Thoughts

These are my weekly thoughts, for this week:


1) The X-Men frenzy continues. I was reading this post at The Film Experience, and it reminded me of this crazy idea I had a few weeks back. Remember how Darren Aronofsky had been selected to direct the new reboot/prequel/sequel/pre-sequel/whatever Wolverine film, but then he stepped down, and there have been talks about other directors being considered for the post like Doug Liman and Mark Romanek. I personally don't really care. I like Wolverine and I like Hugh Jackman, but the Origins film was one of the worst movie-going experiences I've ever had. Still people only seem to be interested in Wolverine, while I think one of the most interesting superheroes ever is Rogue. I don't read comic books as such, and whatever knowledge I have is off a cartoon show- Rogue is beyond cool. I liked what Anna Paquin brought to the role, but she was wayyy too dainty. So anyways the thought was- how about Aronofsky directing an Origins story for Rogue? It's a more crazy character and he can do wonders! Paquin could play the older Rogue...I mean she's kick-ass in True Blood, but Aronofsky would be brilliance for this thing. For time being, he's making the Noah flick, with a Mr. Christian Bale apparently in talks to play the savior of the world and stuff. Excited!


2) The Tony Awards happened. I saw the Neil Patrick Harris opening number and his duet with Wolverine himself. It was lovely! Anyways last week there was this article in the local tabloid about this Indian person who had never cared for Harry Potter and by extension, Daniel Radcliffe and then he/she saw him in the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. I shall quote what he/she thought of Mr. Radcliffe- "after watching the boy on stage, one feels that he is slated to go the Leo Di Caprio and Ryan Gosling way- pin-up boys of beauty who go on to become solid practitioners of the craft of acting." Okay maybe this is just some random person, but it made me feel like a proud momma. I have always loved Radcliffe, and have hoped that the Harry Potter troupe do end up becoming brilliant actors or whatever else.


3) I had the QT Week this week, which went well, I think. So I was thinking about maybe doing something similar with other filmmakers. Maybe one filmmaker a month, whose filmography I have finished or do finish in the allotted time. For logical reasons, I think I should go in a reverse-chronological order. Newer filmmakers have obviously made lesser films, and the lesser the number of films, the quicker will I finish their filmographies. I have finished filmographies of people like Sofia Coppola and Edgar Wright and have one-one film left for directors like David Fincher and Tim Burton. Like that it goes on. I am yet to make a dent in the filmographies of masters like Pedro Almodovar and Werner Herzog. Yes I know...I should go jump in a well before boasting about film knowledge again blah blah blah, but a gal's gotta start somewhere.


4) Speaking of trying to finish filmographies...I saw Boogie Nights this week. It was nothing that I expected it to be, which by the way, is something I'm starting to expect out of P.T. Anderson films. Very interesting ending. Anyhow, this little screencap from Gilmore Girls caught my attention with respect to Boogie Nights-

Fucking Falling Frogs.

Your thoughts now.

What lifts you up where you belong?

We all have our blue days. I had an exceptionally bad one today, and like everything else, the only way I cope with it is by watching a film. Sometimes I watch comedies, like for instance The Hangover before my Mathematics exams. Other times I watch films which make me feel good about my life, like Igby Goes Down. Today I watched both kinds- Hot Fuzz, but that was before the depressing thing actually occurred, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly after. I thought the latter would act like a catharsis, but it just made me feel more guilty. Ah well, c'est la vie.

What films do you watch when you want to feel better?

The Harry Potter Post

As of today, there is exactly one month left for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2- the last film of the hugely popular and beloved Harry Potter film series, to come out. I can't think of what this means to me. This is what the cast thinks:

GLUE.

