Knock Knock

Based on the film Death Game by Peter S. Traynor and screenplay by Jo Heims, Anthony Overman, and Michael Ronald Ross, Knock Knock is the story of a man who invites two women to his house on a rainy night where things go wrong as he becomes a hostage in their own game. Directed by Eli Roth and screenplay by Roth, Guillermo Amoedo, and Nicolas Lopez, the film is a home invasion film of sorts where a married man tries to be a Good Samaritan in helping two young women only to be seduced and tortured by them. Starring Keanu Reeves, Ana de Armas, and Lorenza Izzo. Knock Knock is a wild and intense film from Eli Roth.

It is Father’s Day weekend as a man is staying home to finish work as an architect when two young women arrive on his doorstep on a rainy night asking for shelter and things don’t just go wrong but also get really fucked up. That is pretty much the premise of the film itself as it all takes place in the course of an entire weekend where a man stays home while his wife and two kids go out to a beach house for the weekend. The film’s screenplay by Eli Roth, Guillermo Amoedo, and Nicolas Lopez follows the life of this architect in Evan Webber (Keanu Reeves) who is happily married to artist Karen Alvarado (Ignacia Allamand) with two kids as they’re out at the beach. During a night where he’s trying to finish his work, he hears a knock on the door as these two young women in Genesis (Lorenza Izzo) and Bel (Ana de Armas) who are asking for directions and information for a place where there’s a party. Evan would let the two in thinking they would get in and get out but things become troublesome and he gets more than he bargains for during the course of this weekend where he’s accused of pedophilia and all sorts of shit.

Roth’s direction does have style as it is set largely at the house as it play into a world that feels quaint and intimate as it is set entirely in Los Angeles though it is actually shot on location in Santiago de Chile. While there are a few wide shots of the film including a look into where Evan lives with his family, much of the action takes place at the house where Roth would use some unique tracking shots to capture scale of the homes including the hallways. The usage of close-ups and medium shots would play into many of the interiors at the home with a few wide shots of scenes outside of the house including a scene of Evan talking to his wife while Genesis and Bel flash their breasts at him and mimic oral sex as a way to distract him. It does have a sense of humor yet it would take a darker turn during the second half after Evan tried to get the two girls out of his house. Notably in the way he gets tortured physically and mentally as it is clear that these two young women aren’t some jilted women who felt unappreciated for giving this man a good time. Instead, they’re crazy bitches that like to have fun and make men show their dark side whether they want to admit it or not. Overall, Roth crafts a gripping yet witty film about a man who invites two beautiful women into his home only to get himself into some serious shit.

Cinematographer Antonio Quercia does excellent work with the film’s cinematography in the way the daytime exteriors looked through the colors of the grass as well as the usage of lights for the scenes set at night. Editor Diego Macho does brilliant work with the editing with the usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense as well as a stylish montage for the film’s sex scene. Production designer Mariachi Palacios and art director Fernando Ale does amazing work with the look of the house including the sculptures and art work that Karen has made. Costume designer Elisa Hormazabal does fantastic work with the youthful and skimpy clothing that Genesis and Bel wear.

Visual effects supervisor Rodrigo Rojas Echaiz does some nice work with the visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing for some of the exteriors to make the location look like it’s in Los Angeles. The sound work of Mauricio Lopez and Mauricio Molina do superb work with the sound in the way music is presented and then cut off as well as the scenes inside the house. The film’s music by Manuel Riveiro is wonderful for its low-key orchestral score that play into the suspense and terror while music supervisor Sokio provides a cool soundtrack that features music from KISS and Pixies as well as some obscure world music that Evan owns.

The casting by Sheila Jaffe is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Dan and Megan Baily as Evan and Karen’s children, cinematographer Antonio Quercia as an Uber driver, Colleen Camp as a masseuse who arrives unexpectedly and sees something is off, Aaron Burns as Karen and Evan’s assistant Louis, and Ignacia Allamand as Evan’s artist wife Karen. Ana de Armas is brilliant as Bel as the blonde Spaniard who is very energetic and kinky as she claims to be underage as she is also the most sexual of the two women. Lorenza Izzo is amazing as Genesis as the most cunning of the two women as well as someone who says some funny stuff as well as be this air of charisma in the way she pretends to be a game show host to torment Evan. Finally, there’s Keanu Reeves in an incredible performance as Evan Webber as a good-hearted family man who finds himself in a dangerous and deadly situation when his generosity gets the best of him as he is seduced by two women and then be blackmailed and all sorts of things where it’s Reeves displaying some humility and anguish in a man who shouldn’t have opened the door to strangers.

