Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino/1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Inglourious Basterds

#116- Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino


Plot Summary: In 1941, SS Colonel Hans Landa interrogates a French dairy farmer for hiding Jews under his floorboards. Ordering his men to shoot up the Dreyfus family, a young Shosanna Dreyfus barely escapes as Landa decides not to shoot her. 3 years later, Shosanna runs a movie theater under a new alias. A German war hero named Frederick Zoller takes a liking to her and arranges for a new film honoring his efforts to be held in her theater. Knowing that the entire Nazi political leadership will be attending, Shosanna plans to burn down the theater with everyone inside it for revenge. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Aldo Raine recruits Jewish-American soldiers to the Basterds, who spread fear among the German soldiers due to their brutal killing methods. They plan to rendezvous with Lieutenant Archie Cox, a British film critic, and German film star Bridget von Hammersmark to negotiate planting explosives at the premiere. Upon their meeting, new developments unfold as Bridget informs the Basterds that Adolf Hitler has decided to attend the premiere. 

We've come to the end of my retrospective on the career of Quentin Tarantino. Alas, we also arrive at a film that has been labelled a film you must see before you die. Inglourious Basterds is considered one of his modern classics, thanks to its talented cast and fun premise. Altering history immensely, the film depicts 2 different plans to assassinate the Nazi political leadership simultaneously. Now, when I started this film, this honestly felt the least "Tarantino" of his films, and I'm not sure what it was. It might have been the historical setting or the lack of immediately noticeable continuity with the rest of his films. Then, the blood and over the top violence started to kick in and then I was like "and...there he is." By the end, I was blown away by a lot of the questions Tarantino left me asking myself. And that's what I'm here to talk about. While the film has great characters, I honestly think Tarantino's greatest contribution to Inglourious Basterds is that he accomplished what many moviegoers could deem nearly impossible: to humanize Nazi characters, while dehumanizing the allied characters that we are supposed to root for.

There are a ton of great characters here, so let's analyze them by groups. The first group on our list are The Basterds, led by Aldo Raine, played by Brad Pitt. Pitt is a great choice to carry this film, as he has enough talent and natural charisma to really bring a lot of viewers into rooting for The Basterds. His fun accent and demand for Nazi scalps are left in the minds of the viewers forever and I really think only Pitt could give Aldo the proper amount of charm needed for it to work. Another great character in The Basterds is Donny Donowitz (also known as the Bear Jew), played by Eli Roth. While not much depth to his character, he has a love of gore and violence and a fun accent. Really, not much is known about him, but he certainly makes an impression with that baseball bat. We also have the fan favorite character Hugo Stiglitz (who doesn't hear a guitar solo right now?), played by Til Schweiger. Rivaling Donny in terms of love of violence, it's arguable that Hugo is more psychotic and over the top with his violent tendencies. He's given this amazing reputation throughout the film, and you can really tell he's an important asset to the team. But really, we watch The Basterds for the violence right? That's what I thought.

We then cut to a very interesting relationship between a German Nazi war hero, Frederick Zoller, played by Daniel Bruhl, and Jewish French movie theater owner Shosanna Dreyfus, played by Melanie Laurent. Laurent plays Shosanna as your typical tough Tarantino female character driven by revenge for the Nazi's killing her family, and it really works. But there's one big character flaw in liking her and it's her treatment towards Frederick. Frederick is actually a likable character, not enjoying his fame and simply wanting to go out with Shosanna (using the false name of Emmanuelle Mimieux) and bond over their mutual love of movies. Instead, Shosanna gives him the cold shoulder, and even if he's a Nazi, you can't help but feel sorry for the guy. In any other film, they would have a romance that stands this culture clash, but Tarantino isn't your average filmmaker. Shosanna is driven by revenge and won't stop for anything or anybody. Admirable, yes. But, it does raise some questions on if her actions and behaviors are justified towards Frederick.

Then, we have a couple of agents that are involved in Operation Kino, including Archie Cox, played by Michael Fassbender. Fassbender is one of my favorite actors in this current generation, so I always relish the opportunity to see him on film. While he's only in two or three scenes, he's involved in the tensest scene of the film. I won't give much away, but I will say every moment of it is pulse-pounding and it's the point in the film where everything starts to feel like a Tarantino movie again. Another agent in Operation Kino is actress Bridget von Hammersmark, played by Diane Kruger. Now, here's a character that actually got me to start questioning the morals of our "heroes." Again, I'm not one for spoilers, but Bridget does something that really grinds my gears. She's likable up to that point, and once that point of no return happens, I couldn't care less what happens to her.

