To say that Rocky IV is propaganda is a bold understatement. From the opening bell of Rocky IV we are fed repeated anti-soviet and pro-US messages. The obvious arrogance, rampant drug use and lack of freedoms the Russians display here are not antagonistic as much as they are downright degrading and completely inaccurate. Every Soviet character acts as if they are a pathetically corrupt villain, that is until they are shown the path of the righteous man by our hero Rocky Balboa both in and out of the ring in a shameless speech that shows us what this film is really about. The Russian people find their liberation in their love for the American underdog Rocky. Rocky III had a subtle message of money spoiling good ol' Rock into losing his title and regaining it when he found the fire that existed in being a real underdog (a poor New Yorker who had nothing but his ability to fight). Rock IV gives us a message that is the antithesis of this and gives blind justification for hating our enemies for trivial and inaccurate reasons, in other words the legacy of Rocky took more than a few steps back.

In this, the third sequel to the original classic about a kid from south Philly with a [...] education who gets a shot at the champion Appollo Creed. By now in the series, Rock has been champion and is friends now with Apollo and when Ivan Drago (a giant Russian boxer played by Dolph Lundgren) comes along, Apollo comes out of retirement to show this commie who is boss. Drago beats him to death in the ring and Rocky now knows what he needs to do. Stop commies! I mean, avenge his friend's death.

Its amusing to say the least as now the U.S.S.R. is no more and the damages of misled messages are inconsequential as the only people who could be swayed by such nonsense have already been swayed by our culture. It's vexing indeed but Rocky IV wins me over because I laugh every time it's on television. That is no reason to call it a good movie though. It so shamelessly sets the stage for the ultimate in melodrama and underdog cliches that only a child would find this believable. It is pornographic propaganda really, I put it right in there with Reefer Madness.

As a character, Rocky does represent something of America in all of his films (though I haven't seen the fifth one entirely). He is the quintessential underdog; he is a simple man that made his way through life by being a good person and doing what he knew how to do for his family. That feels like America for many of us. On the other hand he represents us as well in a different light in Rocky IV; he is the shameless symbol that represents what blind nationalism and unregulated globalization can bring without justifying it's reason, by the film's end the Russians are as blindly proud as the American's who possess unconditional love for their ever-serving government. It doesn't represent the left or the right but simply put, it represents those who can't learn because they think they already know. It represents the ignorant and just plain stupid and who could be their hero, or as Mr. T. once said, their paper champion. There are means and ends in life and conflict is the means to serve what end? Rocky IV promotes the kind of thought that is too arrogant to bother answering such a question.

But you know something? It's so shameless, unintentional, and fun that I don't give a damn and I begin chanting "Rocky" (or was it "Bocky") right along side those newly allied ex-communists every single time I see Rocky IV. Capitalism rocks comrade!

Tim Burton's return to genuine film making is a welcome endeavor indeed. Here he creates a film that reminds me of what great film making is all about: fantasy, love and reflecting on the human spirit. I scoffed at a review that compared Big Fish to The Wizard of Oz when Big Fish first came out, but upon viewing it the comparison is really not hyperbolic at all and is actually quite justified. There is a unique carelessness and an innocence that resides perfectly and constantly in both films. To me, both films are truly a breath of fresh air and hope.

Big Fish is a book written by Daniel Wallace and is the delightful story of Edward Bloom, who has reached the twilight of his life and surrounds himself with his son, daughter-in-law and his wonderful wife Sandra. Eddie has seemingly lived a fantastic life of lies and exaggerations and his son has grown to call his bluff on more than one occasion. In fact, his son returns not just to possibly say good-bye to his father, but to attempt to get him to spill the beans on the truth of who his old man really is. Eddie of course, stands by his stories and brushes off his son's accusations nonchalantly. Most of the film we see Eddie revisit his life as a whole, seen through only his own stories. How he once befriended a 12 foot man; how he arrived in a town that was paradise, once to early and once too late when he turned it back into paradise again; how he joined the circus for three years so he could find out pieces information once a month from Amos the ringmaster about the girl Eddie was sure would be his wife and how Sandra would believe Eddie to be dead in war but he would return. The stories are full of details that would clearly indicate they are false but sometimes they are just better that way. Eddie is a mythological figure and that is just fine with him and as a viewer it's fine with me as well.

