Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Indie Spotlight: New Releases for August 29http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/29/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-august-29/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/29/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-august-29/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/29/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-august-29/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

The last weekend of the summer means the multiplexes will be crammed with Hollywood's leftover products, most of them rolled out without being screened for critics (never a good sign). But don't despair! The Indie Spotlight is here to fill you in on the limited-release, art-house films opening this weekend, and if they're not playing where you live, you can keep an eye out for when they do arrive. See, it gives you something to look forward to!

The six films opening today are, in alphabetical order: Ballet Shoes, I Served the King of England, My Mexican Shivah, Sukiyaki Western Django, Year of the Fish, and Young People F***ing. In a slightly more subjective order, here's the scoop on each of them.

Sukiyaki Western Django
What it is: A comedic Japanese tribute to the spaghetti Westerns, featuring Quentin Tarantino in a small role and directed by the twisted Takashi Miike.
What they're saying: The reviews are about evenly split at Rotten Tomatoes. Some say it's a one-joke movie that's all style and no substance; others say the sheer insanity of it makes it entertaining.
Where it's playing: New York City (Landmark Sunshine Cinema). Opens in L.A. on Sept. 12.
Official site: Taste the sukiyaki.

I Served the King of England
What it is: A comedy/drama about a man working at a fancy Prague hotel under the Nazis and then under the communists. It was the Czech Republic's official Oscar entry this year, though it didn't wind up getting nominated.
What they're saying: Every single review at Rotten Tomatoes is positive ("darkly humorous," "intelligent," "witty") -- every single review except for one, that is, by Jeffrey M. Anderson, who is also one of Cinematical's finest writers. Why you gotta be different, Jeff?
Where it's playing: New York City (Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, Quad Cinemas), Los Angeles (Laemmle Royal, Regency South Coast Village in Costa Mesa, Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena), San Francisco (Embarcadero Center Cinemas).
Official site: It's in English!

Continue reading Indie Spotlight: New Releases for August 29

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]]>ballet shoesBalletShoesi served the king of englandIServedTheKingOfEnglandmy mexican shivahMyMexicanShivahsukiyaki western djangoSukiyakiWesternDjangoyear of the fishYearOfTheFishyoung people fuckingYoungPeopleFuckingEric D. SniderFri, 29 Aug 2008 11:03:00 ESTReview: Sukiyaki Western Djangohttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/28/review-sukiyaki-western-django/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/28/review-sukiyaki-western-django/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/28/review-sukiyaki-western-django/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

By chance, two Takashi Miike movies, Dead or Alive and Audition, opened in my town with in a week of one another in 2001. It was pretty eye opening seeing the huge difference between them, the speedy carnage of the former and the slow suspense of the latter, and I became an instant fan. Since then I've managed to track down just six more Miike movies, and in that same time he has made over forty (including videos and TV shows). The speed of his production fits perfectly with the personality of his movies. They're often nonsensical; I couldn't make heads or tails of two of his more recent pictures, Gozu and The Great Yokai War. And they're very definitely energetic, verging on crazy. He reminds me of the great German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who cranked out over 40 movies and TV shows in less than 15 years and died at the age of 37. Miike is now 48 and one wonders how much longer he can keep going before he combusts.

Miike's new movie, Sukiyaki Western Django, finds him making a slight change of pace. No, the movie is still crazy and fast and nearly unintelligible, but he has stopped for a moment to consider the work of other filmmakers. The movie is a tribute to Spaghetti Westerns, and especially Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars (1964), which in turn was based on Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961). Remember Bono's taunt at the beginning of U2's cover version of "Helter Skelter"? ("This song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We're stealing it back.") This movie feels as if Miike is doing some stealing back of his own.


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]]>cinematicalfilmmoviesukiyaki western djangoSukiyakiWesternDjangotakashi miikeTakashiMiikeJeffrey M. AndersonThu, 28 Aug 2008 20:03:00 ESTWhat I Learned: Naked 'Hell,' Slow 'Love,' and 'The Signal'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/14/what-i-learned-naked-hell-slow-love-and-the-signal/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/14/what-i-learned-naked-hell-slow-love-and-the-signal/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/14/what-i-learned-naked-hell-slow-love-and-the-signal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I like naked women, but that's not why I saw Hell Ride. Honestly, I had forgotten that naked women might be featured prominently. It was the motorcycles and the negative reviews from Sundance that hooked me (I'm a contrary fellow). I like 60s biker flicks, and because writer / director / co-star / Quentin Tarantino's friend Larry Bishop had been in some of them, I figured he could make an affectionate homage. Alas, while Bishop can indeed shoot the hell out of the motorcycle footage, it's the other 95% of the movie that's lazy and boring. What I learned: Bare breasts, slit throats, and roaring motorcycles do not a movie make, as I wrote elsewhere (in German). Also, I hate when critics are right.

