By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com
‘Inglourious Basterds’
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Rated R, 153 minutes
“Each and every man under my command owes me one hundred Nazi scalps. And I want my scalps,” orders Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) in Quentin Tarantino’s amazing WWII film, “Inglorious Basterds.” Following four different stories — a group of Jewish soldiers known as The Bastards; the calm and devious Nazi commander Col. Hans Landa (Golden Globe nominated Christoph Waltz); Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), a German film star who is also a double agent for the U.S.; and Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), a theater owner who has crossed paths with Col. Landa before — “Inglorious Basterds” weaves in and out Nazi-occupied France with ease and offers an exciting and vengeful twist on history. No matter the genre, Tarantino is master at his craft and delivers the goods. “Inglourious Basterds” is another film to add to his list of masterpieces. CV
‘Jackie Brown’
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
1997, Rated R, 154 minutes
Director Quentin Tarantino is known for his fast-talking, shoot-first-ask-questions-later type of films. He has written and directed some of the best films over the past two decades (“Reservoir Dogs,” “True Romance,” “Pulp Fiction,” “From Dusk Till Dawn,” and the “Kill Bill” saga) but none of them are as cool or stylish as “Jackie Brown.” An outstanding cast including Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, Robert Forster and Michael Keaton shine in the tale of a gun runner (Jackson), who is being followed by ATF Agents (Keaton) and double-crossed by one of his mules, Jackie Brown (Grier). His least violent film, “Jackie Brown” is the director’s best and is all about being cool, calm and collected. You can’t go wrong with any of Tarantino’s films, but “Jackie Brown” sits on a pedestal all to itself. CV