Eddie is played by Albert Finney who is in turn mirrored by Eddie's youthful version, the outstanding Ewen MacGregor who once again proves his versatility. Jessica Lange plays the older Sandra and she is played as a youngster by the talented Alison Lohman who carries as much energy and beauty as you could expect for a role with so little dialogue and so much importance. She is a real find and makes you fall in love with her right along with Eddie. Helena Bonham Carter brings her talents to the roles of The Witch and Jenny (or all of the other important women in Eddie's life). Steve Buscemi shows up, which is always a pleasant surprise and of course Amos is played by Danny DeVito who is as enjoyable as ever. The flat Keanu Reeves clone Billy Crudup is perhaps the only drawback, but he is a safe casting call as Eddie's son and does what he can in discovering that his father is exactly what he says he is and more.

Let me just add that I believe Big Fish is a family film. I don't see why it shouldn't be rated PG rather than PG-13. The language rises above the prime time television level once, there is blood only in a comedic and romantic fight sequence that has a truly admirable message and there is a women's nude rear displayed briefly and non-sexually. This is not grounds for a PG-13 movie. I would bring a seven year old to see this. In fact, my guess is that the movie was directed at this demographic. When content is not exploitative, it is not really inappropriate. I can't see why Rock Diesel films get PG-13ed when the message is nothing short of "Kill the bad guys, make a lame joke, drive and crash really cool vehicles and get the dirty chick". Anyway, Big Fish may be about a guy who is stretching the truth but the characters' hearts couldn't be more firmly in the right place. The scene when Eddie fills an entire field with Sandra's favorite flower and stands in the middle of the field, outside of her window and calls out to her comes to mind. It brings joy to my heart in a way that only a film like The Wizard of Oz can, and a small child should never ever miss that kind of message. Big Fish is a smart film that really generates a ton of emotion and convincing special effects. I don't doubt for a moment that more work went into the effects than money. This film carried a sense of hope, pride, real love, respect, fantasy and the crucial element that films of these tainted times often forget: natural and unforced optimism.

Then there is Tim Burton. He is the filmmaker that can put all of these elements together and for the first time tug at your emotions as well. Two things make this film better than Burton's other work. Firstly, it is real and doesn't dwell on being over-stylized and under-dramatized. Secondly, it is pure, clean and full of moments we can all relate too. Tim Burton has made a film that will alienate his older fans who haven't matured like he has, without "selling out" (he's done that before) and he has made a film that the whole world can watch, enjoy and discover this unique filmmaker. I'm glad that he saved some of his real film making inspiration for this wonderful little story.

Takashi Miike's Audition is a disturbing and at times confusing film. That being said, try to judge it for yourself while watching it, as the film takes you on an interesting and deceptive ride that plays on our definitions of film genres and cliche devices. In this respect Miike is not unlike Tarantino. He is a director who thinks outside of the box and seemed to recognize the potential in expressing himself with this story...and used this wisely to scare the hell out of me.

The story is about a widower who decides to finally begin a search for a new wife at the suggestion of both his son and his movie producer friend. But how will he find his new bride? Well, this man's friend is of course a filmmaker and he decides to hold an audition for this widower, so he can look for an attractive girl with a history in some kind of artistic discipline (i.e. dancing, piano, ballet etc.). Our protagonist possesses a handful of applications and must choose 30 girls to audition for a part in this faux movie. His friend agrees that he must find a girl who is happy to be his wife, and happy women are never good enough actors, so whoever he chooses will convincingly not be acceptable for this fake movie role to being with. However, contrary to his friend's advice our protagonist chooses a girl named Asami, who is profoundly unhappy. She used to be a ballerina but broke her hip and feels that having to quit something she loves can be paralleled to accepted death itself. Asami is not happy but she is an attractive 24 year old girl who has intrigued our hero and he more or less chose her before the audition happens anyway. The film takes a turn as we begin to see some hints as to what kind of person Asami is and all her mysteries are gradually revealed. Trust me when I say there is plenty about Asami to reveal.

Miike gives us a film that comes off as a Romantic Comedy in the first 80 minutes and then slowly transforms into a thriller/mystery kind of film, and then smacks us over the head with it's intense climax and conclusion that is shock, horror, gore and utter madness. Audition could've easily become a one-trick-pony in it's goal to play with our understandings of genres and what to expect, but it actually goes far beyond that and rarely gets credit for doing so. This is a very sharp film on many levels and in many ways. It is smart and surprising. I highly recommend this film to anyone willing and able to deal with it's violent content. I also see this as a gateway and introduction to Miike's films and other films like his. You shouldn't regret discovering this filmmaker.