But the best performance of the film is Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa, a Nazi colonel that is known as the Jew Hunter. The man is so intelligent, so calculating, so ruthless, and so quirky, that you can't help but look at him and go "dang, he's is so impressive. Is there anything he CAN'T do?" Any screenwriters looking to get ahead in the industry should look at the film's opening scene to see how to properly introduce a villain. The scene is absolutely chilling and brilliant to watch. Even if the joke is obvious with Waltz playing the lead antagonist in the upcoming Spectre, I have to say it: Hans Landa could be a James Bond villain. Christoph Waltz is probably my favorite actor to watch nowadays, and I could argue he's the greatest actor to work with Tarantino, since he has starred in two Tarantino films (Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained) and walked away with the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in both films. He is the only actor in Tarantino's films to go undefeated in Academy Award wins. That's pretty impressive. Even more impressive is to see how different Landa is from Dr. King Schultz (Waltz's character in Django Unchained). Looking at them, you probably wouldn't even believe they're played by the same actor. THAT is the mark of a truly great actor.

As you can see, with the characters in Inglourious Basterds, there is no black and white, no good and evil. Each character has reasonable motivations, but that doesn't mean you can honestly agree with any of them. Nazi characters are given quirks, backstories, and character development that actually draws empathy from the viewer. Characters fighting the Nazis that we should be rooting for are blinded by anger and revenge, resulting in senseless, over the top violence that actually feels reminiscent of cold, heartless soldiers....like the Nazis. It's well-written characters like this that truly represents Tarantino's career in a nutshell. His films feature some of the most memorable scenes and quoted movie lines of the last 25 years. But none of that is achievable if he didn't give each of his films a compelling cast of characters played by some of the best actors Hollywood has to offer. Indeed, we will be looking at Tarantino's films for years to come, and it would be easy to see why a new generation of filmmakers could say they were influenced by Tarantino's style of filmmaking. If I ever get into making movies, I know he would be my number one source of inspiration.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The cast of Inglourious Basterds is astounding, and the plot definitely causes the viewer to ask a lot of questions. This modern Tarantino masterpiece proved to the world that he could make period pieces, and this film belongs in the collections of all movie buffs.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Inglourious Basterds and movie images are copyrighted by The Weinstein Company

Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino- Death Proof

Death Proof (2007)

Starring: Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino


Plot Summary: At a local bar in Austin, Texas, an aging Hollywood stuntman named Stuntman Mike catches the attention of a group of girls named Julia, Shanna, and Arlene. After parting ways with the girls, Mike offers a ride to a girl named Pam. He shows her his car, a stunt car rigged with a roll cage over the metal passenger's seat. Mike's attitude changes immediately, as he abducts Pam and begins to drive dangerously, telling her that the car is 100% death proof, but in order to get that benefit, you need to be sitting in the driver's seat. After creating a full on collision with the other girls' car, Stuntman Mike walks away with no life-threatening injuries. 14 months later, Mike resurfaces in Lebanon, Tennessee, looking for another group of girls to terrorize. He picks a group of women that are from a movie shoot and have been given a few days off. But Mike is not prepared for what happens next, because after giving these women the fright of their lives, they decide they aren't going to take that abuse so lightly and fight back against Mike and his car.

In 2007, Quentin Tarantino and his buddy Robert Rodriguez partnered together to bring Grindhouse, a double feature horror film that paid tribute to the grindhouse type theaters that would show B movies. Tarantino's contribution to the film was Death Proof, a film that pays homage to muscle cars of the '70s and exploitation films. With Kurt Russell starring in the lead role and going against an onslaught of strong and powerful women, it's easy to imagine the film would be a success. However, this is usually the Tarantino film people talk about the least, and even consider to be his least favorable film. Personally, I believe choosing the worst Tarantino movie is like picking which child you love the least, most wouldn't even make that decision and if they do, they'd probably be hurting inside afterwards. Anyways, let's see if Death Proof is worth the shunning it has received over the years.

Kurt Russell plays the lead character, Stuntman Mike. Russell gives Mike a lot of charisma and intrigue that as a viewer, you just want to know more about him. Why does he like doing what he does to these women? What films has he been in? What is it about his charm that just sorta works? The worst part of it is that even when he's doing these terrible things, he's still charming about it. There's a period of time when Mike is out of film, and it honestly drags a tad. Not by much, but just a hair to where you're left wondering where Mike is. And when he shows up, you know some bad things are gonna happen. I just love when a character can put that feeling in the viewer.

