He is one of the most influential filmmakers of our generation. If Steven Spielberg ruled the 80s, it is safe to say Quentin Tarantino owned the 90s. His story is almost as famous as his observations of the ways of European McDonalds. A video store clerk who used a few big breaks to his full advantage. But as myself, Jack, and Alyx go through his resume in this retrospective, we will observe whether that still stands true today. We will also review his brand new film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and answer whether it is as good as its trailers look.
But first, it’s time to start in the beginning. In 1992, Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs made a huge splash at Sundance and stamped his ticket to Hollywood stardom. With a push from Harvey Keitel and an imposing Michael Madsen as Mr Blonde, the movie made his intentions and film style known right from the get go. Highly stylized violence mixed with contemptable guys whose dialogue makes them endearing. But how has it aged, and is it really as good as its reputation?
Join Jack, Alyx, and myself as we answer these questions, and begin our journey through Quentin Tarantino’s resume of films.
Jack Falvey and Pete record a very last minute commentary for Reservoir Dogs. Find out when they first saw this and where they rank this film amongst Tarantino’s other films. Enjoy!!!
With the upcoming release of The Hateful Eight I think this is a perfect opportunity to take a look at arguably the most interesting filmmaker working today, Quentin Tarantino. For a lot of us, Tarantino was the springboard to becoming a movie fan. Pulp Fiction was the gateway drug that led me down the path of cinema obsession, winding down the corridors of spaghetti westerns, giallo horror and Siegel-esque 70’s crime thrillers. Much in the way The Beatles hold together the center of my musical universe, Tarantino’s begging, borrowing and stealing from other filmmakers and genres is what makes him unique. Quentin has always had a knack for taking elements that may not have worked as well in other films and reworking them in the framework of a stronger narrative. Granted, there are some who claim he does nothing but steal from other filmmakers before him, but all the greats do. We are, after all, a product of our influences, and anyone who wants to argue Scorsese has more integrity and originality than Tarantino clearly has no concept of modern film history. So, I present to you, my ranking of Tarantino’s filmography and what these movies mean to me.
***DISCLAIMER*** I’ve chosen to include some of his written works and collaborations here as well ***
Natural Born Killers
I’ve mentioned it here quite a few times that I’m no big fife for Oliver Stone. To me, his filmography is largely sensationalistic and focuses on a lot of half-truths in the name of being a prick. He famously misrepresented Jim Morrison’s girlfriend in The Doors for no real reason, something that always bothered me as a film geek. Make no mistake, there are a few Oliver Stone films that I can enjoy (Platoon, JFK), but in a filmography as large as his two films aren’t enough to redeem it. When it comes to egregious changes, Natural Born Killers was a script that was completely bastardized by Stone. Tarantino hated the film and has since decried Stone for ruining his story. I have read the original script (although it’s been almost a decade) and could absolutely see Tarantino making this a much better film. As it stands, NBK is the one true failure on his resume in my eyes, and in truth it has nothing to do with him.
Death Proof
Back in 2007, I remember seeing Grindhouse in the theater with my pals. Despite it being the longest I’ve ever gone while needing to take a piss, I really enjoyed 60% of the experience. Planet Terror and the fake movie trailers were fantastic, but Death Proof was not. I don’t know if it was the severe shift in tone that threw me but overall I was very underwhelmed by Death Proof. I found the stunts to be solid and the editing to be the typical A-Grade Tarantino quality but his dialogue out of the mouths of women trying to get laid was incredibly boring to me. Kurt Russell was great until he wasn’t and the film became something else entirely. I have seen it since that first viewing and while I don’t hate it as much as I did I still think it’s Tarantino’s weakest directed film.
From Dusk Till Dawn
What can you say about From Dusk Till Dawn that hasn’t already been said? At this point with the TV series’ quality consistently dwindling it is easy to forget that the movie was a freaky, unique outing. Directed by Robert Rodriguez, the film takes the typical Tarantino narrative of two pop-culture versed brothers out on a killing spree and throws vampires into the mix. The tonal shift throws a lot of people but it’s so wacky and fun that I dig it every time I watch it. Great effects and over the top dialogue make this the craziest film in Tarantino’s catalog.