Hoping to elevate my thinking, I happily joined friends for an afternoon screening of Love and Honor, a stately, well-composed drama that follows the plight of a samurai food-taster who goes blind. I never knew a samurai could be a food-taster, so that was educational, and I appreciated the (presumably) faithful historical depiction of a samurai marriage, which involves -- you guessed it! -- plenty of love and honor. Unfortunately, the combination of a turtle-like pace and too many beers the night before resulted in sonorous slumber (i.e. I was snoring like a Mack truck). What I learned: Don't see any movie described as "deliberately paced" unless you've ingested copious amounts of caffeine.

Later that night, horror flick The Signal definitely kept me awake with its razor-edged jumble of thrills, chills, and laughs. Despite a disappointing final 10 minutes, I really wish I'd listened to Scott and Eric D., who urged seeing this sick puppy in theaters. What I learned: Always keep a huge metal canister of bug spray handy.

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]]>featuredhell rideHellRidelarry bishopLarryBishopquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinothe signalTheSignalPeter MartinThu, 14 Aug 2008 14:02:00 ESTIndie Spotlight: New Releases for August 8http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/08/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-august-8/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/08/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-august-8/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/08/indie-spotlight-new-releases-for-august-8/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

What with the Olympics and the Batman and the pineapple express and the pants, you might be a little overloaded with things to watch this weekend. On the other hand, maybe you've seen all that and want something different. In that case, hooray for the Indie Spotlight! It's our weekly roundup of what's opening beyond the multiplexes, designed so movie fans can keep an eye out for those less-publicized titles.

There are eight indie films for you to examine this week: Beautiful Losers, Beer for My Horses, Bottle Shock, Elegy, Hell Ride, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, Red, and What We Do Is Secret. Here's the skinny on each of them.

Bottle Shock
What it is: A fictionalized account -- very heavily fictionalized, it would seem -- about the plucky California winery that managed to beat French wines in a blind taste test in 1976.
What they're saying: The reviews at Rotten Tomatoes are almost evenly split down the middle. My own take: It's the Two Buck Chuck of wine movies.
Where it's playing: Various places throughout Northern and Southern California, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.
Official site: Take a sip.

Hell Ride
What it is: Executive-produced by Quentin Tarantino, it's Larry Bishop's homage to the sleazy biker movies of the early 1970s.
What they're saying: They're saying they hate it. Ten of the 12 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes are negative, and that includes the two from Cinematical, by James Rocchi and yours truly.
Where it's playing: Quite a few cities, actually; check out the map here.
Official site: Hop on, easy rider.

Continue reading Indie Spotlight: New Releases for August 8

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]]>beautiful losersBeautifulLosersbeer for my horsesBeerForMyHorsesbottle shockBottleShockelegyhell rideHellRidepatti smith dream of lifePattiSmithDreamOfLiferedwhat we do is secretWhatWeDoIsSecretEric D. SniderFri, 08 Aug 2008 08:08:00 ESTUPDATE: Brad Pitt IS One of Tarantino's 'Inglorious Bastards'?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/07/is-brad-pitt-one-of-tarantinos-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/07/is-brad-pitt-one-of-tarantinos-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/07/is-brad-pitt-one-of-tarantinos-inglorious-bastards/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

UPDATE: Variety confirms today that Brad Pitt has officially signed on to star in Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards. In the flick, Pitt will play a "Tennessee hillbilly who assembles a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers." Eli Roth and BJ Novak are also signed on to star.

Originally posted July 7, 2008 ...

Quentin Tarantino is wasting no time getting Inglorious Bastards into production -- it may make Cannes 2009 after all! He's aiming now for an October shoot, his screenplay is apparently done, it's out to studios for financing, and now all he needs is his cast.