There are a lot of standout female characters in this film so let's just go through them rapidfire. And for time's sake, I'll just go ahead and say that any I mention have plenty of attitude. Anyways, the first one to talk about is Pam, played by Rose McGowan, who is the only girl Mike messes with in the film who isn't part of a group. She actually hates the first group of girls because of a childhood feud she had with Jungle Julia, played by Sydney Poitier (no...not him. It's his daughter, actually). Julia is a feisty talker (would have to be if you're a radio DJ) who knows exactly how to get what she wants. Her friend Arlene, played by Vanessa Ferlito, has a memorable scene involving a lap dance with Mike. Really, that's about it for her, but it certainly catches the attention of the viewer.

The second group of girls is definitely highlighted by the show-stealing performance by Zoe Bell as herself. This amazing stuntwoman from New Zealand just has so many quirks about her that works and adds plenty of humor to go along with her moments of absolute toughness. Abernathy, played by Rosario Dawson, is a character that really stands out in her ability to talk and come up with a plan. Abernathy uses her smarts and wits in order to get her friends a test drive with a 1970 Dodge Challenger, with using one of their friends for collateral. Very impressive. Rounding out the fun characters is Kim, played by Tracie Thoms, whom I can only describe as a female version of Samuel L. Jackson. No further explanation needed.

With a Chevrolet Nova, a Ford Mustang, a Dodge Challenger, and a Dodge Charger on display, it's inevitable that the film will have tons of memorable scenes involving the cars. The cars are just great to look at, for starters, but when they are put into action, they always elicit a response. The scenes with the car can range from exhilarating to horrific. There's one scene in particular that stands out the most, when Mike interrupts Kim, Abernathy, and Zoe playing a game of Ship's Mast. It transitions form horror, to action, to even a little comedy all by the time the scene is over. It's an absolutely breathtaking scene, and one of the best sequences Tarantino has ever put on film.

One thing I absolutely loved about Death Proof was the way the film was shot. Thanks to its grainy film texture, moments of black and white, and the occasional skipping to represent a film reel, the film has a very classic tone to it. It feels like a film that is not stuck in its time, but rather timeless instead. In fact, I could've sworn the film could have taken place in the '70s if Jungle Julia hadn't whipped out a cell phone to send someone a text. Even if it's set in modern times, it definitely knows how to pay respects to a previous time of fast cars and tough women. That statement seems like a perfect metaphor to summarize Tarantino's style of filmmaking nowadays. The man makes a film that is usually set in modern times (technically that streak ended with Death Proof, but still), but pays enough tribute with cameos and hidden references to show the appreciation to the genres that have influenced and aspired him to become a filmmaker. So, even if you don't enjoy this film, you can at least see that the filmmaker had a vision and purpose for making it, and you have to at least give him some credit for that.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

With a unique look, a tremendous female cast, fast muscle cars, and a fantastic performance from Kurt Russell, Death Proof is a gem of Tarantino's that should not be overlooked. Fans of multiple genres and decades of film should appreciate this one as a weekend rental, and Tarantino fans should definitely consider adding this to their collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Death Proof and movie images are copyrighted by Dimension Films

Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino- Kill Bill Volume 2

Kill Bill Volume 2 (2004)

Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino


Plot Summary: After making her way through O-Ren Ishii and Vernita Green, the Bride continues to target the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad by going after Bill's brother Budd and Elle Driver. Once she has finished them off, she has only one person left to kill: Bill. After tracking Bill down to the Mexican countryside, the Bride is ready to make her final move, but is shocked to discover that her daughter B.B. is alive and being raised by Bill, her father. For B.B.'s sake, the Bride acts like nothing is wrong and tries to play nicely with Bill in front of their daughter. However, after she puts B.B. to bed, Bill shoots the Bride with truth serum and asks why she left him all those years ago. After explaining why she did what she felt she had to do, there is only one piece of business left for both of them: survive.

After Kill Bill Volume 1 was released and received worldwide acclaim, moviegoers were ready to see how Quentin Tarantino brought this 4-hour, 2-part epic to a close with Kill Bill Volume 2. In my last review, I voiced my opinion that Kill Bill should have just been released as one complete film, thanks to the standard that Volume 1 set. Since Tarantino has gone on to label both volumes as his official fourth film, it seems as though that sentiment rings true with the filmmaker himself. I want to go ahead and right off the bat state that I do not think Kill Bill Volume 2 is a bad film, far from it. However, Volume 1 set the bar so high that it was near impossible for Volume 2 to live up to the standards. If they would have been combined, there'd be no problem, but they weren't, so there is. Let's go ahead and see what works and doesn't work about Kill Bill Volume 2 in terms of a standalone film and a conclusion to a 2-part franchise.

