kill bill Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Villains We Love: Elle Driver
Filed under: Fandom », Scenes We Love »
There are villains we love, and villains we'd love to be -- at least fictionally, imaginatively within our own little dream worlds. These are worlds where we don't have to really kill anybody or do anything bad, but can just lather ourselves in their badassedness, especially as the time ticks down towards Halloween. For me, there's probably no villain I'd rather mimic than Kill Bill's Elle Driver, California Mountain Snake.
I was mesmerized when Daryl Hannah whistled her way into the hospital in the sexiest and coolest white suit known to man, only to change into something as equally cool -- taking the nurse look so far that there's even that bright red cross adorning her white eye patch. Cool song, cool clothes, and cool fighting style. If Uma didn't do such a great job, I would've been rooting for Elle the whole time.
Of course, every time I watch the scene after the jump, I always grumble about the fact that every costume store sells "sexy nurse" outfits, but no truly sexy nurse outfits. Sorry models, but your practically bare-arsed images on those skimpy little costumes are no match for head-to-toe white suits with red umbrellas, or form fitting and classic white nurses' uniforms. But one day... I'll sew one myself if I have to!
Cinematical Seven: Best Villain-Hero Romances
Filed under: Drama », Gay & Lesbian », Thrillers », Noir », Mystery & Suspense », Cinematical Seven », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Lists »
We love it when our heroes fall for the suspicious types: the wolves in sheep's clothing, the dangerous femme fatales. It happens often in film noir and a heckuva lot in comics, and provides some of the best last-act twists and turns as our hearts palpitate along with those of our protagonists... up until the bitter end. Can't that evil love interest turn out to have a heart of gold, so we can all have a happily ever after? Sometimes, yes. Most of the time, no.
What is it about these doomed romances that we love so much? Perhaps it's the futility of it all; you can't have your cake and eat it when you're a superhero or a (wo)man on a mission to right wrongs, even if you'd rather be kissing that beguiling bad guy than fighting them, arresting them, or foiling their evil plans. Turning down a chance at love is the ultimate sacrifice for a hero or heroine to make -- it proves their commitment to the side of good. Hence, loving a villain makes a hero even more heroic. How tragic!
In what will surely spur controversy, I've whittled my favorite villain-hero romances down to the seven best pairings in cinema. No, Phantom of the Opera didn't make it. That would have been too easy. Instead, find odd couples, would-be perfect pairs, star-crossed lovers, and yes, the world's most legendary bromance after the jump.
The Geek Beat: Dreaming of Paper Prequels
Filed under: Comic/Superhero/Geek », The Geek Beat »
Back in May, Boom! Studios announced that they would be bringing you a story you never knew you wanted: Die Hard: Year One. Penned by Howard Chaykin and illustrated by Stephen Thompson, it promised to tell the story of John McClane in his rookie year of 1976, during the heady time of the Bicentennial Celebration. If we know McClane like we think we know him (and after four Die Hard movies, I think we do), nothing is going to go very smoothly, peacefully, or without a Yippie-Ki-Yay Motherf******. The comic goes on sale this Wednesday, and I thought I'd use its fine timing to kick off a discussion about paper prequels. They're becoming more and more of a presence on comic book shelves, though they're generally tied into an upcoming release. This summer had a lot of them, as Star Trek, Terminator: Salvation, and Transformers all received a prequel comic. There's more to come, such as IDW's tie-in to Legion and Astro Boy.
But Die Hard: Year One is an entirely different sort of animal. I don't think it's the first of its kind, though it might be -- but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that if this high profile book sells well, it'll spur on a whole bunch of comic prequels. In the best case scenario, they'll add a little something to the character, or simply be a fun collectible for fans. Worst case scenario, they'll be grounds for a flurry of cinematic reboots. (That was Erik Davis' prediction back in May.) But I decided to jump on the bandwagon, and offer up a few movies I'd like to see comic prequels to. You'll probably roll your eyes at how obvious my selections are (and oh, some are painfully obvious) but I offer them purely to inspire you to make a list of your own.
Now It's the 50 Best Movies of the Decade!
