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Inglourious Basterds

Started by Famous Mortimer, September 15, 2009, 09:33:01 PM

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Famous Mortimer

I was in the pub the other night and a chap mentioned that Tarantino has already filmed enough footage for a prequel of some sort (the time did jump from 1941 to 1944, or something, I noticed). Anyone have any decent information about this? Anyone reckon if he'd made Pulp Fiction today he'd have split it into several films?

But anyway. I didn't like it all that much, and I know there's been some discussion of it in other threads but blah blah blah. It gives you the chance to re-polish your reviews and agree with mine. I thought the main baddie was a bit like Columbo if he were a psychopath, and there wasn't enough of the Basterds in it. Also, the lack of pace in some of the scenes was just boring after a while - there were a bunch of scenes that you knew were going to end up in bloodshed, but he took a hell of a long time getting to it.

Enjoyed? Want sequel? Post.

Rev

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on September 15, 2009, 09:33:01 PM
Anyone reckon if he'd made Pulp Fiction today he'd have split it into several films?

He probably would, because he's a twat these days.

Given how quickly IG ended up being made after having been knocking around as an idea for yonks, I doubt he filmed much that isn't in the finished thing.  This and Kill Bill demonstrate that he doesn't give a bollocks about economy any more, if he ever did, so I can't imagine that he's holding anything back.

amputeeporn

I agree with all this -  really like the idea of him fookin' with history to suit his vision, but just found it a bit dull and arse-numbing.

I didn't find any character interesting or likeable enough to care when/if they died - with Pitt's being particularly dull, if well-played. He was so obviously meant to be the guy we cheer for, especially when carving the swastika's, but his indiscriminate nature gave him no moral high ground. I know talking about Tarantino and moral high ground's a pain but whatever, it gave me less to cling to.

I recall quite enjoying the opening, but by the time the film ended that seemed like years ago.

And don't fucking whinge about spoilers if you came in here.

Lee

This is without a doubt the stupidest movie I've seen since Die Hard 4. And yet... I liked it. Despite being a Tarantino skeptic, I thought this was a bloody good laugh. It's weird, as he gets less and less popular (starting with Kill Bill Part 2, although I did like part 1) I find I'm enjoying his films more and more. Maybe I'm just subconciously trying to go against the status quo for my own sense of ego, but since Kill Bill I've just sensed a real sense of fun about his films. Maybe it's because he's got the opportunity to go on whatever tangent he likes now (even the Weinstein Company don't go near him), and he's revelling it. And it shows. Maybe it's just the gall of the man that I like.

Also, it's about as historically accurate as The Life Of Brian, so it's probably best not to take your war veteran relatives along.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

The prequel's worth of extra footage wouldn't surprise me at all. It's such an awkward mish-mash of styles and references that it feels like two seperate movies spliced together. Either one by itself could have been excellent but, as it is, it just didn't satisfy.

Custard

I'm a bit surprised at the negative reviews on here, as personally I blinkin' bloody loved it.

Seriously the best time i've had in a cinema in a long, long time. In fact, I loved it so much I've seen it twice in the cinema, and once through a slightly-dodgy looking stream on der interwebs.

Anyway, yeah, I loved it, you're all wrong, and I'm putting my fingers in my ears til you all shut up!

CAN'T HEAR YOU!

Wadded Bliss

Quote from: Shameless on September 15, 2009, 10:39:59 PM
I'm a bit surprised at the negative reviews on here, as personally I blinkin' bloody loved it.

Seriously the best time i've had in a cinema in a long, long time. In fact, I loved it so much I've seen it twice in the cinema, and once through a slightly-dodgy looking stream on der interwebs.

Anyway, yeah, I loved it, you're all wrong, and I'm putting my fingers in my ears til you all shut up!

CAN'T HEAR YOU!

As a matter of interest, how did watching the stream compare the cinema experience? I've only seen the stream so it looked to me like some 70s exploitation flick.

Dusty Gozongas

God forbid!  I don't want Kill Bill II II

Custard

Quote from: Wadded Bliss on September 15, 2009, 10:42:09 PM
As a matter of interest, how did watching the stream compare the cinema experience? I've only seen the stream so it looked to me like some 70s exploitation flick.

