My thoughts on Tarantino and his movies
 

I was thinking about this the other day. Thinking about how Quentin Tarantino's movies and what makes them so popular yet so hollow. I find that Tarantino makes great scenes but he lacks the ability to make great movies. Most of his movies have so many different scenes they don't even look like they belong in the same movie. He's kinda like Frankenstein piecing together his movies with totally unlike parts to try and fit to complete what can pass for a movie. I believe Tarantino is actually aware of this fact himself, in Pulp Fiction, his scenes are held together by title cards like "The Gold Watch" in Kill Bill there are title cards as well. However, it's not just the title cards that irks me. The fact that Kill Bill really is just a series of vignettes of vengeance, told out of order to give the movie a bit more style and make it less dull. Now, how does Tarantino get away with all this you ask? How does he turn an entire generation of film students into Tarantino-wannabes? This is where his real talent lies: music. He has a great taste in music but he uses songs as a crutch. The audience doesn't give a crap about what the images on the screen are if the music is timed well and fits with the scene. I think QT is pretty well aware of his boundaries as a filmmaker. That's why he's made an entire four movies. These are my thoughts.

I disagree.

Does that mean Terrence Malick is a terrible director because he's only done a handful of films in 30 years?

No, but he can't possibly be listed among the top directors of his times because of his limited output. I think Badlands is a classic. Thing Red Line is a good film in my opinion, but not great. Saving Private Ryan is a better film, despite it's typical Speilbergian sentimental ending.

As for Tarantino, I'm not a fan. I've only liked one of his films, Pulp Fiction. I don't find his films anywhere near as good as he and many others do. Nor do I find him as great a filmmaker as many do.

I would have to say that quality of film matters more than quanitity of films made. You can churn out 100 films and have 3 be good and still be considered less then someone who made 5 good films.

Not liking or respecting Tarantino's work is ignorant. period.

True, but you must have a reasonable degree of output to be considered among the best of your peers. Lucas is very similar, and in fact joked at the AFI awards that he's now slightly ahead of Terence Malick for the most praise for the least amount of work.

They're very similar in terms of their output. They both have directed great films. I think both are very good to great filmmakers, but are too limited in their output. I'd like to see more from both. I'd like to see Malick increase his output and I'd like to see Lucas put Star Wars to bed and get back to his THX and American Graffiti style of filmmaking.

But I would agree with Matthew that you can't call Malick a terrible filmmaker because of the few number of films he's directed.

Okay, so I have to like something or I'm ignorant. That's quite a theory.

See, that's just it, his movies aren't hollow for me. Sure, his movies have style, but I wouldn't be a fan of his work if there wasn't any substance. I've seen plenty of films that oozed with style that I absolutely hated. The characters and situations he creates resonate with me. Whether he's dealing with criminals or assassins, they're relateable, even if their lifestyle is not, and that makes all the difference.It's one thing to give your opinion of the man and his work but implying that someone who enjoys his work has somehow been hoodwinked into it is insulting.

Well I pretty much disagree with everything you wrote. But I do hate indie film making Tarantino wannabes.

I agree that QT has good talent in choosing music and timing it right but I strongly disagree that that is the only good part of his films. The way he has edited Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction (out of chrono. order) does indeed make the films more interesting and his writing is clever and funny. This is why his movies are enjoyable IMO. Not to mention that the actors he gets for his movies usually turn in great performances.

I apologize for that. It was not my intention to insult Tarantino fans I was just pointing out how he's so loved by almost an entire generation of film fans.

Don't you think there is something to that.

Tarantino is good. The only bad thing I can think to say about him is that he inspired a TON on wannabes that think they can make Pulp Fiction. I've seen so many QT ripoff films it's saddening.

Kinda like in the 80's when eveyone was trying to be Speilberg by making bad versions of ET.

D

What about Kevin Smith Im sure he is another love or hate director of this past decade.

Pod People? :lol: "Trumpy you can do stupid things!" "Fox! McCloud!"

i think Pulp Fiction is rated too high on IMDB, sure it's a great movie i think my movie guide from 1996 puts it best "Trash masterpiece." Its 4/5 stars and is enjoyable to watch. But then again many of imdbs voters are teens and 20 somethings living in an age when violence and other such things are glorified.

questioning tarantino? now that takes guts.

one thing i learned to do with an english degree is always ask why is the author saying what he is instead of something else.

with QT, i think it's fair to ask why does he like to chop up the narrative and reorder it. and really, i don't know. i've never understood why QT gets all the love.

i feel like this is an empty post. lol.

check out the cutting edge doc coming out (also on the new Bullit 2 disc dvd) QT talks about moving his things around.

I hate you.

Unlike George Lucas who has a total of 6 films in 30 plus years under his belt??

It's safe to say that you're only counting the movies he's directed....and from a story standpoint, I thought True Romance and From Dusk Til Dawn were very good. With that being said, some credit must be given to him from the screenwriting aspect. Here is comes...."City on Fire.....A Better Tomorrow Part II....RESERVOIR DOGS!!!???!!!"

Martin Scorese also has a knack for using music well in his films....is he also a hack?

BTW......Tarantino's episodes of ER and CSI were all told in cronological order.

I don't particularly like or respect Tarantino's work. Go ahead and call me ignorant, but you'll look like a fool if you do.

With QT's movies, it is hit or miss for me.
I didn't like Pulp Fiction or the second Kill Bill movie, but I did like the first KB movie and my favorite QT movie would be Jackie Brown.

So you admit that Tarantino is loved by a lot of people. However, he's a hack because you don't like him?

I was kind of bored by Ran, Kurosawa SUCKS!! ;)

Hack? Haha. That's an idiot thing to call him.

A hack is someone who does 'just enough'. Someone who couldn't care less about how good their movie is, as long as it turns a profit. In my opinion, Steven Summers is a hack. His movies have been dull, and quickly forgotten by the general moviegoing public.

Tarantino spends a LOT of time making his movies. He never really stopped, actually. I remember reading about Kill Bill back in winter 1998 - only a year after Jackie Brown came out. He said something like "it's going to be a homage to kung fu movies and westerns". I was expecting something far more conventional, by the way. :)

Regardless of whether or not you like Tarantino, he's a hard working man. He puts some serious effort into making his movies. NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING close to a 'hack'.

Most filmmakers are, and most filmmakers do.

RELEASE THE HOUNDS! :D

Ok, I never said hack. Let's not put words in peoples' mouths. Yes, I know George Lucas has only made 6 movies and plenty of other directors have only made a few. However, I don't think Tarantino is growing as a filmmaker. Admittedly, I loved the season finale of CSI. I thought he did a terrific job directing that episode but again, used music as a crutch. There are a few other directors that I feel are on a higher level than Tarantino that have made as much if not less movies than him.

And I do think he's a brilliant screenwriter. True Romance, IMO, is better than any Tarantino directed film. After seeing the original ending and hearing QT's thoughts on what he would've changed in the movie, I'm pretty happy he didn't touch it.

I love Tarantino, but this statement is ignorant. You know, it's okay for people to have different tastes and opinions.