I have heard people say this is exploitative but that is likely a judgement on Miike overall, as Audition is one of his few films that really isn't exploitative at all. In fact, in terms of `gore' films Audition is not even close to Ichi the Killer but it should be taken with a warning as it is still very violent and realistic. I don't think this film deserves beyond an R-rating when we take into account the violence portrayed in "The Passion of the Christ". The limits have been pushed enough to allow films like Audition wider release in the United States without forcing either an NC-17 or no rating at all. There is almost no nudity in Audition but the violence and torture is creepy and well beyond acceptable for children to view.

The Straight Story is a film about an old man named Alvin Straight who hasn't talked to his brother Lyle in ten years because they said some "unforgiving things to one another." He finds out that his estranged brother is dying and he decides to make amends and say good-bye. He drives hundreds of miles with a giant trailer attached to a lawn mower. The story is based on facts.

David Lynch is known for his cutting edge, bizarre and perplexing mysteries but when taken into account with all his other films The Straight Story (and it's unusual G-rating) should be no surprise. Lynch went from the completely off-the-wall horror Eraserhead to in my opinion one of the most touching films ever made in The Elephant Man. He is no stranger to drama and it manifests itself in varying depths in every one of his films. It often shows up in the most surprising of places. Lynch is acclaimed and credited more after Mulholland Dr., however, in many years from now he will get many of the same accolades that guys like Stanley Kubrick do now for films like this one. Lynch is a master of his craft and among the best American Directors of our time. It sounds like a bold statement now but the years will tell. I for one will argue his films are timeless.

The Straight Story unfolds at a snail's pace and plays the most straight forward formulas to the tee...I'm not saying that as a drawback but it may not be for everyone. It is the perfect environment for Lynch to show he can direct a great drama with a narrative and some older actors like Richard Farnsworth (excellent as the likeable Alvin Straight) and briefly Harry Dean Stanton as Lyle. Sissy Spaceck is also excellent as Alvin's daughter. If I were to list the most touching sequences in film for me, two come from Lynch films. One scene being when John Merrick is well received by Dr. Treves' wife in the Elephant Man, and the other being a scene from The Straight Story. The scene starts off as a sort of comical and lighthearted part in the movie where twins work on Alvin's broken down lawnmower and they fight while they are doing it. It almost seems like Lynch is being exploitative at first here, but he makes you relate tremendously and feel for these two brothers (especially if you're a twin or have a brother close in age like me). It's so simple but Lynch really has created as likeable a character as you can get in Farnsworth's Straight. Another touching scene is when Alvin is asked by a few bikers what the worst thing is about growing old and he replies "remembering when I was young" with a proud smile. Farnsworth's recent death makes this statement even harder. The comment is layered but comes off as simple like the rest of this amazing film.

Mary Sweeny and John Roach deserve just as much if not more credit for writing this screenplay. I hate giving too much credit to the director but Lynch deserves to be lauded for simply taking on such a pure and uninviting project. The films his real fans appreciate are for the most part on the other side of the spectrum. It seems risky if it were not for the fact that Lynch is pretty much famous for not giving a damn about risks. However, Lynch is the kind of filmmaker who is capable of creating the most profound kind of drama, but mostly his films are viewed as guilty of shock and not seen far beyond that. When Kubrick began creating his films I'm quite sure many people did the same thing. Lynch is a filmmaking wizard and one of these days the whole world will recognize it.

Live Action Anime...yes it is an oxymoron, but it's one way to describe what Director Takashi Miike has done with Ichi the Killer. It's like a live action version of Akira or Ninja Scroll.

The film's plot is secondary so I won't dwell on it here, but if you have never seen Miike's films, get ready for a ride through the imagination of a complete mad man. The best part about the film is that Miike and his team are actually outstanding technically, and his sense of humor is both original and in my opinion hilarious.

Ichi the Killer is as glossed over and stylized as it is sadistic and violent, and believe me when I say that this film is violent. It's sexually violent content is out of whack as well and alone might earn Ichi an NC-17 stamp but it's violence is so fantastic it almost seems cartoon-like. If you didn't find humor in films like Dead Alive, Robocop, Evil Dead 2 or Kill Bill pass on Ichi, but if you like those films like I do, give Miike a chance, you won't regret it.