" He hits you with his fingertips at five different pressure points on your body. And then he lets you walk away. But after you've taken five steps, your heart explodes inside your body, and you fall to the floor, dead." ~ MY TARANTINO TOP 5

        I first discovered Quentin Tarantino about 5 years ago. His films seemed very different from anything that I had ever seen before. There was obviously the element of violence, but it was shown in a different way. There was always humour or beauty behind a violent scene- that's the first thing I noticed. Another thing was the music. These films were obviously made by a man who knew and loved his music. Then there was the QT woman- she was powerful and worldly. He knew that women were there for more things than braid their hair or shop or talk about men...that they could take care of all "manly" jobs equally well, if not better than their opposite sex. The fairer sex was never the second one in QT films. Lastly I noticed, and this was confirmed by an interview of his in which he talked about working in a cinema hall, that QT was, is and will always be a lover of films. He grew up watching a lot of B, C, D-grade films, that a young foreigner like me has never even thought of hearing of. And through his films, which are like of an A+++ grade, he pays homage to these films and opens a whole new world to his audiences.
These are my favourite Tarantino films:


Honourable Mentions: Kill Bill Vol. 2, Natural Born Killers, Jackie Brown.

5) True Romance (1993)-

Written by Quentin Tarantion, Directed by Tony Scott.

Starring- Patricia Arquette, Christian Slater, Michel Rapaport, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Tom Sizemore, Brad Pitt.

Story- Call girl Alabama meets comic bookstore clerk Clarence on his birthday during a Sonny Chiba cinema night. They instantly fall in love, but their path to marital bliss is wrought with druglords, pimps, angry henchmen, dopey directors and whatnot.

Why I love it- This is the most recently-viewed film in my list, so one can imagine what a huge impact it must've had on me... I had to bump off a few other favourites for it. And it was worth it. From the chemistry between the leads, to the assorted villains; great face-offs to Arquette's dreamy narration, it's one helluva ride to be part of. This film was funny and sweet and destructive.

4) Reservoir Dogs (1992)-

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Starring- Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, Quentin Tarantino, Lawrence Tierney, Eddie Bunker.

Story- A group of men are recruited by Joe and his son Nice Guy Eddie to rob a jeweler, but one of them is an informant who rats them out and their heist fails. Then they all turn on each other.

Why I love it- Well those of you who don't know, a Bollywood remake of Reservoir Dogs was made a number of years ago. It was infact the first film my younger brother ever saw. So you see technically, I knew about QT before I had even heard his name. I was quite apprehensive to watch the original, but thank god (!), it was the usual case of the Hollywood original being brilliance and the Bollywood one being tripe. This was a clever film. We see the different characters with each other, their own back-stories, their reasons, and we get to form our own opinion on who we think is right. And then QT gives us a totally wild climax, and we leave the film being totally blown away at what had just transpired. And ofcourse, colours don't ever mean the same again.

3) Inglorious Basterds (2009)-

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Starring- Christoph Waltz, Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Michael Fassbender, August Diehl, Eli Roth, Martin Wuttke.

Story- A group of American and German Jews decide to kill Nazis during the Second World War. At the same time, a young French girl decides to take matters into her own hands, after her family has been killed in the hands of the man known as the Jew Hunter.

Why I love it- QT decided to change the course of history in this film, in order to get a more fitting ending. This he did by picking out the most "Oscar-loved" era, and putting in his own story, about possibly what he wanted to have had happened, but seeing that it didn't made any difference. It was a better story anyways. Also he gave us one of the best and most diabolical villains in recent cinematic history with this film, while also making a multi-lingual film that many people who run away from the words "foreign cinema" found highly entertaining. I must say, damn good stuff sir.

2) Pulp Fiction (1994)-

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Starring- Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Eric Stoltz, Christopher Walken, Peter Greene, Ving Rhames.

Story- Two gunmen pick up a suitcase for their boss. One of them takes out the boss's missus for a date. The missus ODs on his heroin. A boxer decides to run, but forgets his father's watch and goes back to get it. He and the boss have a run-in with a few nasty men. The gunmen go to a friend's house with a dead person in their car, but have to get out of the situation before the friend's wife comes back. So the Wolf helps them. A couple decide to rob a diner.

