FilmMattic

Unchained and Biblical       Batting leadoff today is a story, from Wednesday, that portends a very compelling possibility; imagine Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained. If the story unfolds as expected, we won't have to imagine it. 

McConaughey Legalese "Furman's legal thriller skirts morality, remodels expectations and overhauls conventions; a man strides into court confident and leaves conscious."   Admittedly, this review is a bit tardy and I'm sorry. As you know, there was something called the A-To-Z Challenge that consumed all of my waking blogging time.               Who could've anticipated the creepy but endearing older dude from Dazed and Confused— making his feature film debut—would become one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the last 15 years. It all boils down to an admission that would land most of us in jail:  " That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age. " It's a disconcerting confession. If any other actor spoke that line, I'd find 'em utterly detestable. Lest we not forget Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Til Dawn character ...I mean talk about a total scumbag. But Tarantino is best se...

Pulp Fiction       I've referenced Quentin Tarantino so many times before that I feel like he's already been awarded his own Great Alphabet of films. His extraordinary breadth of influence—or more explicitly, those who have inspired him—permeates most of my broadest cinematic affections. I guess this is why, perhaps perfectly fitting, that I'm moving from a discussion of a Sergio Leone film (whom Tarantino adores for his staggering stylization) to, in my opinion, Tarantino's best film. 

The Killing       I apologize to the Tarantino loyalists, but Kill Bill (Vol. 1 or 2) is not my "K" film. I look at it from two angles. For one, I'll make it up to Tarantino when we get to "P." And secondly, if I can neglect both King Kong (1933), which doesn't hold up to modern standards despite its landmark significance, as a stunning example of stop-motion animation, and an influential monster-adventure epic, and The King of Comedy— well, because I've already extensively written about that —then I can shed no contrition for dismissing Tarantino's tremendous two-part action thriller. 

      This video above is taken from the opening scene of Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs .  This scene is a perfect example of how to effectively construct believable and exciting dialogue.  The camaraderie of the actors on display here is palpably refreshing.  You get the idea that these guys hangout on a regular basis and this is just another morning at the local diner for them.  The beautifully rhythmic, real life conversational back-and-forth among the actors is superbly rendered.  Even the little physical machinations of the characters such as the way Madsen's character maneuvers his cigarette is impeccably executed.  Any aspiring screenwriter should take a page from Tarantino's book when it comes to creating true-to-life conversational dialogue that is engaging, exciting, and flows as fantastically as a well-told poetry reading.  Happy New Year to everyone who reads my blog! 2011 should be a heck...