Inglourious Basterds

There's always a lot of interesting detail in Quentin Tarantino's films. Although some film makers may introduce a prop in one scene, only so it can pop up later as a plot device, Tarantino will boldly introduce a thing, and sidestep any explanation. In his latest film, Inglourious Basterds, the notes that are not played are as important and effective as his carefully woven soundtrack.

Brad Pitt is cast as Aldo Raine, the WWII team leader of eight Jewish American soldiers whose mission is to infiltrate Nazi occupied France and terrorize the Third Reich by brutally torturing and annihilating Nazi soldiers. Although the time, the cities, the clothing and villains are historically accurate, this is an altered reality with a preposterous if imaginative ending. There are other characters and subplots, but that's the gist of it without giving too much away. If you're a Tarantino fan (like me), hearing any description of the music or villains or catchy dialogue beforehand is much like knowing the ending; better to know as little as possible to fully experience what we've waited years for him to create.

For the 2009 summer movie rollout, Star Trek was the beginning and Inglourious Basterds was the end.