Oscar Watch

Norc wrote:John Travolta scoping out his next victim... 

Travoltify your name.

Reservoir Dogs is the only one of his films I rate.
I thought Pulp Fiction was stylish, but I had seen many years ago probably the same old film that Tarentino saw and nicked the style of meshing stories from, so that aspect never wowed me at all, I just spent the whole film trying to remember the name of the original I'd seen (still cant remember what it was called   ).

Yeah, Pulp Fiction is likely highly derivative but the beauty is that Tarantino doesn't deny it, as seen by the title itself. It's basically his homage to the genre.

All of Tarantino's films are highly derivative, but that doesn't detract from that in the slightest (in my opinion).

I dont mind them being derivative, or being pulp fiction made into film, its the fact he is set up as an untouchable Genius of cool, when all he has done is to tap into some pretty banal tropes. Also he seems to be responsible for kick-ass babes, and for that alone he needs a slap.

Yeah, he is kind of a self-important prick.

A self-important prick who's made great movies

stylish certainly, but look closely and its all smoke and mirrors.

I really dig PF, I must say. I don't feel as strongly about his other films (unless it's to hate DU) but I really enjoy the hell out of PF.

QT has written and directed some great stand-alone scenes. Sure they're derivative but they're still great.  Sergio Leone was stealing everything he could get his hands on, so it's fair game for Tarantino as far as I'm concerned. The trouble is, he usually packs these gem-like scenes together haphazardly and fills the spaces between with utter crap.  If only he had a good editor to collaborate with! 

Mrs Figg wrote:I dont mind them being derivative, or being pulp fiction made into film, its the fact he is set up as an untouchable Genius of cool, when all he has done is to tap into some pretty banal tropes. Also he seems to be responsible for kick-ass babes, and for that alone he needs a slap.

Overzealous fanboy evangelists can make me get sick of anything, which is why I try to put a limit on how much gushing praise of an artist I listen to even if I really like them. But I do think that Tarantino is a really talented director and puts more substance in his films than he's often given credit for. Although then he goes and makes Kill Bill or Death Proof and undermines that last sentence, so meh.

And I think Joss Whedon deserves more credit/blame for the "kick ass babe" trope, but I could be wrong.

David H wrote:QT has written and directed some great stand-alone scenes. Sure they're derivative but they're still great.  Sergio Leone was stealing everything he could get his hands on, so it's fair game for Tarantino as far as I'm concerned. The trouble is, he usually packs these gem-like scenes together haphazardly and fills the spaces between with utter crap.  If only he had a good editor to collaborate with! 

For what it's worth, I think most of his films are very well edited, and one of my biggest problems with Django Unchained was how flabby it felt, likely because it was his first film without the late Sally Menke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Menke

OK, I'll give Sally some credit, and also some blame.  You mentioned Kill Bill, and I think that's a perfect example.  There are some brilliant scenes with both style and heart, but  a better story-teller could have told the story in one film by tightening it up.  
I seem to recall that Tarantino had originally planned K B as one film, but then pulled a PJ when he couldn't figure out how to fit all his crazy visions into it. That's exactly what a good consulting editor is for. Sally clearly failed to rein him in when he needed it most.

I definitely agree about Kill Bill.  It has some nice moments (mostly in the second half) but it does not come together at all.  I agree it would have been much better as one film and it's a shame that no one convinced QT not to split it.

Tarantino's first three films, though, I think are very taut despite their length (especially Pulp Fiction's). I also love Inglourious Basterds though I can see where people are coming from on that.

If he could only have put some restraint on himself Kill Bill would be wonderful movies - now they're movies consisting of great scenes drowned in blood. Inglorious Basterds is a film I haven't watched in ages - might be time to dig it up again. Is it on Netflix (thanks to hola unblocker it doesn't matter in which country )?

Buffy defo started the kick ass babe thing, its a shame all those who copied Whedon didnt have his wit and irony.

The blaxploitation and sexploitation films of the 70's had a lot of ass-kicking babes.

very good  

 

 the music was icing on the cake

Radaghast wrote:I really dig PF, I must say. I don't feel as strongly about his other films (unless it's to hate DU) but I really enjoy the hell out of PF.

Why the hatred for Django Unchained? Hitting some themes a bit too obviously? I thought the parts with the german doctor/hit man were brilliant, but I agree the slavery themes were a bit heavy handed, lacking in either wit or artistry. But I'd gladly watch it for the good parts.

In opposition, I need to see 12 Years a Slave. Couldn't bring myself to watch it when it first came out (too searing), but the bits that have been shown coming up to the Oscars have been so beautiful I think it will carry me through the dark parts.

Mrs Figg wrote:Buffy defo started the kick ass babe thing, its a shame all those who copied Whedon didnt have his wit and irony.

Before there was Buffy, there was Emma.         

Ya' know, about 10 years ago having heard all the hype about the upcoming Avengers movie (which flopped), my room mate and I rented some of the old Avengers.

I have to say, we weren't at all impressed.  The word 'lame' was bandied about.  Buffy could kick Emma all around the room without breaking a sweat, and it wouldn't feel like she was pretending to be cool about it. Emma and what's his face just felt like a put-on.

If anything the reason the Avengers movie flopped is that Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman too closely mimicked the originals.

Let the brickbats fly.