Disc Reviews
Inglourious Basterds 4K Review
Quite possibly Tarantino’s masterpiece, as quoted by the end of the film, Inglourious Basterds also marks the first time a Tarantino film has been released through Arrow Video.
The film is a mash-up of Western aesthetics, war movie, men on a mission, revenge drama, and tense potboiler. And it’s also quite funny in places. The film also dares to go beyond expectations in its third act, risking going a little too far but succeeding regardless. Yes, the film plays with historical fact. Okay, so do most films set in “real” history, but this one blatantly throws the rule book out the window and has the final say in the matter of doing so.
IG features some of Tarantino’s best work and complete scenes including a very tense opening on a French farm where we are introduced to the main antagonist of the piece played by Christoph Waltz. Whilst Brad Pitt makes for a tough lead as the head of the titular men, Michael Fassbender also puts in a strong performance as a British spy sent to join the Basterds. A particularly tense sequence in a basement bar has proven to be a highlight of the film where Fassbender along with an impressive Til Schwieger and Diane Kruger have to match wits against a German SS officer (played to perfection by August Diel).
This is simply top-tier Tarantino and is likely to age better than more of his wise-cracking and schlocky work.
Tarantino tends to shy away from retrospective work on his films, so don’t expect him to show up in the extras much unless it is vintage reels or promotional work. The commentary track is by Tim Lucas who by now has an extensive list of decent film commentary work. There are some key players who show up in new interviews like effects guy Greg Nicotero (who really needs to stop sitting next to sculpted zombies in his interviews), and editor Fred Raskin who is very excitable about his career trajectory. There are also some pretty decent visual essays on the disc by scholars. Arrow really know how to give these special editions their own added flavour and this is a fairly decent first stab at a Tarantino flick. Maybe they will do more in future? We shall see.
Steven Hurst
2 DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Limited edition ‘Operation Kino’ packaging with new art by Dare Creative
• 60-page ‘Films & Filmmakers’ collector’s book with writing by film critics Dennis Cozzalio and Bill Ryan
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Replica Nation’s Pride Premiere programme booklet
• La Louisianne beermat
• 3 postcard-sized double-sided art cards
• Strudel recipe card
• Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
DISC 1 – FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray™ presentation in High Dynamic Range
• Original lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by film critic and author Tim Lucas
DISC 2 – EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
• What Would Sally Do?, a new interview with editor Fred Raskin
• Blood Fiction, a new interview with special make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero
• Doomstruck, a new interview with actor Omar Doom
• Making it Right, a new visual essay by film critic Walter Chaw, author of A Walter Hill Film
• Film History on Fire, a new visual essay by film scholar Pamela Hutchinson, author of BFI Film Classics Pandora’s Box
• Filmmaking in Occupied France, a new interview with film scholar Christine Leteux, author of Continental Films: French Cinema Under German Control
• Extended and alternate scenes
• Nation’s Pride
• The Making of Nation’s Pride, an archival featurette
• Roundtable Discussion, an archival interview with Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt and Elvis Mitchell
• The Original Inglorious Bastards, archival featurette
• A Conversation with Rod Taylor, archival featurette
• Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitter, archival featurette
• Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel, archival featurette
• Hi Sallys, archival featurette
• Film Poster Gallery Tour with Elvis Mitchell, archival featurette
• Trailers
Inglourious Basterds 4K is out on 13th Janurary 2025