One of the most frequent questions I am always asked being the host of the greatest movie podcast ever (opinions may vary) is “What’s your favorite movie?” That answer has been the same since I was 11 years old. But it also isn’t as easy to explain why I love some movies more than others.
As an art form, movies are by their nature interpretative. Some people will point to a film’s box office total as a barometer for a film’s quality, this might not be true again because although it might be popular to the masses it might not appeal to you. I am looking at you Avatar, which is not one of my favorite films, not by a longshot.
Also, if the film wins an Academy Award for Best Picture, that hardly means it’s one of my favorite films, looking at you The English Patient, in fact I hardly agree with the Academy. Having said that, I am sure that some people love Avatar and The English Patient. And that’s what makes movies so great.
I, also am not a professional critic. I love film. I try and find merit in all film. As a host of a podcast that attempts to give every movie a chance, I believe that is the best way to approach movies, let the lights go out and try and enjoy yourself. You might find a “diamond in the rough.”
When thinking of my favorite movies to share with you, my loyal listeners, I thought 100 wasn’t going to be enough. So, I am proud to present my 150 Favorite Films, right now. These will change, I know they will.
See you at the movies!
***Spoilers Ahead!!!***
109. Inglourious Basterds (2009) Directed by Quentin Tarantino
The Movie: 1941, in the French country side, SS-Standartenfuhrer Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) arrives at the farm of Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet). Landa has heard rumors that there were several Jewish families in the town, and that they might be being hidden by sympathetic French people. Landa is able to illicit a confession from LaPadite that he is hiding a Jewish family underneath his floorboards. Landa orders his men to shoot and kill the family under the floorboards. One escapes, Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), Landa has her in his sights to fire, but he allows her to escape.
Fast forward to 1944. U.S. Army Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) is forming a group of Jewish-Americans with the goal of hunting Nazi’s and instilling fear into them. Raine dubs them the “Basterds” Raine asks his men to scalp the Nazi’s in France after they kill them. Raine’s team, Sergeant Donny “The Jew Bear” Donowitz (Eli Roth), former German Sergeant Hugo Stiglitz (Til Schweiger), Corporal Wilhelm Wicki (Gedeon Burkhard), Private First Class Smithson “The Little Man” Utvich (B.J. Novak) and Private First Class Omar Ulmer (Omar Doom) enthusiastically accepts the mission. Raine has something special planned for usually one member of the Nazi’s they encounter. He carves a swastika into their forehead so they can always be known as a Nazi. This infuriates Adolf Hitler (Martin Wuttke).
In Paris, Shosanna has taken the name Emmanuelle Mimieux, and runs a cinema there. As she in taking down the marquee one day she is confronted by a charming German soldier, Private First Class Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl). Shosanna is not charmed by the soldier, but he confesses his love of cinema and informs her that he is the star of a new German film, Stolz der Nation or Nation’s Pride. In love with Shosanna, Zoller convinces Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) to hold the premiere at Emmanuelle’s theater. He agrees, which sets in motion Shosanna and her boyfriend Marcel (Jacky Ido) a plot to kill all the Nazi’s in her theater during the premiere by setting the theater on fire with all the nitrate film they have.
The Allies learn of the premiere as well and set into motion a plan to kill the Nazi leaders as well. The Basterds get help from British Lieutenant Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) and a German actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger). The Basterds arrange a meeting with von Hammersmark at a tavern, that should be free of Nazi’s. Hicox and Stiglitz will pretend to be German officers meeting von Hammersmark at the tavern.
A wrench is thrown in their plan as the tavern is in a basement and there is a group of Nazi’s who were given the day off when one of their wives had a baby and are celebrating. When a Nazi Sergeant remarks about Hicox having a strange accent, at first Hicox in character chastises the Sergeant for talking to an officer that way, but unbeknownst to the Allies, Major Dieter Hellstrom (August Diehl) also thinks Hicox’s accent is unusual. After a tense conversation, the Allies and the Major but all their cards on the table. The standoff breaks out into an all out shootout, where the Sergeant is the only one left alive, along with von Hammersmark. Lieutenant Raine comes down the stairs and tries to end the conflict by telling him if he lets von Hammersmark leave, he would allow him to leave as well. He agrees, von Hammersmark, however kills him and she and the Basterds come up with a new plan. They will be von Hammersmark’s dates for the premiere of the film and disguise themselves as Italian stuntmen and film crew. Landa arrives at the the tavern and discovers an autograph from von Hammersmark and one of her shoes.
The Basterds make it into the premiere with von Hammersmark. They are confronted by Landa, who asks von Hammersmark if he could see her in private. She agrees and it seals her doom. After Landa places her shoe onto her foot, he strangles her to death. He orders the capture of Raine and Utivich.
Landa takes Raine and Utivich to a secluded office and makes them an offer. Landa is aware that Germany will lose the war and tells Raine that he will allow the death of Hitler and the other Nazi leaders if he is given a full pardon by the United States government. Raine agrees and Landa contacts Raine’s superiors.
At the premiere, Zoller confronts Shosanna in the projectionist room. She invites him in and shoots him. Thinking she killed him, she turns him over and Zoller shoots and kills Shosanna and then succumbs to his wounds. Nation’s Pride is interrupted by a new film that Shosanna and Marcel shot, where she tells the Nazi’s they are going to die and the theater goes up in flames.
Ulmer and Donowitz break into the opera box that has Hitler and Goebbels and kill them. They fire indiscriminately into the crowd who are trying to run away from the fire, but it is vain. Marcel has locked them in. The explosives that Ulmer and Donowitz have strapped to their legs go off, killing everyone.
Raine and Utivich drive with Landa and his radio operator to the Allied line, where they change places. Placed in handcuffs, Raine kills the radio operator and asks Landa if he is going to take off his Nazi uniform. Landa doesn’t answer but Raine knows the answer. Utivich scalps the radio operator and Raine carves a swastika into Landa’s forehead.
Why I Love Inglourious Basterds (2009): Filled with some of the best dialogue exchanges in a Quentin Tarantino film, Inglourious Basterds never allows the audience to get comfortable. The tension through meetings between characters keeps the film humming along.
The opening scene in the film where Waltz’ Landa and the diary farmer is so full of suspense you could cut it with a knife. Followed closely by the scene in the tavern, the film never lets up. It also has the trademark Tarantino humor, violence and impeccable use of music.
The revisionist version of how the Nazi’s met their demise never gets old, watching Hitler get shot by a machine gun is his face until it is a bloody pulp is cheer worthy. All the performances are incredible. Pitt’s nonsense delivery is the perfect foil to Waltz’ cold and calculating Landa. Diane Kruger is phenomenal so too is Melanie Laurent. Everyone is spot on, even the small parts.
I can rewatch Inglourious Basterds a 100 times and find something new to latch onto and enjoy.