To celebrate another successful trip around the sun for Otis, we’re talking about an all-around BANGER of a movie from writer and director Quentin Tarantino and his birthday pick, “Inglourious Basterds”! It is Tarantino's 6th film and was a passion project of his that started way back in the 90s. After nearly a decade of writing, "Inglourious Basterds" was finally released in 2009 and became a massive hit, was critically praised, received plenty of awards and accolades, and has aged incredibly well since. It’s the pitch-perfect blend of Tarantino’s style and attitude with technical and filmmaking prowess. The performances are incredible. The dialogue humour is sharp. The violence is explosive. The pacing and editing are on point. It’s a masterpiece. This is the second time we’re talking about Tarantino and, boy, does this film go hard.

Set in Nazi-occupied France during an alternate history version of the Second World War, “Inglourious Basterds” follows two intertwined plots to assassinate the Nazi high command, end the war, and exact glorious revenge. One is led by Lt. Aldo Raine and his team of Basterds who are waging a guerrilla war against the Nazis and the other by a Jewish escapee, Shosanna, now posing as a cinema owner. With a stacked cast that includes Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, BJ Novak, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger, Mélanie Laurent, and more… this movie will knock your socks off. The performances, specifically from Waltz, Fassbender, and Pitt, are mesmerizing (Waltz won the Oscar for this role) but the whole thing is sublime from top to bottom. It’s the perfect marriage of cinema, technique, and auteurist vision.

In this episode, we break down the plot of the film, share why we love it, explore the film’s production and storied history, gush over some of the truly iconic scenes, unpack how this film subverts the expectations of war movies, talk about how this movie pays homage to so many other genres and filmmakers, and more. Plus, discussion on the negative critical responses to this and other Tarantino films, some amazing casting “what ifs”, and a look at Tarantino as a filmmaker. More specifically, we marvel at his expansive knowledge of cinema, his unwillingness to compromise on his vision and having fun with his movies, and discuss how these factors influence his filmmaking style. This was a good one. Tap in with your Bird Boys this weekend and don’t forget to bring the scalps. Happy Birthday, Otis!

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