Inglourious Basterds (Dan’s Take): ****

Better late than never…

Tarantino did it. With promises of splattery, wet violence he lured the cap askew, “F”-dude lunk into seeing a layered and character-centric foreign language film. I’m not sure what percentage that mob of lowest common denominators makes up by way of the roughly 4,250,000 people who saw Inglourious Basterds this last weekend, but if the crowd I saw it with was a sample, shaggy energy drink swilling douchebags were at least 60% of it. Which goes to say Tarantino tricked me, too. I went into Basterds with a healthy dose of trepidation at the grue most of the audience was salivating for. Compounded by Eli Roth’s incessant pre-release blather about gore, slaughter and violence, combined with the childish glee so many had about it’s promise of debraining by baseball bat, I’d written it off as cheap and tawdry.

Big mistake.

Inglourious Basterds is neither. In fact, it’s one of the most engrossing, rich and satisfying films I’ve seen in years. Not to say it’s a masterpiece on the same scale as The Godfather or Saving Private Ryan– right now Basterds feels a little too confectionery– but if it’s very, very close. Like so many masterpieces before it, Basterds contains the essential elements of what makes great films great: tactile characters, engrossing narrative and cinematic heft that carries you from open to close with the same immersion and smile-inducing satisfaction experienced after savoring a great meal.

The Jew Hunter

Kicking off in Nazi-occupied France, Inglorious Basterds quickly introduces us –via a masterfully orchestrated conversation of slow burn–to the beating heart of the film: its primary characters Colonel Hans “The Jew Hunter” Landa and Jewish refugee Shoshanna Dreyfus. It’s only after this relished introduction that we’re introduced to the Basterds of title as lead by Lieutenant Aldo Ranes (as played with enthusiastic ham by Brad Pitt).  A squad of Jewish avengers, The Basterds are sent into Europe ahead of Operation Overlord to scalp, carve, ballistically aerate and bludgeon righteous Jewish fear into some goose-stepping Nazis.

While perforating the French countryside on their 100 Scalps Tour of ’44, the Basterds are given a heads up– by way of German movie-star informant Bridgette Von Hammersmark (as played by National Treasure’s Diane Kruger)– that Hitler and all his Nazi Yes-Men will be viewing the latest propaganda film from Joesph Goebbels in the same theater on the same night. What no one knows is the screening will be occurring in a theater covertly run by Shoshanna– the Jewish woman who escaped from Landa in the opening scenes four years earlier. Of course, Shoshanna has plans of her own. In fact, everyone has plans– plans which all go down in a fantasy serving of hard-boiled revisionist history. … Continue Reading

Tarantino Makes a Better Spokesperson than Eli Roth

While Inglorious Basterds delights and revels in things I think most human beings should find repugnant, I’m going all apologist after viewing the “Jail Break” clip below. Between the irreverent entry and playful zing of Brad Pitt’s introduction of the Basterds to the legendary Ennio Marricone’s bouncy score, it’s hard not to feel a little twinge of fun, film-geek anticipation at Quentin Tarantino’s deft play for attention.

Tarantino– you bastalonie. Fire Roth as your spokesperson, because now I’m listening.

For the dependably animated and peppy introduction of the following clip by Tarantino himself, head over to Yahoo! Movies right here and view a few more clips released a few days ago.

The Basterds Just Won’t Stop!

More poster goodness from Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” today, this time a poster of French actress Mélanie Laurent. According to IMDB.com, Laurent will play Shosanna Dreyfus, a French-Jewish girl whose family is murdered by the Nazis. Shosanna escapes and operates a movie theater in Paris. Click the poster to see a bigger version.

Brad Pitt is a Basterd

If you tuned into KVNU’s “Andy at the Movies” segment yesterday, you got to hear Mr. Dan Vinton go all Anakin Skywalker on Quentin Tarantino’s new late summer release, “Inglourious Basterds.” Dan says it’s a must miss, I wholeheartedly disagree. I think the movie looks fresh, original and darkly funny – all elements that have made Tarantino’s previous work golden.

But I digress.

Really, all I wanted to show you were three new-ish posters I stumbled upon this morning on the web. The Brad Pitt one is spot-on and I’m sure Jennifer Aniston would agree. What say ye? Do you like the posters and is this a must-see or miss?

Click the poster to the left for a full-sized version, as well as the thumbnails below.

Eli Roth Talks (Too Much) About Inglorious Basterds

On Friday’s AATM show on KVNU, we received a call asking about the insanely anticipated Quentin Tarantino film that will have non-cussers in a real pickle when trying to name the title. No, it’s not Inglorious Bast…ages. It’s Inglorious Basterds (that’s not a misspell). Eli Roth, man about town and gore/torture porn purveyor extraordinaire (Cabin Fever, Hostel, Hostel 2) has been speaking mightily about the film in recent weeks. He has a starring role, as a Jewish GI who loves baseball and uses Nazi cranium to practice his swing.

… Continue Reading

Inglorious Bastards American Idol Footage

I’m pining for Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards” August 21, 2009 release date like I’m pining for Old Man Winter to stop douching snowstorms on Cache Valley (that’s a pristine chunk of Northern Utah for all you non-Utah readers).  Get on with Spring already, damnit! However, this brief “inside” look at “Inglorious Bastards” shown during “American Idol” last night is absolutely, unequivocally, 100% lame. So, if you’re into lame teasers that give you nothing of value, check it out. Loser.