Grindhouse is "awesome" & "flawless"

[LouCipherr]

Well, in that case, it would be worth buying for the disc with the <ahem> extra content.. I don't understand why this is even a BR release though. DVD I can understand, but it makes no sense having Grindhouse, a movie purposely made to look like shit, put into a high definition format. Meh, another way to get a few extra bucks out of us I suppose. It'll work though.. Buggers.

[MinionZombie]

Hence my annoyance ... being enslaved by my love of making of documentaries (proper ones at least, not trumped-up EPKs) has forced me into the world of Blu-Ray, but well, there we are I suppose. Speaking of which I had the time today to watch the extra content (SD) on The Warriors Blu-Ray disc. I'm not sure if the changes go beyond the comic book transitions, but if not, then it's not a huge deal. Being a fan of the original - which is the only way I've seen it - I prefer that version, naturally, but the transitions don't make me want to tear my head off either ... but I've not re-watched the movie yet in this Dir Cut form yet either. But yeah, then I went onto The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - the extra content I wanted on DVD, but which was only on the R1 DVD (which was too expensive to import) - and I'm loving it. Hardcore making of stuff right there, baby. I want to get my mits on The Crazies, Kick Ass and Cop Out soon - in addition to Grindhouse - on Blu-Ray.

[LouCipherr]

Speaking of which I had the time today to watch the extra content (SD) on The Warriors Blu-Ray disc. I'm not sure if the changes go beyond the comic book transitions, but if not, then it's not a huge deal. Being a fan of the original - which is the only way I've seen it - I prefer that version, naturally, but the transitions don't make me want to tear my head off either ... but I've not re-watched the movie yet in this Dir Cut form yet either. Well, you let me know when you watch it, becuase that is the one and only thing making me not want to buy the HD version (either on HD-DVD, which I can still get for $3.99 or on BR). I hope it doesn't mess with the "flow" of the original.

[darth los]

The first and only times I saw it was in high def so I have nothing to compare it to but even with purposely trying to make it look retro it looks great to me.

[bassman]

Had a chance to go through the Blu Ray. The new special features are pretty good. Strangely there's nothing on the making of the Machete trailer. Even with the grain special effects added to the film, you can see a difference between the SD and HD discs. Of course the last portion of Death Proof doesn't have any grain, so it looks fantastic.

[MinionZombie]

I've always wondered why there's a distinct lack of grain in the 2nd half of Death Proof ... my theory is that in 'the world of Death Proof' it was in fact two Stuntman Mike films that some theatre owner cut together and re-titled as "Death Proof" to make some extra cash (the 'original name' seen in Death Proof is, iirc "Thunderbolt"). It comes out in the UK later on this month, so I'll have my copy soon.

[bassman]

I've always wondered why there's a distinct lack of grain in the 2nd half of Death Proof ... my theory is that in 'the world of Death Proof' it was in fact two Stuntman Mike films that some theatre owner cut together and re-titled as "Death Proof" to make some extra cash (the 'original name' seen in Death Proof is, iirc "Thunderbolt"). That's correct. I can't recal where I saw it, but Tarantino said it was meant to be two films cut into one.

[MinionZombie]

That's correct. I can't recal where I saw it, but Tarantino said it was meant to be two films cut into one. Fuckin' knew it! I've never seen him say that about Death Proof specifically, but I do recall sometime in 2007 with all the press stuff they were doing, QT saying about how some theatre owners were known to take two movies and recut them together to make a 'new' movie to make some extra cash. Looking at Death Proof the first time and I suspected that angle, and then thinking about it afterwards I was convinced that's what it was all about. I really enjoy that aspect of Death Proof too ... although I would have liked a bit more grain in the second half.

[axlish]

I've heard Tarantino say (can't remember where) that is was different reels of the same film, compiled together. For instance, in the extended cut, the black and white section is "an entire reel from a back and white print". He has several combined prints similar to this in his collection.

