Inglourious Basterds

Complete drek. How disappointing. None of the splendor of Kill Bill 1&2, next to none of Tarantino's signature wit, and such intermittent violence that it almost always comes across as phony.

I missed many of the allusions to the war films I'm sure inspired many of this film's scenes and quirks, but one excellent french film came to mind: Army of Shadows. Indeed, Melville's film is a drama, but the flimsy Inglourious Basterds is so unsatisfying that it ought to be chased by something more substantial.

Hard Eight

"Never ignore a man's courtesy" is the ominous line that looms large over this artful film's plot and the idiocy of several main characters. These characters bear a distinct resemblance to those in PT Anderson's later film Magnolia which I can't stand (I think his so-called masterpiece is an overrated, dirty rip off of Altman's Short Cuts). However, there's a dramatic heft to Hard Eight stemming largely from Philip Baker Hall's performance. He nails the role of Sydney, a worn out degenerate gambler secretly attempting to expiate his earlier crimes.

Anderson's directing talent does make certain scenes in this film shine. Too bad the best filmed scene comes at the very beginning.

Hard Eight