Filed under: Fandom », Tom Cruise », Steven Spielberg », Quentin Tarantino », Lists », Trailers and Clips »
Earlier today we brought you Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 100 worst reviewed films of the decade. Now, though it might be a little premature (considering that we still have a little while to go before we hit our next decade), the good folks over at I Heart Chaos have decided to get the ball rolling on those end-of-decade lists by shoveling out what they believe are the Top 50 Movies of the 2000's. Usually these kinds of things start to gain in popularity towards the end of the year, but I guess the early bird does get the worm, so let's get right to the chase and find out who made the cut.
When you've got a a list of 50, there is plenty of wiggle room, and it's a pretty comprehensive list that manages to find room for cult faves and foreign flicks. But I'll admit, even though Chaos has put together a solid list, I was a little surprised that the #1 film for this decade is Quentin Tarantino's Samurai/Cowboy epic, Kill Bill -- though that's the beauty of a list, everyone wants to have a little friendly debate, I guess. You can read the entire list over at Chaos, but rounding out the top five are The Dark Knight, No Country for Old Men, and Kinji Fukasaku's adaptation of Battle Royale.
The great thing about a long list like Chaos' is that it makes room for all kinds of movies that sometimes you just don't have room for in streamlined lists of five or ten entries. But I love a challenge, so I decided to put together a list of my top films of the 2000s ... although I've cheated just a little.
After the jump: my nominations for the top films of the 2000s...
Interview: Quentin Tarantino
Filed under: Brad Pitt », Quentin Tarantino », Interviews »
Like the rest of the entries in Quentin Tarantino's eclectic filmography, Inglourious Basterds is a pastiche of different influences combined in some kind of cinematic bouillebaise, and somehow made original in that unholy union. Appropriately, the film also came together in disparate parts over several years, which is why Basterds is as much a deconstruction of genre conventions as it is a rousing tale right out of the same war-torn landscape as classics past and present. According to Tarantino, however, making the film wasn't merely an assembly of ideas, but a bit of movie mountain-climbing that was essential for him to see what's on the other side.
Cinematical recently sat down with Tarantino for a roundtable interview at the film's press day, where he discussed the process of giving birth to Basterds. In addition to discussing the general dynamics of his creative process, Tarantino talked about what war movie moments he did and didn't want in the film, and examined the way in which even doing interviews allows him to look at his own work differently. Cinematical's questions are noted.
Was this movie worth the wait for you, taking the time over so many years to develop it into what it became?
Cinematical Seven: Quentin Tarantino's Greatest Hits
Filed under: Music & Musicals », Fandom », Quentin Tarantino », Cinematical Seven »
There are very few directors who know how to use music as well as Quentin Tarantino -- I can only think of one who might be just a little bit better. So while some directors let the music guide their editing process and others like to play the soundtrack while they shoot, Tarantino uses music in a completely different way. His use of music goes beyond just making a kick-ass soundtrack (which he usually does) and the song becomes another layer of movie history and reference that can inform what is right in front of your eyes.
As we all know, Inglourious Basterds is hitting theaters this week, and even though this might be one of Tarantino's first films without a 'popular' soundtrack, it did get me thinking about all the other great songs that he has included over the years. It seems that when it comes to music and Tarantino, obscure is the name of the game. The man likes to dig out those hidden gems, either to give them new life for a younger generation of fans, or maybe he just likes to show off a little -- come on, it's not like he's known for being humble. But one thing is for sure, the guy must have one hell of a record collection, and that's why today's Cinematical Seven is about my favorite songs from the films of Quentin Tarantino.
After the jump: find out which tracks made my top seven...
BREAKING: David Carradine Found Dead in Bangkok
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand »
Actor David Carradine has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room, according to multiple news reports. BBC News says that he was in Thailand filming his latest movie, Stretch. He was 72.
The eldest son of character actor John Carradine made more than 200 appearances in films and television shows, first rising to prominence with his starring role as Caine in the TV series Kung Fu. At the time, me and my friends thought he was the coolest thing on the planet: he sought peace with everyone he encountered, yet could quickly put down any opposition that arose simply by using his hands and feet (and head). Later I caught up with his 70s film work: a union leader in Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha, laconic race car driver Frankenstein in Paul Bartel's Death Race 2000, and, especially, his embodiment of folk singer Woody Guthrie in Hal Ashby's Bound for Glory.
More recently he starred with Uma Thurman in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies, which were widely viewed as a "comeback" for him, but, really, he never went away. He had a trio of very solid performances in the early 80s: as Paul Gaugin in the TV movie Gaugin the Savage; as Cole Younger, an outlaw trying to hold his family together in Walter Hill's The Long Riders; and as a police detective tracking down a flying serpent run amuck in Manhattan in Larry Cohen's Q.
