Chapters Six, Seven, And Beyond

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JA from MNPP here, wishing everybody a very happy Basterds Day! It's like Bastille Day, only... terd-ier? (Ugh, my apologies, I'm on cold medicine here.) Anyway I am taking this opportunity to take a look at seven members of QT's Inglourious cast and see what they're up to next (besides that Inglourious sequel/prequel that Quentin will talk about for years but never make). But the cast's upcoming projects here are of distinct interest since everybody knows that once you've starred in a Tarantino picture, your career just explodes straight into the stratosphere! (Example A - Pam Grier. Oh... wait. Riiiight. Well at least she got to play a decapitated lesbian in John Carpenter's worst movie!) So let's see what these folks have got lined up for the future...

Brad Pitt - Lt. Aldo Raine - Brad Pitt, being Brad effing Pitt, hasn't really got a shortage of projects in the pipeline. In fact he's got six projects listed as being in some sort of production - ranging from Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, purportedly out sometime this year (though they said the same thing last year), to Moneyball, a movie about the fascinating revolution in baseball drafting through statistical analysis (yeah I fell asleep already too). And after that there are 20 more projects in some form of development (A Steve McQueen biopic? Sure, why the heck not!).

Mélanie Laurent - Shoshanna Dreyfus - I can't imagine her plate won't pile up with credits in a post-Basterds world - although QT's magic touch seems to work longer stronger magic on the fellas (see: John Travolta's woefully extended career versus Uma Thurman's) - but for now she's starring opposite Jean Reno in a French film called La rafle (The Round Up) about a shameful event in French history where their government handed 13,000 over to the Nazis, and Beginners, a film by the director of Thumbsucker, starring Laurent and Ewan McGregor which has already sparked gossipy gossip when she dared be seen (heavens no!) walking around with married Ewan in (no!) public. Da noive!

Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa - First step, Oscar glory! After that he's nemesis'ing Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet for Michel Gondry and abusing Reese Witherspoon in the circus in Water For Elephants, aka that book that I saw everyone reading on the subway a couple of years ago. Anyway it sounds like discovering his inner demon's good for his career, then. And for cinema!

Eli Roth - Sgt. Donny Donowitz - Y'all are just dying to hear what The Bear Jew's up to next, aren't ya? I knew it! Well even though he's now the proud owner of a SAG award, after a brief side-trip to cameo-ville in Alexander Aja's remake of Piranha it appears he'll be sticking behind the screen for a bit (when he isn't jerking off with his fans on Twitter, natch) - he's been talking up a big science-fiction project called Endangered Species as well as a long-form version of his Grindhouse trailer Thanksgiving for ages now. We'll see what comes of any of it. With bated breath I'm sure!

Michael Fassbender - Lt. Archie Hicox - Next up for the sexy Mr. Michael Fassbender is a role as a sexy Roman soldier in Centurion by the director of The Descent, which is out sometime this Spring. Then he'll be a sexy villain tormenting Josh Brolin in Jonah Hex this Summer. Then a sexy commando in Soderbergh's Knockout, then a sexy Rochester in an adaptation of Jane Eyre by the director of Sin Nombre... and then many more sexy somethings for the rest of his sexy life. Sexy, sexy. Exhaustively so.

Diane Kruger - Bridget von Hammersmarck - Perhaps like most of us I just hadn't been paying attention to anything Kruger did before she wowed us in Basterds, because I had been paying some attention to the film Mr. Nobody for a bit - it stars Sarah Polley and Sarah Polley is one of my (many) weaknesses - and I'd never even noticed that Kruger was even in it. But now that I see she is in it this makes me happy! Because she's suddenly revealed herself to be awesome. She's also currently filming a movie with the director of Orphan, which also makes this here geek squeal. Esther 2.0!

Daniel Brühl - Pvt. Fredrick Zoller - Adorable Danny Brühl is currently filming opposite Charlotte Rampling and Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel in Jon Amiel's new film The Angel Makers, described as a dark comedy about British soldiers returning from war to find German POWs having taken over their homes (and beds, and ladies in said beds). Co-starring in this movie are beautiful Tom Tykwer-alums Benno Fuhrmann and Moritz Bleibtreu...


