TV Reviews: Director Tarantino leaves his mark on 'CSI' finale

Thursday, May 19, 2005

 

By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

 

Television is undeniably a writer's medium; directors are usually just hired hands. But when film director Quentin Tarantino gets involved in tonight's two-hour "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" fifth season finale (8 p.m.) -- not only directing but dreaming up the chilling story -- you can be assured the director has an impact. Big time.

 

Previews have already spoiled the plot of "Grave Danger": CSI Nick Stokes (George Eads) is kidnapped, put into a glass coffin and buried alive. It's up to the CSI team to get him back before he runs out of air.

 

That's not easy. With few clues to go on, the team gets flummoxed by one horrible twist after another. And by horrible, I mean terrifying, gruesome and surprising. "CSI" episodes often produce unexpected zig-zag plot swerves as the team follows the evidence, but that's more the case than usual in this episode.

 

The original "CSI" has always been better than other procedural dramas at giving viewers glimpses into the backgrounds of Grissom and company, but this episode, in particular, reveals some characters in scenes before Stokes gets kidnapped. And the flourishes are pure Tarantino.

 

Greg Sanders (Eric Szmanda) and Hodges (Wallace Langham) play a "Dukes of Hazzard" board game. Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) describes a night on the town to Stokes. Gil Grissom (William Petersen) reveals a pop culture-tinged childhood memory to Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox). Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) finds her father, Sam Braun (Scott Wilson), sharing old Las Vegas memories with Tony Curtis and Frank Gorshin, who died just a day before this "CSI" episode airs.

 

Tarantino's love of pop culture pervades the two hours, from a Jack Handy reference to use of pop music cues. A muffled profanity escapes Catherine's lips in a moment of extreme frustration, and an intentionally absurd autopsy scene (complete with meat cleaver and chainsaw) is nothing if not Tarantino-esque.

 

This is not your typical "CSI," but it doesn't deviate too much from what viewers are accustomed to. It's just a slightly off-kilter episode that's all the more emotional and nerve-wracking because the potential victim is one of CSI's own.

 

 

I usually don't watch CSI and I'm sure Tarantino's involvement won't be obvious, but I'll be Tivo-in' this.

Godard Slams Tarantino

 

Legendary director Jean-Luc Godard has hit out at Quentin Tarantino - one of his biggest admirers - for using the title of one of his 1960s films without financially rewarding him. Maverick film-maker Tarantino took the name Band A Parte (Band Of Outsiders) from the New Wave icon's 1964 movie and used it as the name for his production company. But Breathless filmmaker Godard, 74, is less than impressed by the Pulp Fiction director's intended flattery. He says, "Tarantino named his production company after one of my films. He would have done better to give me some money."

What's his problem? It's just the name of his production company. You'd think he'd be honored that someone who looks up to him and became famous decided to honor his hero.

Some people are just fuckin' money-grubbin' assholes. I couldn't even believe it when I read it. Besides, Tarantino's production company is called A Band Apart not Band A Parte, so it's not like it's a direct ripoff, regardless of whether or not the name was inspired by the Godard film.