Quentin Jerome Tarantino

(Born March 27, 1963)
Knoxville Tennessee

(file photo). (AFP: Nigel Treblin/DDP)Tarantino wrote but did not direct ‘True Romance’ (1993) and ‘Natural Born Killers’ (1994) Director Oliver Stone changed the script so much from Tarantino’s vision that he disowned it. He wrote directed and played ‘Mr. Brown’ in ‘Reservoir Dogs’ in (1992). Wrote directed and played ‘Jimmie Dimmick’ in ‘Pulp Fiction’ in (1994). wrote directed and played ‘Chester rush’ in one quarter of the movie ‘Four Rooms’, titled ‘the man from Hollywood’ his best friend Robert Rodriguez wrote and directed another quarter.(1995). Wrote and starred as Richie Gecko in ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ (1995) Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Wrote directed and ‘the voice of the answer machine’ in ‘Jackie Brown’ (1997). Wrote and directed ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1’ (2003), wrote, directed and played Warren in ‘Death Proof’ (2007).

Tarantino moves are known for there distinct style, some of Tarantino’s trademarks are shooting (with a camera) actors through doors, shots from inside the boot of a car, bare feet, homage’s to his favorite films e.g. Butch’s selection of weapons to rescue Marcellus in pulp fiction all pay homage to different movies, uses his own brand names e.g. Red Apple Cigarettes, Big kahuna Burger. Pop culture references, non linear structure, Mexican standoffs, aliases, briefcases, Zippo lighters, boxes of discontinued cereal and large quantities of fake blood.

DaveQuentin Tarantino’s movies are highly controversial, some people consider the frequent use on the word “nigga” racist but Samuel L Jackson (who has been in four QT movies) defended him on the racism saying in the context its not offensive. Because of there high level of violence, some people say he glamorizes violence, in an interview on CNN with a movie reviewer she argued that ‘Kill Bill’ was too violent but Tarantino said that it empowers women and “cool parents” should take kids from 12 up to see it because kids can tell the difference between movies and real life. when asked why the need for so much violence he said “because its so much fun”, I think that the violence and death in Tarantino movies, particularly the fight scenes in ‘Kill Bill’ should be considered art of direction and shows off his skills as an action director but some people watching it take the killing too literally, confusing it with actual real life death but really its just fun to watch. Quentin calls the violence in his movies “artistic violence” he opts for style over substance which is one reason why Tarantino is my favorite director!

A job well done

On Thursday somewhere out in the desert in Basra, the names of every soldier who had died in ’this war’ were read to the survivors who endured the half hour list wearily trying to stand to attention out of respect, under the heavy desert sun perhaps for the last time in 6 years,

some hoped Mr Brown would make an appearance for the ceremony but they were disappointed, others passed out from exaustion before the death list was finished. spirits were surely lifted though by the Brown message, ’a job well done’,

what has been accomplished and how it was worth 179 lives and nearly 1000 cripplings will remain one of the mysteries of war for now, rest assured though that now after 6 years of bullets inquires are poised to ask questions like

‘why did we go to war?’

peaceful protest at g20

The annual G20 meeting was held yesterday, Thousands of people gathered to protest against ‘higher fees’, a protest in which one man died. As he lay there, police medics trying to help him, glass bottles torpedoed down on them from the hands of angry protesters. Hands holding ‘Peaceful Protest’ signs mingled with hands holding ‘Anarchy’ signs, all were supposedly reaching out for the same thing. Trannys were against greed, buskers against ‘debt’ and heads were against the pavement. Shop widows exploded and rained down on people who perceived an interesting day out and maybe to make the world a better place, the spirit of the 60s collided with the culture of the naughtys and terror ensued. As sirens began to drown out the folk music, bloody batons tore through student sit down protests and rows of horse back police were over powered by furious costumed ghouls, and when the CS gas cleared and the music died, pickets were left broken on the streets reading:

What do we want justice, when do we want it now

road to peace

the title of my last blog reminded me of a song concerning the middle eastern conflict, 'Road to Peace' by Tom Waits, this being a political blog, I thought I'd show it to you. here is the song and its prophetic lyrics.

Young Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay) was only 18 years old,
He was the youngest of nine children, never spent a night away from home.
And his mother held his photograph, opening the New York Times
To see the killing has intensified along the road to peace

There was a tall, thin boy with a whispy moustache disguised as an orthodox Jew
On a crowded bus in Jerusalem, some had survived World War Two
And the thunderous explosion blew out windows 200 yards away
With more retribution and seventeen dead along the road to peace

Now at King George Ave and Jaffa Road passengers boarded bus 14a
In the aisle next to the driver Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
And the last thing that he said on earth is "God is great and God is good"
And he blew them all to kingdom come upon the road to peace

Now in response to this another kiss of death was visited upon
Yasser Taha, Israel says is an Hamas senior militant
And Israel sent four choppers in, flames engulfed, tears wide open
And it killed his wife and his three year old child leaving only blackened skeletons

It's found his toddlers bottle and a pair of small shoes and they waved them in front of the cameras
But Israel says they did not know that his wife and child were in the car
There are roadblocks everywhere and only suffering on TV
Neither side will ever give up their smallest right along the road to peace

Israel launched it's latest campaign against Hamas on Tuesday
Two days later Hamas shot back and killed five Israeli soldiers
So thousands dead and wounded on both sides most of them middle eastern civilians
They fill the children full of hate to fight an old man's war and die upon the road to peace

"And this is our land we will fight with all our force" say the Palastinians and the Jews
Each side will cut off the hand of anyone who tries to stop the resistance
If the right eye offends thee then you must pluck it out
And Mahmoud Abbas said Sharon had been lost out along the road to peace

Once Kissinger said "we have no friends, America only has interests"
Now our president wants to be seen as a hero and he's hungry for re-election
But Bush is reluctant to risk his future in the fear of his political failures
So he plays chess at his desk and poses for the press 10,000 miles from the road to peace

In the video that they found at the home of Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
He held a Kalashnikov rifle and he spoke with a voice like a boy
He was an excellent student, he studied so hard, it was as if he had a future
He told his mother that he had a test that day out along the road to peace

The fundamentalist killing on both sides is standing in the path of peace
But tell me why are we arming the Israeli army with guns and tanks and bullets?
And if God is great and God is good why can't he change the hearts of men?
Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
Maybe God himself is lost and needs help
He's out upon the road to peace

Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
And he's lost upon the road to peace
And he's lost upon the road to peace
Out upon the road to peace.

- Tom Waits, "Road to Peace"

Road to 2010

Gordon Brown has offered to put the country’s nuclear deterrents up for disarmament, "as soon as it becomes useful for our arsenal to be included in a broader negotiation, Britain stands ready to participate and to act" said Brown in a speech yesterday, in other words he’ll disarm our missiles if everyone else does, the ‘powers that be’ in the world are in a constant Mexican standoff and Brown would like to call a draw. World peace? Probably not.

The President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev that same day said he planned to boost his country’s nuclear and conventionally armed forces. Russia has also offered to assist the US in the transport of non-military supplies to Afghanistan. At the same time, however, Moscow agreed a backroom deal last month with Kyrgyzstan which is likely to lead to the closure of the US's key military base in central Asia. The prime minister yesterday said Britain would “lead a programme of intensified negotiations leading up to the NPT review conference, under the title ‘Road to 2010’".