The Works of Quentin Tarantino. Volume Three (with "Basterds" review)

Volume One
Volume Two
























With the new millennium, we were introduced to a new Quentin. This Quentin still had the great dialogue, and brought back fading careers. However, this new Quentin was more geekier and full of adrenaline. I will now close my Tarantino retrospective with what he's done this last decade, with a review of Inglourious Basterds.

KILL BILL VOLUMES 1 & 2
2003/2004



















Volume One was kind of a gateway drug movie for me, almost in the same way as Kevin Smith's Clerks. Whereas Clerks got me into indie films, Kill Bill got me into Asian cinema, which grew into a love foreign film in general. I saw this flick twice in theaters when first released around my birthday. First time around, I was so amazed by what I saw. The film is undeniably made by an obvious film geek who loves Asian action films. For the Bruce Lee fans, there's the Game of Death suit. Like Green Hornet? The Crazy 88's resemble Kato (also for the Lee fans). Flick begins with an animated Grindhouse-era introduction and the Shaw Brothers studio logo. Battle Royale's Chiaki Kuriyama returns in a school girl uniform, the soundtrack is mostly made of scores from old films, and fight choreographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon).

One thing I loved about the first was the energy and the style. This just wowed me and made me want to see what inspired Quentin to make such a great movie. The flick is clearly a love letter to international cinema.

Volume Two is a different movie. Whereas Volume One was a balls-out, ultra-violent blood-fest eye candy, rich in story, Volume 2 turns it down and gives us even more great story. But the transition from martial arts/samurai revenge story to spaghetti western-esque revenge story works. What I love about Kill Bill 1 & 2 is it's an epic gory story that gives you a taste of varying genres in Grindhouse cinema. The violence was unlike anything I've seen before at that time and it made me want to watch a ton of martial arts films. I can go on and on about how awesome Kill Bill is, and maybe I'll talk more extensively about it another time. For now, let me just say: Kill Bill is fucking killer.

SIN CITY
2005















I don't really know if I should be counting this, as really the film is by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller. However, Quentin was a "Special Guest Director" in a scene from "The Big Fat Kill", so I suppose I can say a little about his involvement. Tarantino and Rodriguez have worked together many times in one way or another. Both made a segment on Four Rooms, Tarantino played a small role in Desperado, Rodriguez directed the Tarantino-written From Dusk Til Dawn, Rodriguez scored Kill Bill 2, so Rodriguez asked Quentin if he wanted to direct a scene in Sin City. Why? Because Tarantino was always about shooting in film, whereas Rodriguez shoots in digital. Rodriguez thought Tarantino was a little bit curious on shooting in digital, so this scene was more or less an experiment, as Tarantino would not try digital on his own. It was pretty cool to see a short scene by Quentin. The movie, overall, is amazing. But I'll review that another time for an article I've been thinking about writing.


CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
"GRAVE DANGER VOLS. 1 & 2"
2005
















2005 may have been a year without a proper Tarantino movie, but a two-hour episode of CSI was good enough. Before it aired, I have never watched a CSI episode, and come to think of it, I haven't watched many since. Mostly because I'm usually off doing something else when it's on. The night this was to air, I bailed on my usual routine, bought a VHS tape and recorded it. From a guy who never watched the show before then, it was pretty cool to watch. I might actually watch CSI again someday if I found time or motivation to. While not the scribe of the episode's teleplay, he has credit for the story. The story is quite Tarantino-esque. As for the look and the dialogue, it'll ring a bell but not completely. Overall, pretty decent episode, considering what I noob I was (and still kind of am) to CSI.

DUCK DODGERS
"MASTER & DISASTER"
2005


Okay, I know I said "no acting gigs", but this was worth mentioning. It's kind of interesting that Quentin would have a guest spot on a kid's cartoon, but an interesting premise nonetheless. The original Duck Dodgers of the 24th 1/2 Century was one of my favorite Daffy Duck cartoons (behind Duck Amuck, of course). I've only seen two episodes of the series, this being one of them. I have it recorded onto a DVD-R billed along with Raging Bull when I recorded them on TV (Cartoon Network and IFC, respectively).

