When the car crashes through the sign for a theater, the movies playing are Scary Movie 4 and Wolf Creek. The movie was split up for some theaters overseas, because most non-English speaking countries might not understand the tradition behind the grindhouse double-feature and the underlying concept might be lost. The two movies were called: Grindhouse: Planet Terror and Grindhouse: Death Proof .
Zoe Bell, who plays the character Zoe in the segment Death Proof , does all her own stunts (she was the stunt double for Uma Thurman in the Kill Bill series). In the Death Proof segment, the tank top Kurt Russell wore in Big Trouble in Little China can be seen hanging on the wall of the Texas Chili Parlour. In the first mock preview, directed by Robert Rodriguez, Danny Trejo plays the title character, Machete. Machete was the name of Danny Trejo's character in Rodriguez's Spy Kids movies. In both he is a character that is inventive with weapons.
In the segment Planet Terror the soldiers at the army base are seen watching a grindhouse trailer for the film Women in Cages starring Pam Grier. This full trailer and more were put on the special edition of the Jackie Brown DVD by Quentin Tarantino.
Director's Trademark: Red Apple Cigarettes. In the segment Planet Terror , JT (the BBQ owner) tossed a pack to Wray.
In Death Trap, the Acuna Boys seen in the movie is a reference to The Acuna Boys mentioned in Kill Bill part 2. Director Trademark: Tarantino's use of bare feet, in the beginning of Death Trap In Death Proof, there are several references to Pulp Fiction (1994), including the Big Kahuna burger, foot massages, and Tarantino's character mentions a tasty beverage . Red Apple Ciggaretts, Big Kahuna Burger, and Chango Beer are all fake product placements from previous Tarantino Rodriguez Films.
The Thanksgiving trailer is a direct spoof of the original trailer for Halloween. In Dr. Dakota Block's office during the Planet Terror segment, you can see a notepad. Written on it is a checklist, the last item being Kill Bill, a reference to Tarantino's Kill Bill movies.
In the scene where Earl McGraw (Michael Parks) feeds his invalid wife, there's a framed photo of Parks on a motorcycle from his TV series THEN CAME BRONSON. Kurt Russell can be seen in the background, eating through the diner scene in Death Proof.
In the Death Proof segment, a conversation takes place between Abby (Rosario Dawson), Zoe (Zoe Bell), Kim (Tracie Thoms) and Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in which it is revealed that Abby's last boyfriend, a film director, cheated with on her with a stunt double for Darryl Hannah. Zoe Bell, a real-life stunt woman, doubled Hannah in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Part I and Kill Bill, Part II . The two cars in the chase at the end are a black 1969 Dodge Charger (an homage to Bullitt, although that was a '68) and a 1970 Dodge Challenger (just like the one Barry Newman drove in Vanishing Point).
Michael Parks' character refers to his son as Son number 1 just like in Kill Bill vol. 2. Director Trademark: [ ] [Long Take] During the second half of Death Proof, when the four women are talking in the cafeteria, it is all done in a single take that is at least 10 minutes long.
The Mexican restaurant shown during the reels is Acu a Mexican. Acu a is the town in which Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi and Desperado were filmed. In Kill Bill: Vol 2, Beatrix goes to Acu a to track down Bill.
In the segment 'Death Proof', in the bar, one of the songs listed on the jukebox is Misirlou , which is is the opening theme to (1994). The Canadian release of Grindhouse had one extra trailer attached to the opening of the film. The trailer was called Hobo With A Shotgun and was the winner of the SXSW Grindhouse fake trailer competition. The short was directed by an indy film maker from Nova Scotia, Canada, named Jason Eisener. Father and son actors Michael and James Parks reprise the roles they played in Kill Bill Vol. 1, From Dusk Til Dawn (Michael), and From Dusk Til Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (James).
Both characters were actually killed in the films in which they first appeared, but have been featured in two films apiece since then.
A Support Our Troops sign can be seen outside the hospital in Planet Terror. A clever spin on the fact that the virus is discovered by the U.S. military.
At Warren's bar in Death Proof, there is a sign that says CASH ONLY with the famous photo of Johnny Cash giving the finger.
In the Machete trailer, Danny Trejo throws knifes at people in a limousine through the sun roof. He does the exact same thing in Desperado. The car that Kim, Zoe, Lee, and Abernathy drive up in is painted in the same colors that Uma Thurman wore in Kill Bill (yellow with black stripes).
In Death Proof, Kurt Russell's character introduces himself as Stuntman Mike McKay. The Frat boy insult Stuntman Mike by making a reference to BJ and the Bear a 70's TV show about a trucker with a monkey. BJ's last name in the show was Mckay.
Edgar Wright's preview Don't Scream is based on the Jerry Gross organization's preview for Sergio Martino's The Corpses Bore Traces Of Carnal Violence, retitled Torso. The original trailer chanted the word torso faster and faster over every shortening clips of the film, as did Wright's trailer with the word don't. Rose McGowan is germaphobic, and had to have the stripper pole sanitized before doing her go-go dance routine.
