Royale with Cheese

Say what you like about Quentin Tarantino - who for the rest of this blog, and maybe for the rest of time, I will refer to as QT, not cause I think it sounds cool (although it does) but because I can't be bothered typing his full name out every time - he has produced some of the most iconic scenes in cinema in the last 20 years. Now he isn't everyones cup of tea I know, some find him arrogant, some find his films too violent and a whole host of other nonsense in between.

Myself, I love the guy. Yes he is arrogant but he has so much passion for what he does and he loves films. See an interview with QT (god that's catchy) and he just oozes passion for films. It's inspiring to watch. To go through all of the iconic images, characters or scenes this man has created would take me forever and this blog would become an essay - and no-one wants that!

QT is one of those directors who you could actually throw a fancy dress party with the sole theme as QT movies. I'm speaking from experience here as I went as Vincent Vega for a fancy dress party once, I kinda looked like a Spanish waiter but hey.

Anyway, back to his movies - focus - Pulp Fiction was the first QT movie I was introduced to, it's one of those films that if I see on TV I will put on. No matter when it started. I just love this movie. Fantastic dialogue, great characters and some truly brilliant scenes. That dance sequence with John Travolta and Uma Thurman is weirdly hypnotic. I love when you can read actors minds in scenes. There is no words being spoken there at all but you can just feel everything that is going through their minds - awesome!

Now I am going to make an admission here and might lose a few people's respect. Jackie Brown, I did not like this film! I know, I know, many say this is QT's finest hour but for me I found it quite boring. Now granted, I did watch this when I was maybe a little too young to really appreciate it and it is on my list of films to 'watch again and give another chance' but it just didn't connect with me.

Kill Bill Vol 1 however, wow. This is a blinding film. An absolute awesome film. I have watched it countless times and never get tired of it. Pretty much all of my favourite scenes of QT's are from this first installment of Kill Bill. The Japanese Anime scene - and as you will find out in time I love Japanese Anime - is beautifully violent. That whole scene tells of a pretty horrific tale, but when it's done in that Anime style it takes away the brutality and taboo-ness of the subject matter and replaces this with visually stunning scene. Genius.

I love the fight scene between The Bride and O-Ren Ishii in the Japanese garden while it snows. I describe that scene as peaceful carnage. These two really go at each other in such beautiful surroundings, it just great to watch. Kill Bill Vol 2 I do really like but I agree it does tail off a little and you get the sense that if it had been one movie it really could have been a whole level of awesomeness - but I am certainly not one to question the mind of QT (are you getting as used to referring to him as QT as I am? Thought so).

The last QT film I want to mention is Death Proof, one of his lesser known films but one I really like. The screenplay in this film is really good. Not many people would have the audacity to spend half film building these characters and getting the audience to connect with them then in one brutal scene just kill them all off and introduce us to another group of characters. QT does it here fantastically. The two main scenes involving the car chases are full-throttle, heart stopping scenes yet for the most Death Proof has a real slow feel to it. It's all about the dialogue and I found myself just totally immersed in the film. It won't go down as a classic, I really don't care though. I loved it and I love this mans vision.

Before you all start cursing and throwing your Royale with Cheeses at me, yes I know I haven't mentioned Reservoir Dogs or Inglourious Basterds and yes these are two of his very best, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about my favourite QT scenes and films and why I love them.

I'll leave you with this question... Who would you rather be; A member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad or one of Lt. Aldo Raine's "Basterds"?