If I hadn't done this post I don't know when I would've heard about this, and everything about this cast is exquisite catnip to me, so I am very happy to have discovered this thing's existence. Thanks, Danny!
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Golden Globe Predictions & BFCA Fashions

I'm doubling up because aren't predictions and fashion rundowns fall on the same level of disposable fun. They're both instantly irrelevant pleasures: the reality of the winners will render predictions obsolete in mere hours, and tonight red carpet's will be totally "in the now" as opposed to 'soooooo two days ago!'. Plus, I'm scrubbing the apartment for a Golden Globes party tonight and time is short. Are you hosting a party or attending one?

Golden Globe Predictions
Drama: Up in the Air (?????)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow, The Sexy Locker
I know that people have stopped doubting The Hurt Locker as a potential Oscar Best Picture winner but for whatever reason I still can't buy it as a big winner there or especially here. Even though I love it. It's too small and tightly wound when awards bodies generally prefer big and roomy (i.e. bloated with hot air). Then again, nothing else really feels like a slam dunk. The only win that would surprise is Precious. I think Avatar, Basterds and The Sexy Locker -- yeah, I renamed it. Deal -- are all more than robust possibilities. If there's ever going to be another tie at the Globes wouldn't it be great fun, if it was tonight?

• BFCA Best Dressed
  Zoe Saldana reminded that she wasn't uptight Lt. Uhura in Star Trek or nature girl Neytiri in Avatar, but a rising movie starlet. She was one of the only stars to take a fashion risk. It's fun, flirty and just weird enough (is that plastic wrap?) to be memorable. Winning always looks good on people but at least Sandra Bullock's basic black had some fun detailing (patterns, fringe). Diane Kruger isn't exactly a movie star (yet) but she plays on on the movie screen. And almost played one on the red carpet, too. All this needed was better choices in hair and makeup to really sell the glamour.
  

Comedy: (500) Days of Summer
Animated Film: Up
Actress (Drama): Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Actress (Comedy): Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
I still think the Oscar will end the season in Meryl's hands on account of momentum (27 years of it... but especially the past 3) but the media will definitely try and tip the scales towards Bullock, because that's how they do. Once you're this far into the season the performances matter far less than the stardom and the campaign. The performances and films become abstractions. Essentially they're the limos which have driven to the curb of awards season, and dumped the star on the red carpet. The rest is up to them. This is a long way of saying that usually when the media gets too involved [sigh. Crash over Brokeback] they don't use their powers for good... they just use them to create drama where there doesn't need to be any. They have to sell papers, magazines and page views. I enjoy Sandra Bullock, I really do. But she doesn't need to be an Oscar winner, for a charming but inconsequential performance. The Blind Side has been more than rewarding enough for her at this point.

Actor (Drama): Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Actor (Comedy): Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Ever since they decided to release Crazy Heart, Bridges was finally going to win his Oscar. So why not all the other prizes, too? As for JGL. Why not? it's a weird category. Could be anyone and if any awards body is least resistant to young thespians, it's the Globes. I'm just going for broke.

Supporting Actor: Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, Precious
I keep making this Harrelson prediction and it keeps biting me in the ass. Waltz may be a true sweeper but I keep thinking that somebody somewhere is going to tilt for Hollywood stardom and maybe it'll be the Globes who are far more likely to surprise in their acting categories than other awards shows are. In fact, I don't really think Mo'Nique is safe either. If the Globes want some of their rising starlet flashiness, they could easily crown Anna Kendrick.

• BFCA Boredom
  Why did everyone play it so safe fashion wise. It was a night of seeing stars wear things we've seen them wear before (Emily Blunt loves the silvery sleek, Marion Cotillard loves the mermaid dresses) or basic white, black and red (Heather Graham, lovely as always). Of these dresses, Julianne Moore's is the most risky but its sculptural beauty only worked from certain angles. Botched Opportunity: Kristen Bell was at a movie star event and should've been trying to look like a movie star rather than a TV star since she's trying to make the transition.
  

