Django (1966)

Intro
While pouring back through all the Tarantino films recently I realized a couple things:
1) There's not that many of them. I mean he's only one guy and he pretty much only works off of his own material that he wrote... which takes time, and thus this is very understandable.
2) His films make reference other movies constantly. Now call it what you want homage, reference or just plain theft but I'm thinking that a lot of people don't catch the majority of these references to other films because frankly, we don't have the film same exposure as a young Tarantino did going to the grindhouse theater constantly in his youth or working in a video rental store. However, hypothetically with the vastness of the internet and Amazon, Netflix etc. these films should be easier to get a hold of today, if you know what you're looking for that is.

So I figured there's probably more people out there, like me, who crave more Tarantino constantly and I could showcase some films that I'd consider essential viewing for Tarantino fans. And thus the 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans was born. Now let me warn you this is in no way a comprehensive list and there's no particular order to these either. There's probably hundreds of films that Tarantino references in his own films, and I found enough films I could write about to probably do this series again but that will have to wait until next time there's another big Tarantino release.

FINAL DAY: Django (1966)

Quentin Tarantino has said that his most recent film Django Unchained (2012) is a tribute to the work of Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci, the second being the director of this film. When Django came out it was a smash hit and supposedly has over 40 unofficial sequels or spin offs and Tarantino has said that his film is continuing in that tradition. The main character is named Django (obviously) as a tribute to this film, and the soundtrack borrows 5 songs from this film including it's title song, "Django." And Franco Nero, the original Django makes a small but awesome cameo in that film. Quentin Tarantino also lists this film, third in his top 10 spaghetti westerns only behind the second two films of The Dollars Trilogy(thanks to The Quentin Tarantino Archives).

Well, that's it for the 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans. I hope you enjoyed yourself and learned something new, I know I did!

"I've got all the help I need."

Django is an Italian-Spanish spaghetti western by director Sergio Corbucci. The film is set after the American Civil War, when a mysterious drifter rolls into a Southern town dragging a coffin he finds himself caught in a war between a racist ex-Confederate army and a band of Mexican revolutionaries, but he'll find he actually has history with both sides.

[This review will focus on the English-dubbed release that was released in the U.S.]

The characters and actors in this film are all surprisingly decent in this film. I found them all interesting and believable. I especially liked the introduction of the Southerner, Major Jackson who captures Mexican soldiers just to let them run free one at a time then use them as target practice. That really sets up a great antagonist that you really hate right out.

As you would expect, the dub is pretty bad for this film.

I didn't care for the "romance" of this film, luckily it wasn't focused on too much. But I need to see the original, because it's possible that the dubbed dialogue might be at fault for a majority of this. I felt like I understood what they were trying to do but it just wasn't as effective as it could have been. As it is now it seems really sloppy and corny.

I really can see why the character Django (and this film) has over 40 unofficial spin offs. The character is just really cool. He's an former Union soldier who has become a drifter and drags a coffin behind him through the mud, and I love how throughout the film people keep guessing why he has a coffin too; Asking if he's an undertaker, a coffin-maker, if there is someone inside or he's carrying it around for himself. And I'm glad the contents of the coffin weren't saved until the climax of the film either because I was told what it was when I first heard about the film [i.e. I'm glad it wasn't saved for the end like the twists of Planet of the Apes (1968) or Soylent Green (1973)]. And Franco Nero really blew me away too, apparently Sergio Corbucci found him working at a gas station and then turned him into an international star! He's got a great face, really awesome blue eyes and his acting in this film seems like a cool cross between the nonchalant Man with no Name character by Clint Eastwood and the typically righteous John Wayne character.

I like Luis Bacalov's score a lot in this film, his scores are not as often parodied or referenced as Ennio Morricone's work but they're just as effective, exciting and powerful.

I really enjoyed the direction of this film. The staging of all the action is really well placed, the cinematography is really simple and straightforward but very effective. I like how the Corbucci would really speed up the cuts during the intense action sequences so that you think you see more than you do. This is also double effective in the gory or bloody scenes where your mind just fills in the blanks and covers for anything you didn't actually see.

The world of this film is very original. How come in all the westerns I've seen I've never seen a western town after the rain so that the characters are just trudging through thick mud? I love the cloudy, overcast, abandoned and beat-up town that a majority of this film takes place in. It looks so much more "real" than all the American westerns, it really shows great thought (whether or not the mud was actually intentional or not!).

