Monday, August 31, 2009

The Inglorious Hills

Okay, so I was lazy with the title.

I've been failing as a video store clerk lately, and haven't been watching too many movies, and by that I mean i've only watched 4 this week. Mostly all my spare time has gone to writing and watching the Hills. At first I thought, what a bunch of rich mindless girls concerning themselves with the most minute things, and I watched it because I wanted to watch something light. It became sort of a guilty pleasure, and i've been watching it (on DVD) until pretty late at night. I think, for me, being in basically the complete opposite position it was kind of like watching people at a zoo, which sounds pretty condescending, but it's because i can't identify with most of it. THEN i sort of realized, they arent as stupid as they initially sound, and sometimes they would say things I would say or use certain phrases etc. This is not to say I identify with the girls of the Hills, it just became more fascinating than revolting. I especially like Whitney. I read she got a degree in Gender Studies, which made me feel less bad about finding her the most interesting character/person. I still don't know where I stand on the show or it's characters, but I do know that it can be fascinating stuff. At hte very least, it has the best establishing shots of any TV show. Seriously, despite all the ipod billboards, they are beautiful.

I spent so much time talking about the Hills, and sort of defending my interest that i haven't talked about seeing Inglorious Basterds.

Everytime I try to hate Quentin Tarantino, he makes a movie like this. I don't dislike him as a director per se, mostly how he is taken up. I do dislike how much he "creatively borrows" from other films. Putting Uma Thurman in the exact same outfit in Kill Bill as Bruce Lee in Game of Death is more than just a nod, considering half-wits now identify it with Uma instead of Bruce. Not quite his fault, but still, pretty lame. Back to the film , I love violence nuanced with nonchalant humour, and Tarantino pulls it off so well. Cinematography wise it was really good, too. He just seems to have a humour about himself through film that I can't help but like. You win again, Quentin, you win again.

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