Foreign Film: A Prophet (France)
Screenplay: Up in the Air
Song: "Winter" Brothers
TV Drama: Mad Men; Actor: Jon Hamm, Mad Men; Actress: Anna Paquin, True Blood
TV Mini: Grey Gardens; Actor: Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm; Actress: Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
TV Comedy: Glee; Actor: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock; Actress: Courtney Cox, Cougar Town
TV Supporting Actor: Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother; Supporting Actress: Jane Lynch, Glee

• BFCA - Worst Dressed
  Jena Malone & Carey Mulligan need several big meals before the Oscars. Slimming black when you need to eat might not be the best idea. The fussy flourishes don't help much. I still don't understand what Saoirse Ronan was wearing but at least she provided some of the only color of the evening (that wasn't red). Note to Abbie Cornish and her stylist: When someone is not nominated but they are invited anyway (presumably as "forgive us!", the best revenge is to look sensational and hit the best dressed list, not show up looking like you're attending a boring business event... even if that's exactly what it is.
  

The Golden Globe predictions above are not preferences though in several cases they overlap. On the TV front, since I rarely talk about it, I'm really hoping for a surprise win for January Jones in Mad Men (who doesn't get enough credit for that difficult-to-play character). And much as I delight in Glee I really think Modern Family absolutely deserves Best Comedy. I almost can't believe what an exquisite comic jewel it is week after week. It's got everything: brilliant writing, superb comic timing and great laughs per minute ratio.

Who are you rooting for tonight at the Golden Globes? What do you expect to see happen?

BFCA Live-Blogging, God Cheno Help Me

8:24 The "arrivals" special (VH-1 bitches) is about to begin. What does it mean that I'm slightly more excited for the pizza that's on its way. The website tells me that Zahidur is on his way with it right now. In truth, I'm more excited than I usually am due to Cheno (née Kristin Chenoweth). Are you watching? Even if I wasn't addicted to awards shows I would watch it for her. She's like sunshine and baby kittens and ice cream all at once.

<-- Even when she's crying, like when she won the EMMY, she's all those things. The Cuteness! It goes to eleven.

8:31 Zahidur was kind of a jerk. We tip well and he still didn't feel it was enough? What the F? You know... I do not understand why I am forced to watch the Jonas Bros when I tune in to a movie awards show? What the F do they have to do with the movies? Oh, I get it. The Shirley Temple tribute ringlet curls on his forehead.

8:36 Anna Kendrick claims that George Clooney is not intimidating to work with. I believe her.

8:41 Fashion Police Break!


Don't you think Marion Cotillard should probably quit with the mermaid thing? She already won the Oscar dressed as one. And Saoirse's dress is so old lady but then a little too busy to be in homage to The Golden Girls. And you better save that bizness till the SAG Awards anyway when Betty White is honored. I hope everyone comes in caftans. And I better see a cheesecake platter on every table.

8:49 Ohmygod. They've even coached their red carpet people to act like the BFCA doesn't matter unless it's reflecting the Oscars. I'm so deeply ashamed. Stand for yourselves, fellow media peeps! Stop announcing your own irrelevancy in the face of *THE OSCARS* Be your own game and people will be more into you.

8:57 I edited this out of the last podcast but Joe Reid begged James Cameron to cut his hair or be mistaken for an old lesbian:

TOO LATE.

Cuz this is ladies night... oh, what a night!

Zoe Saldana apparently loves the older women! And plastic dresses.

9:04 "Look at this dress!" Hee. But this opening host song's 'funny' lyrics are not really worthy of TONY winning Cheno. But that ending "Nancy, is it really that complicated? I don't think so" was pretty funny. I'll give them that.

9:12 The Ensemble goes to Inglourious Basterds. Diane Kruger announces that Quentin Tarantino "rocks".

9: 13 Kristen Bell looked pissed. What's that about?

9:15 OMG how awkward was that reference to helping the quake victims in Haiti. Poor Tobey Maguire gettin' that duty 'And now...' Supporting Actress: MO'NIQUE in Precious. Referencing her husband's reaction to the script

Mama, don't judge it. Just be it and leave it on the floor... I love you, Daddy.

