I had the misfortune of going to film school after Quentin Tarantino burst onto the film scene. Needless to say, by the end of my run, I was sick to death of every cinematic trope he made "cool". I'd had it up to HERE with lengthy dialogue about some small piece of pop culture, references to film eras I was not privy to, and badass violence for the sake of pure, badass violence.

I'd been hearing about his latest, Inglourious Basterds, for a long, long time. There had been rumors of Tarantino making a WWII-era film for the last 10 years or so. Was I excited to learn that it would finally see the light of day? Not even close. I was ready for that guy to disappear forever, especially after the ultimate self-indulgent flick Death Proof. Goodbye Tarantino, you had your fun.

Yet, I started hearing more and more positive buzz about Inglourious Basterds, and I was hearing it from people who shared the same anti-Tarantino sentiment as me. Needless to say, after absorbing enough of this hype, I marched in to see exactly what they were talking about...

And I really liked it! My life wasn't changed, but I think that expectation is just a smidge unrealistic for his movies. All of his tropes were there, but they actually served the story very well. And any moments that seemed cool for the sake of being cool actually served the story. See, that's where I come away with the most respect for this film: It was self-contained. His other films feel like elements of cinema from many different eras all mushed together. Yet, you can tell that this new concoction is made up of tiny little pieces. This flick, however, really blended all the inspirational elements (and there are many) to form something entirely his own. For once he seemed to really use his influences to take this film to a level all its own.

So please do check this one out if you're at all curious, if not only for its (truly) unforgettable climax. My mind ain't totally changed on this Tarantino fella, but as an independent work it's something I can really respect. Looks like the guy finally found a story that suits him just perfectly.

ME: So, guys, guess which film we're watching today!
GRAHAM: Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Innocence BWAHAHAHA--
ME: ????
TOM: From Dusk Till Dawn?
ME: Yep.
TOM: NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

The rest of the episode is all downhill from there. If you've been living under a rock your entire life, From Dusk Till Dawn is about two brothers on the run from the law who find more trouble than they bargain for at a seedy bar just beyond the Mexican border. Robert Rodriguez directs, and this week, Tom dissects!

Episode 22: Sex Machine FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1996) Director: Robert Rodriguez Cast: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel [podcast]http://media.libsyn.com/media/tccommentary/Ep22_SexMachine.mp3[/podcast]

I'm very polarized when it comes to Quentin Tarantino. Reservoir Dogs was stellar, Pulp Fiction was okay, Jackie Brown was a mess, and Kill Bill needed to be one god-damned movie. And Death Proof was perhaps the weakest half of that poorly released Grindhouse film. So now we've arrived to the newest film by Quentin Tarantino and I really don't care. The trailer is poorly done and the shot of Hitler at the end is laughable.

Who knows? Maybe this film will rock my cock when I go see it out of sheer curiosity. Based off this trailer, however, I'm guessing that won't be the case.

Ain't It Cool News reports that the shit-tacular trailer for Machete will be going forward as a feature film and will start filming in June. Aaaah! What the fuck, BRUCK?! Who cares?! If you know me, you'll know that I've grown insanely tired of the half-cocked ideas of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino as of late. This is no exception. I am not really interested in a movie based off of a trailer in a crappy attempt at a grindhouse session.

Yes. You heard me correctly. I think Grindhouse sucked, and not in that way where it was SUPPOSED to. Half of it was unwatchable (Tarantino's half) and the other half, while fun, was more gimmick than anything else. I come down hard on these two directors these days, but considering how they were a part of the indie film movement of the 90's and pretty much made Miramax a known entity, I feel like they could do better in this new generation of filmmaking.

Apparently, I'm wrong..

P.S. Don't really fucking care about Inglorious Basterds. Looks like tripe.