Tarantino Gets a Taste of His Own Post-Modern Medicine
Filed under: Fandom », Quentin Tarantino », Trailers and Clips »
James Hyman is a DJ, turntablist and music supervisor who built a name for himself in Europe and around the world by creating a series of mash-up albums combining movie clips, dialogue quotes, and pop songs. Following the release of a James Bond/ 007 mix in June 2004, Hyman mounted his most ambitious project to date, a single-disc masterpiece entitled Pulp Mixin', a dizzying blend of Quentin Tarantino's dialogue and movie music set against the backdrop of the hottest pop music of the day. Not content to relegate his recording to a purely stereoscopic assault, Hyman recently announced that he is currently assembling a feature-length film that will make Tarantino's own genre mash-ups look as complicated as a kid combining two colors of play-doh.
Specifically, Hyman plans to use not only music videos and film clips from the samples he originally employed for his Pulp Mixin' CD, but throw in some new ones as well, and then dig up obscure performances from bands included on Tarantino's eclectic soundtracks in order to combine them all into a blitzkrieg mosaic of movie references and music cues. Provisionally titled the James Hyman / Quentin Tarantino Movie Mash-Up, you can check out the trailer after the jump.
Scenes We Hate: Kill Bill Vol. 2
Filed under: Action », Quentin Tarantino », NSFW », Trailers and Clips »
Erik Davis' puke-filled Scenes We Hate debut inspired my offering. I'm not a horror or gore connoisseur like my other co-editor, Scott Weinberg, but I can hold my own when it comes to blood and guts. There are a few exceptions ... and one of those is definitely anything to do with eyeballs.
When Elle Driver turned up in an eyepatch in Kill Bill Vol 1, I should have suspected we'd see some eye-oriented gore, but I was left unprepared and downright sick with what happened to her other eye. Actually, it was one of the only times I've heard an entire audience groan and retch along with me -- and it wasn't the plucking (although that was pretty bad), it was the squishing. Once was enough for me. I close my eyes every time she flings it down on the carpet.
Actually, I really do hate this entire fight scene -- it's depraved, disgusting, and unspeakably painful. Squirting limbs and gallons of blood are all well and good, but a can of tobacco spit and a visit to Budd's toliet bowl is just foul. Needless to say, this clip is not for the weak and it's definitely NSFW.
When Elle Driver turned up in an eyepatch in Kill Bill Vol 1, I should have suspected we'd see some eye-oriented gore, but I was left unprepared and downright sick with what happened to her other eye. Actually, it was one of the only times I've heard an entire audience groan and retch along with me -- and it wasn't the plucking (although that was pretty bad), it was the squishing. Once was enough for me. I close my eyes every time she flings it down on the carpet.
Actually, I really do hate this entire fight scene -- it's depraved, disgusting, and unspeakably painful. Squirting limbs and gallons of blood are all well and good, but a can of tobacco spit and a visit to Budd's toliet bowl is just foul. Needless to say, this clip is not for the weak and it's definitely NSFW.
Quentin Tarantino, There Will Be a Bloody Affair if We Don't Get Those DVDs
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Horror », RumorMonger », Home Entertainment »
It's been six years ... SIX YEARS since Kill Bill hit theaters, yet we still haven't gotten the Whole Bloody Affair. It was to come in 2007, then in 2008, and now, right on schedule, the rumors are starting up yet again. In a discussion with the director himself, The Quentin Tarantino Archives learned some interesting things. It seems that ol' QT has been putting a lot of work into the package, mainly that rumored animated sequence. In 2008, Uma Thurman had said that the sequence would be based on another character, and speculation centered on Bill. But considering this statement from Tarantino, "it's this little seven minute sequence, it's really cool, it's in the O-Ren chapter," it looks more like some animated O-Ren love.
However, aside from that, Tarantino said he's been putting the whole movie on hold for a while -- presumably to focus on Inglorious Basterds. Putting the movie on hold seems rather pointless since his extra work on the feature is already completed, and how long fans like me have been waiting to buy the real frakking discs, rather than cheap knock-offs that ignore the integral Kill Bill version. Give the a-okay and release it already!
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Exclusive: Poster Premiere for 'Extraordinary Measures'
