"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...
"
Hey asshole.
Hands-up.
Sure, no problem.
Looks like we've got a good old fashioned
Mexican standoff!
Don't we need three people for one of those?
Technically, as long as there's at least two
parties involved, where no participant can
retreat without being exposed to danger - it
qualifies as a Mexican standoff.
I'm just here for 'Action Movie Movie', so
there's no way I'm retreating.
And I'm just here to review Quentin Tarantino
films.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
This ---
Idiot.
Now, where were we?
This is Movie Night!
Hello, and welcome to Movie Night - I'm Jonathan
Paula.
Tonight we kick off the third "Action Movie
Month" with a look at Quentin Tarantino films.
The passionate filmmaker has been impressing
audiences for over twenty years - and in honor
of his most recent release, we'll be reviewing
seven of his nine feature films.
Let's begin in chronological order with "Reservoir
Dogs".
The debut effort from auspicious filmmaker
Quentin Tarantino, this neo-noir crime thriller
earned a little more than double its $1.2
million dollar budget when it was first released
in October 1992.
In the years since the 99-minute feature has
become a classic of independent film and a
huge cult film - with extremely strong sales
on home media.
The violent R-rated story examines the in-fighting
and aftermath among jewelry thieves after
their heist goes wrong.
The story is with told with long, unbroken
scenes filled with snappy and clever dialogue
- which has since become an overt staple of
Tarantino's work.
The low-budget production was a breakout hit
for the 29-year-old director, who doesn't
shy away from mixing bloody carnage with irrelevant
dialogue.
The ensemble cast features Harvey Keitel as
a soft-spoken pragmatist, Tim Roth has a inexperienced
player who is badly wounded, Steve Buscemi
who's self-serving and paranoid, Lawrence
Tierney as a gruff crime boss, Michael Madsen
as a psychopathic killer, Chris Penn as the
boss's loud-mouthed son, Kirk Baltz as a captured
officer, and Tarantino himself is featured
briefly as a guy who has really strong opinions
on Madonna's music.
This group of eight men were largely unknown
at the time - but looking back, I can't possibly
imagine any other actors in these roles.
Buscemi and Keitel need to be singled out
as they deliver some of the picture's more
nuanced moments.
But every actor really brings something unique
and memorable to their respective parts, from
Roth's frustrated screaming to Madsen's frighteningly
cool demeanor.
We don't learn much about their histories
or motivation, but through their believable
and quick dialogue, we still see a lot of
their personalities.
Keitel is quick to retort to a half-hearted
threat by promising, "You shoot me in a dream,
you better wake up and apologize."
There's a mixture of camaraderie and distrust
amongst their ranks that helps ratchet-up
the tension as the film goes on.
Loaded with pop-culture references and can
excellent classic rock soundtrack - the film's
landmark moment is a cruel and unusual torture
sequence set to the awesome sound of Stealers
Wheel - a scene that is as hard to watch as
it is entertaining.
The non-linear structure of the narrative
helps maintain pacing, while the longer, locked-down
framing keeps the focus on the performances
and blocking, rather than the cinematography
itself.
As revered as this picture is by teenage boys
everywhere, there's unfortunately not much
below the surface.
There's no deeper meaning or morals - just
a lot of snappy writing and bloody gun fights.
Which, for better or worse - is a hallmark
of every Tarantino picture.
A small, contained drama with an excellent
cast, fantastic lines, and solid tension,
"Reservoir Dogs" is a true cult-classic, and
a very memorable flick.
Now let's read some of your reviews.
Praise was unanimous for this film, especially
considering it was a directorial debut.
You rated it an AWESOME.
I thought it was rather GREAT myself.
Next up, "Pulp Fiction".
This $8 million dollar black comedy crime
film from acclaimed writer and director Quentin
Tarantino was released in October of 1994
- where it took home a profit of over $200
million.
Four interconnected stories, told out of chronological
sequence, follow the lives of criminals and
their accomplices in a tale of violence and
redemption.
The fantastic cast includes John Travolta
- in a career-resurrecting role - as a relaxed
mafia hit man, Samuel L. Jackson as his intelligent
partner, Uma Thurman as a free-spirited wife,
Bruce Willis as a boxer who risks his life
for one final exit, Harvey Keitel as a professional
'cleaner', and Ving Rhames as a controlling
boss.
Eric Stoltz, Amanda Plummer, and Christopher
Walken also do great work in much smaller
parts.
