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| Marj |
 Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 9:17 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 10497
Location: Manhattan
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Finally watched Inglourius Basterds and like most here, enjoyed it but wasn't blown away by it. I loved the performance by Christopher Waltz.
Some reviewers have liked the film better on a second viewing. I know I lost something by not seeing it in a theater so I probably will give it another go over the weekend. And I agree with Billy in not liking some of the director fetishes in the film but for the most part I enjoyed it.
I found it interesting that everything I've read points out certain excellent scenes. I agree with the love for the opening scene, the bar scene and the final movie theater scene. I just wish the entire film could have been a wee bit tighter. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:30 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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Marj,
It is a movie I think works best on the big screen, because it's so over-the-top by nature. The ongoing conversations might seem less entertainingly stretched out and more annoyingly "get on with it already." I've avoided it on DVD so far, but then I also saw it twice in the theater. Glad you got a chance to see it, though. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:32 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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marantzo wrote: Well I was driving a cab in New York at the time and we never get lost.
Nice one. The odd thing about the cabbies when I was in New York was that they seemed to think the white lines on the street were the tracks the cabs were attacked to. It was always underneath the middle of the car. Unnerving, especially in the rain.
One of the interesting things about the early 70's was that a movie like Five Easy Pieces could be a hit. That would not have happened in the late 70's or anytime since then. The idea of going for a movie because it has an interesting idea or feel rather than an exciting plot. Too bad, really. |
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| Befade |
| Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:58 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 3784
Location: AZ
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That's what I was thinking, Joe........Why was it a hit? It has a downer ending and doesn't shed any light on what the guy's problem was. The director (Bob Rafelson) said it's part of a trilogy with The King of Marvin Gardens and Blood and Wine.
So Gary.......you didn't like the part with Susan Anspach, the pianist where she says she can't stay with him because he hates himself? |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 12:22 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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| Of course in the Vietnam/Watergate era, a downbeat ending was considered simply honest, not a betrayal as it would be today. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:59 am |
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The NYC cabbies are completely different than they were when I hacked. Then they were virtually all native New Yorkers and could navigate through the city with their eyes closed. For a long time now the cabbies all seem to be immigrants and besides having limited knowledge of English also have limited knowledge of the city. One upside may be that there are fewer cabbies that take visitors on a wild goose chase to pump up the fare. One of their favourite tricks was going to JFK by the Brooklyn Beltway instead of the direct route using the Van Wyck which is about half the distance. They would call it "Going by way of the Suez Canal."  |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 1:26 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Joe Vitus wrote: Marj,
It is a movie I think works best on the big screen, because it's so over-the-top by nature. The ongoing conversations might seem less entertainingly stretched out and more annoyingly "get on with it already." I've avoided it on DVD so far, but then I also saw it twice in the theater. Glad you got a chance to see it, though.
Joe,
Thanks for confirming what I'd suspected. I still plan to give it another go. There was something in the movie I found unsettling. And of course, I wasn't able to get all of the humor - sometimes you do need an audience for that. But I did guffaw when Waltz took out his Spoiler: Sherlock Holmes pipe. God, it was bigger than he was. I also loved the game in the bar and the scene when Shoshana's face appeared on the screen. Come to think of it there are so many things I really liked about Basterds, I can't wait to get some work done so I can see it again. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 3:21 pm |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| I've come to the conclusion that Inglourious Basterds is overrated. One gauge by which I measure whether a film is really really good is if I want to see it again. In the case of IB, I don't. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:40 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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| I tend to do the same thing, Marc. However in this case, I want to see some scenes over and watch it without the terribly high expectations I had on my first viewing. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:00 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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Marj wrote: Joe Vitus wrote: Marj,
It is a movie I think works best on the big screen, because it's so over-the-top by nature. The ongoing conversations might seem less entertainingly stretched out and more annoyingly "get on with it already." I've avoided it on DVD so far, but then I also saw it twice in the theater. Glad you got a chance to see it, though.
Joe,
Thanks for confirming what I'd suspected. I still plan to give it another go. There was something in the movie I found unsettling. And of course, I wasn't able to get all of the humor - sometimes you do need an audience for that. But I did guffaw when Waltz took out his Spoiler: Sherlock Holmes pipe. God, it was bigger than he was. I also loved the game in the bar and the scene when Shoshana's face appeared on the screen. Come to think of it there are so many things I really liked about Basterds, I can't wait to get some work done so I can see it again.
Oh, I think it was definately meant to get a laugh. The audience loved that bit both times I saw it.
My big questions about the climax in the cinema have always been Why did she speak in English? Is that payback for the opening scene? How does the entire audience seem to know the language? |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 7:02 pm |
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Location: Houston
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Marc wrote: I've come to the conclusion that Inglourious Basterds is overrated. One gauge by which I measure whether a film is really really good is if I want to see it again. In the case of IB, I don't.
I guess I'm against the idea that a movie is only really good if you want to see it over and over. I know that's the tendency these days. But I think if you really liked the movie the first time you saw it, then it's a good movie. Maybe not a classic, but a very good movie. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 8:39 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Joe,
From IMDb:SPOILER: In the original ending, Shosanna's movie for the Nazis was supposed to be in French. Mélanie Laurent was the one who suggested to Quentin Tarantino it should be done in English to make the finale more powerful.
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 9:08 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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Ah. What a bad reason. But thanks for tracking it down for me.
By the way, I think the actor who plays the French farmer in gives just about the best performance in the movie. Astonishingly powerful, especially considering we've been given no backstory on him, and no audience rapport developed beforehand. It wowed me both times I saw it. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:46 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| I saw the movie twice and it held up great. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:48 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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| I hope you'll comment when you check out the movie on DVD. I'm curious if it will work as well for you in a small screen format. |
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