During Death Proof, there is a quick pan across the contents of a jukebox's play list. The songs listed are: The Box Tops - The Door You Closed on Me / Cry Like a Baby Dinah Washington - Stormy Weather / Mad About the Boy William Bell - You Don't Miss Your Water / Formula of Love Lee Williams - I'm Tore Up / They Told a Lie Dick Dale - Eight to Midnight / Miserlou Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody / Gotta Serve Somebody (version 2) Joe Tex - The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) / If Sugar Was as Sweet As You Tony Block, played by Rebel Rodriguez is the son of director Robert Rodriguez. James Parks, playing Dept. Edgar McGraw in both Planet Terror and Death Proof, has also played the exact same character in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and From Dusk 'Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
The scratchy film (and film bubbles) only happened in the 70's at the end of a reel - not the entire movie. The point where the print experienced the most stress.
Rose McGowan originally suggested her friend Rey-Phillip Santos for the role of El Wray. Instead it went to Freddy Rodriguez. In an interview with Newsweek, stated he came up with the idea of Death Proof when he was talking to a friend about buying a car. Tarantino wanted to buy a Volvo because he didn't want to die in some auto accident like the one in (1994). In regards to the safety of the car, his friend had said, Well, you could take any car and give it to a stunt team, and for $10,000 or $15,000, they can death-proof it for you. The death proof phrase had stuck to Tarantino after that.
Eli Roth filmed the faux-trailer for Thanksgiving in the Czech Republic while he was there directing HOSTEL: PART II. Jay Hernandez and Jordan Ladd, as well as several extras from that film, appear in the trailer as well. At the beginning of Death Proof, Rosario Dawson's character is drinking from a soda cup. The restaurant on the cup is the same Mexican restaurant (The Three Amigo's) that is advertised during the transition between Planet Terror and Death Proof
Kurt Russell has a scar over his left eye. This is the same eye the character Snake Plissken, Played by Russell in Escape from New York, wears an eye patch over. The instrumental, Jack Nitzche's The Last Race , that plays over the opening credits of Death Proof , had previously been used as the opening theme song of Bert I. Gordon's Village of the Giants (1965).
The license plate on Stuntman Mike's (Death Proof) Chevy Nova is JJZ-109. This is the same license plate number that was on the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback that Steve McQueen's character drove in the movie Bullitt.
In the second half of Death Proof the girls are in Tennessee looking at the Challenger in front of a Cabin that has been destroyed by time. That Cabin is the same one used in the first Evil Dead . In Planet Terror, while Cherry and El Ray are driving to the Boneshack, Jungle Julia's radio show can be heard tuning in and out of frequency.
The cops in the hospital after Stuntman Mike crashes his car for the first time are the cops in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 who report to the scene of the wedding day massacre. In the Machete trailer, one of the men Machete kills is the lead singer of Tito and Tarantula. He also appeared in Desperado, From Dusk till Dawn and Once Upon A Time in Mexico, all directed by Robert Rodriguez
In Death Proof, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) drives two cars: a 1971/72 Chevy Nova SS and a 1969 Dodge Charger. In Death Proof, 's character drives a 1971/1972 Chevy Nova, the same model car that Jules and Vincent drive in Pulp Fiction. , who composes the scores to his own films, was originally chosen to compose the score to Planet Terror. ( ended up taking over the job as composer) instead.
Both directors 'aged' the films, adding scratches, dirt, and dust, to simulate the feel of the real Grindhouse films. (Check the credits for Film Damage Compositor .)
The missing reels in the Grindhouse films were an original William Castle-style idea cooked up by and . Tarantino owns a print of the film (1976) which when he bought it was missing a reel (containing a major plot point). After watching the film in this way, Tarantino found the scenes that he didn't see created an interesting mystery which made him try to figure out what went down in those scenes. Contrary to rumors, in the Grindhouse era, frames would often be missing from films but not entire 20-30 minute reels. This was not a staple of Grindhouse cinema.
and were offered roles in Death Proof, but both were unable to be in the film due to prior engagements. Trivia items below here contain information that may give away important plot points. You may not want to read any further if you've not already seen this title.
SPOILER: In a interview, Fergie stated that during her scenes with Quentin Tarantino, he had bitten her on the neck saying that it was one of the coolest moments filming despite her agent almost wanting to sue Quentin for that stunt.
SPOILER: During Planet Terror, the news of Jungle Julia breaking can be heard on the radio during one scene. Jungle Julia dies in Death Proof. SPOILER: In Death Proof , when Stuntman Mike realizes that Jungle Julia is the same girl that's on multiple billboards around town, Julia calls him Zatoichi . Zatoichi is a samurai swordsman of legend that is blind.
SPOILER: The escape in Planet Terror involving the truck and the gas tanks is an homage to Night of the Living dead, where a similiar escape plan is concocted. In Night of the living Dead, the plan fails. In Planet Terror, it works.
Keywords: Death Proof, Kill Bill, Planet Terror, Stuntman Mike, Kurt Russell, Kill Bill Vol, Bill Vol, Jungle Julia, From Dusk, Robert Rodriguez
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