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By | Friday, July 25, 2008

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The Inglorious Bastards (Severin, $26.00) — Italian director Enzo Castellari's 1978 war movie "The Inglorious Bastards" kept getting its name changed after it hit U.S. shores. Some theaters showed it as "G.I. Bro" to capitalize on co-star Fred Williamson's blaxploitation cred. It also got slapped with more generic titles like "Deadly Mission" and "Hell's Heroes."

Mr. Castellari won't have to worry about people mistaking his film's real name any more. Director Quentin Tarantino's next feature will be a loose remake of one of his favorite World War II movies "The Inglorious Bastards."

"It's unbelievable that a guy, a genius like Quentin, between the billions of movies made, chose mine to remake," says Mr. Castellari in accented but very clear English from his Italian home.

"The Inglorious Bastards" gets more respect Tuesday(July 29) with an extras-laden DVD release. The package includes a lengthy chat between a fawning Mr. Tarantino and Mr. Castellari.

"Bastards" follows a band of U.S. soldiers awaiting punishment for various crimes — including desertion and murder — while traveling with their U.S. jailers through German-occupied France. When German troops attack their convoy, they bastards cw are set free. They hope to leave the war behind them by heading to Switzerland, but Allied loyalty compels them to tackle one last mission.

It's easy to see why Mr. Tarantino was drawn to the 1978 film. "Bastards" revels in Mr. Castellari's action sensibilities — spectacular bursts of gunfire and flying bodies all orchestrated with great attention to detail. It also features macho performances by Bo Svenson and Mr. Williamson that barrel right past the film's cornier moments.

Mr. Castellari, who grew up watching American, not Italian movies, forged a name for himself with violent films like "High Crime" (1973) and "The Big Racket" (1976).

The director credits his athletic background — he was a boxer in his younger days — for honing his ability to create stirring action on-screen.

"Action means timing, timing, timing," he says. "You either grab and catch it immediately, or you never learn."

He often choreographed that day's sequences on the ride to the set.