Death Proof (18)

Quentin Tarantino continues his masterclass in movie subculture with Death Proof, an attempt to recreate Seventies and early Eighties "grindhouse" films; the slashers, splatters, sexploitations and blaxploitations shown continuously in seedy dives.

As usual, one approaches the famous film geek's appreciation of tat with trepidation; as usual, he turns in something rather fabulous. Death Proof is a story of two halves: first, serial killer with deadly car targets a group of young women; second, girl power delivers his comeuppance. Kurt Russell plays Stuntman Mike, a skull and crossbones on his hood and evil in his heart. Among the "badass" women is real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell; watch her scenes atop a speeding car with due respect.

The fusion of B-movie blueprint and Tarantino's dialogue-smart sensibility results in an original animal – cool, sexy, scary and shockingly violent. One car smash leaves little to the imagination, and would make a most effective seat-belt campaign.