Inglourious Basterds *****

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino

Year: 2009

Cinematographer: Robert Richardson

I was hooked when I saw the poster of Brad Pitt announcing "Brad Pitt is a Basterd." And then I saw in print below "The new film by Quentin Tarantino."

I will always go along with Tarantino for his cinema-loving violent revenge-flick romps. And by now I know I will always have guilty pleasure watching his glorified revenge violence. Although I want to condemn his plot lines for their unabashed brutality and accuse him of being nothing but a pop-culture blender and smut dealer to the blood-thirsty desensitized first-person-shooter video-game generation... I must confess that this film may be his masterpiece.

The simple structure of the film, being slimmed to a few great, long scenes, the most spectacular of which being the opening sequence featuring Christoph Waltz's powerhouse villain, totally won me over. Each scene is a delight to watch, and Tarantino must be crowned the king of entertainment. Only a cinephile as notorious as Tarantino would rewrite history, giving a group of violent Jewish-American soldiers the chance to reap revenge against the Nazis, but leaving the massacre of Hilter and his entire SS elite up to the work of a Jewish Cinema owner. Oh, and a British film critic, a german soldier-turned-actor, and Hitler's propaganda minister, Goebbels are also essential characters.

This is a film made for Tarantino, by Tarantino. A revenge flick that lets film itself execute revenge. It's meta. And I have to confess I continue to have fun when Tarantino has fun, even though I still feel guilty for liking it.

The Hangover ***

Director: Todd Phillips

Year: 2009

Writers: Jon Lucas, Scott Moore

Cinematographer: Lawrence Sher

Earns the third star just for setting up the night, then cutting to the next day's hangover, and leaving the previous nights increasingly ridiculous antics to be unraveled like a crime mystery.

Funny premise, and some funny, over-the-top ideas, but the execution fails in that I don't really care about any of the characters, and it couldn't have had a safer or more predictable ending.

Would have liked to see this premise directed with a sense of dark comedy, maybe the Coen Brothers or David O Russell.

Star Trek ***

Director: J. J. Abrams

Year: 2009

Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman

Cinematography: Daniel Mindel

I think I was the audience most generally aimed at, someone who wanted to see a fun popcorn flick, who isn't a trekkie but knows enough pop-culture to enjoy the catch-phrase lines of dialogue and Leonard Nimoy's cameo.

I liked it like the popcorn I ate while watching it, fun and light, not substantive, but never expected it to be.

I came in with very low expectations, and was thereby rewarded with an enjoyable movie-going experience, but it still won't make my list of DVDs. Not a great script, no great acting, characters failed to really pull me in. Sits on screen as nice entertainment, but only in a mild way. Easily consumed, but that's not to say I'll go out of my way to consume it again.