Shelly Kaplow is an old fashioned casino owner in this brilliant Wayne Kramer film. Shelly is played perfectly by a once lost actor Alex Baldwin, whose previous failures as a leading man have led him down the path of becoming an absolutely magnificent character actor. Shelly is a man Who runs his casino his way, despite being urged by other forces (including Ron Livingston's great performance as Larry Sokolove) to update his business beyond Las Vegas nostalgia. Shelly also employs "Coolers"; these are people who carry an array of bad luck and destroy the luck of even the hottest casino tables. Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy) is the very best Cooler in the business and despite their checkered past, he is also Shelly's only real friend. Bernie's luck is terrible until he finds love in the form of Maria Bello's Natalie. His luck turns as he is planning to leave the business and Shelly is trying to talk him out of it. So the stage is set for these actors to roam free and walk us through a delightful and at times shocking thriller.

I laughed at these characters and thoroughly enjoyed watching the actors absolutely rule the screen in this enjoyable little movie. Macy normally must outshine stronger roles around him as a supporting actor but here we see him in a rare feature role and he is as good as ever. Macy comes off as perpetually unnerved by all the cards he is dealt in his life no matter what they are. The only time Macy is upstaged or equaled is by Maria Bello's convincing opposite role as Natalie, and the furious and often hilarious performance unleashed by Alec Baldwin. Ironically, we see Baldwin take the reins and steal scenes in a supporting role from a career supporting role master in Macy, and his leading role here. I knew Baldwin was good because the hype was seemingly coming from all the right places, but he is extremely entertaining in this film, even more so then I expected.

At times The Cooler has it's share of predictable details I really shouldn't get into here, but I don't think that it's ability to surprise us with some of its twists is what the film sets out to accomplish, although there were some points where I wish they did. We get to understand the reasons why Natalie and Bernie are in love so fast, we understand why Shelly is a sadistic and egotistical power monger (a rarity to see a microscope put on such a villain) and Macy under plays his role as an alternative to Baldwin's fiery Shelly...perhaps that is why Shelly sees them as close friends.

The Cooler carries a style that paces the natural humor just enough where it is funny without being a comedy, while also keeping the drama in check enough to really keep you caring at key moments. This film is handled impeccably well by Kramer and even more defined by a bevy of excellent performances. Good story and very rarely slow to even the most impatient viewer. The Cooler is a very good film.

Lovely and Amazing is a feminine picture (albeit still watchable for a man) and it is also a deeply depressing story that briefly peaks into the lives of two women and their mother. It is slow and somewhat awkward but it retains it's positive side at the end with notably almost no resolution whatsoever. The film paces itself very slowly, yet somehow works well because it is written and handled with a refreshing eye. Nicole Hilofcenter (Sex and the City) directs.

Catherine Keener plays one of the daughters, Michelle, a 36 year old unemployed mother of one young daughter. Her husband is easy to relate to for a man and his patience as a character is exceptional because Keener's character has a highly volatile temper and she is for what it's worth completely unreasonable, yet somehow likeable at the same time. She sees herself as an artist and we watch her fail at that and then become a clerk at a one hour photo. There she has an affair with her 17 year old boss played by Jake Gyllenhaul. Things unfold for her as expected and I for one feel she gets what she deserves.

Her insecure younger sister Elizabeth, played by Emily Mortimer, on the other hand is originally dealt a fair hand and ironically gets it taken away as her insecurities are realized. She sleeps with an actor who is boorish enough to be honest about whether she is sexy or pretty enough to be an actress. You see, her being self-centered is seen as a requirement and that actually made it more fun for me to watch her fail. She is finished with her one night stand with this actor, and asks that he critique her body. She stands naked in front of him in a surprising, awkward and daring (for Mortimer) sequence. Mortimer is certainly attractive enough to watch her fully nude for this long but it's such a cold and bleak scene that really comes out of nowhere, it is certainly not meant to be sensual. She comes as who she is, vulnerable and probably not ready to enter the world of acting. The film is loaded with moments like this that go against the grain and ultimately help the characters get used to themselves as much as they may resist.

Their mother is in the midst of getting liposuction and the risks of surgery do indeed show themselves. She has adopted a young African American girl which makes for some interesting comments regarding race as well as she is enrolled in a "Big Sister" kind of program to get exposure to another black person. It's unfortunate that so little is said about their mother's past because she really ought to be the center of the film. Her story and her adopted daughter's story may have been intended to be delved into further...perhaps some was left on the cutting room floor.

