Editorials > Today's Filmwad Rant: Stop Fronting on "Death Proof"

As the buzz for "300" cooled off earlier this year, the internet publicity machine began bubbling up about "Grindhouse," the double feature film featuring Robert Rodriguez' "Planet Terror" and Quentin Tarantino's "Death Proof." Everyone you talked to seemed to have an opinion of the film before it was released and most everyone you talked to seemed psyched to see it.

Then the film came out. And no one saw it. It "tanked" on its opening weekend. Why? Maybe its offline marketing was completely lacking. Maybe mainstream audiences just didn't get it. Or, maybe, just maybe, everyone just forgot to see it. That's because despite the fact that the two films in "Grindhouse" seemed pretty badass, seeing a bloody double feature that ran over three hours was, well, pretty daunting. "I'll check it out Sunday, maybe," a friend of mine told me when I texted him, telling him I was already in line to see the film two hours before the screening. "That looks good! I'll check it out soon!" my sister IM'd me after I got home from the movie. "I love Tarantino!" my Dad told me in an email. "I'll see that this weekend!"

Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, none of those people mentioned above saw "Grindhouse" in theaters. "It seems so long!" my friend told me. "No one wants to see it on Sunday!" my sister responded. I'm still waiting to hear my dad's excuse.

Whatever the reason, it seems all of the people who "kinda, sorta" wanted to see "Grindhouse" slept in.

Zoom ahead to one week ago. "Death Proof" is released on DVD. I snatch it up immediately and have since watched it several times, replaying my favorite scenes over and over, devouring all the special features in one sitting and just basking in the brilliance of the film.

Truth be told, it's one of Tarantino's best–certainly up there with the "Kill Bill" flicks and, in my book, better than "Jackie Brown." The story, the pacing and the dialogue are all incredible…and that's not even the main attraction. The chase sequences and the crashes are just phenomenal…obviously.

All this being said, I check in with my sister, my friends, anyone whom I knew just couldn't make it out to the theater for a 3 hour movie, anyone whom I know had good reasons for not seeing "Grindhouse" in theaters but who has every reason to at least download or rent "Death Proof" straight away, if not buy it (or attempt to win it on DoubleViking.com).

And guess what? No one's seen frickin "Death Proof." STILL! People…what is making you front on this? Take two hours of your life, $20 out of your budget and just see this fucking amazing movie already. Then, just maybe, I'll shut up.