As of yet, there have been no official casting announcements, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, rumors are currently circling Brad Pitt's name. Frankly, the thought fills me with delight! Pitt does his finest work in edgier fare, and an appearance in a Tarantino-helmed movie (remember he played a role in True Romance, off a script written by Tarantino) seems long, long overdue. It would also bring his eerie career synchronicity with George Clooney full circle, wouldn't it?

The biggest question seems to be his schedule, which is jam packed with new babies, movies ( three of which he's starring in, eight that he is producing), publicity obligations, and his charity projects. I mean, he's trying to help rebuild New Orleans! Can he fit Inglorious Bastards in? October is not that far away.

Tarantino standbys Tim Roth and Michael Madsen have long been unofficially attached, and I have no doubt they'll make it legal before too long. I'd would love to see Harvey Keitel make an appearance too. And to have Pitt in the inglorious bunch seems so right.

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]]>Elisabeth RappeThu, 07 Aug 2008 19:14:00 ESTTarantino and the Original 'Inglorious Bastards' on DVDhttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/tarantino-and-the-original-inglorious-bastards-on-dvd/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/tarantino-and-the-original-inglorious-bastards-on-dvd/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/tarantino-and-the-original-inglorious-bastards-on-dvd/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Men on a mission! Naked women shooting machine guns! Wildly inappropriate hair styles! The recent arrival of Enzo G. Castellari's The Inglorious Bastards on DVD makes clear that the movie is an entertaining, stylish adventure in its own right, justly deserving its reputation as a Eurocult genre gem. Inevitably, it also prompts speculation about what exactly Quentin Tarantino will do with his upcoming version, especially since the DVD features an extended conversation between Tarantino and Castellari about their respective visions.

The 1978 original doesn't have a "bat-wielding Nazi hunter," as one character has been recently described in casting talks for Tarantino's version, though it is set in World War II France. Miscreant Bo Svenson and murderer Fred Williamson are headed to military jail when their convoy is attacked by the Germans. The handful of surviving deserters plan to escape to neutral Switzerland before they end up on a suicide mission for the Allies under the command of Colonel Bruckner (Ian Bannen).

The men take a jaunty trip through a cartoon wonderland constructed out of Hollywood fantasy and Italian wish fulfillment. The film only rarely intersects with real life, instead inhabiting a world of wisecracks and world-weary warriors whose guns never run out of bullets. Castellari is such a brilliant director, though, that The Inglorious Bastards fairly pops off the screen with energetic fervor in nearly every sequence.

As such, it serves as a fabulous blueprint that Tarantino has probably drawn upon, ripped apart, and reassembled.

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]]>bo svensonBoSvensonenzo g castellariEnzoGCastellarifeaturedfred williamsonFredWilliamsoninglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsseverin filmsSeverinFilmsthe inglorious bastardsTheIngloriousBastardsPeter MartinWed, 06 Aug 2008 22:02:00 ESTReview: Hell Ridehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/review-hell-ride/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/review-hell-ride/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/review-hell-ride/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Hell Ride is a deliberate, calculated throwback, referencing and recycling the cheapie bike-sploitation flicks of the '60s and early '70s as a band of burly brothers roar, rage and ride their way through the American Southwest on a rampage of revenge. Written by, directed by and starring Larry Bishop, Hell Ride thrums and roars with attitude; problem is, the drive shaft components of plot and character and logic just aren't there, meaning that even when Bishop hits the throttle, the roar and rattle can't hide the fact nothing's really happening.

Hell Ride revolves around a cycle gang known as The Victors, led by Pistolero (Bishop), with the tuxedo-shirt clad The Gent (Michael Madsen) riding on his right and recent inductee Comanche (Eric Balfour) an up-and-coming lieutenant in the organization, on his left. The Victors are trying to take care of business -- although what business it is they're in is never quite explained -- and the only thing interfering with that is Pistolero's obsession with righting the wrong done decades ago to Cherokee Kisum (Julia Jones), slain on the 4th of July in 1976. The Gent and Comanche are rubbed the wrong way by Pistolero's campaign of retribution, especially with the Six-Six-Six'ers and their kill-crazy leader Billy Wings (Vinnie Jones) edging in on Victors turf. ...