Knock Knock is a remarkable film from Eli Roth that features top-notch performances from Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, and Ana de Armas. Along with its ensemble cast, simple premise, and unwillingness to take itself seriously, it’s a home invasion film that manages to be intense but also have these offbeat moments of humor. In the end, Knock Knock is a marvelous film from Eli Roth.

Eli Roth Films: (Cabin Fever) – (Hostel) – (Hostel: Part II) – Grindhouse-Thanksgiving - The Green Inferno - (Death Wish (2018 film)) – (The House with a Clock in Its Walls)

© thevoid99 2017

The Green Inferno

Directed by Eli Roth and screenplay by Roth and Guillermo Amoedo from a story by Roth, The Green Inferno is the story of young activists who travel to South America where they encounter cannibals as they fight to survive. The film is about the dangers of the unknown as well as the dark encounter with cannibalistic tribes in the middle of South America. Starring Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Sky Ferreira, Magda Apanowicz, Nicolas Martinez, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Ramon Llao, and Richard Burgi. The Green Inferno is a grimy and unsettling film from Eli Roth.

What happens when a bunch of college student activists try to save the rainforest where their plane crash land in the middle of the Amazon rainforest where they encounter a tribe of hungry cannibals? That is pretty much what the film is about as it play into not just the fallacy of activism but also the situations young people would put themselves all because they want to change the world. Yet, they’re unaware that some things will never change as well as the fact that the civilization they encounter are those that aren’t willing to change but also are people who don’t want to be a part of modern society as they consider the outside world as enemies but most of all, food. The film’s screenplay by Eli Roth and Guillermo Amoedo does have a structure as well as some commentary about not just some of the flaws of activism but also its cynical aspects where it plays into a world that is actually more complicated.

At the heart of the script is its protagonist Justine (Lorenza Izzo) as this college freshman who notices a lot of activism in her school as she has a crush on an older activist in Alejandro (Ariel Levy) who is passionate about what he does. The first act is about Justine becoming an activist and traveling to Peru with a bunch of people to stop bulldozers from destroying the rainforest where they succeed. The second act is about the plane crash and their encounter with the cannibalistic tribe as Justine is seen as some form of a sacrifice due to a discovery a village elder made. At the same time, Justin, Alejandro, and other survivors of the crash not only cope with the situation but also make a bigger discovery about what they were really doing as it showcases a lot of cynicism into activism. The third act is about the need to survive but also what some are willing to do to get help or to save themselves.

Roth’s direction is definitely unsettling not just for its violence but also for the fact that it involves cannibals where they enjoy eating people. While some of the events in the first act and its ending are shot in New York City and the campus of Columbia University. The rest of the film is shot in the Peruvian area of the Amazon with some of it shot in Chile as it play into this world that is quite chaotic where the world of civilization is normal but in the rainforests where things are troubling as there’s bulldozers and such trying to destroy the thing. Roth’s usage of wide and medium shots play into the locations while he would use the latter along with close-ups for some of the intimate moments including the plane crash sequence and some of the chilling moments during the abduction by the cannibalistic tribe. The element of gore is definitely extreme yet there is also an air of dark humor into the film as it relates to the first victim as well as what some do to survive.

There is also a hilarious moment where a character would put weed in a dead body to see what would happen when the characters cook that body and eat it. It is funny but it also some serious consequence as Roth isn’t afraid to make things uncomfortable with its dark humor as well as play with the many conventions and tropes expected in a horror film. Though its conclusion is a bit of a let-down in terms of what a character had experienced, it does at least doesn’t deter too much from the horror that the survivor had encountered. Overall, Roth creates a chilling yet lively film about student activists getting captured by cannibals in the Amazon.

Cinematographer Ernesto Diaz Espinoza does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting to capture the beauty of the locations as well as some of the scenes set at night set in New York City. Editor Antonio Querica does excellent work with the editing as it is stylish with some jump-cuts as well as play into the suspense without deviating too much into fast-cuts to build it up. Production designer Mariachi Palacios, along with art directors Fernando Ale and Nicholas Tong and set decorator Armann Ortega, does fantastic work with the look of the home of the tribes as well as some of the places in New York City. Costume designers Elisa Hormazabal and Karma K. Royz do nice work with the design of the tribal clothes as well as the casual look of the students.