And last but not least, Tarantino once again
casts himself in minor role.
Now, he's not a particularly bad actor - he's
just out of place.
His inclusion isn't just distracting, it also
seems like a thinly veiled excuse for him
to repeatedly drop the 'N-word', and get away
with it.
Every performer digs into Tarantino's Oscar
winning screenplay with enthusiasm and passion
- putting their own personal spin on the pop-culture
references and meaty dialogue.
Even an early scene where Travolta and Jackson
discuss the menu items of a foreign McDonald's
is amusing - which helped score both men an
Oscar nomination.
One standout sequence is when Sam reads a
young Frank Whaley his last rites by loudly
quoting a fictional bible verse, "I will strike
down upon thee with great vengeance and furious
anger those who attempt to poison and destroy
My brothers."
- moments before blowing him away.
The highly-stylized, R-rated teleplay is also
filled with a constant stream of excellent
rock music, which often presented diegetically.
Visually, the picture is filmed with long,
unbroken takes and static framing, along with
plenty of allusions to classic cinema.
There's some great parallels between the separate
stories - like Travolta always being on the
toilet when bad stuff is going down - and
although the relationship between these threads
are largely incidental, when they do crossover,
it's a rewarding moment.
That being said, there's very little driving
the overall narrative.
Showing each chapter out of sequence helps
disguise this fact, but ultimately, there
are huge passages where nothing happens.
An extended dinner sequence at a 50's dinner
might be a fun way to learn more about the
characters, but it offers little in the way
of entertainment or exposition.
As a result, the 154-minute runtime feels
particularly indulgent, with a few too many
extraneous and superfluous scenes.
Even without a constant through-line or consistent
pacing, Quentin Tarantino's sophomore effort
was a critical darling.
Not only did it score seven Oscar nominations,
and win Cannes Film Festival's coveted top-prize,
the Palme d'Or, this film has been a fixture
atop IMDb's top-rated movies for decades.
For all of its highly-stylized violence, memorable
dialogue, and iconic imagery - "Pulp Fiction"
is, unquestionably Tarantino's Magnum opus,
and one of the most influential films of the
'90s.
Here now are some of your thoughts.
Everyone applauded this film's originality,
script, and unusual structure - rating it
a resounding AMAZING.
I've long been in the minority in this camp,
but with all of its superficial fluff and
flair, this isn't something I'd classify as
one of the best movies ever, but it's definitely
a very GREAT film.
Now, my review of "Kill Bill".
The fourth film from renowned writer and director
Quentin Tarantino performed well at the box
office, taking home six-times its $30 million
dollar budget.
The unique, four-hour story was originally
set for a single theatrical release, but it
was wisely decided two separate installments
would be better.
Similar to the filming and release schedule
of the "Back To The Future" sequels, the "Kill
Bill" movies were produced at the same time,
and then released six months apart - with
"Volume 1" seeing a nationwide release in
October of 2003.
Left for dead after a failed assassination
attempt, Uma Thurman stars as a vengeful bride
who awakens from a four-year coma and tracks
down the team who betrayed her.
Given the scope of this two-picture narrative,
the plot is extremely thin - with far less
nuance or snappy dialogue than we're accustomed
to with Quentin's films.
Heck, the "F-word" is used only 17 times.
Like previous his efforts though, the R-rated
script is told partially out of sequence with
long, somewhat disconnected chapters - most
of which focus on Thurman's hit list, as she
tracks down the people who wronged her to
exact her bloody revenge.
Uma is fantastic in the lead role, blending
quiet determination and sex appeal effortlessly
- she may be uncompromising and relentless,
but she's a memorable hero all audiences will
be rooting for.
Vivica A. Fox, Julie Dreyfus, Lucy Liu, and
Sonny Chiba are the more prominent supporting
players - with the three women featured as
unremorseful adversaries, and the later as
a skilled swordsmith.
In the lengthy, and bloody climax - filled
with fantastical stunts and goofy sound-effects,
Liu taunts her victim by asking, "You didn't
think it was gonna be that easy, did you?".
Thurman quickly replies, "You know, for a
second there, yeah, I kinda did."
This 111-minute martial arts film is caked
with allusions and homages to classic Asian
cinema - but since I'm not particularly familiar
with that genre myself, a good deal of this
picture's charm is undoubtedly lost on me.
Huge passages are told in black-and-white,
while another character's backstory is shown
with Japanese-style animation.