Continue reading Review: Hell Ride

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]]>David CarradineDavidCarradineDennis HopperDennisHopperEric BalfourEricBalfourHellRideLarry BishopLarryBishopMichael MadsenMichaelMadsenRoger CormanRogerCormanJames RocchiWed, 06 Aug 2008 14:03:00 ESTEli Roth In, Leonardo DiCaprio Out of 'Inglorious Bastards'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/eli-roth-in-leonardo-dicaprio-out-of-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/eli-roth-in-leonardo-dicaprio-out-of-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/08/06/eli-roth-in-leonardo-dicaprio-out-of-inglorious-bastards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Now this is the kind of offbeat casting you expect out of Quentin Tarantino -- except that, really, it's not that unusual for him to cast his pals, so it makes a guy like Leonardo DiCaprio an edgier pick. Oh, that crazy Tarantino!

According to Variety, Eli Roth is set to play Sgt. Donnie Donowitz, "a baseball bat swinging Nazi hunter" in Tarantino's already much-discussed Inglorious Bastards. Brad Pitt is still "in talks" for Aldo Raine, but it would be a shocker if it wasn't official. Pitt and Roth, together at last, the pair-up the world never knew it wanted.

DiCaprio has gone from "in talks" to "eliminated." He was being considered for the part of SS Col Hans Landa, but Tarantino has decided that part should be played by a real live German. This is probably a good idea, as the last thing any film needs is a wonky accent. I do find it funny that when it comes to accuracy, this is one movie that is determined to have a real German, as opposed to the dozens of films that ignore portraying race, ethnicity, and culture!

The cast is expected to be formalized shortly, and filming to begin in Europe this fall. Given that Tarantino is looking to his friends to fill the empty slots, I am still betting Tim Roth and Michael Madsen will pop up somewhere. Who else do you expect to pop up in Bastards, readers? And what do you think of Roth's addition?

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]]>Brad PittBradPitteli rothEliRothInglorious BastardsIngloriousBastardsLeonardo DiCaprioLeonardoDicaprioquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoElisabeth RappeWed, 06 Aug 2008 09:02:00 ESTLeonardo DiCaprio to Be One of the 'Inglorious Bastards'?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/16/leonardo-dicaprio-to-be-one-of-the-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/16/leonardo-dicaprio-to-be-one-of-the-inglorious-bastards/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/16/leonardo-dicaprio-to-be-one-of-the-inglorious-bastards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The casting rumors for Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Bastards just keep circulating -- I'm dying for something to be confirmed, already! Brad Pitt was rumored to be in talks for the key role of Aldo Raine, and given that Tarantino flew all the way to France to meet with him suggests it's more than idle talk.

Now, according to Variety, Tarantino wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play Hans Landa, and is meeting with the actor on Thursday to discuss the part with him. This would be DiCaprio's first time working with Tarantino, and frankly, it would be a nice break from his Martin Scorcese trend. DiCaprio is another one of those actors with a pre-production list a mile long, so a scheduling conflict could manage to keep him out of the movie.

While I was really behind the idea of Pitt, I'm not sure how I feel about DiCaprio. Don't get me wrong, I really like him, but he's becoming the go-to guy for just about every film that's in production. Plus, Tarantino is pretty famous for his inspired and offbeat casting. Hiring two of Hollywood's golden boys (and I mean that in a nice way) seems a little pedestrian. But Tarantino is anything but predictable, and he can coax surprising performances out of all sorts of actors. What looks rather uninspiring from the outside could be one of his best ensembles yet. What do you think?

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]]>brad pittBradPittinglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsleonardo dicaprioLeonardoDicaprioquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoElisabeth RappeWed, 16 Jul 2008 09:32:00 ESTTrailer Park: Lights, Camera, ACTION!http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/12/trailer-park-lights-camera-action/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/12/trailer-park-lights-camera-action/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/12/trailer-park-lights-camera-action/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Sometimes I enjoy films with multi-layered stories and intricate characters, and then there are times when I just want to see people blowing sh*t up. I blame the testosterone. This week we've got five trailers that are all about the action.

Hell Ride
No, he's not directing, but Quentin Tarantino is producing this one which should turn a few heads, as will the fact that this is a red band trailer that earns its crimson hue. Three bad ass biker types played by writer/director Larry Bishop, Michael Madsen, and Eric Balfour are out for revenge against a rival gang for killing one of their bros. Dennis Hopper and David Carradine are in their too. The trailer embraces its b-movie action roots, not even caring that the shot of three figures nonchalantly walking away as a building blows up behind them has become something of a cliche. In his review of the film, Cinematical's Eric Snider makes the point that grindhouse style cinema is a niche market that appeals to a restricted number of people. True enough, though on a purely personal level, I'm a big fan of the old school grindhouse flicks and this looks like it's going to be pretty awesome.