The story of this film is really great too. I like how this film kind of sneakily deals with the American Civil War and things that would have been relevant during this time without being too overt about it, the Klan substitute is a perfect example of this. I love all the twists and turns the story takes along the way, it's very original and clever and it just makes you feel so good afterwards. It really is an exciting film.

Django (1966) is a unique take on the western that's really exciting and at the same time very cool. Highly recommend. 5/5 Stars.

Happy watching!

Check out this original minimalist poster design I did for this film, click through to buy prints/posters etc. OR check out other movie posters I designed here. :)

This film is part of my month-long Tribute to Tarantino in honor of his latest film Django Unchained (2012) and his 20-year career. If you've missed any of my reviews so far, be sure to check out his filmography and click on any film you've missed.

And that's it for the 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans countdown thanks for reading!



Like this blog? You can support it by buying this film through these links:

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (1966)

Intro
While pouring back through all the Tarantino films recently I realized a couple things:
1) There's not that many of them. I mean he's only one guy and he pretty much only works off of his own material that he wrote... which takes time, and thus this is very understandable.
2) His films make reference other movies constantly. Now call it what you want homage, reference or just plain theft but I'm thinking that a lot of people don't catch the majority of these references to other films because frankly, we don't have the film same exposure as a young Tarantino did going to the grindhouse theater constantly in his youth or working in a video rental store. However, hypothetically with the vastness of the internet and Amazon, Netflix etc. these films should be easier to get a hold of today, if you know what you're looking for that is.

So I figured there's probably more people out there, like me, who crave more Tarantino constantly and I could showcase some films that I'd consider essential viewing for Tarantino fans. And thus the 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans was born. Now let me warn you this is in no way a comprehensive list and there's no particular order to these either. There's probably hundreds of films that Tarantino references in his own films, and I found enough films I could write about to probably do this series again but that will have to wait until next time there's another big Tarantino release.

DAY 7: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is Quentin Tarantino's favorite film of all time and he even goes so far as to call it "the greatest achievement in the history of cinema." He's put tiny references to this film in his movies throughout his career: The memorable scene in Pulp Fiction (1994) where Samuel L. Jackson eats a guy's food to intimidate him before he kills him is lifted from the introduction of Angel Eyes in this film, the opening shot of Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) is a tribute to a shot in this film where Blondie is lying almost dead from dehydration in the desert and Tuco has his gun to his head (there's a screenshot comparison here thanks to The Quentin Tarantino Archives), and Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds (2009) picks a can of snuff off of a dead soldier and uses it just like Tuco does in this film. This film also is thought to have originated the Mexican standoff, which is one of Quentin Tarantino's film trademarks.

“Every gun makes its own tune.”

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo [The Good, the Ugly, the Bad] (1966) known in the U.S. as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, is an Italian spaghetti western from director Sergio Leone. This film is the third in a loose trilogy known as The Dollars Trilogy along with A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965), however this film takes place during the American Civil War which would make this film a prequel to the other two. This film is about three men: The Man with No Name, known here as "Blondie"(the Good), Angel Eyes (the Bad), and Tuco (the Ugly) who are trying to out smart each other to get to a 200,000 dollar confederate treasure.

[This review is of the original full Italian version of the film which runs about 175 minutes long]

I really like how simple and straightforward the story is, this allows for a lot of time with the characters and lets them pull the story forward rather than random outside events. I also like how despite not liking each other and trying to lose each other Blondie and Tuco constantly find they have to team up together throughout the course of this film to accomplish their own goals, this adds a very interesting dynamic of mistrust and humor to the film.

This film has some pacing issues, probably the worst part is how lengthy the first half of the film feels. I think this is because the antagonist, Angel Eyes is absent from the film for a good hour before returning at about the halfway point, and also it's not until about 40+ minutes into the movie that you find out that there is a treasure!

This film is packed full of great ideas: I like how Tuco, straight out of being stranded in the desert, is able to hold up an old gun shop owner; I like how Tuco is able to track Blondie by puffing on his cigarillo butts to see how close he is; I like the torture scene while the Union army is playing music; and I love how this film is set during the American Civil War. The idea of three gunmen who could careless about the war going on in the background is such a great idea, it really sets this film apart from the other two. And the part near the end where Blondie and Tuco run into a drunken Union Captain who is just so sick of the war might be the greatest single part of this film.

