The Quentin Tarantino Thread

[nacho]

Okay. I'm going to force Django Unchained this weekend! Step one: Do not talk at length about the 100 (!!) previous Django films.

Well, there are only two, really. From which this one draws. But I've quietly been collecting the unofficial sequels -- of which there are 31 "watchable" ones as long as "watchable" means you like guys pulling Doom-style machine guns out of coffins they carry on their back and firing 7000 bullets into each bad guy.

[nacho]

I am shocked to report that Django Unchained is a terrible movie. After a very strong first half hour or so, it turns into a meandering, over-long mess. Dicaprios bad guy is shoehorned into the second act - out of nowhere - forced into the bad guy role and then casually killed off to make way for a final gunfight that is almost an I'm Gonna Git You Sucka level of parody. Like bullets that go through three walls until you pull a thin piece of plywood over you as a shield and so on.

Dicaprio's presence is, largely, mystifying and you wonder why you needed that half hour. To deliver the controversial racial theory speech? Except they pulled their punches there and what could have been one of cinema's most chilling monologues turned into Dicaprio acting with a hammer and not making sense.

What started as a potentially amazing spaghetti western homage turned into bizarre satire. More homage to Blazing Saddles and the sillier moments of the old Wild Wild West tv show.

This is, in my opinion, Tarantino's first miss. I'm a little heartbroken...

[RottingCorpse]

This is, in my opinion, Tarantino's first miss. I'm a little heartbroken...

Have me not argued over Death Proof before?

[nacho]

This is, in my opinion, Tarantino's first miss. I'm a little heartbroken...

Have me not argued over Death Proof before?

I don't count the weird hobby stuff like that, and Four Rooms, which Tarantino clearly does on a rainy weekend.

[RottingCorpse]

I slept on Inglourious Basterds for far too long, and don't want to do that here. That said, this has gotten really over hyped in the trollish film geek circles which attack everything for stupid reasons. (Inception had too which is why I laid off it forever.)

It's on the Oscar list though, so I'm sure we'll get it in to me sooner rather than later.

[monkey!]

Still haven't watched Django Unchained... was going to wait for the cinema.

[RottingCorpse]

While Django Unchained is no Pulp Fiction or Inglourious Basterds, I can still find lots of good things to say about it. Like every Tarantino movie (except Death Proof), it makes me want to completely trust myself as a filmmaker. Tarantino so obviously trusts his instincts, even when they lead him astray. He's one of the most fearless filmmakers working.

I thought DiCaprio was great actually. maybe it's because I always think of him as a kid even when he's playing Howard Hughes or trying to be the new Deniro. He was one scary mother fucker in this movie. More importantly, I believed him in the "maturity" of the role which I often don't. All the performances were great actually. If there's a weak link it was Jamie Foxx in the title role, but maybe that's because the script at times made him a supporting player in his own story.

Missus RC and I both commented how we never noticed it's length which I think is the best compliment I can give it. That fucker is almost three hours long.

Anyway, RC gives his approval.

[nacho]

It's hard for me. I'm so very forgiving of Tarantino. So much so that I excuse Death Proof...and this movie, of course. But with Django, I really do feel let down by him for the first time. Largely because I feel like he's been working on Django (the Spaghetti Western motif) for a long time. I don't like that Inglorious Basterds is a better homage to Spaghetti Western's than the modern spaghetti western is, you know? As a movie buff, I feel like Tarantino really dropped the homage ball that is usually so strong and enjoyable (and almost verging on in-jokes) in his other movies.

But that means nothing, really. I'll be excited about whatever's next, regardless.

[monkey!]

I had misgivings regarding Django Unchained, having heard very mixed reviews - but I waited until the cinema for watching it, foregoing the downloaded option and I'm glad I did. Sure, this is Tarantino's more 'Hollywood' film, more 'epic' and maybe more 'mainstream' than his other efforts but it was nonetheless a great film, albeit a touch too long.

I love how Tarantino has upgraded from a Jewish revenge fantasy mixed with Nazis meets Western films to Slave revenge fantasy meets German fairytale meets western films... and it worked really well. That German Jew-Hunter from Inglourious Basterds was, once again, fantastic and I counted him as the lead character rather than Jamie Foxx. Yes, Di Caprio's phrenology speech could have been much darker, much more racially damning, but I think that it may have been too much in this somewhat light-hearted take on the horrors of slavery. Light-hearted? Sure!

Yes, the horrible aspects of slavery were highlighted, but not gratuitously so, nor to extremes - just enough to give the terrible background of abuse amidst an entertaining and often comically violent revenge romp.

I enjoyed it a lot... although I'm still not sure how Di Caprio cut his hand in that scene....

Monkey's verdict?

4/5 fingers in a vagina.

[nacho]

I stand by my thoughts...and also that I forgive Tarantino for everything, so no sweat.

[nacho]

Here's something interesting... Watched Kill Bill last week and, you know, I don't think it holds up. It all seemed hammy and slightly off. Weird...

[monkey!]

I watched Kill Bill earlier this year, pre-Django, and I loved it. Just the right amount of 'cheese.'

[nacho]

I wonder if Django has soured me...  I loved Kill Bill the first time around, and later when it came out on disk. This is my first return to itn in about five years.

Actually... Inglorious Basterds soured me! Such a perfect, brilliant movie.

What I sort of realized with Kill Bill is how Tarantino has sort of been an organic director. You see the next movie he's thinking about in the current movie, you know? The Spaghetti Western/revenge saga influence on Basterds, for example.  Kill Bill is almost like some sort of turning point. It's an homage movie to Tarantino Phase 1, and an introduction/statement of purpose to the modern Tarantino.

Or maybe I'm just growing out of my childhood love for Asian action cinema... 

[monkey!]

Try some self-flagellation.

[RottingCorpse]

Posting without having watched.