[MinionZombie]

I've heard Tarantino say (can't remember where) that is was different reels of the same film, compiled together. For instance, in the extended cut, the black and white section is "an entire reel from a back and white print". He has several combined prints similar to this in his collection. But that really only applies to that one scene - which is after the mid-way point and into the 'second Stuntman Mike movie' if you will. So I think it's both really. The thing about two reels compiled together is definitely true, as you say, but it does only apply to that one sequence, and considering the split nature of the movie and the re-titling at the beginning, I also strongly think it's suppose to be some kind of 'theatre owner's cut' of two Stuntman Mike movies put together. ... I happened upon a live chat with Robert Rodriguez last night actually. I could have asked him there, but the questions were coming so thick and fast they were all getting buried (and repeated, over and over) all the time, so I just sat and watched him respond to the questions instead. Kinda cool actually, although he was sleepy/hung-over so he wasn't firing on all cylinders and there were some technical issues that meant it was 30 minutes late in starting ... still though, cool to see him live on my computer screen talking about this and that.

[bassman]

That's strange. It's been a while since I've seen the extended cut, but I don't even remember it going into black and white. All I remember is that hideous fucking chud of a "woman" trying to give a lap dance. Looks more like a dying animal flapping around the floor and onto Russell's lap...

[MinionZombie]

The black and white bit happens during the convenience store sequence where the girls faff about in the Mustang and inside the store (before they pick up Zoe at the airport), and Stuntman Mike parks beside them and does the whole 'drop my keys, play with Rosario's feet' - during that sequence (which occurs after the midway hospital thing between Parks and "Son Number One". Vanessa Ferlito is a unique looking chick, but I'm surprised whenever someone calls her a "hideous fucking chud" or likewise. Kinda surprises me ... I thought the lap dance was kinda sexy. Although the lap dance isn't even in the theatrical cut as far as I know. And I think another scene is missing (the coffee shop, perhaps) ... I'd have to look it up specifically, but it'll be interesting to finally see the theatrical cut (okay, I saw it once on a really rubbish CAM jobby). Having seen the extended cuts several times each I should be able to spot the cut out footage quite easily, so it'll make for an interesting viewing methinks. One week today and it comes out in the UK.

[axlish]

What is the basis of this "two different films" theory?

[bassman]

What is the basis of this "two different films" theory? I believe MZ is getting this idea from the alternate title at the start "Thunderbolt", and the fact that the film totally looses all it's grain in the second half. So basically it's two stuntman mike films only cut into one and given the new name of "Death Proof. The first set of girls is one film, while the second group was another. And as I mentioned before, I doubt I could find the article now, but I remember Tarantino saying that it was intended to be a theater-owned, spliced-together film. Of course the combined prints idea works, as well. Could be either, I suppose. We're probably just reading too much into a mindless slasher film. As for the black and white section....now I remember. The gas station sequence. Although that's in both version, I believe. It wasn't cut back in for the extended cut. At least I think it was in the Grindhouse cut I watched the other day. Hell, I dunno. It's all bleeding together.

[MinionZombie]

Yeah the "two Mike films" theory has plenty to back it up - the 'two groups of chicks' thing that totally splits the movie right down the middle (it's essentially the same movie twice over, but with different sexual politics in each) - the complete stone-cold difference in the 'print qualities' of both halves - the re-naming of the film from Thunderbolt to Death Proof - and think about it, many grindhouse movies would be about 65 minutes long so Death Proof is much too long (certainly in its extended cut), so if it was just the two halves as separate Stuntman Mike movies then they'd each be about 65 minutes each (i.e. the fictional 'theatre owner' would have cut out a lot of the extra stuff anyway ... but QT hasn't gone so far overboard with this whole theory as to not make it a QT movie ... i.e. with lots of the chitty-chat and not a great deal of action in those 110 minutes ... but then again, some of these grindhouse movies would be very talky with barely any action until the finale ... sure they would spread the action more evenly throughout the movie, rather than have one big ruck at the climax of each half like QT did, but even still - a lot of bad acting and bad dialogue would fill the running time before all the cool shit from the trailer would happen). I could come up with more, but I'd have to see it again ... which I will be doing soon anyway when I get my copy of the theatrical cut BR. The 'combined prints' thing really only comes into play in that single scene though where it skips to black and white. That's the only scene which does that, so the entire movie can't hang on the 'combined prints' thing for it to be one single Stuntman Mike movie. Indeed this could be used just as much in the other, much more robust (I think), theory I've put forward above (and as Bassman has been doing). Whilst assembling his own cut, the fictional theatre owner could have come across a missing chunk of a print and would have only been able to find a black and white bit to fill in the scene.