Topic: KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010

[Critter]

You aren't alone KC. Jon and I (and from memory, others as well) also love this film. It was close to my favourite film of 2009. I saw it twice in the cinema and got the collectors edition blu-ray the minute it was released.

[KinkyCyborg]

Tarantino is one of those directors who is going to have as many detractors as he does fans. While I loved this movie and Pulp Fiction his others were just ok which leads me to think he's a bit overrated.

[Jimmy]

he's a bit overrated.

It isn't the fact he is overated (wich of course he is), but the fact that he is incapable to do something original and stole other people works calling that hommage when he is caught. That pass with many cinema goers since most of them don't know the original materials he stole from, but since he stole from the movies I watch and like it doesn't work with me. What can I say for me a thief is a thief not a genius...

[Dragonfire]

Tarantino is one of those directors who is going to have as many detractors as he does fans. While I loved this movie and Pulp Fiction his others were just ok which leads me to think he's a bit overrated.

A bit overrated?  Umm no.  Vastly overrated is more like it.

I don't flat out hate him or anything, but I have yet to really be impressed by any of his movies I've seen.  I have been willing to give some of his movies a chance and I still might in the future, but I'm not going to worship at the alter of Tarantino and think that everything he does is wondrous because of his involvement.  Nothing he has done that I've seen has been that great and I don't feel all the praise people lavish on him is warranted.

I haven't seen all of his movies, but I've only sort of liked the Kill Bill movies and I haven't wanted to see them again.  Inglourious Basterds had a few moments, but it wasn't enough to make the movie bearable for me.  I don't know as much about him pulling stuff from other movies like Jimmy does, but I still don't care for his stories.   The stories are weak at the core because he spends too much time focused on the extreme, graphic violence with blood gushing everywhere every two minutes.

Ok..I'm done now.  I think.

[Achim]

I don't know as much about him pulling stuff from other movies like Jimmy does, but I still don't care for his stories.

That pulling from other films mainly comes from reservoir Dogs, where it it is painfully obvious he took more than a few cues from the Hong Kong film City on Fire. Supposedly, when asked about it at first, he tried to play it down or something (I don't know the details).

Later in his career he found out that that is one thing people like about his films. That he mixes and matches elements from other films tro create something knew, making it his own (not to be confused with "original"!) along the way. If you were to watch (which I am sure you won't ) watch the making of for Kill Bill, he himself points out a lot of the references he makes.

Obviously, as this forum so clearly shows time and again, people see this in two ways:
1. Quentin has no ideas and steals everywhere putting it together randomly. They hate him for that.
2. Quentin uses his sources to create something new, mixing genres and styles. They enjoy it for what it is.

I'll leave it at that, we will not agree here.

The stories are weak at the core because he spends too much time focused on the extreme, graphic violence with blood gushing everywhere every two minutes.

There is not much I can about your opinion. But, while blood gushing is certainly a big part in (some of) his films, but certainly not that much. But hey, you don't like him, that is fine by me.

You know, I almost think Jimmy doesn't like him either.

[Jimmy]

You know, I almost think Jimmy doesn't like him either.

The funny think is that I like True Romance and Natural Born Killers that he wrote but didn't direct.

[Dragonfire]

Like I said, I don't hate it.  But I haven't seen anything by him that I've really liked either.  Kill Bill 1 & 2 were ok..but once was enough for me.  And no, I don't think I'll watch the making of that one since I don't care to see the movie itself again.
The gushing blood has been a big part of his movies that I've seen..though like I said before, I haven't seen all of them.  Some of the stories have potential...but I don't think he met the potential.  It seems like he is more focused on violence than anything..again based on his movies that I've seen.  

I liked True Romance ok...but again, not one I want to see again.  I didn't care for Natural Born Killers.

[Critter]

I noticed you brought up 'gushing blood' a couple of times Marie but that never bothered me. In things like Inglourious Basterds there was some blood but limited, and it looked realistic and worked. In his films like Kill Bill however there was indeed blood gushing everywhere, but he never tried to take that seriously. The blood was a very bright, almost candy red and came out in torrents, I saw it as a comedy aspect more than anything as it was obviously not trying to be real blood.

[KinkyCyborg]

I didn't find excessive amounts of gushing blood in Basterds. There were a few very graphic scenes that come to mind... the up close 'scalping', the baseball to the head of the German soldier (they pan out after the first smack) and the branding of Landa at the end. Altogether those scenes likely didn't add up to more than 5 minutes of run time. The rest was mostly bullet riddled bodies and I've seen much worse in war films.

