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Movie of the Year: “Inglourious Basterds”
Debbie Schlussel ^ | Aug 20, 2009 | Debbie Schlussel

Posted on 08/20/2009 8:48:45 PM PDT by JSDude1

I wish my brave, tough Holocaust survivor grandfather, Isaac, was alive to see “Inglourious Basterds.”

He would love it even more than I did. So would my dad. And they would be cheering and laughing along with me.

Because the movie debuts at Midnight screenings tonight, I am posting this review early, and you’ll note that I was entirely wrong in my expectations for this movie when I first wrote about it, back in February. The movie is riveting. It’s fun and serious at the same time.

It’s not usual that I praise a Quentin Tarantino film or a flick starring Brad Pitt. I’m not a big fan of either. But “Inglourious Basterds” is either the exception to the rule or a new beginning (probably the former, at least in the case of Pitt, who is very good here). After two-and-a-half hours of this fantastic movie, I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more. So well done, so interesting, exciting, and suspenseful, it flew by. Like “The Departed (read my review),” it’s a well-wrapped treasure, with new delights at each uncovered layer. And a few puzzles, some of which aren’t answered but are designed to make you think.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this movie.

(Excerpt) Read more at debbieschlussel.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Germany; Israel; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: america; heroes; inglouriousbasterds; jews; junk; moviereview; wwii
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To: JSDude1
My only regrets are 1) that it’s not a true story; and 2) that no-one in Hollywood has the guts to do an “Inglorious Basterds” with Americans fighting our current enemy: Muslim invaders who’ve also replaced their friends, the Nazis, as the thugs upon Europe.

The movie is basically a revenge fantasy. If you're Jewish, go see it and enjoy.

Having seen the trailer, I haven't heard a worse southern accent since Martin Sheen tried to play Robert E. Lee in "Gettysburg." I don't think I could sit through a whole movie of Brad Pitt in that voice. You'd think a guy from Oklahoma could do at least a little better than that.

Her comment about Hollywood refusing to make films casting the Islamo-fascists as the villains is well-taken.

Instead we get Brad Pitt here or Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie" refighting the Nazis in WWII for the umpteenth time. It appears for Hollywood, WWII is the "good war" because we were allied with the communists.

Hollywood has no problem smearing America in movie after movie, and no problem depicting the Nazis as evil, but a film depicting Islamo-fascists (or, in former times, Soviet communists) as the bad guys for some reason is rare indeed.

I'll take a pass on "Basterds."

81 posted on 08/20/2009 10:18:11 PM PDT by SirJohnBarleycorn
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To: Gene Eric

So was 12 Monkeys but I think that movie was all Terry Gilliam.


82 posted on 08/20/2009 10:34:24 PM PDT by 31R1O ("Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life."- Immanuel Kant)
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To: SirJohnBarleycorn

Is there a less political filmmaker than Tarantino?


83 posted on 08/20/2009 10:35:13 PM PDT by Borges
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To: OldDeckHand

Troy was better storytelling. Gladiator was quite dull.


84 posted on 08/20/2009 10:35:44 PM PDT by Borges
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To: 31R1O

That was a good movie from what I recall. I remember falling for the twist near the end of the movie. Probably worth seeing again.


85 posted on 08/20/2009 10:39:15 PM PDT by Gene Eric
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To: Borges
"Is there a less political filmmaker than Tarantino?"

With the exception of perhaps Michael Bay (although I wouldn't call his products movies, per se), probably not. At least on this, we can agree.

86 posted on 08/20/2009 10:44:40 PM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: FrdmLvr

The DVD Black Book is a must see, I agree. I recommend trying to get it thru your library interlibrary loan system.


87 posted on 08/20/2009 11:48:32 PM PDT by Ciexyz (Color me red, white and blue - I attended a tea party on July 4th.)
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To: JSDude1
In my opinion Tarantino is a one movie(Pulp Fiction), one dimension wonder. True talent is represented by a dossier of films that encompass the nuances of life, love and adventure. Unfortunately,he seems to be incapable of filming anything other than violence, infantile sex scenes, violence and oh yeah did I mention violence. His level of sophistication is permanently stuck as that of a 16 year old pubescent, testosterone driven loner that spends his teen years in a daze of daydreaming and self-abuse while the rest of the neighborhood guys play sports and continue to mature beyond the Playboy-under-the-mattress phase. It's a pity because he does have the suggestion of talent in him. However if rumors are true, he appears determined to live out his version of reality, careening from one drug induced, hooker-laced bacchanal to the next. Time matures most of us. Perhaps he can give us a movie of substance before he implodes and he pops up years later relegated to the back pages of the National Enquirer in a "Remember When" postscript.
88 posted on 08/20/2009 11:54:34 PM PDT by Cyman
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To: Borges

Gladiator is an amazing piece of work and Ridley Scott was robbed at the Oscars for not getting best director. The opening scenes of the battle in Germania must be seen on the big screen to appreciate how awesome the total effect can be on the viewer. One of my favorite films of all time.