It wasn't a patch on the cinema experience obviously, but was OK. The subtitles were slightly off, too, with a lot of spelling mistakes and bad punctuation, but apart from that, was good for a rewatch at home.

There should be a decent torrent about now. I think i'll have a quick look!

Custard

So erm yeah, get down the cinema, young man! It's a great experience. Long though, as you know ;)

Wadded Bliss

Ta. I'm not really a fan of cinemas, although I'll go if there's a film that warrants it; generally if they're 'big' films: Star Trek and the like. I'll probably torrent IB.

One criticism of it: Eli fucking Roth. He was nowhere near menacing enough given his reputation in the film.

Christoph Waltz was flippin' amazing, though. I could've watched him act for two and a half hours and not have felt cheated. I also thought Denis Menochet (I had to look him up!) was supoib!

Marty McFly

Christoph Waltz, as Landa, was incredible and carried the film much more than Brad Pitt (though the 'Italians' scene was very funny). No wonder Tarantino said that he was going to stop making the film unless he found the right Landa.

As it was, the film was a tad long, but once the plot was established it keeps you engrossed. The Basterds themselves seemed more like an afterthought, possibly just to set up the cracking ending. It would be interesting to see more of them on a DVD release.

Wadded Bliss

It's really odd. I read the script for this when it was knocking about a few months ago and then forgot I'd read it. When I watched the film I thought I'd seen it before somewhere. It was only when they
Spoiler alert
were preparing to blow the cinema up
[close]
that I realsied I knew the story. Bah!

Lee

"Christoph Waltz"

Was it just me or did he remind anyone of (Australian comedy legend) Shaun Micallef?

Marty McFly

He reminded me a bit of Rob Brydon. Only less Welsh, more Nazi.

non capisco

Did anyone else immediately assume that in the bierkeller scene where they're playing the game where you have to guess the public figure on the card stuck to your forehead, one of the players would take off their card to reveal a carved swastika and then the Basterds would know the jig was up? I was pleasantly surprised this didn't happen as it seemed a bit obvious but I'm unsure whether Tarantino threw in the covered foreheads thing as a red herring or not.

He still unbelievably got his foot fetish scene in, I noticed.

Marty McFly

Quote from: non capisco on September 16, 2009, 12:32:04 AMHe still unbelievably got his foot fetish scene in, I noticed.

Haha, I noticed that too.. and also the trademark close-up of a woman putting on lipstick set to music.

SavageHedgehog

I really enjoyed it, certainly much more than the Kill Bills which I found so self indulgent that I'm not sure it even had a self left to indulge by the end of the first one. I actually sort of liked Death Proof, despite the rampant (even for him) foot-fetishism, but it was clearly a minor work. I felt the first "chapter" of Basterds was brilliantly suspensful, and the later chapters were generally well-written and engaging. But, no, I don't particularly want a "quel" of any kind, and particularly not a "pre".

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quotethere were a bunch of scenes that you knew were going to end up in bloodshed, but he took a hell of a long time getting to it

The bloodshed wasn't even the point you very silly billy. The meat of the film lay in the almost gleeful cranking up of the tension. The relentlessness as each scene wound very carefully towards its inexorable cathartic conclusions was nothing short of masterful. Now, while those scenes in themselves were masterfully directed, the film as a whole is flawed. Overall, the satisfaction lay in those wonderful seperate scenes.

Apart from the first 5 minutes, I didn't find any of it boring. As soon as Landa's comically large pipe appeared, that was it really, it was the valediction of everything that had gone before it, and set the tone for what was to come.


Vitalstatistix

I enjoyed this thoroughly, much more than I had been expecting.

As mentioned, Waltz is great and is obviously having such a fucking blast I could watch him play Landa all day.

I was happy with the screentime afforded to the Basterds. I found the cinema story and other characters much more interesting. The cinema-as-murder plot, along with the fantasist's retelling of history is all surprisingly clever in the end.

I laughed out loud a number of times and couldn't believe how remarkably tasteless it was!