Why I love it- Just look at the story! The fact that it makes no sense, even in the film, until the end when everything falls in place beautifully. Now choosing the top 2 was very difficult for me. Pulp Fiction has been hailed by everyone who has ever loved films and has been alive long enough to see it, as one of the most important films ever. The violence, the humour, the drugs, the dancing- just everything is so unique, and I can't even begin to think about how it came to be. This film changes lives, and what more can a film maker ask for?

1) Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)-

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Starring- Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Sonny Chiba, Chiaki Kuriyama, Michael Madsen, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Parks.

Story- A pregnant bride is shot down, along with her husband-to-be, and a church full of people by the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, of which she used to be a member. She goes into a coma, only to wake up four years later, and then she decides to get her revenge.

Why I love it- I know most people will be appalled that this film took top spot, instead of Pulp Fiction. But the truth is this was the film I saw nearly 5 years ago. This was the film that introduced me to Tarantino-verse. This is the film that taught me the definition of awesome. I love every part of this film- the Nancy Sinatra ballad, the Pussy Wagon, Elle dressed as a nurse, the Bride talking to little Nikki after killing her mom, her getting the Hattori Hanzō sword, O-Ren Ishii's backstory, fighting Gogo and the rest of Crazy 88 and the final battle between the Bride and O-Ren. Everything! It's a matter of the heart for me and this film. The Bride is one amazing character, and often when things are bad and disruptive in the world, I like imagining that the Bride can make it all right...since she is immortal and all.

"I put a bullet in her head, but her heart just kept on beatin'."

Also done:
Favourite Violent Scenes in Tarantino Films
Favourite Characters in Tarantino Films
Favourite Villains in Tarantino Films
Favourite Couples in Tarantino Films


         So with this list, endeth the QT Week. I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's a total genius, and I am beyond excited for Django Unlimited and a possible third outing for the Bride. Leo Di Caprio is all set to be the villain in Django, and the thought of it gives me shivers. Add to that Mr. Waltz and Mr. Jackson. It is going to be soooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!

ADIOS..AND KEEP LOVING QUENTIN!

"I want my scalps!" ~ FAVOURITE VIOLENT SCENES IN TARANTINO FILMS

      Quoting QT himself, "Violence is one of the most fun things to watch." And no one quite does violence like him. From his famous Mexican stand-offs, to hilarious bloodfests, to just two men facing each other-talking... QT has become the master of modern-day violence.
These are my favourite violent scenes in Tarantino films:


Honourable mentions- Mickey and Mallory break out of prison, Ordell kills Beaumont.

13) The scene when Soshanna, Emmanuelle and the Basterds burn down the cinema on Nazi night- Soshanna's giant burning face, and Hitler dying are my favourite parts.

12) The scene when we see the Bear Jew- Eli Roth comes bearing this big baseball bat, which he uses to beat the truth (and crap) out of a Nazi captain.

11) The scene when Virgil and Alabama fight- The mere size of James Gandolfini is frightening as hell, and he really throws poor teensy Patricia Arquette around...but like all QT girls, she doesn't give up easy and gets back at him- blood and gore and all.

10) The scene where Mr. Blonde cuts off the ear- Listening to "Stuck in the Middle With You", we all watch in horror as the sexy, yet mental Michael Madsen tortures the policeman Marvin and cuts his ear off for his personal amusement.

9) The scene which shows O-Ren Ishii's backstory- A sudden scene which depicts Lucy Liu's character's truly horrific past, in bloody anime fashion.

8) The scene where the Bride fights with Elle- Two super-sexy, super-deadly blondes fight- throwing one another around a small trailer, with a very unexpected finale.

7) The Sicilian scene- Two veteran actors, Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper, sit face-to-face, while the latter insults the former's race...surrounded by men with guns. The tension builds up like crazy, and while we all know how this will end, we are just blown away by the dialogue and the chemistry.

6) The scene when Zoe, Kim and Abernathy try to re-enact the car-scene from Vanishing Point- The challenge was to sit on the hood of a white 1970 Dodge Challenger with nothing but leather straps, but a murderous Stuntman Mike comes along and try to foil the plans of these three very determined, very skilled, very strong women. And then they go after him for revenge.

