Hmm; I'd be particularly interested in this part. Does it relate much to the discussion we had here a while back regarding "ironic appreciation" ... ?

Some of the rest sounds iffy, but, I have no experience with Godard and the like. Probably one of the reasons I like Tarantino (pre-Kill Bill) is that my own aesthetic roots are so similarly base and juvenile, and like QT, I'd prefer to extract and build upon the dreamy magic of those roots rather than bypass or divorce myself from them via hyper-intellectualization, and I get antsy when basic craft takes a back seat to concept and general ideas that with a little imagination you can read all kinds of things into. But there's a balance. It isn't fair to get frustrated with a new or unfamiliar approach just because it's new and unfamiliar. I've no desire to stifle innovation, even radical innovation. But I look at art like machinery in the sense that the first question is, does it serve its intended functions. And the second, does it serve them beautifully. It'll always be subjective but, of course, there's room for some critical structure and the exploration of personal criteria, which for whatever reason, I find endlessly interesting.

Anyhow. My first experience with Godard will be in about a week or so, when 'Band of Outsiders' reaches me via mail. I noticed in the special features on the Reservoir Dogs DVD, that Tarantino claims to have "outgrown" Godard and likens him to Frank Frazetta -- somebody who's got a cool style, and is important in terms of getting you excited about the rich possibilities of cinema, but I guess not much beyond that. On the other hand, he refers to Melville as the Godard he hasn't outgrown. I'm curious to see them both but I've heard more about Godard than Melville. Anybody have any input?

As for the humor aspect of Kill Bill, I agree -- nothing was funny. My only laughter was exasperated half-laughter at the movie's obvious, overinflated sense of its own greatness.

K

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I thought Carradine’s response to Uma’s question “How did you find me?” --- “I’m the man” --- was funny. But only in the trailer. The bootleg trailer, actually. In the trailer, see, they cut to his face, and he has this great little tilt of the head and facial expression as he declares this simple truth. It was really nice. In the film itself, you hear the answer off-screen, because of the gimmick declaring we aren’t allowed to see Bill’s face until part 2. Yet another part ruined by pre-emptive insertion to the end of Vol. 1, stripped of all context that might allow you to really appreciate it. Geh.

K

HKFLIX.com's guide to KILL BILL references:

http://www.hkflix.com/coupons/hkflix_03-10-10/

K

You're still creatively mishearing me, Adam F.; I still have not said anywhere that Godard does not have or display a sense of humor. I just don't find him funny, just deliberately absurd in that arch manner of his. I don't remember if I laughed at "Pussy Wagon" or not, though I'm pretty sure the audience did. I've already mentioned one of the KB gags I enjoyed, but I also liked the bit with Sonny Chiba and his assistant are fussing at one another like an old married couple.

While no fictional creation, not even KING LEAR, should take the place of other people in one's life, I have nothing against the idea of treating a film like an "old friend" that you visit with on repeated occasions. Films, or any other fictions, are creations by people which sometimes do bear fresh insights on repeated viewings. The viewer may be learning more about what the fiction's maker thought/felt, or more about the viewer's own reactions, but either seems worth doing to me.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by madget:
[qb]

Hmm; I'd be particularly interested in this part. Does it relate much to the discussion we had here a while back regarding "ironic appreciation" ... ?


Anyhow. My first experience with Godard will be in about a week or so, when 'Band of Outsiders' reaches me via mail. I noticed in the special features on the Reservoir Dogs DVD, that Tarantino claims to have "outgrown" Godard and likens him to Frank Frazetta -- somebody who's got a cool style, and is important in terms of getting you excited about the rich possibilities of cinema, but I guess not much beyond that. On the other hand, he refers to Melville as the Godard he hasn't outgrown. I'm curious to see them both but I've heard more

mistaken repost

another one

Through that HKFLIX link I read about Lady Snowblood, a revenge flick from which Kill Bill apparently borrows pretty liberally; that one is now on its way to me too. Band of Outsiders, Lady Snowblood, Versus, Guts of a Beauty ... there's some interesting viewing in the week or two ahead, I think. : )

As for Melville, I too figured Le Samourai would be the way to go, but couldn't find it on DVD. I saw Bob Le Whatever available, but my own eye was drawn more to the upcoming Criterion release of Le Cercle Rouge.


K

Kill Bill was not necessarily crap, but to hear film critics (ebert & roeper) speak of this movie like it was an original idea is a joke. I use to see these movies every week back in the 1970s and no one ever spoke of Sonny Chiba, Jimmy Wang Yu, Dragon Lee etc. Back then, you could see three "karate" movies (as we called them) for $1.50 on 42nd Street in the City.

The Kill Bill formula follows these legends and their movie formulas to the letter. First you get your ass kicked, then you heal up, lastly you get revenge.

I remember in True Romance, the Christian Slater character worked in a video shop (like Tarantino) and made reference to his love of Sonny Chiba. Makes me want to go out and rent "Street Fighter" and "Return of the Street Fighter".

I'll give you that much. Kill Bill help whet my appetite for some of its better influences. Kind of like, "Yeah, Kill Bill isn't that good, but let's go back to its sources and get a better idea of how exactly Tarantino ruined it." (Or to be fair, maybe it'll put aspects of Kill Bill in a slightly more favorable light somehow.)

It's like The Replacement Killers, Chow Yun-Fat's Hollywood debut. Ass movie, but it served its commercial function: it turned me on to Yun-Fat and everything that was cool about him, and led me to seek out his HK work with John Woo, which I've mostly loved, The Killer especially.

Problem with Kill Bill is it doesn't achieve anything beyond that -- it's a super-glossy 90-minute commercial for its own influences ... that's it. Except with a jumblier structure and needlessly pretentious air.


K