Comments on: Reel Politique: Links of Interest, Inglorious Basterds http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/ The Vancouver Voice Blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:00:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Martin Gersa http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2674 Martin Gersa Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:59:30 +0000 http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2674 If that script (now available on every pirate site on the Internet) is really QT's work, I'm afraid that Hollywood's idiot-savant director has finally surrendered his savantness. To sum it up: it's a crackerbox full of tiny plastic people, popcorn-like cinematic cliches, caramel-syrupy sentiment, and a crazy-as-nuts-itself Turtledovian alternate-history ending. I pray to God that this is a hoax, because if this movie is ever made, I'm that it will finally signal THE END...that 'cinema' has finally devolved into the self-referential, self-parody that define Art Deco and rap music. If that script (now available on every pirate site on the Internet) is really QT’s work, I’m afraid that Hollywood’s idiot-savant director has finally surrendered his savantness. To sum it up: it’s a crackerbox full of tiny plastic people, popcorn-like cinematic cliches, caramel-syrupy sentiment, and a crazy-as-nuts-itself Turtledovian alternate-history ending. I pray to God that this is a hoax, because if this movie is ever made, I’m that it will finally signal THE END…that ‘cinema’ has finally devolved into the self-referential, self-parody that define Art Deco and rap music.

]]> By: Rish Tandapany http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2661 Rish Tandapany Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:34:43 +0000 http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2661 Interesting reading all the points and opinions of those before me. I think everyone seems to be reading too much into the fact this is a Tarantino movie. We are all being caught up with the hype and bravado the way Mr Tarantino wants us to be. If you recall his Kill Bill script was much better in flesh then it was in actual film and as such he may be reversing the roles this time. Playing with his audience. Anyone who can "have" such child like writing and deliberately mis-spell words must be doing so for a reason. I beg the world to ignore the hype and treat it the way PF and RD were treated when they were first released. Who knows, by next year's Cannes Film Festival we may just be in for something very different and revolutionary, like most of his work. Interesting reading all the points and opinions of those before me. I think everyone seems to be reading too much into the fact this is a Tarantino movie. We are all being caught up with the hype and bravado the way Mr Tarantino wants us to be. If you recall his Kill Bill script was much better in flesh then it was in actual film and as such he may be reversing the roles this time. Playing with his audience. Anyone who can “have” such child like writing and deliberately mis-spell words must be doing so for a reason. I beg the world to ignore the hype and treat it the way PF and RD were treated when they were first released. Who knows, by next year’s Cannes Film Festival we may just be in for something very different and revolutionary, like most of his work.

]]> By: dkholm http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2607 dkholm Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:12:59 +0000 http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2607 To Psychic Advice, you're welcome. To Witt, I certainly agree with many of your criticism of the screenplay, as a script (written by a 14-year-old, under-developed characters). However, one of the points I was trying to make is that the movie is really in Tarantino's head, and the script may not reflect fully what he has in mind. For example, I have a feeling that he is still on an aesthetic roll from Death Proof, which also had a lot of rambling talk, but also undermined expectations. For example, here everyone expects a WWII "mission" film with a lot of eccentric team members, but Tarantino kills off the majority of them off screen. Assuming that this approach is intentional, Tarantino does not want to make a conventional mission movie, but something else, and there are obvious clues in the script, such as the middle section being shot like a French New Wave movie. The script can come off badly especially on a first read, but I am giving it the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. To Psychic Advice, you’re welcome.

To Witt, I certainly agree with many of your criticism of the screenplay, as a script (written by a 14-year-old, under-developed characters). However, one of the points I was trying to make is that the movie is really in Tarantino’s head, and the script may not reflect fully what he has in mind. For example, I have a feeling that he is still on an aesthetic roll from Death Proof, which also had a lot of rambling talk, but also undermined expectations. For example, here everyone expects a WWII “mission” film with a lot of eccentric team members, but Tarantino kills off the majority of them off screen. Assuming that this approach is intentional, Tarantino does not want to make a conventional mission movie, but something else, and there are obvious clues in the script, such as the middle section being shot like a French New Wave movie. The script can come off badly especially on a first read, but I am giving it the benefit of the doubt, at least for now.