89 posted on 08/21/2009 12:00:12 AM PDT by Ciexyz (Color me red, white and blue - I attended a tea party on July 4th.)
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To: OldDeckHand

As for the film Troy, I thought Brad Pitt had terrible material to work with. The part as written was a whiny, petulant hero, a real a@@hole, refusing to support his commander in battle and sleeping late in his tent when the other soldiers were on the field - made no sense to me. Maybe Hollywood was making an antiwar statement, but that did not work for me. Lots of other great performances in that film however.


90 posted on 08/21/2009 12:13:51 AM PDT by Ciexyz (Color me red, white and blue - I attended a tea party on July 4th.)
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To: Ciexyz

I saw it in the theater and found that opening scene borderline incoherent especially in comparison to ‘Saving Private Ryan’, its obvious model. The film, as a whole, was dour and totally uninvolving. A lone bright spot coming when he goes to see Marcus Aurelius...who is shown writing.


91 posted on 08/21/2009 5:58:22 AM PDT by Borges
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To: All
Anybody know if this is in any way related to the 1978 "Inglorious Bastards"?

I kinda remember it, think it was a drive-in movie, but other than it being set in WWII I don't remember much about it.

92 posted on 08/21/2009 6:23:08 AM PDT by Proud_texan (Scare people enough and they'll do anything.)
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To: Stosh
When I first saw Pulp Fiction everybody was blown away by the style of dialogue but all I could think was that QT must have read every Elmore Leonard book there is. The dialogue is straight out of Elmore's work.

Later when QT shot Jackie Brown (actually from a Leonard novel) he acknowledged that he wrote Pulp Fiction as if it were a Leonard work.

93 posted on 08/21/2009 6:31:46 AM PDT by wtc911 ("How you gonna get back down that hill?")
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To: Squantos; Eaker

Heck no . . . he always makes me pay. That is the only way I can get him to date me.


94 posted on 08/21/2009 6:45:46 AM PDT by TheMom (I'm gonna be a grandma! Kaiden Thomas is due to arrive 09/09/09.)
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To: donmeaker
Otto Skorzeny PING!

Read the book written about him by a British officer; the book is “Commando Extraordinaire”.

He was quite the guy. A 6'3” gymnast (ponder the strength required for that for a second) and sword fighter with a huge ‘Heidelberg’ scar across his face; his M.O. was to act bold as brass and tell you “Surrender! We have you surrounded!” whether it was true or not - a surprisingly effective tactic.

95 posted on 08/21/2009 6:50:29 AM PDT by allmendream (Income is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?)
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To: Minus_The_Bear
hear that a US remake is in the works... sure to updated and terrible.

Yeah, it'll be set in the '00's and it will be about President Bush and the Patriot Act. It will have nothing to do with intercepting calls between terrorist nations and terrorist cells in the U.S.

96 posted on 08/21/2009 7:08:39 AM PDT by FrdmLvr ("War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength". Orwell)
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To: Borges

Sorry I do not support movies with liberals who are doing harm to America. Brad Pitt is a POS and I am sure the movie is too. Tarantino’s films are mega violence as he tries to rip off Peckipah. Junk.


97 posted on 08/21/2009 7:21:35 AM PDT by Frantzie (Lou Dobbs - American Hero! Bill O'Reilly = Liar)
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To: Frantzie
Sorry I do not support movies with liberals who are doing harm to America. Brad Pitt is a POS and I am sure the movie is too. Tarantino’s films are mega violence as he tries to rip off Peckipah. Junk.

Yes the politics of the actor always has an effect on the film as a whole /sarc. Most of QT's films aren't even that violent (onscreen anyway) and Peckinpah isn't even a referent for his films. Ignorance.
98 posted on 08/21/2009 7:30:32 AM PDT by Borges
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To: Frantzie

Oh lighten up....it’s not ALL about “us and them.” You’ll end up paranoid and unhappy. Do you check everything you purchase to make sure it was made by a Christian conservative white male from Texas?


99 posted on 08/21/2009 8:02:36 AM PDT by PjhCPA
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To: PjhCPA

Go watch your silly liberal movie and drink the Kool Aide. I have no desire to watch crap from Hollywood. I am a bit more like Quentin than some guy from Texas.


100 posted on 08/21/2009 8:21:58 AM PDT by Frantzie (Lou Dobbs - American Hero! Bill O'Reilly = Liar)
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