The movie death proof comes out this year so why does it look like it came out in the 70s.?

Answer 1

...the film was purposely made to emulate the type of film style that reflects that of the rough and gritty drive-in and grindhouse films of that era (...early 70's, mid-70's, late 70's and early 80s')...

...at certain points in the film, there are scratches, audio/video jump cuts and faded/burnt frames; this was also purposely done to simulate the notion that this might have been a film, where very few copies of the film were produced, and therefore, was toured across the country, getting worn and decrepit with each and every showing...much like the old drive-in and grindhouse-type films were, back in the early-to-mid-to-late '70's...

...back then, the viewers who saw the film first, on the beginning of it's nationwide tour, saw the best print of the film; by the time the film finished it's tour, from theatre to theatre, the viewers who saw the film last, saw a version that was very scratched up, at certain points had frames that were cut out and respliced together, due to wear on the film, and sometimes entire reels were excluded, due to wear on the film...

...in "Death Proof", the simulated wear on the film was minimal, because directer Quentin Tarantino did not want this to distract the viewer from his stylish and atypical eclectic and colorful dialogue; when director Robert Rodriguez' movie, "Planet Terror" comes out next month, you will see simulated film wear that makes the film look like it was put through a hay bailer...

Answer 2

The director is Quentin.. period.