The Inglorious Bastards

The release of Quentin Tarantino's gleefully misspelled Inglourious Basterds is obviously the catalyst behind this issue of the 1978 Italian rip-off of The Dirty Dozen that served, however loosely, as Tarantino's inspiration. Enzo Castellari's movie is a typical action potboiler of the time, about a bunch of American GIs being transported for court-martial who escape and try to make their way to Switzerland, killing Germans along the way. Eventually, however, they volunteer to replace a squad of dead commandos sent behind enemy lines to blow up a train carrying a terrible Nazi weapon—ultimately becoming heroes. Made in English, the film avoids the terrible dubbing so common in Italian movies of the time, and it features macho American stars Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson, as well as British actor Ian Bannen as the officer who directs the final mission. The explosions and firefights are cheesy but exciting, especially because it's so evident they're being done by real people without the benefit of modern CGI assistance. The sole DVD extra is a fascinating half-hour conversation between Tarantino and Castellari. The Inglorious Bastards is hardly more than medium-grade ‘70s drive-in fodder, but Tarantino's obsession has turned it into a piece of cinematic history, and genre fans will appreciate its new availability with a nicely restored transfer. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)