I am thrilled that Mo'Nique won, I love those rhinestones on steroids round her neck. But I am so absolutely creeped out when married couples call each other any variation of mamma and daddy. It's not right!

9:25 Best Action Movie -- those are actually some good nominees -- Avatar. Duh. Meryl Streep looks confused. Apparently she hasn't been to Pandora. It's complicated.

9:29 Best Animated Feature Up. So far no surprises. I love the theme to Up. It might be my favorite thing about the movie. Okay. I think that was kind of an uncharitable acceptance speech. He couldn't mention how brilliant some of his competitors were? Or did I miss that while I was typing. If so I take it back. But I don't think I missed it. And really: Coraline... Fantastic Mr. Fox. That's some damn fine celluloid, mister Docter winner.

9:39 oy... a plastic surgery joke? Poor Kristen Bell. She had to deliver it. That's why she looked so pissed earlier. Best Young Actor goes to Saoirse Ronan


9:43 A tribute to John Hughes. The best part of it is Amy Poehler & John Krasinski's Pretty in Pink garb. hee. There was kind of a funny joke in there about the "each one of us is a brain, an athlete, a basketcase, a princess and a criminal" speech. It involved cuts to people in the audience to illustrate each type (Meryl Streep being the punchline for "a criminal") but nobody got the joke because the delivery and editing was so slow. It played like technical difficulties rather than as a joke. Too bad. Super fast delivery and editing and the Streep punchline woulda worked.

9:55 Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz. Nice acceptance speech. Humble and all about the choices that led to Inglourious Basterds.

How much do you want to bet Quentin is thinking about Kristin
Chenoweth's little piggies at this very moment in the broadcast?

9:57 I find it that Inglourious Basterds are seated across from A Single Man's team. Julianne Moore (love the sculptural dress though it's not so great, seated) seems to find Kristin Chenoweth funny. So: good taste Julianne. Kristin is working hard but the material is a bit rough.

10:00 Sarah Silverman cracks me up. Great gay joke. Best Comedy to The Hangover. Lame. (500) Days of Summer was a hundred times better.

10:15 Oops. I fell asleep. Best Song "Weary Kind" Ryan Bingham is so sexy. And I love that there's two Ryan Binghams in play this year (see also: Up in the Air)

10:20 Er... they just gave out all the technical prizes at once. Bad form! I don't like it when people pretend that cinematography is not as important as directing and writing and whatnot. It went like so: Avatar = cinematography, editing, art direction, sound, visual effects; District 9 = makeup; Young Victoria = costumes; Grey Gardens = TV movie; The Cove = documentary; Broken Embraces = Foreign Film; Up = best score.

10:21 My goodness. Claire Danes really hits her "T"s. Such elocution. Best Adapted Screenplay Up in the Air. Best Original Screenplay Inglourious Basterds. They're really churning out the awards. Tarantino's speech is good so you get the end, when he reveals that screenplay awards are because of actors.

These guys know. My material is not easy. It's hard. I cannot have dumb actors do my dialogue. I've tried it and it was a disaster. So I want to thank my lovely actors for taking my words and singing my song and doing my poetry. God bless you.

So cool. I love that he finally accepts that he's a terrible actor. Notice he was not in Basterds, f'ing it up.

10:34 MERYL STREEP (!) presenting Kevin Bacon with a prize for something. It has something to do with Bacon's charities. I have trouble concentrating because it's Streep and this has been a really long day and I ate too much pizza. Damn you Zahidur!


10:43 I am filled with joy that Best Director is for Kathryn Bigelow. I am proud to say that I've been backing her since Near Dark in the 80s and I am totally willing to scootch over and let everyone else join the bandwagon. There's plenty of room and it's about freaking time, people.

10:48 Vera Farmiga is presenting Best Actor which is perfect because she brings out great things from her leading men. Best Actor Jeff Bridges. Bridges got his director's name wrong but good save, there Jeff. God I love this man. But in the background I think it's very important to note this historic event.

I'm sorry Diane Kruger but I have to.


An actress EATS at an awards show. That made me almost as happy as the existence of Kristin 'sunshine+kittens+icecream' Chenoweth.