Jackie Brown
The polar-opposite to Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown is the story of a woman dealing with a life of petty crime creeping in on her. Tarantino’s version of the Blaxploitation homage is rife with references and full of very solid performances. In fact, Robert DeNiro shows up in a strange but interesting little role. Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s answer to the high-violence and frenetic energy of Pulp Fiction. He goes with a smaller story and it works pretty well. Admittedly this was a film I wasn’t that into when I first saw it but I have grown to like it as time has gone on.
Kill Bill Vol 1
A phenomenal ode to samurai and kung-fu films, Kill Bill Vol 1 gets a lot of love for its insane violence, quick cutting action and wire-fu stunts. The mystery of never seeing Bill’s face, the broken timeline and the insanely violent opening scene all work towards building Tarantino’s most cartoonish film in his oeuvre. Coupled with a fantastic soundtrack, Vol 1 is technically very impressive and shot by a guy who is just itching to push the limits of what he can do.
True Romance
Another screenplay by Quentin, True Romance, directed by Tony Scott, is probably the most well-adapted screenplay in Tarantino’s filmography. Scott clearly gets where the script needs to be and plays to its strengths. Despite a change to the ending, of which Tarantino has admitted he likes in Scott’s film, the movie stays very faithful to the source material. There’s nothing better than Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken’s incredible verbal standoff but the supporting cast, rounded out by guys you may have heard of like James Gandolfini, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt, really shines here. True Romance is a fun flick that holds up really well.
Django Unchained
It was only a matter of time before Tarantino did a full-blown western, and Django is that in spades. Part Leone homage, part Blaxploitation film, part Homer-esque epic, Django features the director firing on all cylinders. From the fantastic casting of both Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio to the brash intensity of the film’s subject matter Django is a huge success in every respect. My only gripe with the film, and it is a BIG one, has to do with the odd pacing of the third act. It seems like the movie ends, then Django escapes and ends again. Aside from that, Django is one of the director’s best works.
Reservoir Dogs
The film that make Tarantino a name on the indie film circuit, Reservoir Dogs gets a ton of flack for being nothing more than a remake of City of Fire. To that I call bullshit, as Dogs has a unique identity all its own. The cast of characters, played by guys like Michael Madsen, Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi are fantastic across the board. The entire concept of making a bank heist movie where you never see the heist was also innovative and fascinating. Dogs continues to impress on a small scale, containing all the signature elements that would come to define Tarantino’s entire filmmaking language.
Kill Bill Vol 2
It may not be a popular opinion but for me Kill Bill Vol 2 is vastly superior to Vol 1. Where Vol 1 had all action, Vol 2 has all story. If we have to judge these movies separately, then Vol 2 has the edge. The suspension of disbelief does need to be completely given to this film for it to work, and I could understand those of you who may tap out as soon as Pai-Mei shows up, but this film fleshes out the fable of The Bride and provides as satisfying a conclusion as you could ask for. David Carradine is the best he’s ever been here and I absolutely love the Ennio Morricone tracks used here. Maybe QT’s most underrated film.
Pulp Fiction
What could I possibly say about Pulp Fiction that hasn’t already been said to death? Great script? Yep. Fantastic performances? Absolutely. Good direction? You bet ‘yer ass. Pulp Fiction is a film you all should know back and forth by now, I’m not going to try and convince you if you haven’t. It’s a cinema classic, get on it if you haven’t yet.
Inglourious Basterds
I have a theory about filmmakers that I like to use when evaluating their work. I believe that any filmmaker with a distinctive style has a single film that perfectly encompasses their style and provides the audience with that particular artist working at the absolute height of their powers. For Wes Anderson, I feel that film is The Grand Budapest Hotel. For Kubrick, I think it’s The Shining. For Tarantino, I think it’s Inglourious Basterds. The fractured timeline for the narrative broken into chapters, the grandiose music, the heightened performances and maybe the most well crafted script Tarantino has ever written all culminate in my favorite Tarantino film. For a long time it was Pulp Fiction, but Inglourious Basterds dethroned it.
