I remember the first time I heard about Quentin Tarantino's desire to write and film a WWII epic. It was probably in the early 2000s, way before Kill Bill, when I read a Playboy interview with Tarantino. It's quite funny because, at the time, I wouldn't come near a Playboy (oh, the horror), so I read the interview on a safe site, tarantino.info. It sounded like a strange idea, quite different from Tarantino's typical gangster flick. Remember, this was before Kill Bill, so all I had was Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, and Pulp Fiction to compare it to. But, after finally seeing the result of over a decade of work on this film, I finally see why it fits.

Since going to a late night show with a baby is a logistic nightmare (sitters and whatnot), I went to this one solo. Quentin is the only director I insist seeing on opening day, without exception. A 12:30pm showing at the Aurora Cinemark, since this film was missing from the Landmark lineup (support indie cinema!), would have to do. A couple of Leo DiCaprio trailers (one Matrix-stlye flick by Christopher Nolan and Martin's Shutter Island) before the film, and I'm already brimming with excitement. As soon as I see the words 'A Band Apart' flash on screen, I can hardly contain myself.

The first scene takes place at a dairy farm in the French countryside, and the musical choice, a variation on Fur Elise, is perfect. It is actually a John Zorn arrangement of Ennio Morricone's 'Big Gundown'. Tarantino used at least four Morricone tunes for the soundtrack, solidifying the spaghetti western feel. Tarantino's music choices are always spot on. The movie held up to my standards for a Tarantino flick and I enjoyed each scene more than the last. With the ultraviolence, I would say that this movie isn't for everyone, but definitely a must-see for Tarantino fans and for those who don't mind a little violence (or a lot).

The movie was about 1/3 English, 1/3 French, and 1/3 German, a lingophilic decadence. The standout performances were most certainly Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus, a French Jew pretending to be just French, and Christoph Waltz in an even better performance as Major Hans Landa, the Jew Hunter. Eli Roth is a playful killer (stereotype?), playing 'The Bear Jew' who enjoys hitting Nazi heads out of the park. Definitely a historical revisionist Jewish wet dream, Inglourious Basterds is the WWII that could have been.

How's that for alliteration?

Tarantino is my personal favorite director of all time. My respect for him stems mainly from his amazing use of dialogue, his style, and his music selection (which is only paralleled by Wes Anderson). The list begins in 1992, since this is when Tarantino began his career in film. It contains a few obvious choices (Battle Royale, Fight Club), and a few surprising, but respectable choices (Speed, Supercop).

I love lists, and I especially love lists from people I admire.