Tarantino - Overrated

[Jonny_Darko]

I've always thought that while good films, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, with their faux-streetwise "gangsta" talk, predictable scenarios and music video sheen, were highly overrated. Jackie Brown was one of the dullest things I've ever seen. Don't get me wrong, I always thought Tarantino was good, but not the genius others felt him to be - he simply riffs off the work of his favourite underground directors and seemed to be a one-trick pony.

The thing is though - saw Kill Bill last night and thought it was amazing - it's possibly just entered my top ten. I couldn't tear myself away from the screen - from the Klingon proverb to the cliffhanger. I was expecting all style and no substance - a two hour music video fight scene, but was surprised to find it his most human work. The Cinematography is wonderful (especially the snowy Japanese garden). The acting was outstanding and the dialogue is by far his best. The violence was almost not fun to watch - which is, I think right. Violence is horrible and will have consequences and this came through with perfect clarity. Plus I have a thing about strong women who are righteously pissed off.

Was very upset by more than a few moments. The coma-rape thing was most unsettling but allowed me to watch the orderly's demise with a grin rather than a grimace.

So many moments of genius through the whole film. Can't wait for part 2!!

 

[Damini]

I felt particularly indifferent to Kill Bill. I found the fighting choreography beautiful in places, especially the snow fight, and I liked the manga section, but it just felt like an incoherent collage of homages. I couldn't give a damn if the bride decapitates everyone, or chokes on a pretzel and dies.

 

[throdgrain]

I think Pulp Fiction is a superb film, though I like Snatch better

 

[Jonaldo]

To be over-rated, you have to be rated by people. It's only those film 'buffs' and 'critics' that put him up on that pedestal after only two films. I say just watch the films you like and don't listen to those who say who is great and who is not.

For example, I loved Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction (and Ture Romance) but I don't necessarily love Quentin Tarantino, I just happen to think those are some great films.

 

[Wij]

I felt particularly indifferent to Kill Bill. I found the fighting choreography beautiful in places, especially the snow fight, and I liked the manga section, but it just felt like an incoherent collage of homages. I couldn't give a damn if the bride decapitates everyone, or chokes on a pretzel and dies.

I'm leaning more towards this view. It was a fun, watchable film but ultimately just a mish-mash. No involvement at all.

 

[leggy]

It is easy to take this point of view from watching Volume 1 as a stand alone film. I feel the same at the minute but will reserve judgement until I see both in a oner.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

To be over-rated, you have to be rated by people. It's only those film 'buffs' and 'critics' that put him up on that pedestal after only two films. I say just watch the films you like and don't listen to those who say who is great and who is not.

For example, I loved Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction (and Ture Romance) but I don't necessarily love Quentin Tarantino, I just happen to think those are some great films.

He didn't direct True Romance: only wrote the story and sold it off to Tony Scott to make Reservior Dogs... best decision he ever made imo... True Romance wouldn't work with his direction, and suited Mr Scott right down to a tee.

 

[Jonaldo]

He didn't direct True Romance: only wrote the story and sold it off to Tony Scott to make Reservior Dogs... best decision he ever made imo... True Romance wouldn't work with his direction, and suited Mr Scott right down to a tee.

Yep I know, hence why I seperated it from the others and put it inside parantheses to highlight the fact it was a different case from the other two. Yet I still enjoyed the film.

 

[SawTooTH]

He steals from the best and regurgitates it in a melange of violence and snappy dialogue. Hes certainly not original but what art is?

 

[Whipped]

He steals from the best and regurgitates it in a melange of violence and snappy dialogue. Hes certainly not original but what art is?

The pictures I draw on toilet doors?

I certainly am not a huge fan of Tarantino, but I've yet to not enjoy one of his films. I'd go as far as to say that Jackie Brown is my favorite. If only for the supurb delphonics music.

 

[ECA]

I felt particularly indifferent to Kill Bill. I found the fighting choreography beautiful in places, especially the snow fight, and I liked the manga section, but it just felt like an incoherent collage of homages. I couldn't give a damn if the bride decapitates everyone, or chokes on a pretzel and dies.

Anime newbie.

Mangas are japanese comics, Manga is an anime distribution company.