11:03 Best Actress Meryl Streep & Sandra Bullock. Yes, another tie. How does this happen? Is it fixed. Second year in a row with a best actress tie?

The Tie. The Superstars. The Kiss

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Both times, Meryl Streep is involved? But that was HILARIOUS. Because both of these women are. For those who couldn't see, they circled each other warily, Sandra shouted "bullshit" and then they kissed! So, so funny. And as we have grown accustomed to expecting, Meryl's speech was divine. She even bitched that her husband was "GOLFING!" ha ha.

11:16 Mark Boal (screenwriter) accepts Best Picture for The Hurt Locker. Love that movie. And can we just talk about what no one talks about here. The cast and crew are smokin'. I'm just sad that Anthony Mackie wasn't there. But I'm just going to start calling it The Sexy Locker.

And Cheno signs off claiming she's going to head backstage to make out with Sandra Bullock. And I'm signing off, too. But I'm hoping to make out with Kathryn Bigelow and Jeremy Renner instead.


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SAG Nominations

The precursors have been squeezed into an unusually small period this year. The Globes, BFCA, NYFCC, LAFCA and SAG all announced in the space of one week. That's not business as usual. I guess this is one way to squeeze out all those regional critics groups because... who will care now? What does all this mean for Oscar? Generally clear consensus between the major precursors means that Oscar will be nearly a carbon copy. But with an unusual amount of time between the actors announcement and the announcement of Oscar nominations (Still more than a month away) it MIGHT mean that Academy voters react to and against these lists, rather than along with them if you know what I mean. Do you know what I mean?

The Hurt Locker team is having a great awards season run.

Ensemble Cast
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious

• Thankfully they did not pull a Million Dollar Baby here and nominate all the principles for their own awards while also handing them the ensemble honor. This category always fascinates me because of the odd way in which films include and do not include certain cast members as "nominees". You may remember my fury that Matt Ross was not included in the Aviator nomination five years ago despite having tons of screentime and giving one of the film's strongest supporting performances while Gwen Stefani was included for her cameo.
• This year's stingiest cast list 'winner' is The Hurt Locker which excludes the valuable lengthy cameos from Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce but includes the throwaway lengthy cameo from Evangeline Lilly.
• Special dishonorable mention goes to An Education for giving Cara Seymour the shaft. That's a real pity because she's such a sturdy screen presence and has added a lot to many ensemble performances over the past ten years (American Psycho, Adaptation, Hotel Rwanda, Birth, The Savages, The Notorious Bettie Page) . She practically deserves her own honorary award in this category by now.
  

Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Public Enemies, Star Trek, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

• I like that they added this category, don't you? Stunt people rarely get any respect.

Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

• Your Oscar list unless something very strange or off-puttingly scandalous happens in the next 4 weeks.

Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

• I could definitely live with this being the Oscar list. But I will undoubtedly worry about the Renner situation until the last possible second since he is a) young and b) in a non-Bait role.

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

• zzzzzzz. Same list all season. And it's not like these were the only supporting performances. And are all five of them particularly noteworthy? I'd say no. Especially considering the Anthony Mackie factor. How is that performance lesser than Tucci's? Or Damon's? Oh, yes. He's not as famous. Never mind.

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Mo'Nique, Precious

Julianne Moore's cackling drunk will be in tears at this announcement (snubbed!) but the Kruger nomination is great surprise fun. I loved her default ownership of a room and her movie star annoyance at any detour therefrom -- Bridget will go along with the plan, even sacrificing glamourous footwear, but she'll let you know she's put out by it. Marion Cotillard's absence here can be attributed to the Weinstein's greed at placing her in Lead (SAG voters are not allowed to go against the studio mandated categorizations. Oscar voters do not have to follow the studio's wishes)

Television

Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Kevin Bacon in Taking Chance, Cuba Gooding Jr in Gifted Hands, Jeremy Irons in Georgia O'Keeffe, Kevin Kline in Great Performances: Cyrano de Bergerac and Tom Wilkinson in A Number

Actress in a Television Movie or Miniseries Joan Allen in Georgia O'Keeffe, Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange in Grey Gardens, Ruby Dee in America and Sigourney Weaver in Prayers for Bobby

• This category, here and at the Emmys I think of as "where aging movie stars go to die". All of these women, save Drew, are Oscar nominated actresses. But they're not getting great parts anymore, damnit. At least not on the big screen.
  

