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The Star of This is "Hugo Stiglitz" -- Sound Familiar?

posted a year ago by ecarle (14979)
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The listed star of this movie is "Hugo Stiglitz."

In Quentin Tarantino''s "Inglorious Basterds" one of the CHARACTERS is named "Hugo Stiglitz."

In fact, when his name is first brought up, the screen freezes, yelling music comes on the screen and his name(Hugo Stiglitz) fills the screen.

In Inglorious Basterds, Hugo Stiglitz is a German, evidently anti-Nazi psychopathic serial killer who kills only German generals (so maybe he is just anti-Nazi general?)

I don't know if "Hugo Stiglitz" is the real name of the star of this 1983 zombie movie, but I guess we can guess that QT got that name from here, and that's GREAT.

People accuse QT of "stealing ideas from other movies," but I rather think he goes around COLLECTING cool names and ideas from other movies and then passing them on to a new generation who never knew the originals, anyway.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20477) a year ago

Hugo Stiglitz is a Mexican actor of German descent, hence his last name. He was in many exploitation films of the 70s-80s and QT was indeed a fan of him and the director of this film. If you look up his filmography, you’ll see he’s been in many interesting movies over the years.

Umberto Lenzi’s first choice for the lead Actor in this film was Franco Nero, but his producer insisted on Hugo Stiglitz who was very popular in Mexico at the time. Lenzi was not a fan of Stiglitz’s “wooden acting,” which I must say described him perfectly. To me, his acting style added a bit of charm to this bonkers movie.

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago

Hugo Stiglitz is a Mexican actor of German descent, hence his last name. He was in many exploitation films of the 70s-80s and QT was indeed a fan of him and the director of this film. If you look up his filmography, you’ll see he’s been in many interesting movies over the years.

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That's very interesting! No, I didn't go look up his filmography, but now I realize that "in his world," Hugo Stiglitz was a big deal indeed, and of course QT would likely find the actor and his movies.

I'm amazed and educated. Thank you!

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20477) a year ago

You’re quite welcome. I enjoy discussing Italian genre cinema above any other type film. I love that QT incorporated so many ideas from those movies into his own.

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago

I love that QT incorporated so many ideas from those movies into his own.

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Yes, and for those of us who had no idea about the REAL Hugo Stiglitz -- the character name was kinda funny. I love how the captured German officer says the last part of the name rather with contempt: "Yes, I have heard of Hugo StigLITZ!"

And for those of you who KNOW Hugo Stiglitz and his work, it must have been fun to see/hear QT reference him.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20477) a year ago

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago

"Yes, I have heard of Hugo StigLITZ!"

Exactly!! I absolutely love all the homages QT pays to cult film in his movies. I actually started a thread dedicated to just that, but I haven’t updated it with anything new lately. I thought if I got feedback I would do some more postings, but there just hasn’t been any interest.

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Well, I can't promise much ability to respond to such a thread(I'm a dud on the details, directors and actors of the cult films QT knows by heart) but I would certainly read it. I'm getting an education. I had NO idea that Hugo Stiglitz was based on a real actor's name. (By the way, I just remembered that the angry Nazi officer prisoner spits the name out like this: "Yes I have heard of Hugo SCHTICKIGlitz!" He really spits out the first syllable in guttural German style.

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“I rather think he goes around COLLECTING cool names and ideas from other movies and then passing them on to a new generation who never knew the originals, anyway.”

I’m so happy you “get” what he does, unlike most here who seem to have a negative view of his style.

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Yeah, I realize it becomes easy to write/say "He has no original ideas..he keeps stealing from others," but it doesn't work like that. QT finds great things in obscure works and then REWORKS them(changes them a bit) to fit into his films. And he INTRODUCES these ideas to new generations of fans.

An example: in Django Unchained, one character shoots another character with a hidden pistol and the shot punctures the white carnation worn by the victim, and the white carnation then bleeds red blood. That's from some foreign action movie that I NEVER saw. QT reworked the idea for HIS movie.

Plus, I think that most of his dialogue is clearly HIS, from out of HIS mind and its great stuff, made him.

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https://moviechat.org/nm0000233/Quentin-Tarantino/6338f02080ee017930129e2d/References-Homages-and-Inspirations

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I'll take a look.

