THE FUTURIST! devotes today through Friday (minus Wednesday for the regular See You Next Wednesday! trailer feature) to film director Quentin Tarantino. This Friday will be the American premiere of his latest film Inglourious Basterds. Mr. Tarantino hosted a festival of movies he admires on Sky Movies Indie on August 14 -16. THE FUTURIST! will feature several of these introductions to the movies each day for your entertainment. Mr. Tarantino showed great brilliance once, in THE FUTURIST!'s humble opinion, but seems to have squandered it a bit in his choices in what he has created for the screen; he seems to have become a parody of his own style. His habit of having characters talk and talk and talk and then have punctuations of visual violence seem to get longer and longer and seem obvious and uncomfortable ... case in point, his last film Death Proof. The last few ventures seem like vulgar Eric Rohmer movies with breaking bones, samurai swords and high speed cars. One thing THE FUTURIST! likes, though, is when Mr. Tarantino talks. He loves loves loves movies and his passion is so evident and contagious. You may not agree with everything he chooses or says, but his rapid fire patter is hypnotizing and he invites you to engage your own passions for that white screen in the dark depicting dreams brought to life by moving light.
The first video is Mr. Tarantino listing his favorites films of the last 17 years ... this is since he made his first film in 1992. THE FUTURIST! has not seen many of the films he lists, but one film is an amazing pick ... Anything Else directed by Woody Allen. This is the film by Woody that THE FUTURIST! himself believes is Woody's last great film. It blows quirky indie cliche rom-com piffle (that aspires to be cynical Woody-esque love story material) like (500) Days of Summer out of the water.
A salute is performed (but not in a Fascist manner) in honor of The Amazing Mike Frollo for bringing this Tarantino material to THE FUTURIST!'s attention.
6 comments:
Hello. While I wouldn't say that Anything Else is the last great film Woody Allen has made, I agree that it is indeed a great film. Hilarious and touching and profound and beautifully made.
He seems fairly likeable in this video! He should be sound more often.
His list is a bit random, but interesting. Battle Royale is fairly satisfying. That's where he got the actress that plays Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill. Memories of Murder is terrible, though!
Look forward to The Futurist!'s critiques.
i also love hearing tarantino talk and think his passion is contagious. look forward to this series of posts. i have JACKIE BROWN coming in my netflix. (don't you love how he says BOOGIE NIGHTS?)
I can think of 20 better films to have come out in the last 17 years, but it's still fun to hear him talk about them. I can also think of a few better Woody Allen films, but whatevs. It is interesting just to know that Tarantino even bothered to see Anything Else.
Much to disagree with here, but in the spirit of weekend amiableness Anything Else is indeed terrific. If The Futurist! hasn't seen Memories of Murder, he should do post-haste, not least because I just recorded a podcast about that and Zodiac w/Kevin B. Lee and Filmbrain.
Anonymous:
What Woody film is better in the last years since? Don't say MATCH POINT! That was retread material with a sour face.
Dara:
Thanks for the Gogo Yubari trivia. THE FUTURIST! did not care for BATTLE ROYALE. Really over the top jarring head ache stuff.
Kazu:
Contagious is right. THE FUTURIST! caught the fever this week after watching INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.
Mike:
List those better Woody movies since 2003.
Vadim:
Will watch MEMORIES OF MURDER since you recommend it and look forward to that podcast. Please inform when it is available. Happy to see you agree on ANYTHING ELSE. You are THE FUTURIST!'s favorite Russian curmudgeon critic.
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