Quentin Tarantino's birthday is drawing to a close as we speak, and I imagine he's partying hard (and also working hard on my #2 most anticipated film for this year, Django Unchained). I have a lot to thank Quentin Tarantino for: he was the first director who I ever got obsessed with, he opened up a world of movies for me, he made me want to become a director. I love all of his work (that I've seen, anyway - I'm only missing Jackie Brown), but none more so than Inglourious Basterds. So how about I pick the 49 things I love about the film, one for each year that Tarantino has been spreading awesomeness around the world. **SPOILERS IF YOU'VE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE, SOMEHOW**
1. How it is divided into chapters - and they're all like five short films stringed together into one big film.
2. Christoph frickin' Waltz.
3. Michael Fassbender's sexiness while speaking German.
4. Or Michael Fassbender's sexiness in general.
5. "Wait for the crème!"
6. The first chapter. All that talking (and beautiful talking, too), and then BAM. Such a finish.
7. The way the languages keep changing. Keeps it interesting...and beautiful to listen to.
8. That Quentin Tarantino decided to rewrite history.
9. The way the German soldier's scar is revealed to Hitler.
10. "Oooooh, that's a bingo!"
11. Diane Kruger's actually awesome performance as Bridget von Hammersmark.
12. The game that everyone plays in the tavern. I like that game a lot.
13. Brad Pitt's accent.
14. "Now, I don't know about y'all, but I sure as hell didn't come down from the goddamn Smoky Mountains, cross five thousand miles of water, fight my way through half of Sicily and jump out of a fuckin' air-o-plane to teach the Nazis lessons in humanity. Nazi ain't got no humanity. They're the foot soldiers of a Jew-hatin', mass murderin' maniac and they need to be dee-stroyed. That's why any and every every son of a bitch we find wearin' a Nazi uniform, they're gonna die."
15. Hugo Stiglitz. For the name, and the badassery.
16. The scalping scenes. Always fun to watch...and listen to.
17. Donny Donowitz and his bat.
18. When Shosanna first comes up with her master plan.
19. That cinema that Shosanna owns. It looks beautiful.
20. Shosanna's fake name: Emmanuelle Mimieux. So pretty.
21. Mélanie Laurent playing Shosanna. She was perfect in that role.
22. The way the title is spelt. It confuses the shit out of people who have never heard of it (and shame on those people).
23. Fredrick Zoller's little film, Stolz der Nation.
24. Joseph Goebbels' translator and her ridiculous cat hat.
25. Archie Hicox giving the wrong three fingers to the barman.
26. The amount of gun-pointing at testicles there is. "Say "auf Wiedersehen" to your Nazi balls." QT can make up the most unique situations.
27. Samuel L. Jackson's narration.
28. The little part that explains why nitrate film is so dangerous. This lesson actually came in quite handy once when I was trying to explain something to do with film.
29. The crazy sergeant whose wife just had a baby - Maximilian - and his love for Bridget von Hammersmark.
30. The Mexican stand-off that doesn't appear to be a Mexican stand-off, but technically it is.
31. Aldo Raine's handling of Bridget von Hammersmark. Gives me the squeams.
32. "I don't know how to speak Italian." "Like I said, third best. Just keep your fucking mouth shut."
33. The way Hans Landa makes the basterds repeat their Italian names over and over again, and Omar, the third best, escapes with the fewest tries.
34. Hans Landa laughing at Bridget because of her 'mountain-climbing' accident.
35. The look on Bridget's face when she discovers the shoe in Landa's pocket.
36. 'Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)' playing while Shosanna is getting ready for her big night.
37. Landa pouring drinks for Aldo and Utivich even though their hands are tied up.
38. Goebbels' rather dramatic reaction to the acceptance by the Fuhrer.
39. Good old Omar trying to leave the cinema but tripping over everyone.
40. How Donny and Omar run in slow-mo (slow-mo is a no-no, but not here) and kill the guards outside Hitler's opera box.
41. Harvey Kietel being the voice of the man instructing Aldo on the plan.
42. "Who wants to send a message to Germany?" "I want to send a message to Germany."
43. The big death sequence with Shosanna and Frederick - pure Tarantino.
44. When Marcel flicks the cigarette into the big pile of nitrate film.
45. How much the burning cinema looks like the prom scene in Carrie. Stuff the remake - if they were wanting to bring Carrie back, Tarantino did it with one shot.