While I can appreciate what it was trying
to accomplish, I have to admit I'm not really
the right audience.
The film's score, which largely borrows from
other soundtracks, contains sauntering music
that blends western and oriental elements.
Heavily marketed as part one of two -- this
might actually be the only example in cinema
where a movie's title bears the numeral "1"
when it's not a prequel or a joke.
So, while it's hard to fault this movie for
ending without a resolution - it should still
function (at least in some respects) as a
standalone feature, which it honestly doesn't.
When so much time is spent on pointless gratuity
- the end result is inexcusable.
Pair down some of the ridiculous cartoon violence,
and combine both installments into a solid,
well-paced three-hour film instead.
Unfortunately, fancy sword-fighting alone
can't sustain this simple narrative - even
if they are hugely satisfying to watch unfold.
Despite its flaws, this picture, and it's
equally enjoyable follow-up are definitely
worth watching at least once, especially for
less mature viewers and fans of Asian cinema.
"Kill Bill: Vol 1" is oozing with style and
entertainment, but is far too self-indulgent
for its own good.
Let's read some of your reviews now.
You were more forgiving than I, rating this
a NINE out of ten.
Upon rewatching this film, it did not hold
up nearly as well as I remember - and I have
to be honest, it's only a GOOD film - nothing
more, nothing less.
-RIGHT
RIGHT - Before we continue, I want to quickly
announce the two winners of the poll-question
contest from the last regular episode of "Movie
Night" where I asked you what the worst superhero-film
is.
Congratulations to our winners - both of which
will be receiving an entire year's subscription
to Letterboxd's "pro"-level service.
My next review tonight is for "Death Proof".
Originally released in April of 2007 as part
of a double-featured titled "Grindhouse",
this action-exploitation horror film earned
$30 million at the box office.
The 114-minute script, penned by writer/director
Quentin Tarantino is told in two distinctive
halves.
And while this is a brave technique, it almost
ruins the movie.
The R-rated story follows two different groups
of women - each stalked by a crazy stuntman
who uses his 'death proof' car to execute
his victims.
Taken individually, these two separate narratives
are decently engaging and well-acted; but
since there's virtually no connection between
them (and the one carry-over that might have
tied them together is abandoned) the result
is a broken movie.
Just as the plot becomes fully realized and
truly climaxes, it completely resets - forcing
the viewer to reinvest their time in a whole
new group of characters all over again.
Kurt Russell plays the murderous stuntman
- who is the only element to appear in both
parts, but he remains absent for a very large
portion of the film.
And frustratingly, his deadly motivation is
never explained or examined.
Those negatives aside, when he is on screen,
he really sinks his teeth into the dark and
mysterious character.
Forced to reveal his terrifying plans a bit
early, Russell confesses, "I'm afraid you're
gonna have to start getting scared... immediately!"
The first of the equally thin, and underdeveloped
stories follows Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Poitier,
Jordan Ladd, and Rose McGowan.
Later, the second-half features real-life
stuntwoman Zoë Bell playing herself, alongside
Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and
Tracie Thoms.
They easily handle the trademark Tarantino
dialogue; filled with irrelevant discussions
and loads of pop-culture references.
"Death Proof" is littered with a unnecessary
gimmicks, and visual ideas.
The audio meanwhile is a deliberate mess,
with a majority of the sound only coming out
of the right channel.
The director himself admitted to "over-tweaking"
the production; even the actual film itself
was physically scratched to achieve a dirty
and used look.
It's all intended to give the movie an overt
"throwback" style, but ultimately it's just
distracting and obnoxious.
Despite it's many and obvious faults - individual
sequences and character-interactions work
really well, like when Russell attempts to
cash-in on a radio contest he supposedly won,
or the climatic car chase through the hills
of Tennessee.
I don't really understand why Bell had to
ride atop a Dodge Challenger at 70 miles an
hour, but the scene - especially the stunt
itself - is very impressive.
Besides a few themes from David Arnold, almost
the entire soundtrack is non-original music,
and most of that is 70's-era rock and funk.
Ultimately, this picture is little more than
a shallow popcorn entertainment for fans of
old-fashioned exploitation slashers.
Arguably the most disappointing film in Tarantino's
catalog - "Death Proof" is still a solid bit
of disposable fun and action - and a GOOD
movie.