An anime sequence in a film isnt Manga and all anime isnt Manga.

Peace.

 

[Tom]

Its difficult to find a director who has been more influential on films in the last 10 years or so.

I didn't really take to Reservoir Dogs when I first saw it. It was interesting, but I wasn't sure how to take it. When I saw Pulp Fiction, I was blown away. The script for that film is incredible. The dialogue is almost poetry.

Jackie Brown is clever, well written, and entertaining. Kill Bill shouldn't be taken seriously. Its a big pisstake/romp/bloodfest, and is meant purely to entertain, rather than shock.

His track record is superb. If he isn't directing a film, hes generating screenplays/scripts for other good films. He has a raw enthusiasm for changing the format of what we expect to see, and making people think in different ways.

I don't think films like Memento would have been viable were it not for the structure of Pulp Fiction.

I'm also impressed by his continued talent for picking the right actors for each character. Who can look at Michael Madsen now and not see him dancing in that garage?

I think Tarantino deserves to take his place alongside other modern directors, like Scorsese, Coppola, Shaylaman, Soderburgh, Mann, etc.

 

[old.user4556]

I loved all Tarantino's films except Kill Bill - although i'm well aware it was meant to be a piss take and not to be taken seriously, i thought it was total self indulgence and the emperor's new clothes.

G

 

[WiZe^]

I think Pulp Fiction is a superb film, though I like Snatch better

/agree

"snatch" is one off the best films i have evers seen

 

[Afx]

I think he writes excellent scripts, but i just dont think hes anything special as a director...good but not amazing.
Just to go along with whats been said above, I think True romance is by far the best thing ive seen that hes been involved with and that probably wouldve come out as dull as jackie brown if he'd directed it.

 

[Jonny_Darko]

The thing that's always bugged me about Tarantino's dialogue specifically, is exactly what everyone else loves about it. It's quotable. Every line in Pulp Fiction is quotable, and yes it's almost poetic in tone sometimes but it's not human speech. No one talks like that. And there's no emotional attachment to any of the characters becaus eof that and other reasons. I don't agree in the glorification of gangsters and murder generally anyway. Why don't the good guys get any good lines? Why isn't the cop in Reservoir dogs cool too?

Good dialogue and quotable dialogue are different things altogether. Star Wars is one of the most quotable films of all time but also known for shit dialogue. People don't speak with quotable dialogue. Sure, occasionally, someone says something genius and you relay the story later, but generally nobody alive comes out with this kind of stuff unless they have a team of Jewish writers whispering in their ears. Why is Jools risking his life as a gangster when he could blatently be a famous entertainer? It just sounds like QT gets hold of some ethnic street kids, asks what phrases they use and works them into the pop zeitgeist before anyone else does.

But here's the rub. I did get emotional atachment from Kill Bill, I did feel for Beatrix. No Tarantino film ever made me feel before. It was always just "oh, that's cool". Her violence, all of it, was I believe, justified and not the PF/RD style "Look mo'fo' bitch, I look so cool shooting you in the face to this funky music while wearing this tailored suit."

This is why the dialogue in Kill Bill is his best. I can't quote any to you right now, but it seemed real and human, and when the characters were talking I hung on every word because of it. Vol. 2 even more so.

 

[SawTooTH]

The thing that's always bugged me about Tarantino's dialogue specifically, is exactly what everyone else loves about it. It's quotable. Every line in Pulp Fiction is quotable, and yes it's almost poetic in tone sometimes but it's not human speech. No one talks like that. And there's no emotional attachment to any of the characters becaus eof that and other reasons. I don't agree in the glorification of gangsters and murder generally anyway. Why don't the good guys get any good lines? Why isn't the cop in Reservoir dogs cool too?

Good dialogue and quotable dialogue are different things altogether. Star Wars is one of the most quotable films of all time but also known for shit dialogue. People don't speak with quotable dialogue. Sure, occasionally, someone says something genius and you relay the story later, but generally nobody alive comes out with this kind of stuff unless they have a team of Jewish writers whispering in their ears. Why is Jools risking his life as a gangster when he could blatently be a famous entertainer? It just sounds like QT gets hold of some ethnic street kids, asks what phrases they use and works them into the pop zeitgeist before anyone else does.

