Love him or hate him, but Quentin Tarantino’s movies have inspired directors to take the unbeaten path. With Inglourious Basterds, his latest offering, releasing across the world today, we tell you all about the man and his movies.

There are two extreme responses to a Quentin Tarantino movie—an awed ‘Wow! What was that?’ Or a ‘Yuck! That was gross.’

While his movies may show violence in graphic detail it is the slick product out of what would otherwise be ‘just another spaghetti western’ that makes his movies pathbreaking.

The Tarantino fan would be waiting with bated breath, as his latest offering, Inglourious Basterds, releases worldwide today.

In India, the film, which is being distributed by Paramount Pictures, is set to open in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and Panaji.

“The initial feedback has been very encouraging and we are positive that the movie will do well in India,” says Jacinto Fernandes, Marketing manager India, Paramount Films of India Ltd.

“Tarantino’s ability to connect with a larger audience and still exhibit a fine sense of cinema appeals to the movie buff,” says Shobhan Singh (27), a die-hard Pulp Fiction fan—the Tarantino movie, which won an Oscar for best original screenplay in 1995.

Tejaswini Chogtu (31) loved Kill Bill and she’s waiting for the latest Tarantino pot-boiler. “Forget the violence or the story, Kill Bill had a killer soundtrack and that’s what makes that movie one of my favourites,” she says.

Chogtu is one of the few people who have recognised the eclectic mix of music that most Tarantino movies have. Take any of his movies, the soundtracks use influences and songs from all over the world, including India, to make a unique blend that sounds just right with the movie.

Now, both Singh and Chogtu, are waiting for the master filmmakers next, Inglourious Basterds, that got some rave reviews at the Cannes Festival this year.

“I’m really waiting for the movie to release, I think I’ll look at going for it on the first day itself,” says Singh.

“There is a lot of excitement around the movie as this is the first time that Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino have come together,” says Fernandes, whose company plans to release the movie with over 60 prints in India.

Who is Quentin Tarantino? Born in 1963, Quentin Tarantino arrived on the silver screen in 1992, the year in which his first film Reservoir Dogs got critical acclaim after it was screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

In 1994, he followed up the success of Reservoir Dogs with Pulp Fiction that won the Palme D’or Award when it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Pulp Fiction’s success at Cannes was followed up with Oscar nominations in the best picture and best director category and an Oscar award for best original screenplay.

However, his direction for part of the movie Four Rooms was panned by critics in 1995. In 2003 and 2004 Tarantino came back on the hit circuit with Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 that got not just rave reviews but was also critically acclaimed for its slick direction.

With Inglourious Basterds in 2009, Tarantino again dazzled at the Cannes Film Festival making it one of the most awaited Hollywood flicks of the year.

Tarantino As director Reservoir Dogs (1992) Rotten Tomatoes rating: 8.9/10 IMDB rating: 7.4/10 Synopsis: Mastermind Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney) assembles a crew of top-notch criminals to pull off a jewellery store heist.

Pulp Fiction (1994) Rotten Tomatoes rating: 8.9/10 IMDB rating: 8.9/10 Synopsis: Starring John Travolta in a memorable role, the film interweaves three stories, which only fully connect at the end.

Jackie Brown (1997) Rotten Tomatoes rating: 7.3/10 IMDB rating: 7.6/10 Synopsis: Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), is a flight attendant who makes extra money by running a drugs racket for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) and her escapades when she sees the opportunity to make off with a large chunk of money.

Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003) Rotten Tomatoes rating: 7.7/10 IMDB rating: 8.2/10 Synopsis: A female assassin, “The Bride” (Uma Thurman), is attacked on her wedding day where her soon-to-be husband and unborn child are killed. Four years later, she wakes up from a coma looking for revenge. Her ultimate target is her former boss, Bill (David Carradine), but before that, she must kill the people who ruined her life. Using a blessed sword handmade by Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba), The Bride begins her assault.

Kill Bill Vol 2 (2004) Rotten Tomatoes rating: 7.7/10 IMDB rating: 8/10 Synopsis: The Bride (Uma Thurman) resumes her quest to track down her former mentor, Bill (David Carradine), and exact revenge. But before she gets to Bill, she must first take out the remaining people who helped to slaughter her best friends and fiancé.

Death Proof (2007) Rotten Tomatoes rating: 5.7/10 IMDB rating: 7.3/10 Synopsis: Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) stalks beautiful women with his deadly vintage car, but when he picks a trio of tough girls (Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, and Zoe Bell), he learns they aren’t such easy prey.

Taking on Tarantino Here’s what the reviews said after Inglourious Basterds was shown at Cannes earlier this year:

They called it a hit

Rolling Stone magazine Rating: 3 stars “At 46, Tarantino still loves walking a tightrope minus the net. So it’s easy to pick at his film’s flaws: It sputters, bogs down in minutiae, talks itself into blind alleys and trips on its own ambition. Detractors say the 152-minute epic should be shorter, funnier, more fierce, less verbal, add battle scenes, yada-yada. Sorry, haters. Tarantino does it his way.”

The New York Times Rating: 3.5 stars “Too often in “Inglourious Basterds” the filmmaking falls short. Mr. Tarantino is a great writer and director of individual scenes, though he can have trouble putting those together, a difficulty that has sometimes been obscured by the clever temporal kinks in his earlier work.”

The film doesn’t work for them

Salon. com Rating: No ratings given “Quentin Tarantino’s “Jews vs. Nazis” epic is unwieldy, nutso and often boring. That doesn’t mean it isn’t any good.”

Guardian Rating: 1 star “Quentin Tarantino’s cod-second world war adventure is a transcendentally disappointing dud, in which Brad Pitt delivers his most charmless performance to date.”