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There is no doubting that a Quentin Tarantino movie can be a love or loathe experience – people label him as over indulgent, dialogue heavy, stylised and serving his own geeky interests. But while Tarantino can deliver a reviled movie like ‘Death Proof’ (undeservedly so in this writers opinion) remember that Francis Ford Coppola has brought us The Godfather and also the tale of a 40 year old primary school kid in the form of Robin Williams in ‘Jack’, and that Steven Soderbergh can deliver an audience repelling movie like ‘Bubble’ in between the Oceans’ movies. Any director, his style, the story he chooses to relay and how he brings the movie together can work a treat or leave you disappointed. This was most recently affirmed, not that recently, when we watched the Kill Bill movies at home and I found my mother engrossed by the movies – totally engrossed in The Brides struggles, and paying such attention to the whittering prose so that the detail of the final fatal five point punch had stayed with her, and she counted the five steps out aloud as Bill walked to his death. I’m glad to say that having brought this same criteria to my viewing of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ last night I can’t but think my mother would have loved it, as did I.

A thriller, a warped comedy, a farce, an excellent ensemble of acting talent that chimes wonderfully – for once the snippets chosen to praise the movie on its poster are justified and not cynically chosen. The story will keep you guessing, slight overlap in time lines, multiple arcs of revenge and plotting and an escalating sense of tension is a surprising result. The movie appears in fact to be a succession of tense encounters with some form of beverage poured, followed by a steely stare off, silences, cover stories and a mix of outcomes – stays of execution and brief reprieves, or brutal bloody deaths. All this is delivered in a glorious (pun intended) looking movie, with shots and a style familiar of Tarantino and an old school style which is of itself probably a conscious decision of he director as part of an ode to a class of movies.

The Basterds of the mispelt title do not own the movie by any stretch, they share screen time with an vengeful blonde, movie critics, a heavily disguised Mike Myers for a brief cameo and the most recent addition to the great characters of Tarantinos characters, a Jew Hunter. There isn’t a sour note among the performances, and the cast are genuinely engaging and add to the enjoyment of the movie, whether you are laughing at Brad Pitts caricature, the delivery of the constant supply of one-liners or caught up in the tension of the opening interrogation. At one point we know Diane Krugers character ruse had been unfurled. The evidence is subtly but confidently stacked against her, and even though we the contents of the coat she reaches into the pocket of, Kruger, who has excelled without the burden of her accent seeming out of place face is wordlessly shell shocked at her inescapable situation. This moment is one of a number of turns in the story, moments which are seamlessly constructed, acres away from any plot convention you could forecast. To conclude I can’t think of more praise to heap on ‘Basterds’, than the quality of the pub post-dissection and the unanimous praise my company and I praised on it. Favourite parts, glowing reviews of Christopher Waltz’s performance and highlight jokes will be chosen from a rich crop and a movie that isn’t an acquired taste, or one for Tarantino fans, or an oddity – it is happily a good movie.

First and perhaps most obviously, ‘Inglorious Basterds’ is on the line-up. Tomorrow night in fact. Its Tarantino, its dialogue and violence heavy. I have stayed away from trailers and choose to look forward to this whatever the nay sayers contend.

Next, ‘Mesrine’ starring Vincent Cassel, better known to us as the jewel thief nemesis of the Oceans 12 and 13 crew – released in two parts, there are plenty of strong statements escaping from print reviews of this, claiming amongst other high praise that the gangster movies has been re-born. Less hyperbolic praise, but still praise came from two people over the weekend so within the next two weeks I intend to see both parts of the movie, with the second installment ‘Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1′ being released this weekend. See the trailer below.

An Iraq movie – not the most immediately appealing concept to draw in a distraction seeking cinema goer. ‘Hurt Locker’ goes a way to portray the reality of unspoken heroes in Iraq, and purports to be a thrilling movie at the same time, this will have a defined audience. With reviews beyond enthusiastic, I will be among them, to see first if they are right and second, feel the buzz of a good movie should they be. Again released this weekend.

Finally, to get the foreign language quota in, ‘Broken Embraces’ from Pedro Almodovar, starring Penelope Cruz. This film looks gorgeous and dramatic in ways an English language movie just can’t achieve.

6. A production of itself and setting a high musical standard with Buffalo Springfield, the sequence is a weapon assembly line from the Nicholas Cage movie ‘Lord of War’.

5. Seemingly this movie opened the minds of 1970s Hollywood and put pace to the what is viewed the richest decade of movie output from the States. Apologies for the quality. Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda ride into ‘Easy Rider’.

4. This movie made quite the impression on me as a young man, when to be honest I couldn’t even grasp the idea of what a male prostitute was, or why the world would need such a professional. Friday night, after the Late Late Show and ‘Midnight Cowboy’ comes on – ‘Everybodys Talkin’ again proving the importance of music to opening sequences and the movie opens and moves in a very grown up direction.

3. The only animated sequence of the list, this is a slinky stylish opener to suit the shooting style and themes of ‘Catch Me if You Can’.

2. John Travolta had not made Battlefield Earth, a world away from ‘Look Who’s Talkin’ – New York looks a gritty racially tense environment but the power of a good opening track and a weekend at the disco results in a huge commercial success and one of the best selling albums of all time.

1. Top of the list is a simple but potent sequence – smoky haze, opera, solitary figure, Scorsceses masterpiece.

I miss the impact of movies – it

6. Jack and Norma Arnold

All American, demanding father, doting mother.

5. Cliff and Claire Huxtable

Large family, huge ratings, both with professions.

4. Charles and Caroline Ingalls

Hard working, inspired popular fiction, parents to 5 children.

3. Biddy and Miley

Strong woman, put upon man, daughters refer to father by first name. Irish.

2. Bryan Mills

Vengeful. Do not kidnap this mans daughter.

1. Morticia and Gomez Addams

Deeply loving couple, keep children out of sun light, gothic.