The special makeup effects by Ozzy Alvarez, Howard Berger, and Greg Nicotero is amazing for not just the look of tribe but also in the look of the gore and the body parts that is used as food. Visual effects supervisor Rodrigo Rojas Echaiz is terrific for some of the minimal visual effects for the plane crash sequence as well as a scary scene involving ants. The sound work of Dennis Haggerty, Mauricio Molina, and Martin Seltzer is superb for not just the way some body parts sound when they‘re beaten but also in some of the chaotic moments in the locations. The film’s music by Manuel Riviero is wonderful for its orchestral-based score with its element of bombast for the horror while music supervisor Sokio create a soundtrack that feature a mixture of Latin music and contemporary American music.

The casting by Dominika Posseren and Kelly Wagner do marvelous work with the casting as it include some notable small roles from Matias Lopez as a drug dealer who would aid the activists in the protest, Richard Burgi as Justine’s father Charles, Ignacia Allamand as Alejandro’s girlfriend Kara, Ramon Llao as the bald headhunter who is kind of the war leader for the tribe, and Antonieta Pari as the elder chief who has this mystical presence that is just fun to watch. Aaron Burns is terrific as Jonah as a kind-hearted student who would invite Justine to the group while Nicolas Martinez is superb as Daniel as an activist who would be one of the few to make an escape and help out Justine. Magda Apanowicz and Kirby Bliss Blanton are fantastic in their respective roles as the lesbian couple in the athletic Samantha and the vegan Amy as two women who become frightened by their captivity. Sky Ferreira is wonderful as Kaycee as Justine’s roommate who is a total cynical bitch that is very dismissive of activism as she has some valid points where she ends up being the smart one by not going on the trip.

Daryl Sabara is excellent as Lars as the stoner of the group as he is someone that wants to do something but also have fun as he also gets scared while having a plan that would distract the tribe as he is the film’s comic relief. Ariel Levy is brilliant as Alejandro as this passionate activist that is hoping to make a major difference yet there is something about him that is quite complex into the dark realities of the real world as he is also the biggest fucking asshole anyone will ever meet. Finally, there’s Lorenza Izzo in an amazing performance as Justine as a college freshman who goes into the world of activism hoping to make a difference, as well as have a thing for Alejandro, only to endure the most hellish experience of her life where she also becomes a figure of sacrifice for the tribe.

The Green Inferno is a marvelous film from Eli Roth. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, and some unsettling mixture of gore and terror, it’s a horror film that definitely does whatever it takes to be uncomfortable as well as be entertaining. In the end, The Green Inferno is a remarkable film from Eli Roth.

Eli Roth Films: (Cabin Fever) - (Hostel) - (Hostel: Part II) - Grindhouse-Thanksgiving - Knock Knock - (Death Wish (2018 film)) - (The House with a Clock in Its Walls)

© thevoid99 2016

Grindhouse

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/9/07 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

From the minds of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, Grindhouse is an ambitious double-feature that celebrates sensational exploitation movies of the 1970s that were shown in drive-ins that blended all sorts of genres from zombie movies, biker films, horror, and all sorts of stuff. Both Tarantino and Rodriguez contribute their own features for this project that also includes fake trailers from Rodriguez, Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and Edgar Wright. From Robert Rodriguez is Planet Terror about a doctor, a one-legged stripper, a hitman, and several others fighting zombies in their small Texan town. From Quentin Tarantino is Death Proof about an aging stunt car driver stalking and killing women for his own pleasure only to find himself dealing with the wrong group of women.

With an all-star cast that includes Kurt Russell, Bruce Willis, Michael Biehn, Rose McGowan, Marley Shelton, Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews, Rosario Dawson, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Danny Trejo, Nicky Katt, Tom Savini, Michael Parks, Jeff Fahey, Tracie Thoms, Zoe Bell, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Jordan Ladd, Vanessa Ferlito, and Eli Roth. Grindhouse is one hell of a motherfucking movie that will fuck the shit out of everyone who loves good ol' 70s exploitation.

Planet Terror

Go-go dancer Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) meets her ex-boyfriend Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) at a barbeque shack as he asks her to give him back his jacket. Meanwhile at an army base, a scientist named Abby (Naveen Andrews) is trying to create a cure for an infection that is carried by Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis) and his troops as it starts to spread. At another part of town, Dr. Dakota McGraw Block (Marley Shelton) is hoping to leave her husband Dr. William Block (Josh Brolin) to be with her girlfriend Tammy (Stacey Ferguson) only for something to go wrong when zombies start to emerge where Cherry had her right leg torn off. Wray takes Cherry to the hospital where Sheriff Hague (Michael Biehn) questions Wray and has him arrested while Dr. Block notices an infection on a patient (Nicky Katt) is spreading. Suddenly, the infection starts to spread on people as Hauge and his troopers try to escape where they go to the barbeque shack owned by Hague's brother J.T. (Jeff Fahey) for safety.

