28 August

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Inglorious Basterds

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, B. J. Novak, Til Schweiger, Diane Kruger

(The Weinstein Company; US theatrical: 21 Aug 2009 (General release); 2009)

Official Site

Quentin Tarantino is like an obsessive-compulsive kid with ADD. One moment, he’s bemoaning the many projects he can’t get off the ground, the next he’s knee deep in the production of another one of his homage heavy masterworks. For the longest time he’s been bellyaching about being unable to make his dream epic—a balls out, violence heavy World War II example of ‘Grunt’ Guignol. Now, Inglorious Basterds is about to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. This tale of a group of Jewish American soldiers in France, hand picked to spread terror amongst the occupying forces of Nazi Germany, has everything Tarantino could want—history, bombast, machismo, potential cinematic references, a killer cast, and more excuses for blood and bedlam than Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs combined. While some were disappointed with his last effort - the Grindhouse bound Death Proof—here’s betting he’s back in the geek’s good graces with this gore-laced love letter to the brutality of war. 

H2: Halloween 2

Director: Rob Zombie

Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Matt Bush, Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif, Tyler Mane, Danielle Harris, Sheri Moon Zombie

(The Weinstein Company; US theatrical: 28 Aug 2009 (General release); 2009)

Official Site

Nothing is more satisfying that being one of the few voices of reason during an otherwise marginalized film’s first few weeks of release. While this critic championed Rob Zombie’s first foray into John Carpenter’s classic slasher mythos back in 2007, he was one of a rare few. Many decided to defend the original post-modern master of suspense, letting fandom fuel what were typically one-note judgments. Now, in the light of a DVD release day, there are more appreciators of Zombie’s reinvention of the Michael Myers legend than legitimate haters. Now, after initially vowing not to return to the franchise, Zombie is back, preparing to take the masked spree killer into territory both fresh and familiar with this hospital based showdown. The trailer looks especially brutal, and as the mind behind The Devil’s Rejects, this is one director who understands the nasty. Here’s hoping that, with the bellyaching over “trodding on tradition” done with, audiences give this film an unbiased look.

The Boat That Rocked

Director: Richard Curtis

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Sturridge, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost

(Universal; US theatrical: 28 Aug 2009 (General release); 2009)

Official Site

1960s pirate radio circa Swinging London. A cast that includes Rhys Ifans, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Nick Frost, and Bill Nighy. The writer behind such feel good hits as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually (which he also directed). So far reviews have been good to mixed, with the large company being pointed out for much of the praise/problems. As long as the music stays true to the context, this could be a genuine jukebox gem. Still, there’s more than enough room for error here, especially among die-hards in ‘tune’ with the era.