The forgotten pearl. A dark, hilarious, cheap, perverted, crazy, surreal, intelligent, brutal, sultry, sweet, action-packed, sinister and exciting piece I want to see again and again and again. That final scene is...just incredible! I sat with my mouth open through most of the experiende, gaping and laughing and staring, not fully believing the possibility that it could seriously be this great. True Tarantino, every detail perfected, the usual, necessary references intact - but not overly overshadowing the rest. A lovely hommage to his previous works here and there, increasing the benefit for die-hard fans. Like myself. Not as epic as Kill Bill, or Pulp Fiction, but getting there. A different kind of film and a different kind of story, it's not supposed to copy the classics. It's an individual masterpiece of an adrenalin-kick! Michael Parks was there, the red apple cigarettes, the Elle Driver-whistling tune (as Rosario Dawson's mobile ringtone), the non-existent logic, the cool and kick-ass chicks, the following wave of girl power, the gags, the eeeevil villains, and may I mention (once more) Mr. EARL McGRAW!!! -anyone reckoned he'd died? you were wrong! - the sexy costumes, the dialogue, the innovative filming, the nods to older films and heroes, the kult catchphrases and paraphrasing, the discreetly but tactically placed (movie-)posters, the dancing, the cars (!!!), überfancy special effects combined with a low budget, lots of confrontations and clues, the retro/modern sampling of music - I'm buying the soundtrack! no doubt! - and the...atmosphere. The Q.T.-touch and consequent feel. What a relief! He hasn't lost a bit of his magic! The adventure-univese in which he plays around, though adding (for a rare, first time) some present day-ref.'s as well. Without any of this bullshit which most other directors often resort to or get caught up in; like boring intrigues, love-triangles and other distractions - oh no! not here! just action, fun, one-liners, driving, fighting and interesting individuals commiting unusual deeds (and crimes); non-stop!
The only very minor, teeny-weeny, rather insignifant downside; the continuity and consistency. He should have stuck with the Grindhouse-look, and added some crinkles, cuts and scratches throughout; the last chapters became more and more Pulp Fiction/Kill Bill-like; Q.T. deviating from the Grindhouse-form and going back to old and genuine Tarantino-style moviemaking. I mean, I love it - but it wasn't quite right. Look forward to Rodriguez' "Planet Terror", and the entire pack which I will buy on DVD when it comes out, but nothing can beat this. Fantastic. You go, Quentin, and my sincere apologies for daring to question your talent and abilities earlier on. This guy makes any actress/actor shine, he polishes and maintains these (above-mentioned) distinctive looks, stamps and features - his credits, special actors and characters, brands and cars. His colours. His traditions. I will, henceforward, keep my faith in his art and his ways of presenting it and I hope he provides us with something new and just as memorable soon again. And let me repeat; this was utterly fantastic!!! The world of cinema doesn't need anyone else, just Quentin and some cash and a camera. Makes me quite happy!
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