[–] FilmBuff (6697) a year ago

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago

Tarantino clearly used the name as an homage to the actor, which made for a fun Easter egg for fans of exploitation films when we first watched Inglourious Basterds. Later in the same film, a character uses the name Antonio Margheriti as a pseudonym, a nod to the Italian director of Cannibal Apocalypse, and other horror/exploitation fare, which also got laughs from fans of Margheriti in the audience.

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Is not Antonio Margheriti "name checked" as well as the director of a Rick Dalton film in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?"

As I am not familiar in detail with these foreign(to me) horror exploitation films, I (and others like me) are not the target audience for these Easter eggs, but it is clear from the posts above that Hugo Stiglitz and Antonio Margheriti ARE known to a significant fan base of whom QT is clearly one -- evidently he got onto these movies in his famous video store manager youth.

Note in passing: I AM familiar with the films of Alfred Hitchcock, who made mainstream thrillers that only occasionally -- mainly in the 60's and 70's -- went into "ultraviolence" (for their time and place) that was unacceptable to the mainstream -- Psycho, The Birds, Marnie(sexual content) Torn Curtain, Frenzy. QT isn't much a fan of these films or of Hitchcock and it seems that the answer is simple: when Cannibal Apocalypse is the kind of thriller/shocker you are familiar with, Hitchcock at his MOST violent is...pretty tame. QT just couldn't relate.

[–] FilmBuff (6697) a year ago

I didn't know that Tarantino is not fond of Hitchcock's work. I'd expect that most directors consider Hitchcock to be one of the past masters of cinema. I do get the idea that he's a huge fan of exploitation films, and violent films in general, though I don't know if he considers them to be great films, or simply entertaining films.

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago

I didn't know that Tarantino is not fond of Hitchcock's work. I'd expect that most directors consider Hitchcock to be one of the past masters of cinema.

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I read various comments from QT about Hitchcock over the years. Some were rather annoyed ("Hitchcock isn't GOD, OK?") Some were more respectful, one was downright snarky ("Clearly one of the greatest directors who walked the earth," said QT...as if he'd thrown in the towel and would ACT like a worshiper.)

Two key things: QT noted how Hitchcock's suspense sequences "could not end in heavy violence" -- most were done in the Hays Code era. So a guy who likes hard action like QT just wont' go for Hitch. The other key thing: QT has said that he likes Psycho II better than the original. Which I KIND of understand(Psycho II was made in 1983 with an R rating, and had more murders and more gore than the original) except...NO...Psycho II isn't close to Psycho in power and landmark status.

Finally: I did find QT singing the praises of -- of all Hitchcock movies -- Suspicion. It is QT's take that maybe at the end Cary Grant IS the killer, and still the killer and may yet kill his wife after "The End." Its all in Cary Grant's face, says QT.

---- I do get the idea that he's a huge fan of exploitation films, and violent films in general, though I don't know if he considers them to be great films, or simply entertaining films.

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Well, probably both. Look, I got to the drive-ins a lot in my youth and saw(usually with a group) some really BAD, cheesy, poorly acted exploitation movies. One ENJOYS these films for the forbidden pleasure they give.

With KIll Bill 1, I think QT was saluting (in some awe) both Samarai sword fights and the beauty of a Tokyo nightscape (for the final fight.)

Elsewhere -- like in Death Proof -- QT tried to copycat bad movie making but put his own GOOD movie-making twist on the movie itself.

CONT

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago

Interesting: "You can run but you can't hide." Someone out there found an episode of an old 60's TV show(starring Nick Adams) called The Rebel, and that episode is very much a blueprint for The Hateful Eight: stagecoach way station, prisoner, bounty hunter, poisoned coffee(or soup?)

I expect QT didn't think someone would find that , and I'll bet he paid money for the use of the story.

That's the thing about "the million eyes of the internet." Somebody out there KNEW about that Rebel episode. Millions did not, but all it took was that one person to make the catch and spread the word.

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20477) a year ago

Margheriti directed many different genres of exploitation films over the years, with my favorites being his Macaroni Combat movies. He’s noteworthy for his frequent use miniatures for special effects, and quite like QT, in many cases used the same group of actors over and over. His filmography is an absolute blast to follow, in my opinion. The guy made some really fun films.

[–] ecarle (14979) a year ago