“Soliloquies and Abject Maiming: Classic QT That You’re Missing on NETFLIX”

“Soliloquies and Abject Maiming: Classic QT That You’re Missing on NETFLIX”

Tarantino’s Mostly Greatest Hits

With the recent release of Quentin Tarantino’s “8th Film” (THE HATEFUL EIGHT) on home video, what better way to celebrate than to offer up his best stuff available to stream on Netflix. The only film not available on the service is JACKIE BROWN, which is fine by me, as that ranks as one of his worst (for me). So, in no particular order…

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

(2009, R, 153 minutes, THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY/A BAND APART)

Taking on the war film genre, Tarantino turns it on its head with thoughtful casting and his usual penchant for dialogue filled with biting barbs and poetic nuances. With a mind-bending performance by Cristoph Waltz as an evil Nazi Colonel, and Brad Pitt as an energetic and rather boisterous Army Lieutenant, the cast (which also includes, heavens-to-Betsy, Michael Freaking Fassbender) includes Tarantino Regulars and some surprises that set this above most of his works. What starts as an homage to the propaganda films of the 1940’s quickly becomes a spy thriller and an engaging morality play that draws an invisible line separating the Good Guys from the Bad Guys. And, it’s pretty damn fun.

RESERVOIR DOGS

(1992, R, 99 minutes, MIRAMAX/DOG EAT DOG PRODUCTIONS)

The movie that started it all for the movie rental clerk. Whether he “borrowed heavily” from a foreign film or not does not matter—this movie is ripe with the signature Tarantino-isms that are an earmark of his writing style. And the performances…Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, a psychotic Michael Madsen, a wise-ass Steve Buscemi, and a perfectly cast Steven Wright are left questioning which one is The Rat after a jewelry heist goes awry. The majority of the film takes place inside a warehouse, and this is the type of setting that distinguishes Tarantino from many of his peers: he is a cinematic playwright. Go rent/purchase THE HATEFUL EIGHT, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

KILL BILL VOL. I

(2003, R, 111 minutes, MIRAMAX/A BAND APART)

Uma Thurman stars as “The Bride”, an assassin who awakens from a lengthy comatose and seeks revenge on her former colleagues who put her there. Volume I is a balls-to-the-wall slug fest, and, like most of his films, pays homage to the Kung-Fu films of yore. This is imaginative filmmaking at its finest; from the animated sequence to the over-the-top bloodbath which is The Bride’s memorable fight with The Crazy Eighty-Eight, Tarantino makes the most of Uma’s prowess and the genre staples that we are familiar with. David Carradine and Sonny Chiba, as well as Gordon Liu (aka Chia-Hui Liu), a favorite of Chinese genre master Cheh Chang, rounds out some of the top stars. The first film surpasses the sequel in action. The second is like a breather after the first, and should be watched—but only after you see Darryl Hannah in a nurse’s outfit.

PULP FICTION

(1994, R, 154 minutes, MIRAMAX/A BAND APART)

The film that breathed new life into John Travolta’s career (he wouldn’t do anything half as good as this film ever again) (cause he’s creepy now) also unleashed The Gimp, a mystery briefcase, a few more-than-usual N-words for the director, and a physically and verbally violent Samuel L. Jackson upon us. This was an instant classic, and Tarantino’s first tango with Uma. The film fits together four intertwining storylines, all engaging and slightly horrific—and I use that term only because you are left wondering if you are really supposed to like any of these characters. Some of Tarantino’s best dialogue, and easily his most quotable movie.

FROM DUSK TIL DAWN

(1996, R, 108 minutes, DIMENSIONS FILMS/A BAND APART)

How cool was it to have the director of DESPERADO, Robert Rodriguez, direct a script written by Tarantino? And cast George Clooney as the lead in the tale of two gangster brothers who kidnap a family and are forced to holed up in a strip bar/vampire haven? VERY FREAKING COOL, MAN. The first part of the film shows the dynamic range of his writing, and that he makes for a decent actor. It is his chemistry with Clooney that turns the gears at first, and by the time Salma Hayak shows up as a vampire stripper with a giant snake draped over her shoulders, you’ll be all in. Kudos to whomever thought to pair these cinematic wunderkinds; they would go on to work together on SIN CITY (also available on Netflix, and well worth the watch) and a few Grindhouse films, but their first foray together is a classic gore/cuss-fest.

-- T.S. Kummelman

You guys have been a little slow, lately…no challenges?!? STOP IGNORING ME, I’M SENSITIVE. Honestly, be creative, and think of something interesting for me to do with my time. If I’m going to ignore my children for a while, it should be because you made me…