But here's the rub. I did get emotional atachment from Kill Bill, I did feel for Beatrix. No Tarantino film ever made me feel before. It was always just "oh, that's cool". Her violence, all of it, was I believe, justified and not the PF/RD style "Look mo'fo' bitch, I look so cool shooting you in the face to this funky music while wearing this tailored suit."

This is why the dialogue in Kill Bill is his best. I can't quote any to you right now, but it seemed real and human, and when the characters were talking I hung on every word because of it. Vol. 2 even more so.

These are not the droids you're looking for. I use that all the time.

 

[Bodhi]

Don't forget he also wrote the script for From Dusk til Dawn - still one of my favourite flicks after all these years. And if it was Tarantino that wrote the "White pussy, yellow pussy.....etc" speech, then the man does indeed need to be recognised as a genius.

 

[Jonny_Darko]

From Dusk til Dawn has several lines and ideas pinched wholesale from Bad Taste, Braindead and other low-budget cult horror flicks.

And I'm sorry but in no way is its dialogue genius! IMO oif course.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Don't forget he also wrote the script for From Dusk til Dawn - still one of my favourite flicks after all these years. And if it was Tarantino that wrote the "White pussy, yellow pussy.....etc" speech, then the man does indeed need to be recognised as a genius.

FUCK EEEEEEEEEEEET!

 

[Wij]

Smeeeeeeeeeelly pussy !

 

[Tom]

we got pussy slashed in half!

 

[Bodhi]

From Dusk til Dawn has several lines and ideas pinched wholesale from Bad Taste, Braindead and other low-budget cult horror flicks.

And I'm sorry but in no way is its dialogue genius! IMO oif course.

You seem to be kinda outvoted. Sucks to be you I guess.

 

[Tom]

I enjoyed Dusk till Dawn, just take it for what it is. BTW, are the two guys who get infected both from Dawn of the Dead? The white guy certainly is, what about the black fella?

 

[gunner440]

the guy IS a genius... no doubting that
the crazy storyline, the infinite violence... beautiful

 

[Jonny_Darko]

You seem to be kinda outvoted. Sucks to be you I guess.

You can't vote on whether or not ideas were ripped straight out of other films and paraded as his own. That my friend is fact. As for the dialogue, that is more down to opinion

 

[Bodhi]

Yes but I've seen Bad Taste and Braindead, and at no point during From Dusk Til Dawn did I notice any rippage of ideas. From Dusk Til Dawn was sort of semi-serious in that way all Tarantino and Rodriguez flicks are - Bad Taste and Braindead were spoofs - you cannot tell me Bad Taste is a serious film with the rocket launcher and the sheep.

 

[Padwah]

Dusk Till Dawn was semi serious up until the fun stuff started happening with sex machine and his crotch gun and the black guy and whatever special thing he had, cigars I guess.

To be honest I'm not a big fan of Tarantino, True Romance pretty much sucked, Reservoir of Dogs was ok, Pulp Fiction was great, Jackie Brown was dull but interesting in parts, Kill Bill v1 was great and helped immensely by a cracking soundtrack and Kill Bill v2 was sadly disappointing.

I don't by any means think he's terible at what he does but I would definately agree with Jonny Darko in tha he is overated, possibly one of the most over rated writer/directors of our time.

 

[Jonny_Darko]

Well I ain't going to sit through it again to note them all down but two off the top of my head (and I haven't seen it in five years) were.

"I'm a mean, motherfuckin' servant of God."

is only a sixth-form student copied coursework re-write from:

"I kick arse for the Lord!"

(The Braindead one being clearly funnier anyway).

Umm, and oh yeah, shooting a zombie/vampire, pushing the shotgun through it's body and using it as a shield while shooting others through the hole.

There are many more. It basically turns into Braindead with vampires after the Hayak scene.

To the credit of Dusk til Dawn, I went to the cinema expecting a gangster/heist flick - none of the reviews at the time had said it transforms into a vampire flick halfway through. That shocked me and I thought it was very smart of tarantino to promote it as one thing when it was actually another.

 

[old.Tohtori]

There's only one thing good about kill bill volume 1...

...it's not volume 2.

Oh and some of the fights are nice.