Continue reading Trailer Park: Lights, Camera, ACTION!

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]]>Black DynamiteBlackDynamiteCinemaCinematicalHell RideHellRideMax PayneMaxPayneMoviesMutant ChroniclesMutantChroniclesTropic ThunderTropicThunderMatt BradshawSat, 12 Jul 2008 18:32:00 ESTThe RZA Directing 'The Man with the Iron Fist'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/07/the-rza-directing-the-man-with-the-iron-fist/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/07/the-rza-directing-the-man-with-the-iron-fist/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/07/the-rza-directing-the-man-with-the-iron-fist/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The most unusual film projects pop up in the most unexpected of places. The quick-eyed gang at /film caught a chat between Billboard and The RZA in which the musican / actor dropped a hint about a movie project he was working on. "RZA has developed a martial arts film with Hollywood pal Eli Roth called The Man with the Iron Fist, which he says has "the blessing" of his 'teacher,' Quentin Tarantino."

The combination of those names with "martial arts film" is what had people buzzing. Or at least, those who were dedicated enough to be online providing movie news over the holiday weekend. (Salute them now.) CHUD's Devin Faraci decided to get to the bottom of the story, and e-mailed Roth to find out what was up. It's even cooler than the Billboard quote would have you believe. The Man with the Iron Fist was written entirely by RZA (and has nothing to do with the Marvel character of a similar moniker), and will be his directorial debut.

Continue reading The RZA Directing 'The Man with the Iron Fist'

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]]>eli rothEliRothmartial arts moviemartial arts moviesMartialArtsMovieMartialArtsMoviesquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoThe Man with the Iron FistThe RZATheManWithTheIronFistTheRzaElisabeth RappeMon, 07 Jul 2008 09:32:00 ESTAfter Images: The Junkman (1982)http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/after-images-the-junkman-1982/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/after-images-the-junkman-1982/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/23/after-images-the-junkman-1982/#commentsFiled under: , ,




Quick, what do H. B. Halicki and Louis B. Mayer have in common? They both went "from junk cars to movie stars" as the poster for The Junkman put it; both were scrap merchants who got into the film business. Wrecking shop owner turned auteur Halicki's homebrewed hit Gone in 60 Seconds led the 1999 remake by Dominic Sena, who reputedly worked on the original The Junkman as a camera man. The Junkman, the follow-up to the original 1974 Gone in 60 Seconds, is an even more extravagant car-cruncher. It's a film that makes Tarantino's great car chase in Death Proof look like an also-ran. (QT refers to this original by having Kurt Russell's character keep a row of sunglasses on his dashboard, just like Halicki did.) The Junkman is an all-out demolition derby with Hoyt Axton providing the vocals, a co-starring role by a pet pig named Farah and a finale with the Goodyear Blimp buzzing the Cinerama Dome. As the price of a gallon of gas reaches the inevitable $5 mark, let us return to this uniquely decadent actioner.

Continue reading After Images: The Junkman (1982)

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]]>Bo DiddleyBoDiddleyDeath ProofDeathProofFreddy CannonFreddyCannonGeorge BarrisGeorgeBarrisGone in 60 SecondsGoneIn60SecondsGoodyear BlimpGoodyearBlimpH. B. HalickiH.B.HalickiJ. G. BallardJ.G.BallardJames DeanJamesDeanPalomino ClubPalominoClubQuentin TarantinoQuentinTarantinoThe BelmontsThe JunkmanTheBelmontsTheJunkmanRichard von BusackMon, 23 Jun 2008 08:02:00 ESTTarantino's 'Inglorious Bastards' Getting Split in Half?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/tarantinos-inglorious-bastards-getting-split-in-half/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/tarantinos-inglorious-bastards-getting-split-in-half/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/20/tarantinos-inglorious-bastards-getting-split-in-half/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Anyone kind of wish Quentin Tarantino would chill and experiment with actually releasing a single, standalone movie rather than bizarro omnibuses and multi-part sagas? Well, too damn bad. Harry Knowles has a fairly lengthy piece on an interview with Tarantino that will be included for the forthcoming DVD release of the original Enzo Castellari version of Inglorious Bastards, which Tarantino is currently remaking/expanding/tributing. (Remember when he announced that he planned to have it ready for Cannes 2009? That was awesome.) In it, Tarantino discusses his plans for the film, including the fact that while writing the script (which he's still polishing), he did so much research that his story bubbled over into a second movie. In other words: here we go again.