What’s the word, Bingers? Does this list mirror your own, or (more likely) are you ready to call for me to be fired? Let us know in the comments below and, as always, Binge On!
Yesterday I was hanging out on my back deck with my brother and 11 year old nephew, talking shit about movies. My brother and I are going line after line with this movie and that, when my nephew mentions the classic UHF. Then all three of us start going line for line on the flick. Pretty soon, we’re talking about what movies to introduce my nephew to. He still has one foot in the G rating, with the other foot testing the PG-13 waters. In sharp contrast, my brother and I were already watching Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy stand up. In fact, our dad took us to the theater to see Eddie Murphy’s RAW (1987) when I was 9 and my brother was 12. Thanks Pop.
Jim Law and Ammon often talk about what movies we grew up on that would be appropriate to show their growing kids, and thinking about last night’s conversation, I decided to write up a list of movies that would be perfect to introduce to a budding tween film geek.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
A no-brainer. Indiana Jones may be the greatest adventurer that ever adventured. He’s a fearless badass who doesn’t take any shit and loves the ladies. Any kind of “mission” or “quest” type of film will pull a young kid right in, but to do it with the style and panache that Indy brings to the table sets this apart from all the rest. And his fear of snakes makes Indy all the more real and relatable.
What They’ll Learn: To be wary of snakes and Nazis.
Goonies
Another no brainer. Another “mission/quest” type movie. Could be the perfect blend of kid and adult movie. Your young tween will have their lil imagination captured by the hunt for the lost pirate ship, while understanding the bigger narrative of being faced with losing the best friends you’ll ever have. And they’ll develop their first crush on Andy or Bran. Or Data if they’re into that whole Asian James Bond thing.
What They’ll Learn: Chunk’s unflinching loyalty to Sloth will teach them that when they’re older and drop their own kid, chances are some fat kid will be their friend.
The Outsiders
At some point, every kid feels like an outsider. Especially as a tween, you start noticing things that set you apart from others: the way you walk or talk, the food or TV shows you like, the fact that you’re poor Oklahoma white trash and preppies chase you in their Mustangs. Kids will relate to Pony Boy’s sensitivity and the camaraderie the greasers share with each other. An “us vs them” vibe is very prevalent growing up, and the movie will show your young greaser (please don’t let them be Socs) that friendship and brotherhood are vital to their growth.
What They’ll Learn: Don’t run into burning fucking churches like an asshole. Also, do it for Johnny.
Magnolia
A sprawling, family epic. Kids will go into Magnolia looking for that “cool dude” from Edge of Tomorrow, but will be captivated by Tom Cruise’s performance of the testosterone fueled, yet flawed, Frank TJ Mackey. Kids will cheer for young Stanley Spector to dominate “What Do Kids Know”, pull for John C Reilly to get his shit together, and use “Quiz Kid” Donnie Smith as a cautionary tale against ever getting braces.
What They’ll Learn: Don’t be a dick to your parents, and don’t be a dick to your kids when you have them. Also, respect the cock.
Reservoir Dogs
Crime never pays. But it does look cool and fun. Whether you have a male or female tween, your young film geek will appreciate a bunch of guys talking shit at a breakfast table before they do a job. See also: guys on a mission movie. They’ll appreciate the snappy banter, K Billy’s Super Sounds of the 70s, and how Tarantino chooses to juxtapose Mr. Blonde dancing to Stealers Wheel with the “ear cutting” scene. Sure there’s a lot of blood, but there’s also a lot of sweat and tears. And those kind of things kids relate to. Hard work, we’re talking about here. And it’s so quotable. How cool will it be the next time you stub your toe, your kid yells, “You’re gonna be okayyyy!”
What They’ll Learn: Don’t be a rat. How to spot a rat. How to be a professional. And not to treat black women from Ladora Heights (the Black Beverly Hills) like shit.
We’re down to eight caps in the Epic Screencap Championship and I have to admit, I’m kind of surprised at some of the picks. I honestly didn’t expect to see JAWS or THE GODFATHER make it this far and now they’re facing off against each other which means one of them will be in the Final Four. The rest of the match-ups are going to be tight. Take a look at the updated bracket below and get ready to vote tomorrow.