Kill Bill on the other hand, especially the first one did have the gushing blood in sustained scenes from countless severed heads and limbs and it's one of the reasons I wasn't so fond of the movie. Not that I'm squeamish or anything... it just seemed like Quentin was trying to over-compensate for something and ended up unnecessarily saturating the film with gore. IMDB is showing Kill Bill 3 in development so I guess we'll see if he continues that trend or not.

[Achim]

Especially the tea house scene was a reference to certain Japanese films, which tends to have the blood gushing in that style. His choice was not made to compensate for something but to emulate that style.

I did not respond to the blood comments as that can a rather subjective impression. While someone may find a certain film mild on gore, another person might feel it's over the top. Even Pulp Fiction has one rather graphic scene in it which might trigger a repulsed reaction for some.

[KinkyCyborg]

Especially the tea house scene was a reference to certain Japanese films, which tends to have the blood gushing in that style. His choice was not made to compensate for something but to emulate that style.

I did not respond to the blood comments as that can a rather subjective impression. While someone may find a certain film mild on gore, another person might feel it's over the top. Even Pulp Fiction has one rather graphic scene in it which might trigger a repulsed reaction for some.

Unfortunately I haven't seen many of the films or styles that he is trying to emulate or pay homage to otherwise I might pick up on that as well. Graphic or gory scenes do not bother me and if done well I give kudos. For me it just seems that excess is the problem. He achieves that shock or WOW factor with the initial scene of blood or gore but accomplishes nothing with constant, repetitive renderings of the same kind of scene, except perhaps he begins to dull the senses of the viewer. 

[Najemikon]

Good review of Basterds!  Look around this forum you will find some long debates on QT. He always generates discussion, I think we should make him an honorary member.

[KinkyCyborg]

Thanks!  Not trying to appease to one side of this debate or the other but I'm always happy when a review generates some lively discussion. 

[Antares]

Unfortunately I haven't seen many of the films or styles that he is trying to emulate or pay homage to otherwise I might pick up on that as well.

Over at the BPR forum we had a member who was a devout Tarantino fanboy. He and I would go back and forth over the value of the great plagiarist.

Then one day, in a post about Criterion DVD's and Godard he posted this...

I just read the accompanying booklet, which reaffirmed and added to my respect for this movie. Seriously, at this point, Tarantino can suck it. I still love him for Kill Bill, but Godard can make a movie about movies without a hint of self reference or irony.

To which I replied this...

Seriously, at this point, Tarantino can suck it.

Do I believe my eyes!!!        

His reply...

I'm glad someone finally commented on that.

Kill Bill is still one of my favorite movies, but his other works are so... unextraordinary when put up next to the movies he emulates. Seeing a Tarantino movie as a person new to real cinema is amazing. But they still don't hold a candle to the originals.

I will still see, enjoy and buy on blu-ray any movies he makes. I still enjoy them immensely, however, I am much less inclined to defend him as a legitimate auteur at this point.

Back to me...

Seeing a Tarantino movie as a person new to real cinema is amazing. But they still don't hold a candle to the originals.

Now you're beginning to see the light!

This has been my argument for years. Once you see the films he's ripped off, you realize that he's all style and no substance.

And finally from him...

Seeing a Tarantino movie as a person new to real cinema is amazing. But they still don't hold a candle to the originals.

Now you're beginning to see the light!

This has been my argument for years. Once you see the films he's ripped off, you realize that he's all style and no substance.

Every fanboy bone in my body aches right now, but I have to agree.   

Someday, KC when you start to see some of the films he's plagiarizing, you too will probably have the same kind of epiphany.

[KinkyCyborg]

Someday, KC when you start to see some of the films he's plagiarizing, you too will probably have the same kind of epiphany.

You could very well be right.    Still, I'd like to think I can go into watching a movie without any pre-conceived notions or formed opinions from past history. I've done that with certain actors/actresses and then been pleasantly surprised by a performance that I was in no way expecting. As far as QT goes, as long as he chooses to be controversial in his films and his method he'll always be a hot-button topic of discussion.... which I'm sure is exactly what he wants. What better way to promote your next film than by having thousands, millions of people speculating on boards like these... 'What's he gonna do next?'

Hype is the golden elixir for film makers these days.  That's really a shame too because success is now often measured by box office revenues rather than the relative merits of the film itself.