Mary as: Lee Montgomery Directed By: Quentin Tarantino Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino Distributor: Dimension Films, Rodriguez International Pictures, The Weinstein Company
Cast: Kurt Russell, Zoë Bell, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, Vanessa Ferlito Genre: Thriller / Action / Crime MPAA Rating: 'R' for strong violence, gore, sexuality and language Runtime: 90 minutes (theatrical), 114 minutes (unrated)
Theatrical Release: 6th April, 2007 DVD Release: 18th September, 2007
Budget: $53,000,000 (estimate) Box Office: $50,187,789 DVD Sales: $36,273,319 Filming Dates: September 2006 - December 2006 (dates not specified)
Death Proof is one half of the two-part feature Grindhouse, helmed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, who directed the other half, Planet Terror.
In the first half of the film, we follow the extravagant lives of Local Austin DJ/Celebrity, Jungle Julia and her friends Shanna and Arlene. They hop from cafe to bar like it is a daily routine. Only that this time, they are being stalked by a crazed, pshycopathic killer ... Stuntman Mike. As Jungle Julia and Shanna enjoy getting drunk, Arlene senses uncertainty about his mysterious and strong-looking car. As Stuntman Mike reveals, it is death proof.
After being banged and bruised after his latest killings, the second half of the film heads to Tennesee where the story follows a second group of women. Abernathy, Kim and Lee are working on a cheerleader movie, when they get a few days off they meet up with their old friend Zoë played by real life stuntwoman, Zoë Bell. Carnage ensues as Stuntman Mike pursues the women whilst in their car, leading to a high-velocity chase between a 1974 Dodge Challenger, and yet another death proof car.
Death Proof is a very layered and character-driven movie. Therefore, many information can be extracted and interpreted of Mary's character. Lee is among the second set of girls. She is an actress, working beneath the Hollywood line and is out in Lebanon having some fun with her fellow colleagues, make-up person Abernathy and stuntwomen Zoë and Kim. Although naîve, she's a soft-hearted person and has an entrancing voice and sings very well. "I think she's just a lot younger than the other girls and just trying to be cool and trying to keep up," Miss Winstead states.
When Lee came to Lebanon, she was filming a cheerleading movie (where she is one of the cheerleaders) under the direction of a fictional helmer, Cecil Evans. Throughout the movie, Lee wears a cheerleading outfit. Lee shares her love for fashion magazines with Abernathy. She is also an avid fan of the movie Pretty in Pink and she does not watch car movies very much. Even Kim states that only stuntwomen watches "car-shit", like Vanishing Point. Lee was recently featured in the fashion magazine, Allure.
Although kind at heart, through some perspective, Lee can be seen filling in the 'dumb blonde' status quo in a thriller film, sans the 'blonde'. Winstead says that she's "pretty different from [her character]." "I like to think of myself as smart so I'm a little different from my character," she says with a laugh. It was revealed that Lee dates substandard men. Prior to the film, we heard of two past boyfriends of hers who she met on the film set. The first was a guy nicknamed Toolbox by her friends, whom Lee calls a pervert as he likes to watch her pee. Later on, she dated an electrician named Bruce. Lee describes him as having "mushy lips and smooth fingertips".
When the girls went to Jasper's farm to test out the 1974 Dodge Challenger Zoë has set her eyes on, Lee was left behind as human collateral. Her fate was unknown, but rumors were that she was raped, seeing as how Jasper was revealed as a rapist in Quentin Tarantino's other movie, Kill Bill. Quentin hinted on this too. Fans cite that Lee might not even mind, as Jasper seems like the type of guy she dates.
Mary Quotes
• "It was funny, because we were supposed to wear cheerleading outfits to the audition, and a lot of the girls there were like, "I was a cheerleader, so I had mine in my closet." And I was like, (tentatively) "Oh..." I went out and I found this really cool kind of retro-looking pseudo-cheerleading outfit. So it was kind of fun to get to go on that little shopping extravaganza."
• "Quentin is just so high energy, and so, you know...He's Quentin. He's loud. (laughs) You're always aware of his presence at every moment of the day."
• "(Talking about Mary's final scene) When we were filming that scene, we were like, "We gotta shoot something, for the end credits or something"--you know, Lee running through the woods in her tattered cheerleading outfit screaming. But we're still talking about it..."What happened to Lee?" It's a mystery. But we might. It still could happen. We might shoot something for the sequel, possibly. (laughs) Who knows?"
