RARA-AVIS: Re: Grindhouse, anybody?

From: Dave Zeltserman ( dz@hardluckstories.com)
Date: 10 Apr 2007


--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "vagrantpacific"
<pacificvagrant@...> wrote:

> Tarintino has this gimmick that works really well if you're not
paying attention. Uses tons
> of dialogue and stretches the scene out way longer than what's
traditionally accepted, then
> throws some really graphic violence at the viewer to flip the tone.
Rewatch his thin
> catalogue; it's his one trick. His voices all sound the same and
the only stuff he can have
> his characters talk about is pop/industry related -- he's the Keven
Smith of crime movies.
> The only thing which made R.D. and P.F. different was the amazing
work by
> cinematographer Andrezj Sekula who actually directed those movies,
and of course
> Tarintino took all the credit. I made a movie with Sekula a couple
years ago called the
> Pleasure Drivers and what that dude accomplished with under a
million shows yet again
> how naive and tired all this Tarantino love is.
>
> - adam
> >
>

What you call gimmick I would call style. I thought you were going to call out his circular storytelling which he did with perfection in Pulp Fiction, and half of Hollywood seemed to try ripping off later, as his gimmick. As far as R.D. and P.F. being similar, no. Not in the least, at least other than they're both rich with dialogue and strong character development. Come on, one's a great failed heist movie, the other a nifty car chase/revenge flick. As far as his voices all sounding the same? What other characters of his sounded like Mr. Pink? Or Mr. White? None of the characters in D.P. sounded alike. As far as Tarantino using dialogue and character development to heighten tension and make the violence more hardhitting, yeah, I'll give Tarantino credit for that, as well as deserving all the accolades he's received for being one of the best movie makers of his generation.

Mark--I'd suggest seeing Jackie Brown again. The movie is far better than the above average Leonard book. Rum Punch, it was based on. The desperation these characters felt on needing that big score so they can check out of a lousy existence, was something I found really well done. Great acting, too, by Pam Grier and the bail bondsman.

--Dave Z.
  



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