Tarantino stopped doing anything “original” (yes I mean for that to be in quotations) years ago. He’s succumbed to the cult of cool. My expectations are low.
I agree with you about the trailer let on that this could just be a shallow violent film. But this was merely a teaser. Many teasers are just trying to commercialize a film and since it is being released in the summer i guess they want to make some money off of it. But I’m trying to stay open minded but I’m still skeptical.
Onto your second question. I hope so. Because if not this film would be awful. Not only because it would be a bad movie but because Tarantino would be standing behind a film he has been working on since pulp fiction and it would turn out to be the biggest disappointment of 2009. Also about the score it done by Enio moricone (not sure if that is spelled correctly).
Sorry double post
“but at the same time it could easily be a sensational film of the violent flavor with nothing to fulfill but primal rage and a quest for creative ways of Nazi execution.”
nothing wrong with this in my opinion. it looks like a great popcorn movie based on the trailer.
@ Athuro, agreed.
It seems like a rock ‘em, sock ’em pow film a lot like Tarantino’s Kill Bills. Surely, it will be entertaining. Nice gratuitous violence and all that jazz.
If you find nothing wrong with “popcorn movie[s]” that’s a fair and just opinion. I don’t mean disparage.
That said, I still admire the ability of cinema that is both ‘entertaining’ and telling on greater levels.
My question doesn’t give an ultimatum on the grounds of which agenda the film ends up leaning towards— maybe it’s something completely different.
Will I personally respect it less if it’s a rock ‘em sock ’em pow film? Yes.
But that’s my opinion. That’s not even to say I wouldn’t enjoy the film. Who knows. I haven’t seen it. If it’s an extremely well told movie as such, there’s still something to enjoy. But without substance, gratuitous violence and all of its jazz is a waste of celluloid to me :)
*Granted: Yes, I’m only speculating based on a teaser trailer.
What’s so wrong about watching Nazis, especially the SS, get annhilated in a summer popcorn action flick? They’ve had it coming, and Tarantino (love him or hate him) would only make revenge look sweet!
I’m not the biggest Tarantino fan, but it would be interesting to see what he does with the notion that the only way you can slaughter hundreds of people onscreen for the purposes of entertaining action is if you make them nazi’s. for example see RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, LAST CRUSADE, any number of video games.
not that i’m a defender of nazi’s, but it’s such a cynical way of excusing the showing of brutality for entertainment, under the guise of moral superiority.
I wanna see that movie get made.
@Noel
“They’ve had it coming”? Um, I’m pretty sure they already got it, like 60+ years ago.
The trailer makes it look like Tarantino has done nothing new. But looking at the imdb summary: "In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis." The trailer showed off this idea, and made it look entertaining, but less than amazing. The summary continues with “The Basterds soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.” This portion was not really addressed in the trailer, and probably shouldn’t be. I think that how Tarantino works this part of the story will determine if he has progressed as a filmmaker, or not.
I have very little doubt that the movie will be entertaining, and I have hope that it will be more than that.
@R.U.S. – Right. Wrong choice of words on my part.
“…excusing the showing of brutality for entertainment, under the guise of moral superiority.”
– Well, I wouldn’t be surprised ‘cause that’s typical Hollywood blockbuster mentality – “We won, they lost”.
The screenplay sure was entertaining. Bizarre, no holds barred, going wherever the hell it wants. I’m curious to see how it all works in the execution, but I was much more psyched for the film after reading it than before.
The screenplay sure was entertaining. Bizarre, no holds barred, going wherever the hell it wants. I’m curious to see how it all works in the execution, but I was much more psyched for the film after reading it than before.
I’m gonna pass on this one. I’ve yet to see a film by ‘qt’ that was satisfying on an intellectual, spiritual, or emotional level. I like style, but a film must have some substance. I’ll take a Chia-Liang Liu film any day over a qt.
@ Jeenybee—
Interesting. I have not read the script.
Does anyone else get poked with a sense of embarrassment for those accountable for this project?
Again, trailer specific: it comes across as being ignorant by means of ostentation.
And if you want to open this can of worms, genocide of many different degrees are happening in the world right now. From what I understand, even those that dwarf that of Hitler’s Germany. Why kick the dead horse? Reality based material always has a place, in my opinion; even if it concerns a well visited topic. “Basterds,” however, appears heavily dramatized, fictionalized, embellished, and stylized. ((That’s not a problem problem or drawback)) But it means we have to look elsewhere for the movies substance, so called. In this case, it appears to be… violence.