I really like the characters in this film. This film even gives a little more of a backstory to the Man with No Name and really gives him all the coolest moments in the film. Lee Van Cleef returns in this film playing a different (but just as cool) character called Angel Eyes. I also like how Tuco works not only as the comic relief for the film but can be very villainous in his own right, the introduction of his brother, who he hadn't seen in 9 years, really adds a lot of depth to the character as well more so than most Mexican comic sidekick characters in these type of films.

Ennino Morricone also returns as the composer for this film and this score might be the best of the three films. It really adds a lot of emotion to the heartfelt scenes, excitement to the action and the very memorable theme will really get you whistling along with it.

And lastly (as usual) I really like Sergio Leone's direction in this film. The amazing cinematography combines with the great story in such a cool way. I love how much of this film is actually silent, the characters convey so much with minimal speaking parts and the English dub actually adds more unnecessary dialogue than the original Italian version does.

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo [The Good, the Bad and the Ugly] (1966) is an epic spaghetti western film that may be the greatest Italian western ever made. Stylish, fun and cool this film isn't to be missed. 5/5 Stars.

Happy watching!





This film is part of my month-long Tribute to Tarantino in honor of his latest film Django Unchained (2012) and his 20-year career. If you've missed any of my reviews so far, be sure to check out his filmography and click on any film you've missed.

The 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans countdown continues tomorrow, so be sure to check back!



Like this blog? You can support it by buying this film through these links:

Hang 'Em High (1968)

Intro
While pouring back through all the Tarantino films recently I realized a couple things:
1) There's not that many of them. I mean he's only one guy and he pretty much only works off of his own material that he wrote... which takes time, and thus this is very understandable.
2) His films make reference other movies constantly. Now call it what you want homage, reference or just plain theft but I'm thinking that a lot of people don't catch the majority of these references to other films because frankly, we don't have the film same exposure as a young Tarantino did going to the grindhouse theater constantly in his youth or working in a video rental store. However, hypothetically with the vastness of the internet and Amazon, Netflix etc. these films should be easier to get a hold of today, if you know what you're looking for that is.

So I figured there's probably more people out there, like me, who crave more Tarantino constantly and I could showcase some films that I'd consider essential viewing for Tarantino fans. And thus the 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans was born. Now let me warn you this is in no way a comprehensive list. There's probably hundreds of films that Tarantino references in his own films, and I found enough films I could write about to probably do this series again but that will have to wait until next time there's another big Tarantino release.

DAY 2: Hang 'Em High (1968)

Hang 'Em High is an American tribute to spaghetti westerns, much like Django Unchained (2012), its a very good revenge story like half of Tarantino's films and the lead character has a "hanging scar" across his neck which I can't help but think inspired Lt. Aldo Raine's scar in Inglourious Basterds (2009).

"You don't remember me, do you? ... When you hang a man, you better look at him."

Hang 'Em High (1968) is a dark revenge western film about justice and the law directed by Ted Post and is the first film from Clint Eastwood's own production company The Malpaso Company. This film was the American attempt at a darker western like those from Italy specifically the films of Sergio Leone. The film follows Jed Cooper a former lawman who is wrongfully lynched by a mob of 9 men, somehow he survives and then he tries to bring the men who hung him to justice.

First off I gotta say how much I like Clint Eastwood in this film, he doesn't do anything too special or unique for this role but he's convincing and you really believe the changes in his views as the lines of justice muddy and right blurs pretty close to wrong. This is his first American film after returning from Italy and doing the Dollars Trilogy for director Sergio Leone, his acting choices are pretty close to the Man with No Name character down to a similar hat and smoking a similar style of cigar but this didn't bother me because of how awesome that character is and he seems to be at least slightly different in this film.

There's a lot of really interesting ideas in this film. I like how at the very beginning the film shows the Marshall who shaved Cooper from the rope, and as he's trying to pick up another criminal the guy escapes and you can visibly see him hesitate, yet all the other criminals locked up are yelling at him to shoot the criminal on the run. It's a pretty interesting scene just because of the irony, and it also sets up the power of a Marshall, which will come into play when Cooper picks up a badge. I like the idea that the hanging is a kind popular event in town which everyone seems to take really lightly and, even though her character wasn't as successful as she could have been, I like the idea of the love interest Rachel Warren checking the faces of all the criminals who come in in attempt to find the man that killed her late husband.

The music is good, it's a bit forceful at times (which can come off as hokey and humorus) but it shows a clear attempt at emulating the spaghetti western style music of Luis Bacalov and Ennio Morricone.