Look, I'm happy to indulge the guy; really, I am. I sit through most movies anyway, and I have no problem sitting through an extra one by a filmmaker as interesting and skilled as Tarantino. He's bursting with ideas; fantastic. But there's a lot to be said for brevity and storytelling efficiency too.

The original Inglorious Bastards will hit DVD in a lavish 3-disc edition -- wait, make that "3-disc explosive edition" -- on July 29th. I note without comment that the Castellari film itself runs 99 minutes.

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]]>inglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoEugene NovikovFri, 20 Jun 2008 10:32:00 ESTTarantino Will Finally Make 'Inglorious Bastards' - in Time for Cannes 2009?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/27/tarantino-will-finally-make-inglorious-bastards-in-time-for/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/27/tarantino-will-finally-make-inglorious-bastards-in-time-for/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/27/tarantino-will-finally-make-inglorious-bastards-in-time-for/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Quentin Tarantino's been talking up his WWII drama Inglorious Bastards for God knows how long. Last we heard he was buried in the script, with nothing concrete planned in the immediate future. Now, in a Cannes interview (via JoBlo), Tarantino has pronounced that he's finished a draft of the script (that was fast) and "if all goes well, I will be here, in Cannes, in 2009 with Inglorious Bastards."

Now, the only director I know who could take a largely uncast World War II movie from first draft to Cannes-ready cut in the span of 12 months is Steven Soderbergh, and he's busy figuring out what to do with Che. His prediction that he'll have Inglorious Bastards in next year's Cannes was, it seems to me, either hubris, excitement-of-the-moment hyperbole, or a straight-up lie. Still, the fact that he seems to be committed to doing this project -- or any project -- next is exciting in itself. I watched the standalone cut of Death Proof for the first time last week, and it's an astonishing piece of filmmaking. I think his work this century -- particularly Death Proof and Kill Bill Vol. 2 -- has been even more exciting than his legendary 90s stuff.

Inglorious Bastards will be about a group of Allied soldiers who volunteer for a suicide mission as a reprieve from execution for various misdeeds. Tarantino took the title from this 1978 Enzo Castellari film, though he doesn't intend it as a remake.

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]]>death proofDeathProofInglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsQuentin TarantinoQuentinTarantinoEugene NovikovTue, 27 May 2008 10:32:00 ESTCannes Invites Tarantino to Chathttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/11/cannes-invites-tarantino-to-chat/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/11/cannes-invites-tarantino-to-chat/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/04/11/cannes-invites-tarantino-to-chat/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Quentin Tarantino loves to talk. In Pulp Fiction, he wrote one of the movie's breathlessly furious monologues for himself ("Do you see a sign..."). He's been known to deliver talks at universities and special screenings where he fields questions at a characteristically frenetic pace; it's almost like his crazed love of cinema is fueled as much by a constant supply of caffeine as it is by his authentic passion for the art form.

Today's Variety announces that Tarantino will deliver the highly vetted cinema masterclass lecture at the Cannes Film Festival next month, which certainly gives him a major audience on which to unleash his ideas. Filling a slot taken last year by Martin Scorsese, it's easy to imagine that Tarantino will touch on his wide variety of international influences, his ability to become an iconic filmmaker with only a handful of films, and the changing climate of the independent film scene.

