I agree that the film is flawed, but not for the reasons you state.
First of all, this is a great primer for the marathon. It is one of the most fun times you will have at the movies.
As for Planet Terror, the characters are supposed to be clones of everything we've seen before and there isn't supposed to be any serious suspense and logic. PT accomplishes nearly everything that the directors were going for in structure and tone. My problem with that half of the film was that the anachronisms like cell phones and the Bin Laden reference felt out of place amongst the intentionally scratched and weathered print. Also, some of the more intense scenes were overly "distressed" so that some of the money shots were not as effective. Maybe that was for the R rating, I don't know.
Then yes, the trailers are brilliant, hilarious and sickeningly twisted.
And then there's DEATH PROOF. I agree with the critics that this is the stronger of the two films. i think a lot of people will not like it for many of the same reasons you brought up. However, I think the "talking" is what makes the film brilliant, just like most of Tarantino's previous work. Getting to know the two sets of characters the way that we do makes us care all the more deeply about what happens to all of them. i think this is a classic case of too much information. I mean, wouldn't it have been so much more visceral if you didn't know going in that Kurt Russel is a bad guy?
I think DEATH PROOF is a beautiful piece of cinema, but the problem is that it doesn't fit with the rest of the GRINDHOUSE concept. Sure, it's an homage with references and stylistic choices resembling grindhouse films, but Tarantino has always worked that way and has always transcended the genre he is celebrating. So, in essence, DEATH PROOF is a great Tarantino film that should have been a "bad" Tarantino film. As a result, the on purpose aging of the print (which he abandons about halfway through), the "missing" reel, the intentional continuity errors (though funny) all seem forced and out of place. Also, it follows Eli Roth's much talked about THANKSGIVING trailer, so I can see how this great film can be interpreted negatively.
From what I hear, he is re-editing it as a stand alone film for festivals. I would love to see this version of that film.
_________________ Aliens? Us? Is this one of your Earth "jokes?"
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