10 best performances in Quentin Tarantino's films

I recently rewatched almost all of Tarantino's films - other than Death Proof because seeing it once was enough - and I decided to finally rank my favorite performances in his films. It wasn't easy and a lot of great ones - like Lucy Liu's O-Ren Ishii - didn't make the cut - but it was also lots of fun to go back and appreciate that amazing work. So here we go:

My issues with the treatment of Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight

(spoilers!)

The Hateful Eight, Tarantino's eight movie, is a fine film. While it is too long and it's last 60 minutes are significantly better than the first 100, it's still a fine film. It will keep you entertained, it has moments of sheer brilliance (Daisy playing on the guitar comes to mind) and good performances by talented actors, with Leigh stealing the show and Channing Tatum yet again delivering very strong work in spite of short screentime. In spite of a very long running time - nearly 3 hours - the film is never boring. In fact parts of it are really masterful.

Scene of the Week: Kill Bill: Vol. 2

You don't even know what fucking day you work

directed by Quentin Tarantino

The scene: Budd, Bill's brother, who is a bouncer in a lousy bar gets told off by his boss Larry. What we witness in that barely 3-minute long scene is an epic exchange worthy of the best of Tarantino's moments. Larry takes a marker and proceeds to cross Budd's name on the calender, which is especially funny since Budd, former assassin who is very dangerous, just stands there looking calm, resigned and pretty damn put in his place.

- You looking for me?
- I don't know what car wash you worked before you came here that let you stroll in  minutes late, but it wasn't owned by me - and I own a fuckin' car wash.         
- Larry...there ain't nobody out there, so...
- What's your point? That you're not needed here?
- My point is...l'm the bouncer, and there ain't nobody out there to bounce.    
- You saying that the reason that you're not doing the job that I'm paying you to do is that you don't have a job to do?
- No...
- Is that what you're saying? What are you trying to convince me of, exactly? That you're as useless as an asshole right here? Well, guess what, buddy? I think... you just fucking convinced me. Let's go to the calendar. It's calendar time. Calendar time for Buddy. OK. You working tomorrow?
- Yeah.
- Mm. No, you're n... You don't even know what fucking day you work. Here. You're not working tomorrow. You're working Wednesday. Here you are. There you go. Workin' Thursday?
- Yeah.
- I don't think so. Friday. There's your name.
- If you say so.
- There used to be your name. OK? Saturday. There used to be your name. Uh, Monday... Here. How about that? Fuckin' with your cash is the only thing you kids seem to understand. OK? Now, I want you to go home till I call you. Till I call you. Before you leave, talk to Rocket. She's got a job for you to do. And... the hat. That fuckin' hat. That fucking...How many times have I told you, don't wear that fucking hat here? How many?
- Customers wear hats.
- Well, I'm not the boss of the customers. I'm the boss of you. And I'm telling you that I want you to keep that shit-kicker hat at home.

Inglourious Basterds

95/100 (153 min, 2009)
Plot: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and Eli Roth

"We got a German here who wants to die for his country! Oblige him!"

Some say that the cinema is the true escapism. But for me the escapism only occurs when I'm watching a truly great movie, one that is able to pull the audience in its world so completely, you are not only forgetting you are watching a film, but also you don't question how far from actual reality the events portrayed in it are. "Inglourious Basterds" is one of those movies. It captures the true cinematic magic, that for few minutes alters the history, the real events and presents something incredibly satisfying. It is a movie where the evil is punished and when the actual events are changed in an extremely satisfying way.

Despite the movie's title, The Basterds, the group of soldiers who capture Nazis and scalp them is only a small part of the film. The Basters are lead by Aldo Raine, charismatic and capable leader and they are quite a diverse bunch - there is a psychopathic Nazi killer Hugo Stiglitz, Donny Donowitz who bashes Nazis heads and others, devoted to haunting down Nazis and bringing them justice. A very bloody justice.

Scene of the Week: Pulp Fiction

directed by: Quentin Tarantino

"He fell out of a window"

The Scene: What do you think about what happened to Antwan? Who's Antwan? Tony Rocky Horror. He fell out of a window. That's one way to say it. Another way is, he was thrown out. Another was is, he was thrown out by Marsellus. And even another way is, he was thrown out of a window by Marsellus because of you. Is that a fact? No it's not, it's just what I heard. Who told you this? They. They talk a lot, don't they? They certainly do. Well don't by shy Vincent, what exactly did they say? Let me help you Bashful, did it involve the F-word? No. They just said Rocky Horror gave you a foot massage. And...? No and, that's it. You heard Marsellus threw Rocky Horror out of a four-story window because he massaged my feet? Yeah. And you believed that? At the time I was told, it seemed reasonable. Marsellus throwing Tony out of a four-story window for giving me a foot massage seemed reasonable? No, it seemed excessive. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. I heard Marsellus is very protective of you. A husband being protective of his wife is one thing. A husband almost killing another man for touching his wife's feet is something else. But did it happen? The only thing Antwan ever touched of mine was my hand, when he shook it. The truth is, nobody knows why Marsellus tossed Tony Rocky Horror out of that window except Marsellus and Tony Rocky Horror. But when you scamps get together, you're worse than a sewing circle.