Re: Quentin Tarantino Sued Over Kill Bill Character
The Starmaker
>
> by Josh Grossberg
>
> Quentin Tarantino didn't win an Oscar this week, but this wasn't
> exactly what he had in mind for a consolation prize.
>
> The Inglourious Basterds helmer has been hit with a plagiarism lawsuit
> by a man accusing him and former Miramax chairman Harvey Weinstein of
> stealing his concept for what eventually became a deadly assassin in
> their Kill Bill double bill.
>
> In the suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday, Dannez
> Hunter claims he had submitted a treatment to Miramax back in 1999
> featuring a character named Ren Short who hails from a historical
> Samurai lineage and watches his mother brutally murdered "in a cartoon
> format."
>
> Sound familiar?
>
> It just so happens that four years later Tarantino dreamed up an Anime
> sequence for his Kill Bill flicks in which a sword-wielding assassin,
> played by Lucy Liu, codenamed Cottonmouth, otherwise known as O-Ren
> Ishii, witnesses her parents killed on orders from a Japanese mob
> boss. In his vision, O-Ren eventually becomes a member of the Deadly
> Vipers and takes her revenge by assuming control of the Tokyo Yakuza.
>
> The parallels were just too much for Hunter who felt he had to take
> legal action. In a separate allegation, the plaintiff, who describes
> himself as a minority and former "inner-city youth," also alleged the
> Disney subsidiary passed him over for employment and hired Jews and
> whites instead (In the words of Col. Hans Landa, "the Juden!")
>
> So aggravating matters further, he felt particularly shafted when
> Miramax never got back to him about his application.
>
> "[Plaintiff] was never given a return phone call, as numerous similar
> situated less qualified Jewish and White people were bestowed job
> after job after job," Hunter alleges.
>
> Maybe Tarantino should bring in the Bear Jew for this one.
>
> No word why he waited seven�count 'em seven�years to go to court. But
> the California native is seeking $1 million in damages.
>
> Reps for the director and Miramax did not return phone calls seeking
> comment. No doubt they're thinking it's just a bunch of pulp fiction.
>
> http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b170853_not_cool_tarantino_sued_over_kill_bill.html#ixzz0hhySjqek
L8 nuz
>
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/13051757#13051757- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Tarantino is getting out of fuel. He blew it (at least from a
marketing standpoint) with Grindhouse (why would he partner up with
that Rodriguez?! Rodriguez’s “From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's
Daughter” was a disgrace, while Tarantino’s original version was a
masterpiece. That was a red flag that Quentin decided to ignore)
“Infamous Basterds” had a disappointing end (and not only), although I
admit that Oscar winner Christoph Waltz was a delight. Tarantino was
the writer and the director … hmmm … I’m telling ya he’s going south:
too many weaknesses in the movie.
As for Kill Bill: Vol. 1, I couldn’t see it to the end and I never
tried to see Vol. 2. That kind of silly cartoonish martial-arts BS
might make sense in a video game for 5th graders. At least “Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was well made and the Chinese chick was hot. But
Daryl Hannah??! – she was “made” hot by the US media (and therefore
makes millions in H’wood) only cuz she sucked a Kennedy. And Lucy
Liu?! I like well designed oriental stuff, but I’d rather monk down
than date LL …
Flasherly
>
> As for Kill Bill: Vol. 1, I couldn’t see it to the end and I never
> tried to see Vol. 2. That kind of silly cartoonish martial-arts BS
> might make sense in a video game for 5th graders. At least “Crouching
> Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was well made and the Chinese chick was hot. But
> Daryl Hannah??!
"My name is Buck and I'm hear to..." -KB/V1
Try that BS with any 5th grader, and best hope there's no witnesses --
otherwise, it's the lock-up for you. For sure.
Apples & Oranges. CT,HD is folklore, different breed pertaining to
martial arts, or "fighting". When you watch Sand Pebbles, the
fighting match McQueen orchestrates, that is realistically fighting to
an oriental, much as pugilism is to the Westerner. Then there's a
spaghetti take adapted from popular Italian influences, Eastwood and
others myth-ify as bigger than life, which is within that framework
Tarantino expands purposely into absurdity you're proposing. Surreal
sounds formal but close, I'll hazard, to a more positive indicative of
standing reviews. Also, there's a hard Eastern constituency of martial
artists, roughly in equating what doesn't as easily adapt to a Western
appeal for a likes of Eastwood a Dirty Harry roles. Bit more niche
oriented, I'd say.
Not that Westerners wouldn't like their handchops delivered from
actors, just sans pony-tails or silk gowns, and rather attired neatly
in a tuxedo, or at least a suit. Adds a wider dimension in elevating
awe they want to be entertainingly subsumed within. Since Bronson and
Hard Times, a popularly expanding and seriously depicted dimension.
Taken - more of recent, 2008
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0936501/
One of better roles for Liam since Michael Collins. May not that much
of a realistic or elevated role, but the directing isn't about being a
slouch, either;- it's a rush of pure, thrill-riding action once the
afterburner kicks in, about a quarter the way along. Very tightly
scripted, then, gratuitous fastframe fighting onwards, no breaks, no
time hardly to breathe. Liam does top-notch, hell of a job as a one-
man wrecker. If you thought Borne Identity talks to much, then you'll
love Taken.