David Carradine plays the main antagonist of the 2-part film, Bill. Ironically, even though Carradine is best known for his lead role on the TV show Kung Fu, Bill feels like he belongs more in a western than he does in a martial arts movie. Look at that picture and decide for yourself. Anyways, we initially believe that Bill is this cruel and heartless killer that deserves to die. Yet, when we find him here, he's actually being a good father to his daughter B.B. As an audience and everything we were let on to believe about Bill, we're just as confused and conflicted as Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman, is when she finds him. Then he goes and shoots her with truth serum and things start to get back to normal. You can tell though, that he really does value the family he wants to have and so when you know only one of them will probably get out of this film alive, you begin to ask yourself questions of right and wrong and whether there is maybe another way to solve their differences. But then again, that wouldn't make for an exciting conclusion would it?

Bill's brother Budd, played by Michael Madsen, is another member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. I'd say the first third of this movie actually feels like Budd's movie. We have scenes where he leads the main narrative without any interaction with Kiddo or Bill. We see the abuse he takes at his day job, some of his relaxation time at home, and even how clever he can be around other people. He's actually a really deceptive and manipulative character, with no one actually seeing him as a legitimate threat. Yet he proves that he's much more competent and threatening than people give him credit for. And of course, it's great to see Madsen return to a Tarantino film after playing the iconic Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs.

The last member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad is Elle Driver, played by Daryl Hannah. Elle's big character traits are that she has an eyepatch and that she's jealous of Kiddo. That's about it for her, but she definitely leaves a big impression. There's something about Elle that is so over the top maniacal that she belongs on a Saturday morning cartoon or in a comic book. It's fantastic. Her intro scene in Volume 1 is absolutely haunting with her nurse's outfit and whistling. Here, she's able to be herself and strikes up a very good conversation with Budd. Elle's biggest weakness is definitely her ego. It's revealed that her disrespect is actually the reason that she loses her eye.

That lovely backstory comes courtesy of the legendary martial arts master Pai Mei, played by Gordon Liu. Just look at this man. There's probably some form of offensive stereotyping going on here, yet it works spectacularly. Pai Mei is like Yoda or Mr. Miyagi. He's this wise and eccentric mentor figure for Kiddo to train with in order to become greater. However, while Yoda and Miyagi are from family films, Pai Mei is a bit rough around the edges. I mean, if you're in Kiddo's shoes when meeting Pai Mei, you'd probably be left thinking that he's a complete tool. I have words to describe Pai Mei that I have vowed not to use on this blog. Yet, you can understand why he's hard on his students. And when Kiddo improves, so does his attitude. And through that, Kiddo's respect and admiration for Pai Mei grows stronger. Heck, once you've gotten to know Pai Mei, it's absolutely hilarious to think that he ripped out Elle's eye for insulting him. That totally sounds like the type of thing Pai Mei would do. Classic Pai Mei and his shenanigans.

As I wrap up my thoughts on Kill Bill Volume 2, I have to spend a little time addressing my biggest issue with the film: the pacing. With way more dialogue than action sequences, Volume 2 really seems to drag in places. It never really feels like it rises in quality or intensity. The whole film feels like one giant slow burn to the finale. While that may not be bad for some, just compare it to Volume 1. In that film, you had tons of memorable action sequences carefully spliced among the scenes of exposition and character backstories in order to creative a cohesive and versatile narrative. This film doesn't take advantage of that style of filmmaking and it definitely suffers in comparison. Had it been one long film, the slow burn would be much more acceptable and logical. I mean, it would be a 4-hour movie for crying out loud. Still, Kill Bill definitely reminded audiences that Tarantino is still a force to be reckoned with in filmmaking and added new life to his career that has carried to this day. I just wish it could have been brought to us the way that Tarantino originally intended.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

With the expectations I had from Volume 1, Kill Bill Volume 2 just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. A lot of the characters are good and the conversations are meaningful, but its biggest problem is the pacing. This film really needed the action from Volume 1 to balance it out, and because of that I can only suggest this as a rental to all moviegoers who enjoy the first film. But, if you're a diehard Tarantino aficionado, there's no harm in having Volume 2 in your collection.

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Kill Bill Volume 2 and movie images are copyrighted by Miramax Films

Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino/1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Kill Bill Volume 1

#1058- Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003)

Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino


Plot Summary: A woman known as the Bride had her wedding day ruined by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad and their leader Bill. With everyone around her dead, the Bride tries to tell Bill that she's carrying his baby, but he shoots her in the head. Four years later, the Bride wakes up in a hospital after surviving the attack. Discovering that she has been in a coma and has lost her baby, the Bride vows revenge on Bill and the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. She travels to Okinawa and tracks down a legendary swordsmith named Hattori Hanzo. After the Bride tells him that her target is Bill, a former student of Hanzo, Hanzo agrees to come out of retirement and forge his finest sword for her. With her new sword in hand, the Bride begins her mission to hunt down the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad one by one, leading up to her ultimate goal: kill Bill. 

