bleakeye

After the trio of "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown", a review of any work from Quentin Tarantino must always be about the director/screenwriter himself. As painful as it is to feed anymore compliments on his abilities in screen writing, he truly did revolutionize the way films are made. Not the non-linear nature of movies nor the stylized violence but the way his characters approach the situations he creates for them makes him an original. It's 'all in the dialogue' for the filmmaker as obviously seen and heard in this film. An interesting observation, Tarantino's forte in his writing doesn't appear to be dialogue but in his character development.

A hugely unfortunate decision then, it seems that this "Grindhouse"/'B-Film' idea would be the way to showcase his latest original work. Had this film not been involved in this project, it would be obvious to most anyone the quality of his work. His films doesn't pander to trends and pop-culture but actually creates them in a seemingly intentional manner. It is annoying, but that doesn't mean were being subjected to a feature-length advertisement. There is content in all his works and it is also here in this one.

Packaged alongside Robert Rodriguez's movie and several trailers celebrating the 'Grindhouse' experience, this film doesn't fit in very well. It looks like the bad second movie of a double-bill show, which it turns out to be... but this complete version, separate from those other works proves very much that he has turned out another excellent film along the lines of his "Kill Bill" volumes.

As with what he's done with "Kill Bill", Tarantino has taken aspects(gimmicks... it seems) of(mostly from) certain genres and turns it into an original, diverting, entertaining film. It's been said that what he's personally 'into' at a particular point in time is what makes it into his films and it seems true. But personal prejudices aside, one sees a mastery of the medium and a deep appreciation for it coming from a talented filmmaker that is truly impressive. This is the quality one hopes to see from future releases.

Seen as a work amongst traditional 'Grindhouse' movie, "Death Proof" apparently fails with it's excessive dialogue-ridden scenes and inappropriate 'homages'. Seen as another piece from Tarantino's 'canon' it's something else entirely and it's actually, genuinely great.

Re-reading my first comment on "Lawrence Of Arabia", I felt as if I had been shamelessly promoting a movie. Yet, somehow I would never want it removed for it was truly one of the greatest movies I have ever had the viewing pleasure. Overwhelming yet still seemingly down to earth, "Lawrence Of Arabia" proves to be just like the title character, an enigma. How talented the cast and crew are to have crafted such a magnificent and intense experience that will live in this and many other viewers' mind for as long as I can remember.

I don't want to comment on the acting, historical accuracy, story, screenplay or film-making aspects of this movie because I might just end up ruining the essence of what I and some others see as an incredible biopic. I certainly don't believe this movie fails on any aspect as far as I can see. If anybody hasn't seen this before, has four hours to spare and an open mind then please go see it. You may not get as much satisfaction as I did but as long as you keep an open mind you will find some good things worth seeing.

FINAL NOTE: Do not watch any other version except the Widescreen version for the reason that it was made for, in and only for Widescreen. Also the Bigger the display, the Better.

"Out Of The Past" is a film that surpassed all my expectations. Few films have satisfied me as much as this. Believable characters with a great story makes this and other films like it good, but what separates this from all other 'Film-Noir', detective stories is it's dramatic mood. This is the only film I've ever seen where I know what's likely to happen yet somehow I find myself deeper and deeper in it's story. I find myself amidst all of the danger, disappointments and betrayals and still wanting more. No other movie will probably surpass this one's greatness (though some may be as great).

Eerie yet provocative, "Out Of The Past" is handled with seemingly great care by it's director, Jacques Tourneur. From the great camera shots of the trees in the forest location to the shots of San Francisco full of shadows at night, I was already impressed. Acting by Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas, and every one of the cast only cemented the mood that made this movie so easily watchable. I consider this one of my favorites and one of the best movies I'll ever see in my lifetime.