Grindhouse cinema devotee non pareil Quentin Tarantino pays adoring homage to the drive-in car chase classics of the 1970s in Death Proof (2007), the second and stronger film on the Grindhouse double bill he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez. Raucously entertaining, this postmodern exploitation flick may idle a bit at times, but once Death Proof takes to the road, Tarantino's gabby melodrama kicks into high-octane gear. Capped by a slam-bang car chase sequence on breathless par with anything in either Vanishing Point (1971) or Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), two of Tarantino's chief influences, Death Proof comes to DVD in an extended and unrated two-disc DVD edition that's a treat for Tarantino's fellow grindhouse fans.

A cheerfully lurid pastiche of the slasher flick and car chase thriller, replete with "T&A;" camera shots in the "Bosomania" cinematic tradition of Russ Meyer (Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!), Death Proof stars Kurt Russell as "Stuntman Mike," a scarred, virgin pina colada drinking, ex-stuntman who's got a thing for fast cars and even faster women. Cruising around Austin, Texas, in his custom-fitted, death-proofed Dodge Charger, he locks eyes with Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito), the nubile best friend of local radio deejay, Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier). Although she's rightly unnerved by "Stuntman Mike," Arlene finds herself irresistibly drawn to the former Robert Urich stunt double, who's a homicidal maniac behind the wheel—as Arlene, Jungle Julia, and friend Shawna (Jordan Ladd) soon learn, in spectacularly grisly fashion.

The action then jumps to Lebanon, Tennessee, 18 months later. Back to his old, sinister tricks, "Stuntman Mike" sets his sights on another group of sexy young women. This time, however, he's may have met his match in Hollywood stuntwomen Kim (Tracie Thoms) and Zoe (Zoe Bell), out for a joy ride with stylist buddy Abernathy (Rosario Dawson). Test driving Zoe's dream car—a 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 440 engine—the ladies aren't about to let some psycho run them off the road without a fight to the bare-knuckle finish.

Co-starring Rose McGowan and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Death Proof sometimes feels like a chick flick on steroids; the women gab, bicker, and tease each other in that peculiar Tarantino vernacular: funny, profane, anecdotal, and awash in pop culture references. And even as he's ogling their physical assets, usually from the rear, Tarantino doesn't portray them just as sacrificial bimbos, lining up to be road kill. He gives each of them distinct, quirkily drawn personalities, the common denominator being that they're hyper-verbal and pop culture savants. Although all of the Death Proof actresses register vividly, Thoms, Ferlito, and Bell, a real-life stuntwoman making her acting debut, make the strongest impressions opposite Russell, who has a ball playing the unhinged stuntman.

Zooming to a sensational close with an 18-minute car chase shot "old school," i.e., without CGI, Death Proof is good, trashy fun with a sly sense of humor that manages to honor and affectionately send up the drive-in flicks that shaped Tarantino's cinematic sensibility.

DVD DETAILS
Disc one contains the unrated and extended version of Death Proof. Tarantino has restored a couple of scenes, most noticeably an early encounter between "Stuntman Mike" and his second group of victims at a convenience store, featuring Winstead's a capella cover of "Baby, It's You"(she's got a nice set of pipes). Disc one also includes the trailers and a poster gallery.

Special features galore can be found on disc two, but be forewarned: watching six of the seven features may severely test your tolerance for Tarantino. Rarely pausing to catch his brief, the motormouth filmmaker waxes effusively about Russell and editor Sally Menke, who had just over a month to edit Death Proof. If you must limit your exposure to Tarantino, the two must-see special features are as follows:

— "Introducing Zoe Bell:" The endearing and earthy Kiwi stuntwoman talks about performing her own stunts and making her acting debut in Death Proof.

— "Stunts on Wheels: The Legendary Drivers of Death Proof:" Veteran Buddy Joe Hooker demonstrates why Tarantino ranks him as one of the all-time great stuntmen, right up there with Yakima Canutt and Hal Needham.