After Dr. Block doses Dakota with her drugs to make her joints limp as he knows about the affair, Dakota escapes with her son Tony (Rebel Rodriguez) as she seeks help from her father Earl McGraw (Michael Parks) for help as they evade all of the zombies going to J.T.'s barbeque shack. With the survivors at the shack, they all try to escape only to be captured by Lt. Muldoon and his troops for quarantine. With Abby also there as well as he knows how to make the antidote, Wray learns about the infection as he and Abby make an escape as does Cherry and Dakota where the former gets a machine gun as a new leg as the whole gagn fights the zombies.

Death Proof

New Yorker Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito) arrives to Austin to party with Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and local DJ Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) as they go to a bar. They party with a few locals as watching them is an old childhood enemy of Julia's in Pam (Rose McGowan) as she finds herself sitting next to a man named Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell). Mike offers a ride as he looks at the rest of the women partying in the bar as he approaches Arlene for a lapdance as he heard from Julia's program that Arlene is giving free lapdances. After the party, the women leave while Pam rides in Mike's black 1971 Chevy Nova SS which he used for his stuntwork as the ride turns out more than what Pam bargained for. After a horrific crash that Mike survived as he's been cleared of all charges by Earl McGraw and his son Edgar (James Parks), Mike moves to Tennessee. Mike decides to stalk another group of women in a makeup artist named Abernathy (Rosario Dawson), young actress Lee Montgomery (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and two stuntwomen in Kim (Tracie Thoms) and Zoe (Zoe Bell) as they're taking a break from making a film.

While they gossip on men and such, Zoe revealed she's found a 1970 white Dodge Challenger, which is the same car from the 1970s cult film Vanishing Point, in Tennessee as Zoe wants to take it out for a test drive and play a stunt game with Kim. Abernathy convinces the car's seller Jasper (Jonathan Loughran) to lend the car in exchange for some time with a sleepy Lee as Abernathy joins Kim and Zoe for the stunt game which was interrupted by Mike in his 1969 Dodge Charger Death Proof car. What Mike doesn't know is that he has fucked with the wrong group of ladies.

Trailers:

Directed by Robert Rodriguez, Machete stars Danny Trejo in the title role as a Mexican hitman who is hired to kill a politician only to be set up by a crime boss (Jeff Fahey). Machete decides to get revenge with help from a priest (Cheech Marin) as the boss realizes he messed with the wrong men. Directed by Rob Zombie, Werewolf Women of the S.S. is a World War II film about a group of Nazi scientists trying to create an army of superwomen when everything goes wrong. Starring Udo Kier, Sheri Moon Zombie, Sybil Danning, Bill Mosley, and Nicolas Cage hamming it up as Fu Manchu. Directed by Edgar Wright, Don't is a British horror film of the 1970s starring Jason Issacs, Matthew McFayden, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Emily Booth, and Stuart Wilson about a haunted house that scares everyone. Finally, there’s Eli Roth's Thanksgiving with Jordan Ladd, Michael Biehn, and Jay Hernandez about a cannibal plot to kill people for a cannibal Thanksgiving. All of these films will be coming soon.

Since this is a tribute to the grindhouse movies of the 1970s, one would think that a movie like Grindhouse would have something profound to say to its audience. Naaaahh... In many ways, Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror is essentially an old-school zombie movie with loads of references to John Carpenter with its cheesy, synthesizer music in some parts to its campy dialogue. Even the character of El Wray is a caricature of the heroes Kurt Russell played in his work with John Carpenter. Overall, Planet Terror never bores its audience with its suspense, action, and sexual innuendo. It just plays it straight with its array of gore, machine guns, explosions, everything. It works overall. Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof is a part tribute to slasher films as well as car chase films of the 1970s, notably Vanishing Point. Now some audiences might be put off in some of the film's heavy, dialogue-driven conversations that comes in between the action sequences. Yet, those who know Tarantino is fully aware that his knack for fun dialogue is always done in great fun and are a joy to listen to.

The cinematic style of both films feature broken, scratchy film work that is done intentionally along with messed up sounds, dubs, and whatnot. Even in both films, there's scenes that are missing yet, I'm sure both directors will put them on the DVD. Both directors really just go for hard knocks in their style. Though Rodriguez did use visual effects for McGowan's leg and for some of the stunt work. Tarantino is more traditional in just using real stunts and real cars. Both Kurt Russell and Tracie Thoms drive the cars they are using in their battle. In truth, both directors plus Eli Roth, Rob Zombie, and Edgar Wright know what to expect from their audience. Nothing really overly intellectual. Something that everyone can enjoy. You want laughs. You got it. You want mindless sex and violence. That's there. You want cool stunts, gore, and everything you need in a fucking good motherfucking movie Then you fucking it Why? BECAUSE THIS IS MOTHERFUCKING GRINDHOUSE BITCH!!!!!