Tarantino's best since KB1.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: Shoulders?-Stomach! on September 16, 2009, 10:22:15 AM
The bloodshed wasn't even the point you very silly billy. The meat of the film lay in the almost gleeful cranking up of the tension. The relentlessness as each scene wound very carefully towards its inexorable cathartic conclusions was nothing short of masterful. Now, while those scenes in themselves were masterfully directed, the film as a whole is flawed. Overall, the satisfaction lay in those wonderful seperate scenes.
I've seen films that do manage to ratchet up that tension, and the first time was interesting, but, in my humble opinion, he went back to the well several times too often. And the inexorable cathartic conclusions were too short and unsatisfying - the shootout in the bierkeller was done in 20 seconds, the "Bear Jew", after spending a minute emerging from the darkness, spent 2 seconds stoving that guy's head in. I felt too much of one, and too little of the other, but I'm aware my view is not the only one and all that.

And as much fun as Waltz was clearly having, I just didn't feel him in the role. But I'm well aware I'm in a small minority with that one (as his almost inevitable best supporting actor Oscar will show) - maybe I'd like him better a second time, and he did do some magnificent acting in the opening scene in the farmhouse, for example.

lipsink

I loved Waltz's manic laughter when the actress gave her excuse for her plastered foot. It reminded me of another bizarre moment when Kurt Russell's character in 'Death Proof' is outside the bar talking to the girls and does this strange thing where it looks like he's about to sneeze/ejaculate or something.

And yes, I loved 'Death Proof' too. In fact 'Kill Bill 2' is the only film of his I think isn't up to scratch.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on September 17, 2009, 02:56:00 PMAnd as much fun as Waltz was clearly having, I just didn't feel him in the role. But I'm well aware I'm in a small minority with that one (as his almost inevitable best supporting actor Oscar will show) - maybe I'd like him better a second time, and he did do some magnificent acting in the opening scene in the farmhouse, for example.
I'm glad I'm not the only one. I can see why he's got the plaudits, and I did find his performance enjoyable, but for some reason it wasn't the big standout part of the movie for me. At the risk of sounding like a John Q. Popcorn idiot, who just turns up because of the big Hollywood star, I preferred Pitt's performance.

non capisco

Pitt has slowly emerged as having pretty good comedic chops. I thought he was very funny in both this and 'Burn After Reading'.

mr. logic

I thought Pitt was awful.  His performance reminded me alot of his cameo in Friends, with the garish timing and awkwardness of it all.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Disagree. Much as he stunk on Friends, the show stunk at that point as well. Pitt's been very funny in recent years on screen, not just with the delivery of funny lines but some of his looks and reaction shots really kill me from time to time. Likewise he was good in this movie, and especially because his performance was quite understated- it was a very generous and modest performance given he has occasionally been prone to camera-hogging.

Still, good though Pitt was, Waltz was the star of the film, he was breathtakingly good- it's the sort of swaggeringly impressive one-off performance that merits going to see a film for it alone.


El Unicornio, mang

I think Pitt's always been pretty funny, even in straight roles. The only film I can think of him where he plays deadly straight is the Jesse James flick.

Tiny Poster

Pitt - like Clooney - has always been able to do comedy/humorous turns. True Romance, 12 Monkeys, the Ocean's films, Fight Club, Snatch etc.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

Quote from: El Unicornio, mang on September 18, 2009, 01:51:21 PM
I think Pitt's always been pretty funny, even in straight roles. The only film I can think of him where he plays deadly straight is the Jesse James flick.

Hmm, I was about to namecheck that as a film where he managed to be occasionally humourous through the strength of his character alone, in an otherwise very sombre film.

Jemble Fred

Quote from: Vitalstatistix on September 16, 2009, 10:43:01 AM
I enjoyed this thoroughly, much more than I had been expecting.

Me too – odd how such low expectations have somehow crept up over the years, but the Basterds have left me damn impressed with Tarantino. Even in its massively childish approach to history and the odd 'Sam Peckinpah's Salad Days' moment, it's probably his most intelligent film yet, I was hooked from the start. Waltz was obviously great, but Pitt's bloated mugging was also a winner throughout. He's the biggest hunk in movies?

After years of variable, not-very-memorable work from QT, this feels a bit like if Oasis had brought out one more Grade A album.