Well, this feels interesting. It's been about 4 months since I stepped away from my usual 1001 Movies series. Yet, here I am going back to it since I have come across another movie from Quentin Tarantino that qualifies for the list, Kill Bill Volume 1. Originally meant to be a 4 hour epic, Kill Bill was Tarantino's fourth film that was ultimately split up into two parts. As you will see next time, Kill Bill Volume 2 did NOT make the list, and that's because Volume 1 really set the bar high for this film, and Volume 2 did not deliver a suitable payoff for a lot of moviegoers. However, there is still tons of stuff to appreciate in both movies, from the characters, to the genres that Tarantino pays homage to, to a lot of nuance styles that Tarantino throws into his narrative. I'm here to talk about why I feel Kill Bill could have been one of Tarantino's all-time best films, instead of being split into two films that have a split opinion among movie buffs. That in mind, this will feel like a 2 part review of one big movie (much like how I did with The Lord of the Rings). So let's get right to it and start this look at one of Tarantino's most ambitious projects with Kill Bill Volume 1.

Uma Thurman stars as the Bride, also known as Beatrix Kiddo. It's easy to say that Thurman had a blast playing Kiddo, since she and Tarantino were creating the concept of Kill Bill when they were working on Pulp Fiction. A lot of Kiddo's appeal is in the mystery of her story. Even her name isn't mentioned until Volume 2 (any time you hear it in Volume 1, it's actually bleeped out), so you really don't know anything about her except that she wants revenge on the people that tried to kill her on her wedding day. Talk about the ultimate bridezilla. All kidding aside, Kiddo also serves as a narrator for the audience, and with that, she peels away the layers of this story in order to create something that makes sense for the audience. The more she tells, the more you know about all these characters that she plans to kill. And then when you see her in action, she becomes one of the coolest heroines film has ever seen. She's right up there with Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor as one of the strongest and most competent women characters in movie history and could believably beat up anyone and anything in her path because she has the determination to carry out her revenge. 

Surprisingly, Bill is not the main antagonist we follow in Kill Bill Volume 1. Instead, Kiddo's biggest challenge in the film is O-Ren Ishii, played by Lucy Liu. O-Ren is a member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, and number 2 on Kiddo's revenge list. One of the film's biggest highlights is O-Ren's backstory, brought to life by a beautiful and tragic animated sequence. The scene, animated in the style of Japanese anime, was a breath of fresh air from Tarantino and I really wish he would make a full-length animated film (which of course would NOT be for children). While O-Ren is a worthy opponent for Kiddo, her biggest strength is the power she has over others. The film's most iconic scene involves Kiddo going through O-Ren's Yakuza army the Crazy 88 and personal bodyguard Gogo Yubari. After seeing O-Ren's backstory and her sword fight with Kiddo, it's obvious that she didn't need the army or Gogo, but the fact that she is able to have them fight for her is very intimidating and a great mind game for a villain to have over a hero.

While O-Ren is number one on Kiddo's list, the first member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad we are introduced to is Vernita Green, played by Vivica A. Fox. Now, when Vernita and Kiddo go at it, it's the first action sequence the film gives us. Naturally, that should set the tone for the rest of the film. So, when you see a now domesticated Vernita fighting Kiddo one minute and trying to play nice in front of her daughter the next, it seems like something right up Tarantino's alley. It combines a greatly choreographed fight sequence and throws it in an environment that creates a natural sense of humor. While Vernita is probably the member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad that we get to know the least, Fox does make the most of the time she has and gives the viewer a very memorable impression of her character.

A lot of fans are quick to spot Tarantino's influences and homages to the kung-fu and samurai genres in Kill Bill Volume 1. Heck, they even got Sonny Chiba to cameo as famed swordsmith Hattori Hanzo. I can only assume Tarantino is a fan since Clarence Worley attends a Sonny Chiba triple feature in True Romance, so it must have been a thrill to have him play a role in one of his films. The layout and story are definitely derived from the previously mentioned genres, but Tarantino definitely adds his own spin on them that can appeal to the modern moviegoer. From the inclusion of the anime scene, to the amounts of gratuitous and comedic blood use, the film definitely seems like something out of today's era of cinema. Another genre that sneaks its way into the tone of the film is the spaghetti western. From some of the set pieces, to the some of the music choices, you can definitely spot some hints of a western being interpreted into the Kill Bill narrative. And why shouldn't it? It could be argued that the American version of a kung fu movie would be a western, so it would only make sense for Tarantino to want to create a beautiful marriage between these two genres that he obviously loves.