Continue reading Cannes Invites Tarantino to Chat

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]]>cannes film festivalCannesFilmFestivalcinematicalquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoEric KohnFri, 11 Apr 2008 19:31:00 ESTTarantino Talks 'Inglorious Bastards' and His Slave-Ghost Story That Didn't Make 'Grindhouse' Cuthttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/02/tarantino-talks-inglorious-bastards-and-his-slave-ghost-story/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/02/tarantino-talks-inglorious-bastards-and-his-slave-ghost-story/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/02/02/tarantino-talks-inglorious-bastards-and-his-slave-ghost-story/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In a new, in-depth interview with British magazine Sight & Sound, Quentin Tarantino, who I had the pleasure of meeting at this year's Sundance, goes into all his upcoming and most of his past projects, and gives a detailed update on exactly where he is with his next feature, a war movie called Inglorious Bastards. "I've got tons of material and a lot of stuff written but now I've figured out what to do, I gotta start from page one, square one," Tarantino says, seemingly putting to rest any notion that this thing will be going before the cameras in the next year or so. "I started just before I came on this trip and brought the stuff with me but I haven't had a chance to continue yet. But maybe on the flight back home I'll come back into it. I love writing in other countries." No further details about the plot or potential casting is given, just that quasi-confirmation that the film is in his cross-hairs at the moment.

Tarantino also talks at length about Grindhouse, admitting to being depressed and disappointed over how the film was received at the box office, but defending his longer, original cut of Death Proof as the definitive one and arguing that it stands on its own quite well. Tarantino also talks about the process of getting involved with the double feature in the first place, and reveals that he first wanted his contribution to be a Candyman-style horror film about the ghost of a slave that terrifies a group of white girls. "The first idea was a bunch of young college history students that were going through a tour of the plantations of the old South. And there's a ghost of an old slave that is part of negro folklore. Jody the Grinder actually went down and bested the devil, by f**king him. And so the devil put him on earth for all eternity to f**k white women."

So why didn't this idea make the cut? "I would probably have had Sam Jackson playing that part," Tarantino continues," and it was really good, but then I didn't have anywhere to go with it, because if you have a story about a killer slave with supermacho powers done in the style of a slasher film, then even if he's doing it today, and even if the white girls are innocent, how can you not be on the slave's side?" Tarantino goes into many other areas in the interview, talking about his writing process, the books he's reading, the British movies he'd like to make one day, and even his plans for eventual retirement.

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]]>grindhouseinglorious bastardsIngloriousBastardsquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinoRyan StewartSat, 02 Feb 2008 12:32:00 ESTVideo of the Day: 'Tarantino's Mind'http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/video-of-the-day-tarantinos-mind/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/video-of-the-day-tarantinos-mind/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/video-of-the-day-tarantinos-mind/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Tarantino's Mind


If you haven't already noticed, today is Quentin Tarantino Day on Cinematical! This is the third time we've written about him -- first because of a scuffle in Park City, then a review of Hell Ride -- and now I bring you this pretty cool short film from Brazil called Tarantino's Mind. It's trippy, and there's tons of little nuggets of info in it, but basically the entire film follows two guys having a Tarantino-inspired conversation in a diner. It runs just over 10 minutes, and you'll need to put your reading glasses on, but it's damn good if I should say so myself.

One of the guys -- a Tarantino fanatic -- has just finished a thesis on the director, and he goes through each of his films pointing out similarities from other films. It's his belief that Tarantino created only one screenplay that "the geek divided into several parts." My favorite moment comes when he presents his theory on the briefcase from Pulp Fiction. Makes a lot of sense, and I can't believe I hadn't thought of that before. Anyway, take a break from whatever you're doing, clock out for ten minutes and check out this short. However, while it's in a foreign language, be aware that foul language is used and those words are displayed on the bottom of the screen. Enjoy!

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]]>cinematicalhell ridepulp fictionquentin tarantinotarantino's mindTarantino'sMindErik DavisTue, 29 Jan 2008 14:32:00 ESTSundance Review: Hell Ridehttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/sundance-review-hell-ride/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/sundance-review-hell-ride/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/sundance-review-hell-ride/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


The problem with making movies in the "grindhouse" style is that true grindhouse movies, almost by definition, were not seen by very many people. The target audience for a loving homage to the genre is therefore limited. Quentin Tarantino might adore the shlocky, violent capers of the 1970s, but how many of the rest of us have even seen them, much less love them enough to enjoy a re-creation of them?

Hell Ride, which Tarantino executive produced and Larry Bishop wrote and directed, is a salute to the ridiculous biker movies that Bishop frequently acted in back in the late '60s and early '70s. With titles like The Savage Seven and Chrome and Hot Leather, these were pure grindhouse cheese, and Hell Ride is either a parody of them or an adoring tribute. The line is always fine when it comes to a Tarantino project -- does he really like these movies, or does he only like them ironically? -- and here it's nearly invisible.