5) The bar scene- Two not-so elderly (and faaaaiiine) actors, Michael Fassbender and August Diehl, sit face-to-face, in a bar full of Nazis and a couple of Basterds, and talk, play, and well- shoot each others' balls. Again, the atmosphere is tensed like hell, and one little "numerical" mistake from Fassy causes a great volient scene to take place.

4) The scene when the Bride fights the Crazy 88- It's one vengeful mother against a whole lot of crazy body guards, including the insane Gogo and expert Johnny Mo. What makes this scene so impactful is how it goes black and white at the right moment, and the night-vision part, and ofcourse the music. I personally think it was a stroke of genius making it B&W, because that just makes it easier for us to understand all the movements, while not being completely overwhelmed by the blood.

3) The original Mexican stand-off scene- This would become a QT trademark in the years to come, but the very first time, and where it is most memorable was in Reservoir Dogs, when Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Nice Guy Eddie and Joe all stand in a circle, pointing their guns at each other. And then the shooting begins!

2) The scene when the Bride fights O-Ren Ishii- Against the backdrop of a serene snow-covered Japanese garden, two of the deadliest women that ever were, fight with their samurai swords. O-Ren's words are often sharper than her sword. I just love everything in the scene- from the snow falling, to the weird tapping of the fountain, to just the amount of power between these two women...by far the best QT fighting scene ever.

1) The scene when Jules and Vincent go to extract a briefcase for their boss- This scene is Samuel L. Jackson (dunno if that made any sense). His standing tall in front of Brett- discussing the Big Kahuna burger, scolding him about the "whats" and well of course, reciting the passage from the Bible, before he and Vincent engage in a total shoot-out. I won't be surprised if this is the most famous QT scene ever...it's just that superb.


          Now I know this was a violent scenes-only post...but these scenes are pretty iconic, and synonymous with QT too:

- The Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Contest- Mia and Vincent dancing is one of the things I love about films. It is so random, yet so historic. I am learning this dance... I really am.

- The entire buried alive scene- From the Pai Mei flashback, to the actual escaping from the coffin, which alone is one of the most uplifting scenes ever, I absolutely lurve this whole sequence.

- The introduction of the Basterds- Lt. Aldo Raine puts together a team of Nazi-killing Jews and gives them a speech about what their job is- unimaginable cruelty to the Nazis and the debt of 100 Nazi scalps that they each owe him. When the film had come out, I could recite the whole speech...bit out of practice now, but I do still adore it.


Also done:
Favourite Characters in Tarantino Films
Favourite Villains in Tarantino Films
Favourite Couples in Tarantino Films

"That woman deserves her revenge... and we deserve to die." ~ FAVOURITE CHARACTERS IN TARANTINO FILMS

           Quentin Tarantino films are ensemble pieces...we need the supporting characters as much as the main ones to make it the total movie-going experience it really is. These are my favourite characters:


My Favourite Characters from Quentin Tarantino films: SUPPORTING-

10) Earl McGraw (played by Michael Parks)- I love his little cameos. Honestly keep waiting for him to turn up. Maybe Django Unlimited will have his great great grandfather or something.

9) Jimmie Dimmick (played by Quentin Tarantino)- I love the QT characters in the QT films! And Jimmie is my second favourite. His hilarious lines, the irrational fear of his wife Bonnie and that dressing gown- LOVE!

8) Clifford Worley (played by Dennis Hopper)- He is a good cop and a father, and one hell of a story-teller. I still haven't gotten over the Sicilian scene in True Romance, and Mr. Hopper is a big reason why.

7) Mr. Pink (played by Steve Buscemi)- I am an unapologetic Buscemi fan, and Mr. Pink was just my kind of character. From his neuroticism to not paying of tips to sheer luck, he is definitely one of my favourites.

6) Captain Koons (played by Christopher Walken)- The weirdest QT history lesson till Inglorious Basterds. This scene makes me cry with laughter.