All Kill Bill needed was an intermission placed somewhere between the 4 hours, and I truly believe people would not have complained about its length. Instead, we have the 2 films that in many ways needed to stand on their own because of the split. Kill Bill Volume 1 really got the narrative kicked off on a high note, and thanks to all the films positives, it really got expectations high for Volume 2 to deliver a solid ending. We'll get to that next time, but I'll go ahead and finish my thoughts on Volume 1 by saying that it is because of this film that Kill Bill had the potential to be a modern epic film. It was that good of a film that it could have set the pace for the first half and had so many viewers hooked, that it could have people settle in for the slow burn of the second half (Volume 2) leading into the film's ultimate climax. Couldn't you imagine that? It would have been tremendous. Instead, I have to judge these movies separately, and all the positives of Kill Bill Volume 1 leave it very easy to stand out as the superior installment in this franchise.


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

One of the biggest positives that Kill Bill Volume 1 has going for it is its style. Tarantino's out of sequence specialty, combined with a few new tools that Tarantino added into his repertoire, mixed with some tough and memorable characters, and topped with some great choreographed fighting sequences. Put all that together and you have a delicious piece of cinema that moviegoers could still consider one of Tarantino's best and a film that every movie buff should own in their collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Kill Bill Volume 1 and movie images are copyrighted by Miramax Films

Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino- Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown (1997)

Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino


Plot Summary: Jackie Brown is a flight attendant working for a small Mexican airline. To earn some extra cash, Jackie smuggles money into the United States for a Los Angeles black-market gun runner named Ordell Robbie. During one of her smuggling trips, Jackie is intercepted by ATF agent Ray Nicolette and LAPD detective Mark Dargus. When they discover some cocaine stashed away in Jackie's bag, she is sent to jail on possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Afraid that Jackie may rat him out to the ATF, Ordell arranges her bail with a local bail bondsman named Max Cherry, who develops an attraction to Jackie when he picks her up from jail. When Ordell shows up at Jackie's home to murder her, she cuts a deal with him to smuggle $550,000 of his money into the United States. The only catch is that they plan to stage a sting operation with the ATF to catch Ordell during a transfer of $50,000 money, leaving $500,000 left for Ordell to retire afterwards. What Ordell doesn't know is that Jackie is planning to double cross everybody and keep the $500,000 for herself and giving Max a share for helping her.

It's now time to return Quentin Tarantino to the director's chair and talk about one of his most underrated gems with Jackie Brown. Picture the time frame for Tarantino. The year is 1997. 3 years earlier, you changed the landscape of films forever with Pulp Fiction. All eyes are on you now to see how you follow that success. Jackie Brown is definitely one of the films that helped audiences get acquainted with the Tarantino we know today. The brilliance of Tarantino is that he is a big movie buff at heart getting to make his own movies. So, ever since Pulp Fiction was released, Tarantino has followed his success by making modern films that pay homage to his favorite film genres. With Jackie Brown, Tarantino pays homage to the Blaxploitation movies of the 1970s. In many ways, this film is absolutely captivating to behold, so why is it one of Tarantino's least talked about films? While not the typical movie bloodbath that Tarantino is used to churning out, it still has tons of memorable characters and acting performances that are worth talking about. And while the screenplay may not have the quirky monologues that fans are accustomed to, the narrative still has a familiar sequence that fits Tarantino's style of filmmaking. So let's give credit where credit is due and talk about why more people should talk about Jackie Brown.

Tarantino knew what he was doing in paying homage to the Blaxploitation genre by casting Pam Grier as Jackie Brown. The first act of this movie really painted Jackie as a quiet and independent type. In fact, my wife actually walked out on our first viewing of this movie because of that and we put the film away for a while. When I tried picking it up again, it was shortly after that point that I saw a complete shift in Jackie's character when prompted. She quickly becomes a strong and empowered woman who isn't afraid to take on both the cops and the criminals in order to get what she wants. She's not a woman motivated by fear of being killed or fear of a big, strong man. She's a woman who is fighting for survival, in fear of not being able to make a living for herself. That's admirable. That easily creates a female protagonists audiences can get behind and relate to. Tarantino's known for writing memorable and powerful female characters, and Jackie Brown is arguably one of his best.