Actor in a Drama Series Simon Baker in the Mentalist, Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, Michael C Hall in Dexter, Jon Hamm in Mad Men and Hugh Laurie in House

Actress in a Drama Series Patricia Arquette in Medium, Glenn Close in Damages, Mariska Hargitay in Law & Order: SVU, Holly Hunter in in Saving Grace, Julianne Margulies in The Good Wife and Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer

Actor in a Comedy Series Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock, Steve Carell in The Office, Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Tony Shalhoub in Monk and Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men.

• Charlie Sheen and Tony Shalhoub must know where all the bodies are buried in Hollywood. I'm just sayin'

Actress in a Comedy Series Christina Applegate in Samantha Who?, Toni Collette in United States of Tara, Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie, Tina Fey in 30 Rock and Julia Louis-Dreyfus in The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Closer, Dexter, The Good Wife, Mad Men and True Blood

• I watched only one episode of The Good Wife -- I know that's not much to judge a series on -- but I remember the acting be exceptionally underlined and boldfaced and coarse. Or was that the direction? Anyway: Hated it.
  

Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Glee, Modern Family and The Office

Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
24, The Closer, Dexter, Heroes and The Unit

46th Annual Lifetime Achievement Award
Betty White

• This last award title will be misleading to many young readers. SAG didn't join the Oscar precursor game until the 1994 (which is why Meryl Streep had never been a SAG winner until Angels in America for television and Doubt for film) but they have been giving out Lifetime Achievements for a good long while.

for the complete press release, click here.

Tarantino Can't Shut Up. Neither Can We

Now that we've got a few videos under our belts, Katey and I generally wrap up our conversations in about 12 minutes. Then we edit out repetitive / awkward bits. This time, we couldn't stop talking.

Our conversation about Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is reflective of the film's overstuffing. We did our best to avoid spoilers though there are a couple of small ones. It's best to avoid all the scenes that are available online before you see it. I know this isn't the way people interact with movies these past few years but it's so fun to be surprised at the movies and it's a pity that that happens less and less frequently. Tarantino is a great example of a filmmaker who rewards those who don't seek out spoilers. You can predict the various elements (i.e. obsessions) that will appear in each movie, but rarely can you foresee how he'll fuse them all together.

YouTube caps videos at 10 minutes so this might be a wee bit choppier than past conversations but we hope you enjoy and definitely join in the conversation in the comments section.

Part One
...in which we talk about violence, self-editing, film criticism and movies that draw attention to the man behind the camera.



Part Two
... in which we attempt to wrap it up with more on the superb European cast, Tarantino's big head, the "wait for the cream" structure and the twisty jokey gamesmanship of this movie about movies.

Review: Inglourious Basterds

I understand the consensus buzz for Inglourious Basterds is muddled and noncommital. I blame two things: first, its muted Cannes reception (please note: some people are already changing their minds about it) and second, Eli Roth. What? He's fun to blame. Quentin has thankfully stayed behind the camera this time but he's unfortunately replaced himself with another director who should stay there. Roth's hostile-Hostel presence coupled with the only easy-to-describe part of the film (Jewish soldiers kill Nazis in World War II) assures that people will get the wrong idea about the movie. It's more than a lame exercize in sadism.

Not that Basterds isn't sadistic. Tarantino's films always are. But one of the most amusing and satisfying things about the writer/director's work is that though you can always predict each new movie's mix of elements: vivid performances, instantly memorable characters, long monologues and dexterous banter, Samuel L Jackson, juvenilia, foot fetishes and movie referencing; the way Tarantino arranges, twists and presents these predictable stock elements is always anything but. He's gifted (even if he still can't edit himself).

So, my brief review...