The film has some odd spacing issues, which leads it to feeling really drawn out during some parts then others seem very rushed. Overall I think the film could have been told more effectively in less time.

The romance of this film seems like it was a last minute idea. I don't know if there was cut scenes or what, but basically they meet then immediately they fall in love with this pretty awkward love sequence and they talk about leaving together (which admittedly is an interesting counter point) then he just decides to continue on his revenge path. I would have like to see this romance blossom a little more, because I do think they are an interesting pair together.

The camerawork in this film is very creative and inventive. There's a lot of shots in this film that caught my attention. For example, I love the shot with a bunch of feet dangling which you think are hangmen then the camera pulls up to show these are just people sitting to watch the hanging! I also love a film like this that isn't afraid to pull in really close to the actors during suspenseful moments.

I love the story of this film, along with all its interesting twists and turns. It's such an interesting premise and watching a man get hung in the opening sequence is such a great opening. Furthermore I love how this film dives in to great depth about what is revenge, what is fair justice and the faults of the law and lawmen who must carry it out. I love the couple times this film shows people who are in Cooper's eyes innocent (or at least not worthy of hanging), yet they still hang as a result of the judge's law.

Hang 'Em High (1968) isn't just a stylish attempt at copying the spaghetti westerns it's also a great look into the question of what is justice. 4.5/5 Stars.

Happy watching!





This film is part of my month-long Tribute to Tarantino in honor of his latest film Django Unchained (2012) and his 20-year career. If you've missed any of my reviews so far, be sure to check out his filmography and click on any film you've missed.

The 10 must-see films for Tarantino fans countdown continues tomorrow, so be sure to check back!



Like this blog? You can support it by buying this film through these links:

Django Unchained (2012)

"The 'D' is silent, hillbilly."

Django Unchained (2012) is Quentin Tarantino's legendary revenge tale epic that's a tribute to the spaghetti westerns of the past, especially the work of Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Leone. Django Unchained tells the story of a slave named Django who is freed and becomes a bounty hunter in order to save his wife who is also a slave living in bondage.

First off I gotta mention the cinematography of this film. Tarantino's been shooting films like they were spaghetti westerns for a while now, but this is the film that he can really show off his technical knowledge for how those films are made, and he really nails it. It's a blast to watch and adds an extra level of enjoyment if you know what you're looking at!

Not all the cameos in this film are good (more on that later) but there's a cameo for Franco Nero, who originally played the title character in the classic spaghetti western Django (1966), that I really enjoyed. It's not intrusive, it's not too distracting and it makes sense in the story. It's very natural, and those who know who he is get a laugh out of it.

I usually don't find the way that Quentin Tarantino writes dialogue or the excess blood in his squib shots too distracting, but I have to say that they seemed a little out of place in this film. I understand these are directorial flairs and the film isn't meant to be a strict historical portrayal but I still found them more distracting than in most of his other films. Not entirely though, I like how both the excess gore and his quirky dialogue are used for humor primarily. I just think it's a fine line and this film doesn't walk that line as well as possible, but it's excusable for how well it does work (more hits than misses).

The second half of the film is a lot longer than the first half, or I should say it feels a lot longer. This is because almost an hour before the actual end the film, the story is pretty close to wrapping up entirely. I'm surprised this occurred, and I think that the reason it's so jarring is just because of how close the story comes to actually wrapping up nicely (before it all going to hell). This leaves some awkward pacing but if you watch spaghetti westerns you know that pacing is not something that those films did well, so part of me actually wonders if this was actually intentional? Also because I personally have see all of Tarantino's films, I knew that there was no way he could end the story as cleanly and nicely as it was about to end, so I actually (believe it or not) found some added suspense in trying to figure out what the hell was about to go wrong. I understand that a viewer who hasn't seen a lot of Tarantino films wouldn't have that same experience, but I really doubt I'm the only one who felt that way.

I also have to mention that I felt the amount of cameos in this film were really distracting. I literally rolled my eyes at Quentin's cameo when he came on screen, luckily his cameo (and his accent) isn't as bad as it was in Death Proof (2007), but I also have to question the inclusion of Zoë Bell in this one. She appears in a group of (male) plantation overseers, with a red scarf over her face! On top of that there's at least two close ups on her and the first one is even played like "pay attention, this person's going to do something later!" and then she just gets shot in the end like all the other overseers! Maybe she actually did something in a cutscene, and I understand the need to put a friend or collaborator in as a cameo but two shots for someone who is distracting (I highly doubt there was any female overseers 2 years before the civil war) and doesn't do anything, so there's absolutely no need to put two close ups in the film.