Now, for a reworked review of a film I originally
discussed way back in Movie Night's seventh
episode - here are my thoughts on " Inglourious
Basterds ".
Quentin Tarantino's sixth feature film was
released nationwide on August 21 2009, to
immediate critical and box office success,
earning $320 million against its $70 million
dollar budget.
Told with a deliberately slow pace - this
adventure war drama is split into five chapters,
any of which could easily stand on their own
as a short 25-minute film.
The R-rated script follows a group of Jewish-American
soldiers, led by Brad Pitt during World War
II who plot to assassinate the leaders of
the Nazi party.
Simultaneously, the film also follows the
story of a Jewish girl - Mélanie Laurent
- who survived an attack on her family by
a vicious SS-officer known as "The Jew Hunter".
Christopher Waltz's portrayal of this deplorable
character absolutely steals the show; he's
charming, deceptive, cunning, and dare-I-say,
adorable in his breakout, Oscar-winning role.
Watching Pitt fumble around with a fake Italian
accent is also terrific fun, and Laurent is
equally great as a resourceful heroin.
Eager to execute a German who smugly taunts
his captors, Pitt declares to his troops,
"We got a German here who wants to die for
his country!
Oblige him!"
The huge cast also includes Diane Kruger,
early performances from Michael Fassbender
and Léa Seydoux, Eli Roth, Samuel L. Jackson
as the narrator, and Mike Myers in a serious
role.
In a daring move, a full 70% of the 152-minute
script is spoken in foreign languages, but
this decision definitely helps the authenticity
and accuracy of the period-drama.
From the title of 
the picture itself, which is deliberately
misspelled, the trademark Tarantino dialogue
just bleeds off the screen with every line
spoken.
Which is critical to the success of this film,
as a majority of the feature is just talking-heads.
Per usual, QT frames the picture with sharply-focused
medium shots and minimal camera movement - letting
the actors carry the energy of each scene.
And although some sequences tend to drag a
bit, this is a smart and defiant film; not
afraid to pull any punches.
Especially those regarding "historical accuracy".
Despite these creative liberties, this is
easily the most realistic and suspenseful
entry in the Tarantino catalog.
From the captivating interweaving story-lines
that command your attention from the first
frame, to the impeccable performances from
the entire cast, " Ingloruious Basterds" is
immensely gripping, and a magnificent film.
Let's see what you had to say about it.
Our thoughts were more of the same on this
one; excellent dialogue and wonderful performance
from Waltz had us both scoring this a NINE
out of ten.
Now, for another recycled review, here are
my thoughts on "Django Unchained".
Another violent masterpiece from critically
acclaimed auteur, Quentin Tarantino, this
modernized American western was released nationwide
on Christmas Day in 2012 where it more than
quadrupled its $100 million dollar budget.
This decidedly R-rated picture quick rose
one of IMDB's top-60 highest rated films of
all time, and for good reason: besides "The
Avengers", I can't think of a 2012 movie I
had more fun watching.
Featuring the story of a freed slave who schemes
to save his wife from a nasty rich white man,
this movie is fittingly scored by an anachronistic
soundtrack, wonderfully shot, brilliantly
acted, and littered with dozens of swears
and bloody deaths.
Following his breakout, performance in, "Inglorious
Basterds", Christoph Waltz is back in a huge
way: the German actor is positively endearing
and hilariously fun to watch as old-west dentist
turned ruthless bounty hunter.
Winning his second Oscar for the role was
unquestionably deserved, even if the Academy
curiously demoted him to a "supporting role",
despite him having more lines of dialogue
than anyone else.
As the title character, Jamie Foxx is a lovable
hero, hell-bent on justice, remarking on his
sudden profession as a bounty hunter, "Kill
white people and get paid for it?
What's not to like?"
Upon hearing he is a free man, and can wear
whatever he wants, the smash-cut to him riding
a horse in a bright blue fancy French suit
makes for one of many scenes in this picture
that is impossible not to smile at.
Leonardo DiCaprio may not appear until over
90-minutes into this adventure, but his performance
as the deplorable, slave-torturing and cunning
plantation owner is remarkable.
Continuing his decades-long relationship with
the director, Samuel L. Jackson stars as a
decrepit old house-slave who is impartial
to the atrocities of his own people all around
him.
And while his character doesn't add much to
the overall story, nothing beats seeing the
iconic star blurt out F-bombs while hobbling
on a cane.