It's pretty clear why Quentin was cast in this role. Almost the same, I think, as being cast in a cameo on Muppet Wizard of Oz. With Kill Bill, he has become synonymous with martial arts cinema as he made one of the most successful films of that genre in years. Also, a resemblance between his character on this episode and the character Pai Mei on Kill Bill Vol. 2. Both performances in this episode and The Muppets were quite funny. In Duck Dodgers, Quentin voices Master Moloch, a Gibbon martial arts expert who teaches Dodgers and Cadet Porky Gibbon Fist Kung-Fu to defeat The Woosh, a thief with lightning-fast speed. The Kill Bill references will surely give you a chuckle, including the resemblance to Pai Mei and their jokes on the Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique.

This appearance was both a surprising and entertaining ten minutes. If you like Tarantino, martial arts, and Looney Tunes, there's no reason to not enjoy this.

GRINDHOUSE: DEATH PROOF
2007












It's no secret Tarantino is a huge fan of exploitation cinema. Almost everything he's done is a nod of some sort to Grindhouse cinema, much maybe a little less sleazy and with a bigger budget. So, in another collaboration with Mr. Rodriguez, the dynamic film geek duo set out to re-create the entire Grindhouse experience for the new generation. Was it an epic win? Yes and no. As a movie, it was surely a win. Financially? No. Flick bombed. Mostly due to poor marketing and the fact it was Easter weekend and was up against kids movies. As of now, there is no US release of Grindhouse as a whole, but the two movies as separate releases, sans most of the fake trailers that were a big highlight.

So, how was Tarantino's half? It has its highs and lows. Lot of women talking that can get a little old after a while. But when it gets good...ho-ly shit does it get good. Amazing, actually. Possibly the best car chase ever put on celluloid. None of that CGI Michael Bay crap. Grindhouse was overall a great cinematic experience unlike any other. Sadly, it wasn't as exciting as it could've been. Never thought I'd say this about a Tarantino film, but a little less dialogue would've been advantageous. That's not so say I didn't enjoy Death Proof. It was still a great film. It just suffered a little from pacing.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
2009




















At long last. The film that compelled me to start this 3-parter. I remember hearing about this before I even watched my first Tarantino movie. Well, first directorial movie anyway. I first knew of Tarantino watching Little Nicky when I was 12 years old and IMDB-ing him. Next project on his list: "Inglorious Bastards." Years went by, and with only little knowledge or updates. At one point, it was to be headlined by Michael Madsen, with a supporting cast of Tim Roth, Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy. At one point, Quentin was talking about splitting it into two movies, like with Kill Bill.

Finally, with Grindhouse out of the way, he finished a script and got the film's production fast-tracked in time for Cannes. With the production time, I'll admit I was concerned. On top of that, Simon Pegg was not able to do a part. With the first trailer, I had not much to worry about after all. Upon seeing the film, those worries went away completely.

Inglourious Basterds is yet another fine film by the glorious bastard we all know and love. The cinematography is beautiful, the acting is fantastic (especially from Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz- both of whom own every second of screen time). There were parts that I felt were starting to drag, but much like in Death Proof as a whole, these slower scenes have a badass payoff. And the payoffs are rarely too sudden. Quentin builds us the tension nicely.

Some are getting tired of Quentin making movies that are "referential" to other movies, but that's something I've loved about Quentin's recent work. Yes, most of the ADD generation isn't going to give two shits about The Dirty Dozen or the original Inglorious Bastards (it's not a remake. The title is just a reference). Me, I'd want to watch them. When I saw Kill Bill, I sought out to watch most of the movies Quentin referenced. Though I'd like to see what Quentin is going to do next, and if the next decade will bring us yet another new Tarantino.

That's not to say this film is too much like Kill Bill or Death Proof. This one reminds me more of Pulp Fiction with more added insanity. This is his new Pulp.

There are some issues with the film, but they are issues that won't bother me, but maybe other audiences. I don't think this movie should've been released in the summer. It feels more like a fall movie. Also, most summer-moviegoers won't want to sit through subtitles...and Basterds has a lot of it. It's not all about Brad Pitt and company scalping nazis. Like Pulp Fiction, we spend time with all these characters and theirs adventures cross towards the end. I don't think a lot of people are going to really get this film, but true film fans and Tarantino fans will surely dig the hell out of it.

With this summer being disappointing, movie-wise, I'm glad the last movie I saw before going back to college was this one. This was my favorite of the summer (District 9 a very close second). Violent, beautiful, shocking, funny- Inglourious Basterds may not be the movie we've been expecting for nearly a decade, but I'm damn glad to finally have it here. I'll certainly be seeing it a few more times in the theaters .

My Spill Rating? Full Price!

Well, that wraps up my Quentin Tarantino retrospective. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

Now, it's time for me to go. So I leave you with some rather appropriate exit music.