Inglourious Basterds

As if no time had passed, Quentin Tarantino is back. Occasionally a leap year, or even just half a decade, we as a humble movie going crowd are privileged enough to see Tarantino's latest. Inglourious Basterds, a film he has talked about making for many, many years, has finally arrived. And the verdict? Everything you want from Tarantino. Sure, his name may often be uttered with overestimation, or even disdain, but for me, the man knows how to make a damned entertaining flick. Inglourious Basterds is loosely based on an Italian war film from the late 70's, but is essentially it's own film. There are Nazis, American-Jews hunting Nazis, and a plan to end WWII. But like most Tarantino films, the plot may be the least important aspect. Trademark dialogue and wonderful acting usually are the marks of a great Tarantino film, and this one is no different. Christoph Waltz, as a Jew-hunting, Nazi officer, is probably the strongest and most interesting character in the film, though the likes of Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and Melanie Laurent are certainly up there. Each have their own story to tell, and each one is equally interesting. Action may not be as high as expected, but when fighting does happen, it is usually bloody and in your face. But did you really expect a ton of action? I didn't think so. Either way, Inglourious Basterds is a 2.5 hour film that hardly feels like it, and is funny, dramatic, and disturbing all at the same time. That's all I need.

Genre - Drama (3.75)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (3)

District 9

District 9 is a different breed of creature. Like the aliens showcased the film, District 9 is a movie that takes time getting used to. What kind of creature is it (action, comedy, drama), which is its real face (straightforward narrative or first person/faux-documentary)? In reality, it is a combination of all these, and the fact they are seamlessly stitched together makes the end product something fresh and new and exciting. So while the story itself is kind of thin, and typical storytelling techniques are used to tell it, the real power comes from the racial commentary the alien/human conflict generates. Some people love the aliens, while others hate them, wanting them segregated, even using racial slurs, like "prawns," to denigrate them. The first half of the film features a lot of these xenophobic relations, as the corporation, MNU, overseeing the aliens the last two decades decides to move them from Johannesburg to a facility some couple hundred kilometers away. But once our main "hero" becomes more deeply involved with the alien race, the action intensifies and some amazingly intense and raw footage is shown. The alien weapon technology is some of the coolest stuff you'll see on screen this year (decade?). It doesn't end where you expect it, but certainly where it should. District 9 is, for a lack of a better word, fun. And I mean ridiculously fun. Definitely one of the best of the summer. Blood, guts, and aliens. Is there anything better?

Genre - Sci-Fi (3.75)

Screenplay (3)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (4)

Halloween (2007)

It took a couple of years, but I finally decided to watch the remake of the horror classic Halloween, this one by Rob Zombie. Me and Zombie have a shaky history, and with the sequel fast approaching, it seemed like I should finally give it an actual shot. Could he do John Carpenter's original justice? Well, in short, no.

Problems: The backstory, for a couple of reasons. It shed too much light on a character who is more powerful and frightening when shrouded in mystery. Michael Myers is the embodiment of evil, and a tortured past just lessens this fundamental aspect of the killer. Plus, the backstory lasts far too long, which only hurts the second half of the film. By the time we meet Laurie Strode and her gang of soon-to-be-dead friends, we only spend a couple minutes with them before Michael comes storming in with that damned knife of his. No character development for the far too annoying characters. Too cap it all off, these time issues are even worse when the film runs too long, thus proving how mismanaged things were.

Successes(?): Zombie can shoot a decent looking film, that is for sure. There might not be any tension in the shots, but they look nice. And Zombie's casting choices can be especially great, especially with his Devil's Rejects friends (Ken Foree being the finest of them) and Malcolm McDowell. Maybe these better portions will be put to better use in the sequel. I'm hoping so at least.

Genre - Horror (2.5)

Screenplay (2)
Acting (3)
Production (2)
Directing (3)

Better Off Ted (Season 1)

Like some great shows before it, I was hesitant to watch Better Off Ted when commercials first began to air. The title was kind of dumb (still kind of is), the premise seemed 50/50 at best, and it appeared to be too sitcom-y for my taste. Yet, when the show was scheduled to hit the air, I was on the couch, ready. Good buzz, a solid looking cast, so why not try it? I would have skipped Arrested Development too, had I not got this strange pull from the commercials. I assumed I'd be let down, but tried it anyways, and thank god for that. Risk is sometimes the ingredient necessary to find really quality shows.

So Better Off Ted began and right from the get-go I was hooked. The writing was sharp and funny, each cast member handling their lines with just the right amount of over-the-top. I like all the characters, though scientists Phil and Lem are probably ranked just a little bit higher than most. But I return to the writing, which is probably the reason I love this show so much. The first seasons strongest episode is the fourth, titled "Racial Sensitivity," holds nothing back and goes for broke. I hadn't laughed that hard at a single episode of television since...well, probably since Arrested Development. There is nothing too strange for the show to handle, and that leaves an unlimited source for jokes. Plus, the fake Veridian Dynamics commercials they play near the beginning of every episode are awesome. Certainly, the show isn't perfect, but most episodes were solid if not brilliant. And because ABC decided to give the show a second season, there may be some (hopefully) positive changes that will lead to an even stronger season. The dysfunctional office comedy has seen success in recent years, with the likes of 30 Rock and the aptly titled The Office, and Better Off Ted has earned its place beside the two. If subsequent seasons are as strong as those other shows following seasons were, then the world is in for a treat. So now maybe more will watch and I won't have to see another great television series end too early.

Genre - Comedy (3.75)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (4)
Directing (3)

(500) Days Of Summer

Desire and reality are two forces that rarely seem to mix well. It's that whole oil and water thing. We want what we desire, believe it is attainable, yet in the end most will find only disappointing results. Which is sad, but made all the worse when you know from the beginning that what you want won't be what you get. And thus we delve into the little indie rom-com, (500) Days of Summer. Utilizing a time hopping narrative, we are told the story of a young man who falls in love with the girl of his dreams, Summer. In a traditional rom-com, there would be little doubt one could guess the outcome of the relationship without ever seeing the film, and the same would go for (500) Days of Summer if that damned narrator didn't shoot that idea out of the water in the first few minutes. And knowing the end doesn't ruin it, but forces the viewers to hope beyond reason that what they know to be true is false, which is kind of the point. I credit the writers, Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter, for using the disjointed narrative perfectly, getting both the good and the bad of the Tom/Summer relationship almost simultaneously. A couple of scenes are so great that you wish you could have watched a film entirely composed of like scenes. One is a dance number that goes on long and ends hilarious, pushing past cute and tiresome into funny. The other is shown in split screen, detailing what Tom, our main character, expects to happen at a party with Summer and what actually takes place. Again, desire and reality mixing to ill effect. But while the writing was solid, so was the acting. Zooey Deschanel plays her cute and funny and wonderfully weird role perfectly, making a great pairing for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He is an actor who picks his roles carefully, winding up in a diverse and solid group of pictures, which one might have scoffed at the idea back when they were watching him on 3rd Rock from the Sun. So while desire and reality might not mix, the creative forces behind (500) Days of Summer do, which may make the whole thing that much more powerful.

Genre - Comedy (3.5)

Screenplay (4)
Acting (4)
Production (3)
Directing (3)