Death Proof
A crash course in revenge.
Death Proof (2007)
Production
Budget
$45 000
Revenue
$30 207 393
Director
Scenario
Producer
Actors
Kurt Russell
Stuntman Mike
Zoë Bell
Zoë Bell
Rosario Dawson
Abernathy
Vanessa Ferlito
Arlene
Sydney Tamiia Poitier
Jungle Julia
Tracie Thoms
Kim
Rose McGowan
Pam
Jordan Ladd
Shanna
Short description
Set in Austin, Texas, Death Proof follows a group of young women out for a night of drinking and dancing, unaware that a scarred stranger called Stuntman Mike is watching them from behind the wheel of his car. A former Hollywood stunt driver, Mike uses his vehicle as a weapon, and the evening turns deadly when he targets the friends. Roughly a year later, in Lebanon, Tennessee, another group of women crosses his path, among them a professional stuntwoman, and this time his game does not go as planned.
Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the film, which sits ninth in the chronological order of the sixteen features he has directed, between Sin City and Grindhouse. Kurt Russell plays Mike, with Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Tracie Thoms among the main cast. Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellan produced alongside Tarantino, and the production involved a credited cast of thirty-six and a crew of 182.
Made for about 25 million dollars, Death Proof took in roughly 31 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.8 out of 10, and on TMDB it also stands at 6.8, from a much larger body of votes. A critics' rating of 6.1 from 45 reviews places it somewhat below the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The two cars in the final chase are a 1969 Dodge Charger and a 1970 Dodge Challenger.
- At the beginning of the film, a multitude of sunglasses can be seen on the car's dashboard. A similar shot appears in "Kill Bill" (2003) and "Gone in 60 Seconds" (1974).
- Quentin Tarantino named the character Jungle Julia Lucai after his assistant, Vicky Lucai.
- Michael Parks, who played Sheriff Earl McGraw, also appears in the same role in "Planet Terror" (2007), "Kill Bill" (2003), and "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1995).
- The filmmakers deliberately “aged” the film to simulate the look of movies shown in grindhouses.
- During a conversation between Abby, Zoe, Kim, and Lee, it becomes clear that Abby's boyfriend cheated on her with Daryl Hanna's stunt double. Monica Staggs, who played Lanna Frank in "Proof of Death," was Hanna's stunt double in "Kill Bill" (2003) and "Kill Bill 2" (2004).
- The film contains several references to "Pulp Fiction" (1994), including the Kahuna Burger and a foot massage.
- During the violent car crash involving stuntman Mike and the girls' car on the final take, Wilhelm's scream can be heard.
- One of the songs on the jukebox is "Misirlou." This composition also plays during the opening credits of "Pulp Fiction" (1994).
- The original title of the film can also be translated as "Indestructible".
- A scene in the second half of the film, where four girls are talking in a cafe, was filmed in one take. Its duration is approximately 10 minutes.
- At a wine store, Kim says she needs to go to the bathroom. Lee and Abernathy respond, “That’s a little more information than we needed to know.” This is a reference to “Pulp Fiction” (1994), where Uma Thurman says the same thing to John Travolta.
- Significant scratches and bubbles appeared in the 1970s only at the end of the reel, but never during the film screening.
- The scene where the girls are having breakfast in the diner is very similar to the opening scene of "Reservoir Dogs" (1991).
- The name "Vipers" is written on Mary Elizabeth Winstead's costume. This is a reference to the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (DiVAS) from "Kill Bill".
- Kim's car has a "Pussy Wagon" sticker on the hood, which is a reference to "Kill Bill," where the main character had a "Pussy Wagon" – a tow truck.
- The duck on the hood of the black Chevrolet is the same as the one on the hood of the main character's tractor-trailer in Sam Peckinpah's film "Convoy" (1978). In "Convoy," this figure was named Rubber Duck. Interestingly, the same duck later appears on the hood of the Charger as well.
- Stuntman Mike's cars are a 1971/72 Chevy Nova SS and a 1969 Dodge Charger.
- The working title of the film is “Thunder Bolt”.
- Mickey Rourke, Sylvester Stallone, and Wing Rames were considered for the role of the stunt double Mike.
- Stuntman Mike's car's license plate is JJZ-109. The same number was on the car of Steve McQueen's character in "Bullitt" (1968).
- The instrumental version of Jack Nitzsche's "The Last Race" plays during the opening credits of "Death Proof." This composition also plays during the opening credits of "Village of the Giants" (1965).
- The yellow Mustang used by the girls in the second part of the film has "Brand X" written instead of a license plate – this is the name of a musical group that performed instrumental jazz-fusion music in the mid-70s.
- At "Warren's Bar," you can notice a "CASH ONLY" sign with a famous photograph of Johnny Cash giving the middle finger.
- Michael Parks' character calls his son Son Number 1. He does the same in "Kill Bill" (2003).
- In Dr. Dakota Block's office, you can notice a to-do list. The last entry on the list – kill Bill – is a reference to Quentin Tarantino's film of the same name.
- The idea for "Death Proof" came to Quentin Tarantino when he was talking to a friend about buying a new car. Tarantino was considering a "Volvo" because he "didn't want to die in a car accident like in "Pulp Fiction" (1994)." Regarding the car's safety, Tarantino's friend said: "You can buy any car and give it to stuntmen who, for $10,000-$15,000, will make it absolutely safe for the driver in any accident."
- Stuntman Mike has a scar near his left eye. Snake Plissken, also played by Kurt Russell, wore an eye patch over his left eye.
- Mike's car crashes into an advertising poster for the films "Scary Movie 4" (2006) and "Wolf Creek" (2005).
- One of the television shows mentioned by stuntman Mike is "The Virginians" (1962), in which Kurt Russell played one of the roles.
- Stuntwoman Zoë Bell, playing essentially herself, performed all the stunts in the film herself. She was also Uma Thurman's stunt double in "Kill Bill".
Similar movies
9/10
8/10
8/10
8/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
7.9/10
7.8/10
7.8/10
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