The deliberately long, and individual fleshed-out
scenes are each as brilliant and entertaining
as the last, from the opening sequence where
Waltz frees Django from his slave traders,
to a hilarious scene where a Ku Klux Klan
rally argues over wearing poorly made bags
on their heads, unable to see through the
tiny eye-holes.
While this film's middle act, especially a
lengthy portion set at DiCaprio's "Candyland"
slave plantation, is bursting with tension
and brilliant dialogue... the movie's urgency
is all but removed... only to coming exploding
back in the final 30 minutes with a ridiculously
gratuitous blood-bath, true to Tarantino's
gory style.
As sharp and gratifying as this film's violent
revenge plot is however, at two hours and
forty-five minutes, it definitely could have
been shorter, especially a cameo scene by
Quentin himself, which felt particularly shoe-horned
very late in the film.
Relying a bit too heavily on tired, "slaves
are good, the white man is bad" subtext, even
a performance by Miami Vice actor Don Johnson
is entertaining and memorable.
A testament to the incredibly consistent quality
of all those involved, "Django Unchained"
isn't just an extremely satisfying adventure,
it's also Tarantino's best film.
Now lets check out the YouTube comments to
read your reviews.
Unanimous praise was given to nearly every
aspect of this film: with the standout highlights
being the uncompromising violence, and the
incredible acting from the entire cast, you
thought it was AMAZING.
Due to some unfortunate pacing issues and
one-dimensional villains, I'm holding off
the top-score, and rating this an AWESOME.
Last but not least, let's take a look at Tarantino's
newest, "The Hateful Eight".
This western mystery film is supposedly the
"eighth" film from writer / director Quentin
Tarantino, which opened nationwide on December
25, 2015.
Production of the $44-million dollar drama
was canceled after its script leaked online
in 2014 - but warm reception to a live reading
thankfully changed Tarantino's mind.
After a slow-start, and strong competition
at the box office, the R-rated picture seems
unlikely to double its budget.
Years after the Civil War, in the dead of
a harsh Wyoming winter, a group of suspicious
and nefarious individuals take shelter together
in an old cabin.
The lengthy 167 minute story plays out like
a violet, expletive-laden game of "Clue",
as the characters - as well as the audience
- try to figure out who's good, and who's
not.
This setup, a group of untrusting strangers
pitted against one another in a contained
environment also bears striking similar to
John Carpenter's "The Thing".
The incredibly stacked cast features a bevy
of excellent performances from Samuel L. Jackson,
Kurt Russel, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth,
Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Walton Goggins,
Demián Bichir, and a couple of surprise players.
Each one of them contribute something unique
and interesting, but if I had to single out
specific performances; Jackson - appearing
in his sixth Tarantino film - does awesome
work with an extended monologue about an old
victim; Leigh remains level-headed as a prisoner
in an Oscar-nominated role; and Russell has
a fiery passion and distrust about his character
that makes him very fun to watch.
Explaining the purposes of bounty-hunting
to his new friends, Russell shares, "You only
need to hang mean bastards, but mean bastards
you *need* to hang."
"The Hateful Eight" is only the eleventh film
in history - and the first since the 1960s
to be shot in the Ultra Panavision 70mm process.
Although I wasn't personally able to see it
in this format, the end result is still breathtaking.
The extremely wide frame allows for roomier
three-shots and gorgeous establishing photography.
Besides these sequences, the majority of the
picture takes place in a dark, and cluttered
haberdashery.
Composing a western score for the first time
in 40 years, Ennio Morricone's work on this
film is subtle and atmospheric - and is most
noticeable as slow building horns and tubas
set the scene before a big event.
Told in six chapters, the story ultimately
boils down to people talking, people shooting,
and people bleeding.
So, it's exactly like every other Tarantino
film... but that's not exactly a bad thing
either.
An enjoyable, well-paced way to spend a few
hours - but nothing with a lot of re-watch
value, "The Hateful Eight" is a tense mystery
with intriguing characters.
Here are some of your thoughts on the film.
Praising the suspense and writing - you thought
this was an AWESOME film.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed myself, there
just wasn't enough here for me to score it
any higher than an EIGHT.
Unfortunately, that does it for tonight's
episode, but "Action Movie Month" continues
next week with a look at the entire "Mission
Impossible" franchise, so leave your reviews
below if you'd like to be featured.
And if you click this information-icon, some
related videos will slide out for to watch.
Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula, thanks
for watching and have a good Movie Night!