]]> By: witt http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2606 witt Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:34:09 +0000 http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2606 I've finished reading the script last night and I think your first reaction was the right reaction Mr Holm. This is a really disappointing script. The promise of a return to the old exploitation world war two action flicks, the possibility of an all star line up, even the title 'Inglorious Bastards' pointed to a deliciously subversive, unrestrained action flick. Instead the (rather stale) script feels like 30 per cent action and 70 per cent talk and the talk aint even that good. What we have is an action film whose scene's are sloppy and overlong, while the audience sits there worrying what they're missing out on so that we can hear characters play a game of 'Who Am I?' for 10 pages. The Inglorious bastards themselves are woefully underdeveloped. The only substantially built character is the Aldo-Brad Pitt character and his one distinguishing character trait seems to be his southern drawl. Perhaps I'm projecting too many of expectations here but the script should have been much more focused on the bastards team - how they were chosen, more of their mythology and idiosyncracies, how they work together, their dynamic, kick-ass one liners. As it is they're practically marginalised, their few scenes generic and uninteresting. The script gives us brief glimpses of them early on before they disappear for half the movie (only to return with a script direction telling us 'those that who have not reappeared from the first scene are dead' - what the hell happened to them?). Half the movie is concerned with the Jewish female heroine Shosanna (ala Black Book), which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing but she has so little to do with the bastards that her role seems utterly pointless (aside from making some commentary on cinema and violence). Landa is certainly the most interesting character and I think the first scene with him and the French farmer is the best in the script - but by the final 'twist' he feels just like any other stock movie villain. In terms of action, although it's hard to tell from a script, it felt dismally uncreative and stale - there's little sense of fun to the action ala Kelly's Heroes. To be honest, this script feels like it was written by a 14 year old. Unless Tarantino can pull a rabbit out of a hat in the direction department, this is going to be another disappointment in the order of Death Proof (possibly worse). I’ve finished reading the script last night and I think your first reaction was the right reaction Mr Holm. This is a really disappointing script.
The promise of a return to the old exploitation world war two action flicks, the possibility of an all star line up, even the title ‘Inglorious Bastards’ pointed to a deliciously subversive, unrestrained action flick. Instead the (rather stale) script feels like 30 per cent action and 70 per cent talk and the talk aint even that good. What we have is an action film whose scene’s are sloppy and overlong, while the audience sits there worrying what they’re missing out on so that we can hear characters play a game of ‘Who Am I?’ for 10 pages.

The Inglorious bastards themselves are woefully underdeveloped. The only substantially built character is the Aldo-Brad Pitt character and his one distinguishing character trait seems to be his southern drawl.
Perhaps I’m projecting too many of expectations here but the script should have been much more focused on the bastards team - how they were chosen, more of their mythology and idiosyncracies, how they work together, their dynamic, kick-ass one liners. As it is they’re practically marginalised, their few scenes generic and uninteresting. The script gives us brief glimpses of them early on before they disappear for half the movie (only to return with a script direction telling us ‘those that who have not reappeared from the first scene are dead’ - what the hell happened to them?).
Half the movie is concerned with the Jewish female heroine Shosanna (ala Black Book), which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing but she has so little to do with the bastards that her role seems utterly pointless (aside from making some commentary on cinema and violence).
Landa is certainly the most interesting character and I think the first scene with him and the French farmer is the best in the script - but by the final ‘twist’ he feels just like any other stock movie villain.
In terms of action, although it’s hard to tell from a script, it felt dismally uncreative and stale - there’s little sense of fun to the action ala Kelly’s Heroes.
To be honest, this script feels like it was written by a 14 year old. Unless Tarantino can pull a rabbit out of a hat in the direction department, this is going to be another disappointment in the order of Death Proof (possibly worse).

]]> By: Psychic Advice http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2600 Psychic Advice Sun, 13 Jul 2008 08:28:04 +0000 http://blog.vanvoice.com/2008/07/12/reel-politique-links-of-interest-inglorious-basterds/#comment-2600 Too bad i didnt come across this blog before. Great stuff you got here. Thanks. Too bad i didnt come across this blog before. Great stuff you got here. Thanks.

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