All of the characters' fits of selfish vanity are always answered. That seems to be the running theme and it gives you a different outlook on these things despite these characters being fundamentally good people. Is it really so wrong to ignore or displace blame for your own vanity so easily? If so, isn't it society that is doing it to us or should we be accountable for it? Do we create our surrounding culture enough to pay the price for being ingrained within it's sins? Is there anything we can do about it? I know one thing, my latest job interview may go a hell of a lot better if I comb my hair and where a really nice suit then if I don't. Then again just like anything, vanity has it's excesses. Just as Lovely and Amazing finishes it's value in helping us ask interesting questions, it ends as unconventionally as it unfolds. It's no classic, but it is films like this that if other filmmakers take note it can certainly provide different avenues for expression.

I love Horror films. When talking about the many sub-genres involved and the low percentage of quality horror films, some films stand out as merely "important" rather than achieve a level of greatness (Last House on the Left, Friday the 13th). The Howling is such a film.

When looking at the great werewolf films out there and considering the times they were released, the original Wolfman stands next to An American Werewolf in London as perhaps the greatest Werewolf films of there respective times. The Howling may very well be a challenge to the latter of these two films as the best of it's time. Both were released in 1981, but the Howling was developed before the Landis project. It doesn't really matter, as I do believe An American Werewolf in London to be better film but the Howling is an important film along with being entertaining. Neil Jordon's In the Company of Wolves came out a few years later and is my personal favorite of any in this sub-genre but all that aside, The Howling is a true horror classic and a werewolf movie fan's treasure. It is a must have of hardcore horror fans because it contains and helped identify the many traits we've seen before and after it.

The Howling starts off in a similar vein to that of the original Dawn of the Dead, putting the idea of a werewolf into the mainstream media (disguised as a serial killer) and it ends on a similar note. This allows us to sort of picture this mythical creature on scale with today's society, or at least that of 1981. It's dated and it's thrown right on TV so we can all feel connected. The film is handled as a kind of film noir at first and slowly brings itself from that and into the werewolf sub-genre in fairly atypical fashion. The acting is really only good by it's main protagonist, whose name escapes me. It also has it's share of character actors who we've enjoyed in these kinds of films before. The Howling isn't afraid to laugh at itself either, which I think is almost a must in horror films...it interesting how almost all other notable werewolf movies (i.e. Dog Soldiers, An American Werewolf in London) also make us laugh. This helped me in some respect to look past a lot of the dated special effects and to laugh at them. The film gets more microcosmic later on and sets itself up for some good scares and some eerie and outstanding howls in the night. Unfortunately, the film ends a bit too quickly, but the Howling remains almost as important as An American Werewolf in London for bringing this great myth back to the forefront of horror films again.

House of Sand and Fog is a hopeless but convincing tragedy about contested houses and broken pasts. It is morbid and profound enough to keep the riff raff away while also being flat enough to stray from any mainstream. I enjoyed the film for the same reasons critics probably enjoyed it. The film is carried by it's performances first and foremost and almost entirely. One of the more educated knocks on House of Sand and Fog is that the book is simply not really that transferrable toward the movie medium. I never read the book but the film and story stand enough to fuel three of the better performances of that year and also the greatest ensemble considering it's cost.

First is Ben Kingsley who plays Colonel Berani, a man who was forced to flee Iran during it's revolution. He sees a similar home in San Franscisco with regards to it's view (in Iran his home oversaw the Caspian Sea beautifully). This new home was recently repossessed from Kathy, played by the beautiful and talented Jennifer Connelly. I genuinely want Connelley to show her range in the future but House of Sand and Fog is not such an environment. Here, Jennifer plays a women ruined by Alcoholism and being ditched by her husband. She then sparks up an affair with a married police officer named Lester, played by Ron Eldred, and the undermining to throw Berani out of the house begins.

First time Director Vadim Perleman takes a subtle approach in the differences and similarities between the film's main characters. It was enough to make me walk away from the film wanting more but as if by osmosis the film won me over in perspective only days later. Watching the three main characters tangled in their flaws is enough to keep the film compelling. Berani is too proud and deaf to women, Kathy is too eager and manipulative and Lester is too idealistic and blinded by love. They are all ignorant to one another and completely void of empathy. Nadi is Berani's wife and she is played by the outstanding Shohreh Aghdashloo. Nadi is one of the only really likeable characters, because she is also the only one who sees the other's sides, but she is restrained by her submissiveness and her lack of English. Though heavy handed enough to obtain a brooding feeling that tragedy is inevitable, watching these characters fall is worth the wait if you appreciate this sort of film.

