‘Inglourious Basterds’ Oscar campaign gets off to a roaring start

After running up a huge gross of more than $250 million worldwide since its late August opening, director Quentin Tarantino’s WWII epic “Inglourious Basterds” is now shifting gears from its initial marketing phase as a “popcorn picture” to serious Oscar contender.

Thursday that campaign seemed to begin in earnest for the Weinstein Co. when Tarantino was honored with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Kirk Douglas Award for excellence in film at a black-tie gala at the Four Seasons Biltmore resort in Montecito, a voter-rich area with close to 100 Academy members in residence at various times.

Festival organizers threw a lavish cocktail party and sit-down dinner featuring generous clips of such Tarantino landmark movies as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Jackie Brown,” “Kill Bill” and of course “Inglourious Basterds.” Among those in attendance were Douglas and wife Anne, who were seated next to the honoree, star Diane Kruger and the film’s producer, Lawrence Bender. Festival director Roger Durling and board President Jeffrey Barbakow (former MGM/UA head) both made amusing and well-received remarks. Comedian and Santa Barbara resident Dennis Miller shared a table with “Basterds” co-star Samm Levine along with the entire Barbakow clan, including wife Margot and sons Bennett and Max.

A consultant working on the film told me this campaign is a fun one so far, as the pressure is off. The film is already more successful than even their wildest hopes, so awards are just the icing on this particular cake. Considering the strong response the film seems to be getting in the industry, nominations for screenplay, directing, supporting actor (Christoph Waltz, maybe even Brad Pitt, too), editing, cinematography, sound, costumes and best picture are realistic goals in a wide-open season so far, especially if the film’s occasionally graphic violence doesn’t turn off queasy voters. With Oscar maven Harvey Weinstein calling the shots anything is possible, even with internal competition from other expected Weinstein contenders, including the still unseen “Nine,” “A Single Man” and perhaps “The Road” (at least for Viggo Mortensen).

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