Rate The Director : Quentin Tarantino

[fr34k]

I'm probably not the only on EWB who loves to discuss movies, so in an attempt to get some discussion going I'm starting this "Rate the Director" project. Every once in a while I'm going to open a thread like this and hopefully some discussion will take place. Feel free to do your own, just don't turn this into another Top 100 list debacle . Other possibilities include "Rate the Actor" or something.

Anyways, for starters, I selected Quentin Tarantino, mainly because I think most people have seen a fair amount of his movies and are able to add at least something in the discussion.

My choice for favorite Tarantino movie goes to Pulp Fiction, with Reservoir Dogs being a very close second. I just love every second of the movie and it definitely has some very memorable moments and images that I will probably never forgot.

On the rating scale, I'll go with a seven. I like most of his stuff, but he is definitely not as good as some other people that made movies.

Anyways, vote away!

[RPS]

“It’s like watching a schoolboy’s fantasy of violence and sex, which normally Quentin Tarantino would be wanking alone to in his bedroom while this mother is making his baked beans downstairs. Only this time he’s got Harvey Weinstein behind him and it’s on at a million screens.”

[Ruki]

I don't think I've even seen a Tarantino film that I didn't enjoy. So, I gave him a 9!

As for favourite movie: Inglorious Basterds (but that could be because it was the most recent I've seen), followed closely by Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.

[Summers]

QT is brilliant. He got an 8. Pulp Fiction got my vote. Resa Dogs was very close, though. Jackie Brown is also a good watch. The Kill Bill films are okay, but not as good as his best two films. Death Proof was okay, but there was a decline, some of the dialogue seemed forced and the second half of the film was poor. Inglorious.. I didn't like. I found it boring in the main, and was disappointed.

[apsham]

I rated him at 8 - his first two movies are favorites of mine to this day, but aside from Inglorious Baesterds he really hasn't done that much else that appeals to me. I will however say, that it is clear that the guy knows what he is doing and does it very well.

[The Sandman]

Tarantino, one of my all time favourite film makers. In top 3 probably. Hell, few years ago at school we had to do presentation about films or some shit and i did it about him and it was placed on a wall for a long time, i was so proud.

But yeah...i think all of his movies except Death Proof are great and that one is good too. Pulp Fiction is probably my favourite, with Kill Bill vol. 1 coming next, most of my liking for Kill Bill comes from the awesome soundtrack. I never buy movie soundtracks, but i have both Vol. 1 and 2. Not only Kill Bill films, but he uses great music in pretty much all of his films, can't remember about Inglourious Basterds though. I rated him at 9.

Waiting for Django Unchained.

Edited August 20, 2011 by The Sandman

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

It would be True Romance, but that doesn't count. With that out, it's Jackie Brown. Always thought that movie was underrated, great cast and great movie all around.

Also gave him a 9, because I echo what Ruki said, I haven't actually seen a movie from Tarantino that I didn't like. I still really need to watch over Kill Bill, as I've only watched it in parts and never actually sat down and watched it with full attention.

[EddieG]

I've never watched Kill Bill 2, but I doubt it could take away from my rating, which was 10.

He's by far my favorite director, and I've watched all of his movies multiple times, mostly Pulp Fiction.

[Hagen]

QT is one of my favourite directors of all time, and one of the few people where I will watch everytime he puts out a new movie. I gave him a 9.

As for the favourite QT film it is Reservoir Dogs for me with Pulp Fiction being a close second. I just love the entire concept of Reservoir Dogs and there are so much brilliant and memorable dialouge it is unbelievable. Mr. White, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blonde all just great and memorable characters.

[Guest BK2010]

Gave him an 8, enjoy most his movies to be honest. Was a little disappointed with Kill Bill 2, as the first is one of my fave films. I also loved Jackie Brown so guess that would be my second choice.

Edited August 20, 2011 by BK2010

[Pesci]

In my early-mid teens I pretty much thought Tarantino was god. I was such a fanboy; I know pretty much everything about his films and I've seen Pulp Fiction so much I know it pretty much word for word. Pulp Fiction used to be my favourite film, in fact, and it wasn't even close.

But yeah, I've realised he isn't actually god. I know he "steals" a bunch of shit from other directors and my opinion of him probably isn't quite as high as it used to be. Still, though, he's easily my favourite director - it doesn't matter to me that he "steals" and I don't really get the idea that directors shouldn't use techniques they've been influenced by over the years. I haven't seen Death Proof yet, but the only film of his that didn't blow me away the first time I saw it was Jackie Brown, and over the years even that's grown on me more and more so that I'd class it as an awesome film anyway. What I really love about Tarantino is the dialogue - I think he said once that most films just tend to use dialogue to advance the plot, which doesn't need to be the case at all. Think of the "Like a Virgin" scene in Reservoir Dogs, or the conversation between Jules and Vince about Europe in Pulp Fiction. How many directors can pull off something that cool without taking away from the story or seeming like they're drifting from the point of the film? And the man knows how to create a great character.