"You're Basterd People"

At first glance it might seem odd to channel Waiting For Guffman’s Corky St. Clair to title a post on Quentin Tarantino’s WW II film Inglourious Basterds, but a closer inspection excuses the odd allusion. Inglourious Basterds lurches toward the parodic on more than one occasion as it veers like a happy drunk from historical drama to espionage thriller to action gorefest to black comedy and back again. And Tarantino is never shy about cinematic referencing so why should we be when discussing his films? Brad Pitt plays the presumably illiterate Lt. Aldo Raine –hence the title, bound to drive spelling bee champs mad – who leads a group of mostly Jewish soldiers on a mission to kill and scalp “Natzis!” in occupied France late in World War II. But that synopsis, and even the understandable marketing of Pitt as the film’s star are somewhat misleading.

Brad Pitt in Cannes with two members of the terrific German cast:
Daniel Brühl (Goodbye Lenin) and Diane Kruger (Joyeux Noël) in Cannes

Like many of QT’s idiosyncratic efforts, this one is overstuffed with memorable characters and sidebar flourishes. The Basterds, as the multi-chapter plot shakes out, turn out to be the least interesting part of the long but never dull film.

Read the rest at Towleroad
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Recycled Experience: Tarantino Directed Performances

tuesday top ten: a weekly series for the list lover in you and the list maker in me

This list was originally published in 2007 prior to the release of Grindhouse... I'm reworking it to bring it up to date. The last time I made the list I left a spot open for "someone from Death Proof" assuming that Quentin Tarantino, who directs actors far better than most, would pull something great from someone therein. Though Kurt Russell made the most of his deadly wheels, the movie was a dud. There are some who don't share that opinion (Tarantino efforts always come with both acolytes and detractors) but for the first time I found very little joy in the writing... his fabled ear for stylized dialogue and instantly engaging idiosyncratic characters evaporated in a sea of endlessly banal conversations. Followed by non-stop action. That empty spot is easy to fill with Inglourious Basterds, which opens on Friday.

Runners Up: Pam Grier & Robert Forster in Jackie Brown and Mélanie Laurent as "Shoshanna" in Inglourious Basterds

10 Best Performances in Tarantino Films

10 Bridget Fonda as "Melanie" in Jackie Brown (1997)
I could just as easily have said Grier or Forster but it's the QT that's fuzziest for me. My most vivid recall is of Fonda's lazy taunting blonde --so she hits the ten spot. This was the only time outside of Scandal (1988) when I had enormous faith in her potential as an actor. Tarantino often finds what's best in any actor, no matter what rung they occupy on Hollywood's ladder.

09 David Carradine as "Bill" in Kill Bill, Vol 2 (2004)
RIP Grasshopper. I know that my beloved Warren Beatty is supposed to be a very intelligent man but turning down this role was sheer stupidity, wasn't it?

08 Tim Roth as "Mr. Orange" and...
07 Harvey Keitel as "Mr. White" in Reservoir Dogs (1992)
QT's debut caused an arthouse stir for it's simple visual punch (those suits), that scene (the ear), and its oft-imitated but never duplicated flair for supercharged popculture riffing dialogue. What's less remembered or commented on is that it was clear from his very first effort that Tarantino was a natural at getting the most out of casting and subsequent performances. These two acclaimed actors flesh out a complex relationship, particularly in the intense final sequences.


06 Christoph Waltz as "Hans Landa" in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
This World War II riff doesn't it take itself too seriously. Or if it does, gleefully declaring itself a masterpiece or burning through celluloid, it's doubling as a pisstake. Waltz best captures the movie's self-delight with menacing confidence, squirrely wickedness and abruptly satisfying line deliveries. "BINGO!"

05 Daryl Hannah as "Elle Driver" in Kill Bill, Vol 1 & 2 (2003-2004)
Arguably my very favorite thing (among many) about this two-parter is the notepad that The Bride has written her enemies in. She crosses them out as she kills them. It's such a superb touch that the names are sized according to who she hates most. "Elle" is quite large and the performance will have to be too, if you're to understand the animosity.



Hannah never disappoints in this bold strokes turn as this childish irredeemable villain --the Bride's blonde amazon evil twin. It's this routinely undervalued actor's best performance.

