Preview: Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Synopsis:

Quentin Tarantino takes on World War II with a film about a ragtag group of soldiers going on a bloody, Nazi killing spree.

• Poster: C; B-; C+; C-; C-

Review:

The sole aspect of the poster that would drawn in an audience is the Quentin Tarantino tag. Sure, the title alone is interesting enough, but paired with the "New Film By" statement, should seal the deal for most audiences even if this isn't a very daring or inventive poster.

Much more in line with the film and more akin to what we would expect from Tarantino, the bat-and-helmet poster is interesting enough that it should accomplish the goal of developing interst in an audience.

The red stripe of blood in the third poster is unsatisfying, though the images within are perfectly sculpted. However, the three "basterds" in the front are hardly interesting and do little to enhance the poster.

I'm really surprised it doesn't say "Brad Pitt is a basterd". That would be far more intrinsically humorous than "Aldo Raine is a basterd", though out of character.

Standing on a pile of corpses is less in the style of Tarantino than any of these. It's a witless, infantile display that isn't even that interesting or captivating.

• Trailer: B-; B+

Review:

The trailer doesn't show nearly as much violence as one might expect, but it is supposed to be seen by a wide audience. But, what is presented suggests there will be plenty of gruesome scenes and Pitt looks rather fun in the role of platoon commander. I'll be interested to see what Tarantino can do with the war film genre.

Now this is more what I expected from Quentin Tarantino. This second trailer gives us enough information about the plot and the potential visuals as to make it more exciting and interesting than I would have thought after the first.

Oscar Prospects:

August is an awful proving ground for Oscar contenders. It's usually where studios dump the projects they aren't confident in. Tarantino also hasn't done anything Oscar-capable since the late '90s, so this will have be spectacular to get that kind of recognition.

Release Date:

• August 21, 2009

Full Review Synopsis:

Tarantino's visual style and flare for the fantasy make for an intriguing and colorful World War II drama.

• Full Review: Inglourious Basterds

-Wesley Lovell (February 15, 2009) Original

-Wesley Lovell (July 12, 2009) New Trailer

-Wesley Lovell (September 13, 2009) New Posters; Buy the Poster Enabled

-Wesley Lovell (April 4, 2010) Added Review Link