Both Tarantino and Rodriguez do their own cinematography where Tarantino's exterior shots are very wide open to convey the sunny side of Tennessee and Austin while the interior sequences are wonderfully colorful. Rodriguez's photography is more stylized with its darker colors to add to the film's genre style. Tarantino's longtime editor Sally Menke plays up to the film's unique energy in the car sequences while slowing it down for the conversation sequences with its longshots. Rodriguez and co-editor Ethan Maniquis also brings energy and style to the more fast-paced Planet Terror with some great and intentionally messy editing. Set decorator Jeanette Scott does some wonderful work in utilizing the locations while creating fantastic sets for both films. Costume designer Nina Proctor also does excellent work in creating the diverse costumes for the characters.

Visual effects supervisor Ryan Tuphole does some great work in creating some of the digital effects for the Planet Terror segment while makeup artists Rob Hinderton, Meredith Johns, and Darylin Nagy do great work on the gory look of the zombies. Sound designers Paula Fairfield and Carl Murray add to the film's tense, energetic atmosphere with some great sound work. For the score of Planet Terror, the film is dominated by snarling saxophone and guitar work from Robert Rodriguez along with cheesy, John Carpenter-like score music along with Graeme Revell's traditional, orchestral score. The music in Quentin Tarantino's is more of a soundtrack featuring 60s and 70s rock music plus a cut from legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone.

Finally, there's the cast and what a hell of a cast. Featuring fun cameos from Tarantino (in both segments), Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, Sheri Moon Zombie, Sybil Danning, Udo Kier, Jason Issacs, Jay Hernandez, Eli Roth (also in the Death Proof segment), and Nicolas Cage in the trailers are fun to watch. From the Planet Terror segment, the small appearances from legendary horror film icon Tom Savini, El Mariachi's Carlos Gallardo, singer Stacy Ferguson, Julio Oscar Mechoso as Romey, Nicky Katt, and Michael Parks (also in Death Proof with son James) are a lot of fun to watch. Playing the Crazy Babysitter Twins (who also appear in Death Proof) are Electra and Elise Allevan (Rodriguez's nieces) are fun to watch along with Rodriguez's son Rebel as the Block's son. Bruce Willis makes a great appearance as Lt. Muldoon who reveals what he's done for his country. Lost's Naveen Andrews is great as the scientist Abby who carries a mean knife. Noted character actors Jeff Fahey and Michael Biehn give two of some of the best performances as brothers fighting zombies with Fahey as a cook and Biehn as a sheriff. The two have great one liners and even make appearances in different trailers, they deserve more work.

Josh Brolin is wonderful as the villainous Dr. Block who later becomes a zombie wanting to kill his wife for her affairs. Marley Shelton is fun and sexy as the syringe-shooting Dakota Block who is one woman not to be messed with. In a role that is definitely inspired by Kurt Russell, Freddy Rodriguez gives a star-making performance as El Wray. Rodriguez steals nearly every scene he's in whether he's doing back flips, twirling guns, or anything. Rodriguez is the man!!! Finally, there's Rose McGowan returning to the cinema after a few years on TV for Charmed. McGowan is great and sexy as the back-talking, funny Cherry Darling who loses her leg and tries to find her way to fight back. Then when she gets that machine gun as a new leg, she really owns the film. It's a great, comeback performance from Rose McGowan who also does great work as Pam in the Death Proof segment.

In Death Proof, the small appearances from Michael Bacall, Monica Staggs, and Jonathan Loughran from Kill Bill are fun to watch. Jordan Ladd is great as the partying Shanna, Vanessa Ferlito as the New Yorker Arlene, and Sydney Tamiia Poitier is fun as the bitchy Jungle Julia. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is good and cute as the cheerleading-wearing actress Lee who is the naive group of the bunch with Dawson, Bell, and Thoms who doesn't understand about the films of the past. Tracie Thoms is a lot of fun as the car-driving Kim with real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell is fun as herself. Rosario Dawson is great as the cautious turned angry Abernathy who uses her charm and wit to get the car.