5) Gogo Yubari (played by Chiaki Kuriyama)- She's insane, violent, and has the sluttiest outfit ever. Such a legend.

4) Lt. Archie Hicox (played by Michel Fassbender)- Okay...this maybe the result of the Fassbender obsession I'm going through right now, and I may, in retrospect, question this high a position- but Fassy Fever will most probably last for a while. Lt. Archie is dreamy as hell, and this whole scene kicks ass (Nazi or otherwise).

3) Richard Gecko (played by Quentin Tarantino)- QT has never been sexier. I love his stark raving mad persona...and the violence we all know he was capable of.

2) Winston Wolf (played by Harvey Keitel)- The ultimate problem-solver. He's like Jeeves, with a bit of ol' ultraviolence. I need someone like that in my life.

1) Pai Mei (played by Gordon Liu)- He's the ultimate master. And character. I have heard of QT-themed parties... if I ever get invited to one, or if I throw one (slightly more likely), I am soooo gonna dress as him- I have decided.

My Favourite Characters from Quentin Tarantino films: MAIN-

10) Mr. White/ Larry Dimmik (played by Harvey Keitel)- I felt bad for him. He was a good guy, a trusting guy, even among crooks. I mean he was stupid, but the most honourable member of the Reservoir Dogs. And I loved his relationship with Tim Roth/ Mr. Orange- real bromance, that.

9) Alabama Worley (played by Patricia Arquette)- She was so sweet and dreamy and well, peachy in this super-violent film. I loved her narration, her romance with Clarence and just her sunny disposition. So gorgeous.

8) Mickey Knox (played by Woody Harrelson)- He's one crazy motherf***er. Not exactly a girl's idea of prince charming, but he could really punch a hole through the moon for Mallory. Also all the quotes about the messed up state of the world...gah I love him!

7) Shosanna Dreyfus (played by Mélanie Laurent)- One thing QT has in his films is strong women, and Miss Dreyfus is one of them. Not only does she recover from her entire family's annihilation in the hands of the Jew Hunter (stay tuned for that one), she also plans to single-handedly kill all the important Nazis by burning her cinema down. Her beautiful revengeful face on the film screen, being engulfed in flames, is one of the most memorable parts of Inglorious Basterds for me.

6) Jackie Brown (played by Pam Grier)- Speaking of strong, beautiful women, I was so in love with Pam Grier throughout this film. The only QT film with a woman's name as it's title, and with good reason. She owned the film in every shot that she was or even mentioned. One could see all the men gravitate towards her, because she was just so sexy.

5) Mia Wallace (played by Uma Thurman)- I said Goddamn! She is the mob wife, with a fetish for cocaine, shakes and dancing. Her entire segment, is so mundane...from the awkward date to the heroin overdose, that it just gets sketched in your memory forever. I love the way Mia moves...from twisting to just walking. Very interesting woman, this one.

4) O-Ren Ishii (played by Lucy Liu)- The little half-Chinese, half-Japanese girl who is driven into the assassin business when she witnesses her parents violent death at the hands of a Yazuka boss and his men. After taking her revenge from him, she only becomes the best in the business, and then joins the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. I loved this character- there was a proper reason why she was the way she was. Liu's ability to look serene one moment, and murderous the next makes this a great character, definitely her best one to date.

3) Jules Winnifield (played by Samuel L. Jackson)- I did say earlier that he was iconic, didn't I? He exudes brilliance every moment he's onscreen, and demands our respect and awe

2) Col. Hans Landa (played by Christoph Waltz)- What can I say? Villains require utter devotion from me...and he wasn't even all bad. He did end the Second World War in all his diabolicalness, so we owe him, and QT ofcourse.

1) The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo (played by Uma Thurman)- She is the modern hero. Deadly, yet nurturing. She wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to get it. Plus QT has made her immortal- shoot her a billion times, have lots of people attack her at the same time, bury her alive- she'll totally survive her ass off. Hats Off to her... such a Goddess.

Also done-

Favourite Villains in Tarantino films

Favourite Couples in Tarantino films