There’s quite a long discussion of this film here http://www.theauteurs.com/topics/789/comments
It may be inspired by true events, but Tarantino veers away from any semblance of historical accuracy, creating fictive events that could not in any way be confused with the real war. The ending, for sure, will tip off anyone still thinking its at all reality-based. It’s about the kind of brainy violent fun (and brained fun) that Tarantino likes best. Nothing more.
Honestly…. I think in Nazis, Tarantino has found the ultimate target for his bloodlust.
The man now lives to make films in which people gab about obscure bits of culture and then have horrendous violence perpetrated against them. The revenge film allows hacks like Tarantino to gruesomely kill and disembowel as many people as they want because the victims had been shown to be bad people.
Who would sympathize with Nazis? Therefore, who wouldn’t mind watching them be butchered by the hundreds? It’s basically using horrendous atrocities to get away with churning out obscene garbage. He’s made it clear he doesn’t think artists have any social responsibilities, and with this film he’s managed away to insulate himself against criticisms against the shallow cruelty of his work. And I’m aware that there have been countless exploitation films centered about Nazi deaths….. and I’m not supporting them, either. I just think Tarantino hopes to up the ante without having to engage critically with theme of violent retribution.
How he will conflate this gratuitous excess with his love of european cinema (the other plot, as I understand it) is the only reason this film piques my interest.
I completely agree with what Patrick said.
Also considering Tarantino’s mentor efforts on films like Hostel, it seems we’re getting close to closing the book on this one…
I agree with Patrick. Looks really boring. Easy targets getting their heads split open. Tarantino is a smart guy, but it’s getting to a point with him of all viscera and no brains. How long will it take him to get bored by his own cliches?
Inglourious Basterds
So who else is eagerly waiting to see this film?
Has anybody seen it already?
Is this make or break for QT?
I’m I the only one that feels this is the only summer (wide release) film besides Up that deserves any attention?
im eagerly awaiting it, as i do all tarantino releases. i plan to be at opening night this week.
no, its not make or break. not by a long shot. but the truth is, each of his films has been getting progressively worse since “kill bill”. id love for him to hit one out of the park again, but based on the “basterds” script i read, i dont expect much. i hope im pleasantly surprised instead. it seems like an overly-talky film, and that was surely the death of “death proof”. because tarantino’s dialogue isnt as interesting as he thinks it is, or as it used to be. if “kill bill” was a success, it was because a majority of the film approached pure cinema. i wish tarantino would concentrate on telling a good story again, because i know he has it in him.
(right about now, someone will chime in and say “but tarantino steals all his stories, he copies, he plagiarizes, wah wah wah!”)
I’ll wait until it is in the dollar table at the flea market. And believe me, it will be…
Your spelling is better than QT’s.
I can’t wait…for all the IB threads in a couple of weeks. I suppose I’ll see the movie too.
I’m a QT fan. I can’t say I’m eagerly awaiting to see the film, but I will go to the theater to see it. I do not think this is make or break for QT. He will always have a fan base of those who enjoy films as entertainment only (if this is all he will ever do). I’m hoping he will evolve on to something more than snippets of tributes and homages laced together with clever dialogue. He does know his craft. His knowledge of films and filmmaking is vast and impressive. He takes great care in making what he makes. I do think he could do better. I have not seen Inglorious Basterds, but I hope it’s better,or more than more of the same of what he’s already done.
i’ve read some of the script. now assuming what i read was from the official screenplay, i have some hope for the film. particularly for christoph waltz’s character, col. hans landa (aka – the jew hunter). if what i read is true then this film might produce a memorable character.
@Edward
The Landa character is great but he’s saddled with the moronic conclusion which requires this vastly manipulative and intelligent character to do something incredibly stupid. The mix of tense, quiet discussions and the irony-filled Brad Pitt scenes doesn’t work, and the movie is tonally all over the map because of them.
steve luc
Inglorious Bastards; Dir by Tarantino 2009. Presumably linked somehow with the Italian war film of the same title (US release title, Italian: Quel maledetto treno blindato) released in 1977.
My question and/or topic of discussion is:
Why should someone want to tell this story? (broad, yes)
The trailer is ambiguous. There’s a hint of rash war commentary and dark humor, but at the same time it could easily be a sensational film of the violent flavor with nothing to fulfill but primal rage and a quest for creative ways of Nazi execution.
Is Tarantino “smart” enough to spin a caustic/harsh yet morbidly sophisticated comment on the macho antics of ignorant blood-thirsty “bastards?” Or is this film just a good venue for flashy cut fight scenes amped up by a contemporary music score featuring “period” characters?
Unfortunately, I have to say that Tarantino’s track record suggests the latter… but I’d rather think otherwise. Even, I HOPE otherwise.