Bishop stars as Pistolero, the leader of a motorcycle gang called the Victors. Fellow members include Comanche (Eric Balfour) and The Gent (Michael Madsen); a comrade named St. Louie has just been murdered by a rival gang, the 666ers, led by Billy Wings (Vinnie Jones) and The Deuce (David Carradine). The Victors want revenge for this, but the often incomprehensible plot has them searching for a buried treasure, too, planted by a woman named Cherokee Kisum before she was killed back in 1976. Adding to the general mayhem is the reappearance of Eddie Zero (Dennis Hopper), a first-generation Victor who was presumed dead but has now returned to offer guidance to his successors.

Continue reading Sundance Review: Hell Ride

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]]>cinematicalhell rideHellRidelivefromsundance2008quentin tarantinosundancesundance2008sundance2008buzzsundance2008reviewsEric D. SniderTue, 29 Jan 2008 13:02:00 ESTPOLL: Has Quentin Tarantino Crossed the Line?http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/poll-has-quentin-tarantino-crossed-the-line/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/poll-has-quentin-tarantino-crossed-the-line/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/29/poll-has-quentin-tarantino-crossed-the-line/#commentsFiled under: , ,


For those who don't know, Quentin Tarantino was floating around Sundance last week, mainly to promote the film Hell Ride (which he produced). Cinematical spotted him a few times in our hotel bar, but that was about it. We drank in our corner, he drank in his corner and the world was a safe and happy place. Others, however, actually approached the guy for either a pic or to say what's up. I know one fellow blogger who asked Tarantino for a photo outside the Hell Ride premiere, only to have the guy flat out reject him as if he were asking for a million dollars and a lap dance. Then, not long after hearing that story, this video clip popped up on YouTube.

It shows Tarantino exiting a Starbucks in Park City, while some dude points a camera in his face. Right off the bat, Tarantino is edgy; asking continuously what this whole camera thing is all about. Yet, it appears the guy attempts to answer, only Tarantino won't let him. Instead, the Pulp Fiction director shoves the guy, threatens to fight and then both get all tough with one another -- like those days back in the schoolyard when each kid would wait for the other to throw the first punch. Now I'm on the fence as to whether Tarantino is in the right here. It does take awhile for the guy to even attempt to pony up his reason for being there, but Tarantino doesn't give him much breathing room. Plus, it's Sundance -- these guys aren't in the middle of nowhere. If you're a big celebrity, you have to understand folks will be interested in photographing you during the festival, be it at a party, a premiere or outside a Starbucks. But what do you think?

View Poll

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]]>cinematicalhell ridemoviesquentin tarantinoQuentinTarantinostarbuckssundanceErik DavisTue, 29 Jan 2008 11:32:00 ESTLive from Sundance: Quentin Has Left the Buildinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/25/live-from-sundance-quentin-has-left-the-building/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/25/live-from-sundance-quentin-has-left-the-building/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/01/25/live-from-sundance-quentin-has-left-the-building/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The place to be Thursday night after the late press screeings was the Yarrow Bar, where Elvis Mitchell and Quentin Tarantino were holding court. The press crowd was rocking the bar; we had the guy with the guitar in there again providing impromptu music and the small bar was packed. And of course, everyone was watching Tarantino, and simultaneously pretending not to be watching Tarantino. Frankly, he's so expressive it was hard not to watch him, which was a bit tricksy because he was sitting in front of me, and was directly in my line of sight.

Last night I saw Ballast, which I really enjoyed, at a packed Raquet Club screening. It's a contemplative, character-driven movie, nothing fancy except a great script and superb acting, which is what I love to see in an independent film. This morning I caught Towelhead, directed by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under) which I've heard a lot about. It's about the sexual awakening of a young girl, and the situations she gets into as she wrestles with her blossoming sexuality. Very intense, but a very well done film that a lot of women, especially, will relate to from their own teen years -- particularly the conflicting messages young girls get about themselves as sexual beings and learning to express that sexual power in a world where a girl who has sex is a slut, but a boy who does the same is just "becoming a man." Very powerful film. Oh, and William H. Macy was at the screening, a couple rows ahead of me.

Continue reading Live from Sundance: Quentin Has Left the Building

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]]>livefromsundance2008sundancesundance2008Kim VoynarFri, 25 Jan 2008 18:03:00 EST