• "The sound guys would be playing music between takes, and we'd all be dancing. We went out a lot together, and we drank a lot - i tried to keep up as much as i could, but i'm kind of a lightweight."
Memorable Quotes
• Lee Montgomery: (to Kim) You carry a gun? You have a license to carry it?
Kim: (sarcastic) Yeah, when I became a Secret Service agent, they gave me a license.
Lee Montgomery: Oh I didn't know you were a... (pauses) Okay, I didn't say it alright. Stop looking at me. I didn't say it.. (others laugh)
• (Stuntman Mike drives away)
Lee Montgomery: Little dick.
•(referring to "Toolbox")
Abertnathy: He's a grip.
Lee Montgomery: What he is, is a pervert.
Zoë Bell: Well he keeps sounding better and better. What's his perversion?
Lee Montgomery: (hesitates) He likes to watch me pee. (others burst out laughing)
Abernathy and Kim: (singing in tune, synchronized) Lee is sitting on a toilet and Toolbox is watching her pee. P-I-S-S-I-N-G!
• (after the others drive off)
Lee Montgomery: (looks to Jasper) Gulp.
• Lee Montgomery: But if anyone tears out any sheets I want, you get me colour Xeroxes of those pages and I'm not talkin' fuckin' Kinkos either. You take it to the art department and have them do it fuckin' right.
Facts & Trivia
• Quentin was gobsmacked by Mary's performance while auditioning and immediately casted her.
• Mary was told that she had to sing the song Baby It's You the very day they were shooting the scene. After testing the song out and getting comfortable with the lyrics, Mary shot the scene and everyone on set applauded her.
• The cheerleading outfit worn by Lee throughout the movie says Vipers in homage to the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad (DiVAS) in the Kill Bill movies by Quentin Tarantino. Even the outfit colours are the same as Uma Thurman's jump suit; yellow with black stripes.
• When Kim, Zoë and Abernathy are taking the 1974 Dodge Challenger out for a "test drive", they say, "Hey, good looking! Be back to pick you up later!" This was a line in a commercial for a cheesy Ronco product, Mr. Microphone in the 70's.
• There is a scene approximately seven minutes long in the film, where the second half of girls, Abernathy, Zoë, Kim and Lee are having breakfast, that was done in one revolving shot. This "long take" is a Tarantino trademark and occurs in almost each of his film.
• In a scene that was left on the cutting floor, Kim says he has to pee while at a liquor store. Lee and Abernathy respond, "That's a little more information then we needed to know." This is a reference to Pulp Fiction in which Uma Thurman says this to John Travolta.
Trailer Preview
Our Reviews
Death Proof suceeds in ticking all the boxes in which it wants to be ticked. It has the muscle cars, the women and the high-energy to keep you entertained throughout. Tarantino bathes in witty dialogue which only he could right and all the actresses are convincing and enjoyable to watch. Also Tarantino thrills in the car chases/crashes as we get four different view-points of a grissly and gruesome end to some of the girls. Even the biggest bitch, Jungle Julia, earns sympathy as her leg plumments onto the ground.
- Ally
Many seemed to think that this film is, simply put, boring. I whole-heartedly disagree. Death Proof is an ostentatious display of Tarantino's distinctive dialogue-writing skills; but, at times, this may even get the best of him and the script may sporadically prove annoying. However, the well-assembled cast clearly demonstrate that they can make it work, no matter how infuriating the exchanges may seem. Each one of the star dazzled us with a shine so bright that it may even captivate us hours after the credits roll over. Pure Tarantino masterpiece.
- Fitri
Critic Excerpts
RT Critics: 81%, based on 185 reviews RT Top Critics: 76%, based on 37 reviews RT Community: 92%, based on 1028 reviews
IMDb: 8.0, based on 62955 votes Metacritic: 77%, based on 36 reviews MEW Staff: 9.0, based on 2 reviews
"One agreeable plus is the emergence of Winstead, who instead of a tag-along now seems like a full-fledged member of the sassy-mouthed team."
- (Read Full Review: Variety)
"The girls are well cast too, particularly real life stuntwoman Zoë Bell, though it's a shame Mary Elizabeth Winstead isn't given a bit more to do."
- (Read Full Review: View London)
"In Death Proof, Tarantino gleefully subverts the genre to keep us thoroughly entertained."
- (Read Full Review: Shadows on the Wall)
"Grindhouse is both impressive and disappointing. From a technical and craft point of view it is first-rate; from its standing in the canon of the two directors, it is minor."
- (Read Full Review: Roger Ebert)
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