Finally, there's Kurt Russell in what has to be an Oscar-worthy performance as Stuntman Mike. Russell starts off being laid back and cool but once he's in that car, he's a total badaass. Wait, there's two more characters cannot be missed. The cars. Playing Death Proof are the 1971 Chevy Nova SS and the 1969 Dodge Charger where as one, they're both badass looking cars that can destroy anyone. The other car, making his comeback after a 35-year sabbatical is the old-school 1970 white Dodge Challenger from the cult film Vanishing Point. That's a fucking beauty.

Grindhouse is a one absolutely enjoyable and adventurous double-feature from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. With two amazing movies and some great faux trailers from Rodriguez, Rob Zombie, Edgar Wright, and Eli Roth, it's a film that really captures the glory and excitement of the Grindhouse movies. It has something for everyone. Tits, ass, cars, gore, zombies, fights, explosions, guns, good food, and lots of unadulterated violence!!!! In the end, Grindhouse is an experience that will give audiences one hell of a fucking time.

Quentin Tarantino Films: Reservoir Dogs - Pulp Fiction - Four Rooms: The Man from Hollywood - Jackie Brown - Kill Bill - Inglourious Basterds - Django Unchained - The Hateful Eight - Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Related: The Auteurs #17: Quentin Tarantino - Growing Up with Quentin Tarantino

Robert Rodriguez Films: (El Mariachi) - (Roadracers) - (Desperado) - Four Rooms: The Misbehaviors - From Dusk Till Dawn - (The Faculty) - (Spy Kids) - (Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams) - (Spy Kids 3D: Game Over) - (Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - Sin City - (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D) - (Shorts) - (Machete) - (Spy Kids: All the Time in the World) - (Machete Kills) - (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For)

© thevoid99 2012

LAMB Movie of the Month: Inglourious Basterds

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/23/09 w/ Additional Edits.

Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds is a World War II film that tells two different stories revolving around a sinister SS colonel known as the Jew Hunter. In one storyline, a group of Jewish-American soldiers go on a mission to take down Nazis with the help of a German actress and British/French officers. Another story involves a Jewish woman seeking revenge for the death of her family under the hands of the Jew Hunter. An ambitious film that is partially inspired by Spaghetti Westerns and World War II films. The film features an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Bruhl, Mike Myers, B.J. Novak, Samm Levine, Rod Taylor, and longtime Tarantino associate Samuel L. Jackson. Inglourious Basterds is a fun, lively, entertaining, and thrilling revisionist war film from Quentin Tarantino.

It's 1941 in France as a German Colonel named Hans Landa aka the Jew Hunter (Christoph Waltz) arrives onto the home of a local diary farmer named Pierre LaPadite (Denis Menochet) as Landa interrogates the diary man. Landa is trying to find a Jewish family hiding somewhere where he charms LaPadite about milk and comparing Jews to rats. Landa through his charming ways and in English, gets LaPadite to reveal the whereabouts about the family where he succeeds in nearly killing a whole family with the exception of a surviving Jewish woman named Shoshana Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent). Three years later in 1944, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) is leading a small platoon of Jewish-American soldiers including Staff Sergeant Donny Donowitz aka the Bear Jew (Eli Roth), Wilhelm Wicki (Gedeon Burkhard), Smithson Uvitch aka the Little Man (B.J. Novak), Omar Ulmer (Omar Doom), Michael Zimmerman (Michael Bacall), and Gerold Hischberg (Samm Levine). Raine wants 100 Nazi scalps from each of his troops as debts paid.

After attaining the service of a psychopathic German soldier named Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger) as part of the Basterds crew, the Basterds manage to succeed in killing several Nazis including an officer named Werner Rachtman (Richard Sammel) after being beaten by Donowitz's baseball bat. A surviving soldier tells all of this to Adolf Hitler (Martin Wuttke) about what the Basterds have done. In France, Shoshana has renamed herself as Emmanuelle Mimieux where she runs a local cinema in Paris as she comes across a young German soldier named Frederick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl). Zoller pursues her wanting to discuss films with her as he is starring in a film by Dr. Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth). Mimieux reluctantly meets with Goebbels, his assistant (Julie Dreyfus), and later the security officer who is none other than Col. Landa.