Kingsly proves his versatility once again and upstages Connelly in that regard by a long shot. Connelly really just invokes the roles she's been celebrated for before this movie, although she is still quite effective and it revisits her type-casts a bit deeper. It is Aghdashloo that truely stands out and I viewed this film and her performance after the hype with some degree of suspicion. She is excellent.

Overall, House of Sand and Fog is a downer. It wasn't as good as I hoped, given both the indie hype prior to it's release and the mainstream hype during and after it's release, but it was still pretty good. The cast alone makes the film worth watching but I would still imagine we will see more from Perleman in the future as well.

The brilliant bonding of cultures and the playing of icons and genre clichés against varying taboos back and forth again, make Kill Bill one of the most unforgettable, enjoyable and utterly addictive films of recent date. Its extreme pacing differences from other films are forgivable for me and will likely influence future films just as so many films have influenced Tarantino's fourth. But Kill Bill is by no means entirely derivative. It uses its influences to hook us in and expect ends to come from its common means, only to be bashed over the head by a rain of blood and limbs and some of the most outstanding technical abilities we have seen in any film, much less one about straight revenge and samurai sword wielding death squads. The film gives us situations we've seen before when thought of in perspective, but sort of recycles them, and somehow Tarantino manages to allow these devices to fool us all over again, despite the fact that we know to expect the unexpected from this filmmaker.

Quentin plays icons like aces, and his timing is so exceptional it is understandable that this film was over many viewers' heads. His understanding of pop culture and its subtle subconscious effect on his audience is impeccable to say the least. In Pulp Fiction he makes Vincent Vega enjoyable simply on the basis that we are watching the icon John Travolta play his cool self in a different light than he did in various films of singing and dancing and in television's Welcome Back Cotter. In Jackie Brown he plays Pam Greir's Blaxploitation persona to the tee and she brings her fairly obscure and uncontainable energy to the screen one more time. What is even more amazing is that here he uses the assumed coolness of Uma Thurman carried over to some degree from one of his very own films, and ultimately casts her face, style and look...and that is really all we need to see in his films, isn't it? If only Elvis were alive today, I have a feeling he may be swinging around a sword or a gun in one of Tarantino's films. Quentin's cultural understanding is by no means limited to his cast, it is everywhere. It's fun to write human dialogue about nothing and everyday conversations, like Seinfeld and Kevin Smith, but those who think that is Tarantino's one trick may want to back off of Kill Bill because he doesn't need it much here, and it isn't nearly as apparent.

The cartoonish violence of Kill Bill clearly calls for a certain taste but it is also the first time we are seeing Director Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer, Dead or Alive) possibly show up as an influence on Quentin, and not the other way around. It has the feel of watching a live action anime film. The title itself and knowledge that it is a revenge film pretty much sum up the plot. Kill Bill plays off of the old Westerns and the old Samurai and Kung Fu flicks. He even enlists Street Fighter Sonny Chiba as a supreme sword maker to add further to the reminders that this genre was great...and far from dead in Quentin's eyes. Kill Bill is incredibly violent and no punches are pulled. This shows to me that Tarantino doesn't care what people think, he is going to make a Kung Fu movie and he is going to do it on his terms. In the process I think he is just crazy enough to once again change the way movies in general are created. I haven't laughed guiltlessly at violence this much since Evil Dead part 2. Why no guilt laughing at a girl flailing helplessly (and armlessly) spraying blood and screaming on the ground? I really don't know, but I've never killed anybody and probably never will, so don't read too far into it.

Finally, it's just a movie. A simple movie with fighting and fun characters. Some of the greatest films of all time develop characters based on our own stereo-types and judgments of what we know about them and what we are shown. Quentin does that in every one of his films and that is why they work. He doesn't need melodrama or any complexities because that isn't what he sets out to do and it never was. He allows actions and dialogue do that for us and perhaps conveniently it never seems forced upon us. Quentin sheds off pretentious rubbish and plays on what we know as a culture, in order to show us something few films of quality care to do without shame; eye candy, entertainment, blood and guts, and all of it executed with innovation and complete perfection. If you don't like that you might prefer books anyway.