46. Donny shooting the crap out of Hitler. In slow-mo. Which is a no-no, unless you're Quentin Tarantino (new motto in life).
47. Landa's shocked face when the tables are turned and his partner is killed.
48. Landa getting justice.
49. "You know somethin', Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece."
What's your favourite Tarantino film? And what are your favourite things about Inglourious Basterds?
Fuckin' fantastic list. I LOVE this film so very, very much. I need to see it again or else I will die.
ReplyDeleteYou haven't seen JACKIE BROWN? YOU HAVEN'T SEEN JACKIE FUCKING BROWN?!! *explodes!*
I can't find it anywhere :'(
Delete"Which is a no-no, unless you're Quentin Tarantino."- I need that on a t-shirt.
ReplyDeleteI love this film. So much.
Hans Landa ftw man.
And oh, the fact that it made Fassy known to the general public for the first time. He should soo play James Bond.
I love Diane Kruger in it too. I was just thinking about her performance in this yesterday.
And oh I love Daniel Bruhl and Melanie Laurent. Their last scene always gets to me.
Haha, I'm considering putting that on a T-shirt!
DeleteFassy should soooo play James Bond. Or he should just be in every movie. That would make my life infinitely easier.
This film has been a grower on me. On my first watch I wasn't so taken with it. I had grown bored of the over long monologues that QT always features.
ReplyDeleteBut now I love this film (after a few too many watches) and the Farm scene from the start is amazing!~!
It took a while to grow on me, too. But I find it endlessly rewatchable, I love it!
DeleteI still haven't seen it. Tarantino kind of lost me with Kill Bill, and I'd been a really big fan until then. I'm still hesitant to come back to his side. I haven't seen any of his films for a long time, but I did have a big Reservoir Dogs phase in the 90s where I was watching it every couple of months (which is abnormal for me). And there's actually a real person called Hugo Stiglitz, a Mexican actor who made a lot of the sort of trash cinema QT loves...
ReplyDeleteThis one is really good, trust me. And yes, I've heard of this Hugo Stiglitz. Such a cool name.
DeleteI know most people will go with "Pulp Fiction", but this is my personal Quentin favourite. This is also the film he showed how much he has progressed as a filmmaker. All his films has his signature conversations/monologues, but in this movie he has added the element of suspense i.e: the opening interrogation scene and also the scene in the tavern.
ReplyDeleteYeah, this is my personal QT favourite, too. I think he did a marvellous job with it!
DeleteMy favorite QT movie as well! Some really awesome performances from most of the cast and that's the movie that introduced The Fazbender to most people!
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot to thank this movie for!
Deletevery nice post! I love Tarantino movies, especially inglourious bastterds! Another cult film by Tarantino.
ReplyDeleteThanks! QT makes some great films.
DeleteGreat list. This is probably my favorite QT film until Django comes along. Also love QT in From Dusk 'til Dawn!
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about this movie:
"You probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin'."
Django is going to be epic!
DeleteOh, I love that quote :D
There's definitely a lot to love about 'Basterds' and that's coming from a non-QT fan :) I do think Fassy is very sexy in this movie!
ReplyDeleteFassy is very very sexy in this movie (though I can't compare it to Shame since I haven't yet seen that one!)
Delete#36
ReplyDeleteOh... I had chills when I heard that song in the film. I'm a big Bowie fan. I love this film.
I'm a big Bowie fan, too! That song was perfectly used.
DeleteAwesome post Stevee! My favorite moment is definetly when Bowie's song starts playing. And I laughed so much when Brad was speaking italian :) Also it's a movie in which I discovered the Fass, so I will always treasure it!
ReplyDeleteI love the part where Brad speaks Italian. So hilarious. And yes, this is where I discovered the Fass, too. God bless this movie.
DeleteThe Emperor's New Clothes.
ReplyDeleteWow...Vincent Vega?
DeleteGreat list. Only thing missing was the introduction of the Italian filmmakers, particularly Dominick Decocco, which is then followed up by the awesome slow-mo, complimented by the music. I think the slow-mo woulda been a no-no if not for that soundclip.
ReplyDeleteThat was awesome!
DeleteI love this film and it's my favorite QT movie!
ReplyDeleteGreat list and I love the film so much. Relatively underrated, it's one of QTs best.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the nice list.
ReplyDelete192.168.1.1