Mimieux decides to plot revenge against Landa and the Germans by holding a private screening for German officers and officials where the cinema would burn through nitrate film with help from her lover Marcel (Jacky Ido). Meanwhile in Britain around the same time, a dispatch officer named Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) is called upon by his superior General Ed Fenech (Mike Myers) about a rendezvous with a spy in German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Krueger) at a tavern where he will meet with the Basterds team. Hicox arrives to the small town of Nadine to meet with the Basterds but a party involving a German staff sergeant (Alexander Fehling) who is celebrating the birth of his newborn son. Hicox and Stiglitz arrive to the party pretending to be Nazi officers where Hicox's German accent seemed odd to the sergeant and an SS officer (August Diehl). Things seem to go well until something goes wrong as plans for what to do next has been altered. With the Basterds now having to take control, they make a plan to assassinate Hitler, Goebbels, and other top Nazi officials at the movie theater while Shoshana has her own plans to kill the Nazis as everything comes to ahead in one entire night.

World War II films often deal with some kind of historical context and artifacts that relates to a certain event and battle that happens in that historic war. It is often considered to be the last great war that was fought with honor and something to fight for. For Quentin Tarantino who is an avid film buff, his longtime dream to make his own World War II film was something that he's been doing for many years. Though he nabbed the title from a 1978 Italian B-movie by Enzo Castellari with some alterations, it's a film that is a part homage to that war film but also a homage to the genres that Tarantino loved. War films, Spaghetti westerns, French New Wave, and German cinema. Really, this film is a re-imagining of the World War II from Tarantino's own, unique, style of witty dialogue, quirky humor, and gratuitous violence.

Does Tarantino succeed with this approach? Most definitely, especially with the structure of the script which is told in five chapters. The first chapter is entitled Once Upon a Time in Occupied France about Landa's reputation as the Jew Hunter, chapter two is about the Basterds, and chapter three is about Shoshana's plot for revenge. Then the film moves into more intense, psychological action scenes involving the plot to kill Hitler and the climatic event in which the Basterds take control. Amidst all of this are three central characters that drive the story. The first is Shoshana Dreyfus, a woman who survived the massacre of her own family by Colonel Landa as she had reinvented herself as a cinema owner in hopes to avenge the death of her family in the hands of the Nazis.

The second and most interesting of all of the characters in the film is Colonel Landa. Now a villain is certainly a character that audiences want to hate but Landa is a character that exudes charm and wit where audiences can't help but kind of like the guy. He speaks multiple languages fluently, he can be very witty, and play it cool. He's the villain that you kind of want to hang out with, drink milk, and have a smoke with in hopes that he doesn't have you killed. Finally, there's Aldo Raine who is clearly the comic relief of the film he's part Apache with a huge knife while sporting a Southern accent who clearly wants to kill every Nazi out there.

Tarantino's witty dialogue, which featured additional translation in German by renowned German director Tom Tykwer, along with a tight story structure and memorable characters shows Tarantino's strength as a writer. As a director, Tarantino manages to create memorable scenes and compositions that are truly exhilarating to watch. From the high-octane scenes of gunfights and massacres to the intense close-ups of characters in long yet eerie dramatic scenes. Notably the meeting with Landa and LaPadite, Tarantino knows how to bring dramatic tension as well as a suspense that builds up to what will happen. In scenes of humor, Tarantino makes it playful and fun as he clearly lets the actor have some fun with the performances. Overall, this film shows that Quentin Tarantino isn't at the top of his game. He clearly reveals that he is among one of the best American film auteurs out there.

Cinematographer Robert Richardson does an incredible job with the photography from the majestic, broad look of the cinema that Shoshana runs to the eerie, intimate setting in the tavern scene. Richardson's work is phenomenal as he keeps the camera moving with nice movements in scenes following the characters as well as the exteriors in the forests in France. Tarantino's longtime editor Sally Menke does some excellent work in the editing from the rhythmic cutting of the action scenes to the slow but methodical pacing of the dramatic sequences. Menke's editing works in providing a sense of rhythm and structure to the chapter breaks where for a film of over two-and-a-half hours. She succeed in making the film feel shorter while wishing it would be longer.

Longtime Tarantino production designer David Wasco along with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Sebastian T. Krawinkel does a spectacular job with the look of the cinema from its marble floors, seats, balconies, and the Nazi banners where the look overall is grand. Even the scenes at the tavern and Nazi prisons are well-made and decorated to look like a grand World War II period film. The costume design by Anna B. Sheppard are wonderful from the red dress that Shoshana wears at the premiere, the dress that Bridget von Hammersmark wears at the tavern, to the Nazi SS uniforms that several actors wear as the costumes are phenomenal. The sound work by sound editor Wylie Stateman and designers Harry Cohen & Ann Scibelli is amazing from the sound of Donowitz's bat, the gunshot, projector machines, the sound of theater, and everything else is brilliant.