04 John Travolta as "Vincent Vega"
03 Samuel L Jackson as "Jules Winnfield" and...
02 Uma Thurman as "Mia Wallace" in Pulp Fiction (1994) With apologies to Bruce Willis who fills out the magic quartet of stars in this breakthrough film...just typing out all three character names made me desperately want to see this again.

01 Uma Thurman as "The Bride" in Kill Bill, Vol 1 & 2 (2003-2004)
If Uma's iconic black bobbed gangster's moll in Pulp Fiction weren't a rich enough contribution to the Tarantino filmography, she cements her place as his premiere onscreen collaborator with this exceptional high wire act: an Oscar worthy creation --better than any of the actual nominees in 2003 and one of the best of the decade. Much has been made of the fact that Tarantino fetishizes Uma's large feet in all three --or two, depending on how you view the Kill Bill film(s) -- of their films together. But if you were directing her and she was giving this star turn, you'd be wise to kiss them, too.

Tarantino took a break from Thurman's little piggies for Basterds, but rest assured that he always manages to shoehorn (har dee har har) his foot fetish into each new picture. He contorts himself again to spend ample time with Diane Kruger's feet in Inglourious Basterds. Yes, they get a plot point of their very own.


*

Red Carpet Lineup

A random sampling of people hitting the red carpet the past... uh... couple of weeks (Yes, I'm on time delay) Girls and boys for a change and some random thoughts regarding them.


Penélope Cruz. is having a rather extended bout of premieres for Broken Embraces and by the time that winds down she'll be starting it all over again to promote the musical Nine. Too much of a good thing: Nine and Broken Embraces premiere in the US within five days of each other in November. It'll be all Penélope all the time and if the baby Bardem rumors are true, she'll be 7 months preggers when those hotly anticipated titles arrive.

Diane Kruger confuses me. I normally love these androgynous outfits on women but it doesn't work for her. Maybe because the body is too emaciated / boyish to offset the masculine attire with femininity? You'd think working on Inglourious Basterds would have given her more of an appetite, a carnivorous blood red meat kind of appetite.

Gillian Armstrong is still alive! She's been very low profile for the past decade -- her last film was Death Defying Acts, that barely released Harry Houdini film with Catherine Zeta Jones and Guy Pearce -- but since 2009 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year for female directors (so many in play), it's good to be reminded of those who came before and paved the way. Armstrong gave Diane Keaton one of her best dramatic roles (Mrs. Soffel) -- Keaton would be smart to find a good drama again, I think but most importantly, Armstrong basically introduced the world to both Cate Blanchett (Oscar & Lucinda) and Judy Davis (My Brilliant Career) so the world owes her.

Speaking of people who owe Gillian Armstrong...

Claire Danes -- who got her first shot at movie stardom with Armstrong's remake of Little Women (still one of Danes' best) -- looks awesome in blue, don't you think? Her movie career isn't so enviable lately but in 35 days she'll be Mrs. Hugh Dancy so it all balances out, don't you think?

Amy Adams will survive the lack of affection people feel for the Julie part of Julie & Julia.


Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia) should co-star with Meryl Streep in every movie from here on out. I've said this a few times now but that's only because it bears repeating. They're wonderful together. My friends and I have taken to calling him "dreadful Stanley Tucci" in replication of Streep's hilarious Globe speech for The Devil Wears Prada. Remember that?



Streep & Tucci are clearly very fond of each other and it shows onscreen. Not too many people have commented on this but isn't it kind of wonderful that two of Tucci's most memorable roles involve the love of food? See also: Big Night.

Hugh Dancy is dreamy.

Chris Messina has played the steadying-influence husband twice in a row now with Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Julie & Julia. What else you got Chris? That's meant as a compliment. We want to see.

Sam Rockwell can currently be heard in that guinea pig movie G-Force. But more importantly his one man show Moon (Katey & Nathaniel's review) is still playing in various and sundry parts of the world. I was anxiously awaiting your thoughts on it but I haven't heard a peep from readers, really. I guess it was too slow to expand, never reaching more than 251 theaters. That's a shame. Rockwell has always been prolific and he's not slowing down. Next up: the remake Everybody's Fine, the Hilary Swank working mom drama Betty Anne Waters and Gentlemen Broncos from the Napoleon Dynamite team.