Completist: Quentin Tarantino

I like a lot of things, but if I find one particular thing I like I try and consume all things that are related to it. I like to watch all the movies by a particular director, or starring a particular actor. I like to read all the books in a series, and I like to get all the music by a certain artist. This series of posts will appear whenever I have completed a certain benchmark. For this post I will reflect on watching every film Quentin Tarantino has directed.

Looks aren't everything

Last night I watched Jackie Brown with my friend Brian Curran. This marks a momentous occasion, as I have now seen every film directed by Quentin Tarantino. I wish I could say when or what first drew me to Tarantino, but I honestly cannot remember. I think maybe the first thing I saw was Grindhouse, his double-feature with Robert Rodriguez, on opening weekend back in April of 2007.  Tarantino's contribution, Death Proof, was in my opinion, the weaker of the two films, but the concept of Grindhouse was what really impressed me. It displayed some of his genius, his willingness to collaborate, and the simple enjoyment he has making a film.

After Grindhouse, I really cannot even give an educated guess as to what films I saw or in what order.   Each film I saw showed me another side of Tarantino's ability to tell a story. Every DVD extra I watched gave me greater insight into his creative process.

Ending my journey through Tarantino's films  with Jackie Brown also provided me with an interesting perspective.  Jackie Brown is Tarantino's tribute to blaxploitation films of the 1970's. It is not his most sharply written or edited film he has ever made, but it is still quintessential Tarantino. It has a stellar cast, and a twisted plot full of unsavory characters.  The story is told in an almost linear fashion, something Tarantino fans might not expect, and the feel does feel as though it plods along at some points. While the dialogue always carries Tarantino films, here it just never seems to have quite the same impact as his other films.

No matter what your favorite Tarantino film is, I really would encourage people to see them all. Each film shows his progress as a writer and director. Each film shows him trying new things to see what works (Samuel L. Jackson who has a role in every Taratino film except Death Proof, since appearing in Pulp Fiction) and what doesn't (hopefully using David Bowie songs in WWII movies). If nothing else you are always in for a killer soundtrack.

The plans for Tarantino's next film are still up in the air, but when it comes out, I'll be there waiting to see what he's come up with this time around.