INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS in 4K...with Extra Goodies

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Limited Edition 

(Blu-ray)

2009 / 153 min

From Arrow Video

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Basterd😺

In this writer’s humble opinion, Quentin Tarantino is our greatest living filmmaker, and Inglourious Basterds is his second greatest film. At this point, I can’t imagine him ever topping Pulp Fiction (which also just recently got a pretty elaborate 4K boxed set).

If you’re really interested in more of my gushing, you can read my review of Universal’s 4K edition HERE. Though that version came out only a few years ago, Arrow Video has just released their own 4K and Blu-ray editions. We were sent the Blu-ray edition for review, and to be honest, I didn’t notice any difference between this video/audio transfer and the previous one (which still means it’s pretty damn good).

Hans tastes Skittles for the first time.

However, this edition comes with a bunch of brand new supplemental materiel, the best being individual interviews with several Tarantino cohorts...make-up FX supervisor Greg Nicotero, actor Omar Doom and editor Fred Raskin, as well as one with film scholar Christine Leteux. Also included is a new audio commentary and a couple of lengthy visual essays related to the film. Additionally, nearly all of the bonus features from the Universal releases are carried over to this one. All that’s missing the New York Times’ Q&A session.

As usual with Arrow’s limited edition boxed sets, this one also comes with a lot of physical goodies, such as a mini poster, art cards, a strudel recipe and a 60-page booklet. So while Inglourious Basterds hasn’t gotten any technical upgrades (nor does it really need any), the substantial new bonus material and packaging make it worth picking up for fans who can’t get enough of the film...such as yours truly.

EXTRA KIBBLES

NOTE: Free Kittens Movie Guide was provided with a promo disc for review purposes. Physical supplemental material included with the final product (booklets, artwork, inserts, etc) were not available for review.

NEW INTERVIEWS - What Would Sally Do? features frequent QT editor Fred Raskin, who discusses how his career got started, his work with QT and working under the late Sally Menke (who was the actual editor of Inglourious Basterds); Blood Fiction is an interview with make-up supervisor Greg Nicotero, who has worked on every Tarantino film and goes into a lot of details on the make-up effects in this one; Doomstruck features actor/musician Omar Doom, who plays one of the Basterds; Filmmaking in Occupied France is an interview with film scholar Christine Leteux.

VISUAL ESSAYS - 2 new visual essays are included. In Making it Right, critic Walter Chaw discusses themes of kindness in Tarantino’s films, which isn’t quite the stretch it seems; Film History on Fire features author Pamela Hutchinson, you mostly focuses on the recurring themes and imagery of films within the film.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - New audio commentary by author/critic Tim Lucas. 

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION - The best of the bonus features, Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt talk with moderator Elvis Mitchell.

“NATION’S PRIDE” - The Eli Roth-directed short that served as the film shown in the French cinema during the final act.

FEATURETTES - “The Making of ‘Nation’s Pride’”; “The Original Inglorious Bastards” (a tribute to the film - and its director - that inspired the title); “A Conversation with Rod Taylor” (Taylor played Churchill in the film); “Rod Taylor on Victoria Bitters” (an amusing anecdote); “Hi Sallys” (something of a running gag during Tarantino shoots, in reference to editor Sally Menke); “Quentin Tarantino’s Camera Angel” (the director’s amusing clapboard operator).

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES

IMAGE GALLERY - Instead of the usual gallery of one-sheets and stills, this one features poster artwork actually used in the film, narrated by Elvis Mitchell.

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