The soundtrack supervised by Mary Ramos is brilliant as a lot of the music features score material from various films including The Battle of Algiers. A lot of the score pieces come from the famed Italian film composer Ennio Morricone. Along with pieces from Billy Preston, Lalo Schifrin, and a song from the 1982 Paul Schrader remake of Cat People by David Bowie and Giorgio Moroder. It's a soundtrack that works in creating tension and moments of action as it works on all of its sequences from start to finish.

The casting by Simone Bar, Olivier Carbone, Jenny Jue, and Johanna Ray is amazing with voice cameos from two associates of Quentin Tarantino. Harvey Keitel as the voice of the Basterds superior and Samuel L. Jackson as a man narrating some back story for a couple of key characters. Small appearances from Lea Seydoux, Tina Rodriguez, and Lena Friedrich as the daughters of LaPedite, Rod Taylor as Winston Churchill, Julie Dreyfus as Goebbels' translator/assistant, Bo Svenson as an American officer in Goebbels' film, Jacky Ido as Shoshana's lover Marcel, Martin Wuttke as Adolf Hitler, Sylvester Groth as Dr. Joseph Goebbels, and Richard Sammel as Sgt. Werner Rachtman. Other notable small roles such as Samm Levine, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, and Gedeon Burkhard as the Basterds have a few memorable moments while Soenke Mohring is good as Private Butz, the man who is sent alive by the Basterds to Hitler.

Notable appearances from Mike Myers as a British general is good while Michael Fassbender has an excellent role as Lt. Archie Hicox. In the tavern scene, August Diehl is great as a SS officer who notices Hicox's odd accent along with Alexander Fehling as a young German soldier celebrating his son's birth. Denis Menochet is excellent as LaPadite in the film's opening yet tense dramatic scene while Til Schweiger is great as Hugo Stiglitz, a psychopathic German who likes to kill Nazis. Daniel Bruhl is excellent as a young German soldier trying to win over Shoshana unaware of her true identity while Diane Krueger is very good as Bridget von Hammersmark, a German spy who finds herself in huge trouble. In other notable roles as the Basterds, Omar Doom is funny as Omar while B.J. Novak has a great scene as Uvitch. Famed horror director Eli Roth gets a huge standout role as Donny Donowitz aka the Bear Jew who loves to kill Nazis with a baseball bat.

In what has to be one of his best film roles, Brad Pitt is wonderful as Lt. Aldo Raine. Sporting a Southern accent with a drawl that is fun to hear. While Pitt has been known for being a lead in either action films or drama, he's definitely at his best when he's doing comedy. Here, he gets to be cool yet funny while a scene in which he attempts to speak Italian is comedy gold as it's definitely one of his best roles of his career. French newcomer Melanie Laurent is brilliant as Shoshana Dreyfus, a French-Jewish woman seeking revenge for the death of her parents as she deals with a young German soldier, Col. Landa, and Dr. Goebbels while wanting to make her own film signaling the death of Nazis. Laurent's performance is definitely wonderful in its subtleties, dramatic tones, and scenes where she is really the heart of the film as it's definitely a breakthrough role for the French actress.

Finally, there's Christoph Waltz in what has to be one of the best performances of the decade. In the role of Col. Hans Landa, Waltz's sense of charm, wit, exuberance, and sly coolness only tops Pitt's performance to a tilt. Yet, there's a subtlety to him where it's clear that he's dangerous but is willing to be cool about it while not be overly threatening or violent. Waltz's allows the Landa character to just smile, be a likeable guy, and is willing to just get his way with a glass of milk, some strudel with cream, a German cigarette, and smile. Whether it's in German, French, Italian, or English, Christoph Waltz is far and out the best performance of the film and certainly one of the most enjoyable villains on screen in years.

Inglourious Basterds is flat-out, one of the year's most entertaining, thrilling, and fun films of 2009 thanks to Quentin Tarantino's sprawling direction. With a top-notch cast that includes superb performances from Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, and Brad Pitt, it's a film that is pure entertainment with lots of great action scenes, intense suspense, and lots of witty humor. While it may not be a great World War II feature in terms of historical context, it's a film that does make the idea of killing Nazis a whole lot of fun. In the end, for a film that has lots of gratuitous yet joyful violence, lots of witty dialogue, funny scenes, and something to cheer for. Inglourious Basterds is the film to see from Quentin Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino Films: Reservoir Dogs - Pulp Fiction - Four Rooms-The Man from Hollywood - Jackie Brown - Kill Bill - Grindhouse-Death Proof - Django Unchained - The Hateful Eight - Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Related: The Auteurs #17: Quentin Tarantino - Growing Up with Quentin Tarantino

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