Okay so this last part is nitpick/preference but I would have put more in the story about (Django's freer and bounty hunting partner) Dr. King Shultz. There seems to be a part missing when later in the film it's revealed that a major flaw of his is that he's a big-time sore loser. I would have liked to see at least some hint of this earlier in the film. Also was there was some interesting scenes earlier in the film that made me think they were actually going to go deeper into the morality of killing for a living, but the film didn't follow up. It just kind of stops mid-thought on "well these are bad men so it's alright." I would have like to see Shultz talk about what drove him in to this peculiar profession or even why he felt he'd be decent at it.

Tarantino's been doing this violence/humor thing for a while, and it's safe to say he's gotten quite good at it. This is a very dark and violent story but you will find yourself laughing at things that are not actually things to laugh at! This takes a high degree of skill, and actually kind of blows my mind at how well it is executed.

Tarantino's known for his soundtracks, by now it's something you can look forward to in his films. The soundtrack for this film is unique in that historically Tarantino usually doesn't use original music produced for his films in his films (except a bit of RZA and Robert Rodriguez's work in Kill Bill). This film just shows that he can blend new and old music together in a very seamless way (as if you really had any doubt) but this film blends them together better than probably any other films do. The film still offers the tributes to (while reinventing) older music and soundtracks that Tarantino is known for, but also adds new music that somehow fits really perfectly withe he old stuff. All the while somehow the film keeps that unique spaghetti western feel to the soundtrack that is so crucial to those films. I definitely reccomend going out to buy this soundtrack.

But what I really appreciate about Quentin Tarantino is how inventive and creative he is. You can see it in all of his work, he doesn't settle for the standard way that film and stories are told. Sometimes he's not as successful as others but at least he's pushing the boundaries and you can actually see him trying new things in each film. Django Unchained is another fine example of that creative filmmaking that I love so much, even down to something so simple as using a mashup in a film soundtrack (mashup's are a big thing in music right now, how come no one uses them in films?!). I really like how the Tarantino doesn't pull any punches and in showing the graphic nature of daily life during this time. He puts in scenes that really even trump the horror you were expecting to see walking into this film. For example, the "mandingo wrestling" scene is absolutely gruesome and very tough to stomach, and yet it makes the perfect introduction to the resident "devil" of the film, Calvin Candie. A very bold and yet effective move.

Here's another film where I have to mention how good the actors were in it. The whole cast was good actually, but I need to mention Christoph Waltz as the quirky German dentist-turned-bounty hunter Dr. King Shultz, Samuel L. Jackson as the crotchety head house slave Stephen, and the very evil and menacing (and yet kind of dumb) Calvin Candie played by the truly great Leonardo DiCaprio. All of these actors really bring something special to their respective roles that really makes the film magical to watch. Yet none of these roles are too far out or that different than other things you've seen them play before, which actually adds a lot to the feel that these roles are actually perfect for these actors.

The last thing I absolutely have to mention is the story. I loved the story of Django Unchained. Tarantino paints a modern legend of a hero mixing spaghetti western & blaxploitation. This is something that throughout history storytelling has really been all about, but somehow we've seemed to lose that in recent times. What I love about this film is it fits that ancient archetype and yet it feels really fresh and new. Some of this is by using things and nods from other films, and not only spaghetti westerns but even little things like Django and Shultz's team-up/friendship really has it's own Butch and Sundance vibe to it. The film even seems to refuse to fall on to simple hero clichés like crapier hero tales we see in film today *cough*Tron: Legacy (2010)*cough*, Djano's journey really feels like he walked through fire and back to get what he wants by the end of the story, and there's nothing more satisfying in a story that that feeling.

Even the little nitpicky things I found with Django Unchained (2012) can't touch a film as entertaining and well crafted as this. There's probably only a few movies in a person's lifetime that are as good as both a tribute and a tale as Django Unchained. 5/5 Stars.

Happy watching!





Check out this original minimalist poster design I did for this film, click through to buy prints/posters etc. OR check out other movie posters I designed here. :)

Want more Tarantino goodness? Check back all month for my Tribute to Tarantino! I'm going to begin by running through his films starting from the beginning, so be sure to check back!



Like this blog? You can support it by buying this film through these links: