ON DVD > WATCHING AT HOME.

Byline: ROB LOWMAN

>ENTERTAIMENT EDITOR

"Death Proof">

It's probably no coincidence that Quentin Tarantino's tribute to grindhouse movies, "Death Proof," is coming out in an extended and unrated edition on Tuesday -- the same day as the "Roger Corman Collection."

Grindhouse was a 1950s term for a theater that showed -- usually double bills -- exploitation movies, those flicks too violent and sexy for mainstream houses. Tarentino undoubtedly grew up on the type of movies produced by Corman -- who made them fast, cheap, bloody and sexy.

"Frontal nudity from the waist up, total nudity from behind, no pubic hair, get the title in the film somewhere, and go to work" are the reported words of wisdom Corman gave to then first-time director Jonathan Kaplan in 1972 before sending him off to make "Night Call Nurses."

One of the stars of "Nurses" is Alana Stewart, one of Rod's exes, and Kaplan made a decent movie ("Heart Like a Wheel") before settling into directing television. But tons of directors and actors who went on to major careers also worked on films by Corman, who is listed as a producer on some 380 movies.

Among those on Corman sets were: Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Sylvester Stallone, Peter Bogdanovich, Joe Dante. There are a few Oscars there.

This collection of films that Corman also directed leads off with the 1970 "Bloody Mama," with De Niro as the glue-sniffing member of the Depression-era Barker boys (Shelly Winters was "Ma") in a rather twisted gangster tale. The 1959 "Bucket of Blood" is a hoot, and "The Trip" (written by Jack Nicholson) and "The Wild Angels," both starring Peter Fonda, are pure '60s weirdness. The rest of the collection includes "Premature Burial," "The Young Racers," "Gas-s-s" and "X."

Interestingly, Kaplan's 1975 trucker-ploitation flick, "White Line Fever," which Corman didn't produce though there is an homage to him in the film, is referenced in Tarantino's "Death Proof." The two-disc DVD out Tuesday is an expanded version that played internationally of the director's half of the "Grindhouse" double bill -- along with Robert Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" -- that had a so-so run in U.S. theaters.

Having not seen the U.S. version, I can't say what was added, but it's got to be a lot of dialogue. Tarantino is known for it, and it takes 45 minutes before there's any real action -- something that wouldn't have happened in one of those flicks from the '60s and '70s.

All we know is in the first half of "Death Proof," which takes place in Austin, is that Kurt Russell's character, Stuntman Mike, is stalking women and ends up at a bar where there are a number of hip, sexy ones. So what we get in the film's hour or so are lots of drinking, shots of girls in provocative outfits, sexual negotiations, Tarantino's patented crazy-logic dialogue, a lap dance and finally a wild payoff.

The film then switches to Tennessee where Mike begins stalking four more women, not knowing that two are stunt women and gear heads.

Eventually, this homage to chick-driven revenge films kicks into gear and almost makes all the jabbering worth it -- though there are moments despite some wittiness where you want to scream, "SHUT UP ALREADY!"

Give kudos to the gals -- Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Poitier, Mary Elizabeth

Winstead, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan and Tracie Thomas -- for making the banter sound convincing.

movies>

Of the other new films out, "Gracie," directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth"), about a young girl who throws her life into soccer competition while she and her family cope with a tragedy, is heartfelt. The story is based on the life of Guggenheim's wife, actress Elizabeth Shue, who has a role in the film.

"We Are Marshall" is based on a true story of what happened after the entire Marshall University football team was killed in a plane crash Nov. 14, 1970. It's an inspiring story, but the film, which stars Matthew McConaughey and Matthew Fox, is less so. Director McG can't help but zap the emotion of the film by amping everything up in the end and overwhelming any pathos.

television>

"Smallville," now in its sixth season -- is the rare exception: a teen -- now 20-something -- drama/action show that's gotten a bit better and more interesting over the years.

"The Family Guy," on the other hand, has lost a little of its edge over the years, but the show still produces enough laughs, zingers and on-target potshots that it's hard not to check it out.

re-releases>

With "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" coming out in October, director Shekhar Kapur's excellent "Elizabeth" -- with Cate Blanchett in her first time as the Virgin Queen -- is being re-released. Also look for a director's cut of "Troy." Wolfgang Petersen's epic was better and more entertaining than most of the reviews indicate. For Arnold fans, there's "Commando -- Director's Cut," and Oliver Stone's "Wall Street: 20th Anniversary Edition" looks as relevant as ever.

>out tuesday

TELEVISION

"Family Guy, Volume 5" ($39.98)

"Boston Legal -- Season 3" ($59.98)

"Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity" ($14.99)

"Everybody Loves Raymond -- The Complete Ninth Season" ($44.98)

"Brothers and Sisters -- The Complete First Season" ($59.99)

"The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash 1969-1971" ($39.98)

"Married with Children -- The Complete Seventh Season" ($39.95)

NEW MOVIES

"Grindhouse Presents, Death Proof -- Extended and Unrated" ($29.95)

"We Are Marshall" ($28.98)

"The Gymnast" ($24.95)

"Lucky You" ($28.98)

"The Condemned" ($28.98)

"Beyond the Gates" ($27.98)

"Brooklyn Rules" ($29.98)

OLDER MOVIES

"Anne of the Thousand Days"/ "Mary, Queen of Scots" ($19.98)

"Wall Street -- 20th Anniversary Edition" ($19.98)

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (Quentin Tarantino)

(2) no caption ("Smallville")

(3) no caption ("The Family Guy")