One of the film's best performances is Robert Forster as bail bondsman Max Cherry. Forster was the only actor in the film to be nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor). In fact, he was the ONLY nomination the film actually received. He really does stand out as one of the most compelling characters. A man who makes a living so close to the law, he forgoes that morality due to an affection he has for Jackie. Forster knows how to make Cherry a very genuinely likable character. Little tidbits like paying attention to Jackie's musical preferences really shows how much he cares for Jackie and it's really easy for the viewer to find his love for her endearing. Another memorable performance comes from Samuel L. Jackson as Ordell Robbie. Not much else needs to be said other than it's Samuel L. Jackson in a Tarantino movie. He does a terrific job like you'd expect and you hang on every word Ordell says. Also, be prepared to laugh at his ridiculous hair. If you thought his Jheri curl in Pulp Fiction was silly, you haven't seen anything yet.

One of the compelling side stories in the film involves two characters very close to Ordell. The first is a friend of his named Louis Gara, played by Robert De Niro. What else needs to be said? It's FREAKING De Niro. Having De Niro act alongside Jackson in multiple scenes is worth the price of admission alone. The character Louis interacts with the most, however, is Melanie Ralston, played by Bridget Fonda. While I said Tarantino can write strong female characters, that doesn't mean he's incapable of putting other types of female characters in his movies. Take Melanie, for example. She's the worst. She's obnoxious. She's addicted to smoking pot and watching TV all day long. She gets excited by Louis's criminal past, but that quickly gets extinguished after a romantic encounter that lacks a certain spark. From there, all she does is bring him a mouth full of sass. You really want her to shut up and so does Louis. Their chemistry together works really well, and the payoff for their bickering is one of the film's greatest moments.

Rounding out the ensemble is Michael Keaton as ATF agent Ray Nicolette. Batman. Check. Beetlejuice. Check. Birdman. Check. And now he's a major role in a Tarantino movie. Michael Keaton...I love you, man. It's just great seeing one of my favorite actors collaborate with my favorite director. Whenever I see that in Tarantino films, it's a match made in heaven. Ray isn't one of the all-time great Tarantino characters, but he's still a solid one to have around. He's your average "good cop" character who wants to bring the bad guy to justice. He's at least likable due to his ability to be patient and understanding with Jackie. And c'mon, it's Michael Keaton. It needs no further explanation. The man was ROBBED at the Oscars this year. Just saying.

At the end of the day, Jackie Brown is not your typical Tarantino movie. It doesn't have some of the tropes fans are familiar with, but it still has a ton of quality. The film's climax is filmed in an out of sequence style that actually shows the vantage points of all the different characters. The characters are so enjoyable that it's fun to try and figure out who's really on whose side. If anything, the film is proof that you don't NEED to be stuck in your own tropes in order to make a good film and I think that's what a lot of people are forgetting when thinking about this film. Jackie Brown, regardless of the lack of blood and monologues, is still a good movie. It's still got great characters. It's still shot and edited brilliantly. It's still an entertaining film brought to the big screen, thanks in large part to Tarantino for assembling the cast, writing the screenplay, and directing it.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

While Jackie Brown may not be like a traditional Tarantino movie with memorable monologues and gratuitous violence, it's still worth checking out. It's a film that focuses on great characters and their relationships with each other, while also delivering a narrative that keeps the audience engaged and focus in order to have all the details figured out. If you're a Tarantino fan, definitely add this underrated gem to your collection.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

Jackie Brown and movie images are copyrighted by Miramax Films

Favorite Filmmakers: Quentin Tarantino- True Romance

True Romance (1993)

Starring: Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper

Directed by: Tony Scott


Plot Summary: Clarence Worley meets a girl named Alabama Whitman at the movie theater. After hitting it off, Alabama confesses to Clarence that she has been a call girl for less than a week. After declaring their love for each other, they go to the courthouse to get married. Clarence goes to visit Alabama's pimp Drexl Spivey to inform him that Alabama will no longer be a call girl. After shooting up the place and killing Drexl, Clarence leaves with a suitcase that he believes is full of Alabama's belongings. Instead, the suitcase is filled with cocaine that Drexl was peddling for the Irish mob boss "Blue Lou" Boyle. Clarence and Alabama make way for Los Angeles with hopes of selling the cocaine, completely unaware that Boyle's men have been sent to track them down and retrieve the drugs.

