QUENTIN TARANTINO - THE ICONIC FILMMAKER AND HIS WORK

Throughout his career, Quentin Tarantino has consistently courted controversy by creating a series of films that have defied expectations and made us question certain cinematic conventions! After all, he's a very knowledgeable filmmaker, and over the years, he's managed to use his knowledge to select specific elements featured in other films and then implant them into his. Or in other words, he’s just great at copying other people's stuff! So much so, in fact, that you might want to check out the following list of facts I compiled, along with the following book written by my old mate, Ian Nathan.


Quentin Tarantino: The Iconic Filmmaker and his Work [Hardcover]

Filmic Fact: Have you ever wondered what was inside the glowing briefcase seen in ‘Pulp Fiction’? If so, then please, wonder no more, because another film may be able to answer this question on our behalf. Namely, the 1955 film-noir classic, ‘Kiss Me Deadly’, which showcased a fairly similar glowing briefcase. It was held by Mickey Spillane's no-nonsense P.I., Mike Hammer (rather than a gang of thieves), and it contained a nuclear bomb that exploded when it was opened! Boom!

Filmic Fact: One of the films that partly inspired Quentin to write, direct, and co-star in his first-ever full-length feature, ‘Reservoir Dogs’, was Ringo Lam’s 1987 action-packed thriller, ‘City on Fire’. Essentially, both of these films have at least two things in common, which are, a subplot that centers around an undercover cop who infiltrates a gang of thieves, as well as a conclusion that presents us with a three-way ‘Mexican standoff’. Apart from that, though, both films are structurally and aesthetically different, both in tone and style, with Quentin taking the narrative approach when telling his story, while Ringo went for a more conventional one.

Filmic Fact: ‘Jackie Brown’ was adapted from a famous novel written by Elmore Leonard, entitled ‘Rum Punch’, and stylistically, borrowed three key components previously featured in the 1973 classic, ‘Coffy’. They were: the actress, Pam Grier, who played a strong female character in both films; the font, ITC Tiffany, which was used to illustrate the film's title; as well as the actor, Sid Haig, who starred in several blaxploitation films and played a judge in this one.

Filmic Fact: I'm sure many of you are fully aware that the yellow-and-black tracksuit worn by Uma Thurman in ‘Kill Bill: Volumes One and Two’, was a direct homage to the yellow-and-black tracksuit worn by Bruce Lee in, ‘Game of Death’! But how many of you knew that certain sections of Kill Bill's plot came from Christina Lindberg's Swedish exploitation film, ‘Thriller: A Cruel Picture’? (A plot that focused on a bride seeking revenge on a gang of criminals) Or for that matter, that the Lucy Liu sword-wielding action scene came from Meiko Kaji's Asian action-adventure, ‘Lady Snowblood’? (A scene where a Japanese woman kills an army of men in the snow). So go on! Hands up everyone who knew these facts, and hands down all of those who didn't.

Filmic Fact:  ‘Django Unchained’ was Quentin's homage to a series of Spaghetti Westerns directed by Sergio Corbucci and many other Italian filmmakers during the sixties and seventies. Admittedly, most of these films were rather hastily cobbled together and didn't always make much of an impact. Nonetheless, just like Quentin's homage, they all highlighted a number of similar elements, motifs, and themes, ranging from a racist antagonist, to an army of deadly gunslingers, to a notable appearance made by the Italian actor, Franco Nero, who played Django in the original film and a passer-by in this one.

Quentin Tarantino: The Iconic Filmmaker and his Work

Format: Hardcover
Author: Ian Nathan
Page Count: 176 pages
Publisher: White Lion Publishing
Price: £25
Size: 22.2x25.7cm

Synopsis: This biography on Quentin Tarantino explores the genesis behind his unique directorial style and provides us with some insight into his inspirations and frequent collaborations. This includes:

• An 8-page foldout timeline that boldly presents Tarantino’s entire filmography.
• Behind the scenes trivia related to Tarantino's latest epic, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’.
• A vast array of stunning pictures taken from the 'Kobal Archives' that illustrate what goes on in front and behind the camera.
• A constant commentary written by the world-renowned film journalist, Ian Nathan, which examines the entirety of Tarantino's work, starting with his early screenplays ('True Romance' and 'Natural Born Killers'), his break-out directorial debut ('Reservoir Dogs'), as well as his many iconic films ('Pulp Fiction', 'Inglourious Basterds', 'Django Unchained', etc-etc-etc).

The book also comes in a handsome and robust slipcase designed to resemble his ode to Hong Kong cinema, ‘Kill Bill’.

Now for any further information on 'Quentin Tarantino: The Iconic Filmmaker and his Work', please feel free to check out the official Quarto Knows website, facebook, and twitter pages. Or better yet, why not pick up a copy via the links provided.