Anyway, as I've established my favourite Tarantino film used to be Pulp Fiction, but that's recently changed to Reservoir Dogs. I just think Dogs is pretty much perfect and I don't think he's told a better story since. Keitel and Roth are brilliant in it and really make the film. Mr. Blonde is just the coolest psychopath ever. And Mr. Pink is just awesome as that narky, whiny guy who's fucking annoying because he bitches and moans but actually talks a fair amount of sense while he's doing it. Fuck, I really wanna watch Reservoir Dogs now.

I gave him a 10 because there's no other director that gets me as excited as Tarantino when I hear he's making a new film and I've loved everything I've ever seen from him.

[Walker]

The only Tarantino film I don't like is Jackie Brown, so I rate him quite highly at 8/10, but he isn't my favourite director. I maintain that he is actually a better writer than he is a director.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I like Jackie Brown. Tells a good story and tells it well. It's also not quite so "out there" as a lot of his other films but I think that just adds to the appeal for me.

Having said that I have at least enjoyed other films. Pulp Fiction is clearly a good film though I'm more interested in the Bruce Willis story than in Travolta or SLJ. Reservoir Dogs seems to be ageing surprisingly badly for me. Still, it showed his talent as a director and has good moments.

Of the two Kill Bill films, 1 is my favourite. It's ridiculous of course but the fight scenes are fun, her Bruce Lee gear is great (my wife went to a fancy dress in that outfit back in the day) and there's more mystery than Kill Bill 2 which blows the story wide open. I like that you're only kind of aware of what's going on.

Not seen Death Proof and Inglorious Basterds is just okay for me. There are two stand out scenes though - the opening scene and the scene in the bar with the drinking games etc - Tarantino builds those scenes so so so so so well. They're amazingly crafted and I remember saying to my wife during the scenes just how good they were. However I found all the scalping and general fighting kind of annoying.

If Akira Kurosawa was a 10 then Tarantino is a 7. He undoubtably knows his craft but there's just something about him that annoys me and the whole "the ___th film by Quentin Tarantino" doesn't hold the same appeal any more.

[Timmoru Suzuki]

Much like Pesci there was a point where Pulp Fiction was my favourite film and I could quote huge chunks of it wholesale. I still love it, and it oozes cool, but I wouldn't call it my favourite film anymore. Possibly. I love Reservoir Dogs as well, but I feel like he hasn't matched either of those in his later efforts. Jackie Brown is good but not spectacular and I wasn't a big fan of the Kill Bill films. Death Proof is okay. Inglorious is a step back in the right direction - as Hammy says the bar scene is first class and there are other very good bits but on the whole it's a notch below Fiction/Dogs. In places it's Christoph Waltz being fantastic in scenes that aren't.

So I gave him an 8.

Edited August 21, 2011 by Yoshihiro timmayyama

[RPS]

Tarantino makes cool movies that appeal to a certain demographic (men who love blood and machismo), but he's a one trick pony. He seems content releasing the same movies over and over again, and borrowing heavily from other film directors. I'd love for Tarantino to step outside his box and make something vastly different from the rest of his films. Unfortunately, I doubt he will, and will probably get the same style of films made over and over again. I'm not asking Tarantino to go Kevin Smith on our ass and release awful experiments in other genres (Jersey Girl and Cop Out, anybody?), but some variation on the formula would be nice.

Edited August 22, 2011 by RockPaperScissors

[Herr Matzat]

I love Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill Vol. 1. Never seen Dogs... his other movies are still above average and packed with respect for other movie makers, but sometimes it drags on a bit to much. (for example the, i think three, long dialogs in Bastards that were esentialy the same unlike Pulb Fiction were everything just was spot on a new nerv)

I agree with everyone who voted 8.

Edited August 22, 2011 by Michael Matzat on a Plane

[EddieG]

Tarantino makes cool movies that appeal to a certain demographic (men who love blood and machismo), but he's a one trick pony. He seems content releasing the same movies over and over again, and borrowing heavily from other film directors. I'd love for Tarantino to step outside his box and make something vastly different from the rest of his films. Unfortunately, I doubt he will, and will probably get the same style of films made over and over again. I'm not asking Tarantino to go Kevin Smith on our ass and release awful experiments in other genres (Jersey Girl and Cop Out, anybody?), but some variation on the formula would be nice.

The fuck is wrong with Cop Out?

[RPS]

Everything?

[METALMAN]

I'm in no position to comment given that I've only seen Pulp Fiction and Inglorious Basterds. I liked the former and fell asleep during the second (although that may be more down to tiredness). Preferred the soundtrack to the filn in both cases.

I remember someone saying that they went to a screening of A Clockwork Orange fairly recently, and afterwards they overheard some guy saying it was "very Tarantinoesque".

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I went to the cinema re-release of Clockwork Orange back in....Hmm must have been 1999 or 2000. Absolutely amazing experience to watch such a stark movie with so much legend around it, that was different to what pretty much everyone going to the film probably thought it was going to be. Also, it dragged me in so much that when Alex was eating the beef right near the end of the film I was CERTAIN that I could smell it - that they were pumping the roast beef smell into the cinema.