After some personal time off, I am finally back and ready to review some more movies. Catching everyone up on what's been going on, I recently got married....and that's about it. I'm as happy as can be, and ready to tackle my next challenge of movies. While I'm in a good mood for the rest of the month, I thought I'd go ahead and wrap up my thoughts on the collective works of my favorite director, Quentin Tarantino. One of my very first reviews on this blog was for one of my top 3 favorite movies and Tarantino's best film (Pulp Fiction), and I've also covered his very first film in my month of gangster reviews (Reservoir Dogs) and his most recent film in my monthly retrospective on Westerns (Django Unchained). Now it's time for me to fill in the gaps, and I'll start by covering an unconventional Tarantino film, True Romance. This may not reach everyone's radar on being a true Tarantino film since he only wrote it, instead of also directing it. However, a Tarantino vibe is all over this picture and can be found in various scenes of dialogue, the gratuity of violence, and the all-star cast scattered throughout the picture.

The main story in the film talks about the romance between Clarence Worley and Alabama Whitman, played by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. In terms of the main film and characters, this is the part of the film that works the best. You can tell instantly that these two have a connection with each other and the chemistry between Slater and Arquette is quite believable. While both do things that are morally questionable to the viewer, the viewer is still able to see WHY they do it, something that is very familiar with Tarantino's best written characters. Because they love each other and want to protect the other, they would murder, steal, and take a beating for each other. While it's not your typical movie romance, their love for each other can still be considered romantic once you sift your way through the bullets and cocaine.

Want some proof of why Tarantino is one of the greatest filmmakers of our era? Look no further than the scene between Clarence's father Clifford, played by Dennis Hopper and Don Vincenzo Coccotti, played by Christopher Walken. For starters, it's Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken having a dialogue together, the result is bound to be mesmerizing. On top of that, what they end up talking about really has nothing to do with the plot, but it's one of the most memorable aspects the film has to offer. That's the brilliance of Tarantino's writing. He doesn't write dialogue that needs to cater to the plot, but rather writes things that two people could actually say in a discussion. It's writing like this that I love most because it allows me to look at my own life, the discussions I have with people, and causes me to say "that could work as a movie or TV show." Plus, you'll never get the words "eggplant" and "cantaloupe" out of your head after seeing this scene.

One of the film's most memorable contributions is the character of Drexl Spivey, played by Gary Oldman. Already, the fact that Oldman is one of my favorite modern actors and in this movie plays a HUGE part in why I love this character, but there's much more than that. His look is very engaging to the eye, from his dreadlocks to the scars near his discolored eye (my wife actually said he was frightening). Add to the fact that he is a white pimp who thinks, acts, and talks like he is black and you have a fascinating character who makes the most of his screen time. Even when he's not on screen, this psychotic, jive-talking pimp is the catalyst for the entire plot and has a lasting impact on the rest of the film. Heck, he's so bad and cool he puts Samuel L. Jackson in his place...and that's no easy feat.

True Romance was released after Reservoir Dogs but before Pulp Fiction, so Tarantino wasn't the household name he is today. Yet, the film's biggest highlights definitely have Tarantino's fingerprints on them. The aforementioned scene with Hopper and Walken is definitely the film's best example, but there's tons more. There's a great situation in which Clarence and Alabama find themselves in the middle of a standoff between the cops, the mob, and a filmmaker's bodyguards, which actually takes the Mexican standoff at the end of Dogs and multiplies it by about 10. And yes, when the film gets bloody, it gets over the top bloody. Not in a comedic way, but rather in a way that feels overly brutal and gritty, which definitely fit the style of Tarantino's earlier films. On top of seeing some familiar Tarantino faces like Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christopher Walken, True Romance has all the makings of a great Tarantino movie.

Yet, something still feels like it's missing. While I definitely saw a LOT of potential with this film, and I really wanted to LOVE this film, I just couldn't fall out of simply liking the film. The cast and the script were fantastic, but the biggest problem with the film was the pacing of the story. Tarantino's movies are quick paced and edited with precision to make sure a 3 hour epic like Django Unchained doesn't drag on and become a bore for the audience. Here, 2 hours felt much longer and not in the good way. Maybe Tarantino would have been able to tighten the screws had he been the director of the film, and that's not to say that Tony Scott was a bad filmmaker (he made Top Gun and Man on Fire for crying out loud). What I am saying is that when it comes to Tarantino films, they're like his children, and they need the necessary amount of care and effort from him in order for them to be successful. With True Romance, Tarantino wrote a great idea and put it in the hands of someone else to carry it out and put it on film. Can you imagine if he did that with Pulp Fiction? I shudder at that idea, and it's that feeling that causes True Romance to be an unofficial Tarantino film that I only like.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Even with all the good things True Romance has going for it, something feels like its missing from the final product. With Tarantino behind the screenplay, you can only imagine this film would have been a tighter and more cohesive film had he also been in the director's chair. I'm going to say this film is only necessary to see once if you're a major Tarantino fan.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

True Romance and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.