Cinema Speculation

Oh Lordy, you've got me (again) Quentin! This is a REMARKABLE non-fiction debut, hard on the back of the brilliant novelisation of his latest and equally brilliant movie. I literally couldn't put this thing down and devoured it in just a few days. It's a treasure trove of insight, observation, reflection and... well, yes, 'speculation' on the greatest decade of commercial cinema EVER - the 1970s. I learned SO MUCH here about what I thought I knew quite a bit about. There are a bunch of pictures here that I hadn't even heard of let alone seen. I was forever reaching for a notepad to harness the details and now have a serious (back) catalogue to contend with. Tarantino is nothing if not opinionated and he doesn't hold back here. It's written in that breathless, quick-witted, archly intelligent chit-chat he comes out with whenever a microphone is shoved in his face, with the liberal deployment of expletives used to good effect. He's literally falling over his words to get his points across. He digresses and disappears down various rabbit holes as his references distract him in the most charming way. These 'speculations' head out to explore a particular film but work up a head of steam on any number of areas before he arrives! You cannot help but be carried along by the man's massive appetite and enthusiasm for his subject matter. At times he gets bogged down in his own obsessions (how Scorsese's pimp in Taxi Driver is white and not black, for example, an argument which spills out across the whole book in various forms) but invariably he makes a good case and it only adds to the charm and force of these speculations. I think it has all the hallmarks of a dyed-in-the-wool classic. But then I must confess to being a massive fan of the man's work. Reading it actually helped me appreciate that (current) body work as a 'genre director' a lot more because that's very much reflected in his own enjoyment of the work of the great genre directors of the 70s (Don Siegel, Sam Peckinpah, John Flynn et al). As he discussed these films and directors, I could see how he's been mining this particular decade of film-making for ideas, inspiration, and impetus these past 30-odd years and doing so in such an original and arresting fashion. If I had one slight reservation about the book it would be the relative paucity of 'technical' insights it offered around the art of film-making. Tarantino is (I think) a great film director in complete control of the medium and yet he rarely refers to the science and technology of the art form. Instead he is more concerned with narrative, casting, characterisation, conflict, and drama which though undeniably important (and infinitely accessible) leaves his speculations lacking in some way, for me at least. Just a bit more on what defines the technical style and approach of some of these film-makers might've been nice but hey, that's really a small criticism and we hope this is only the prelude for a number of contributions which might address this in the future. And I can see him moving on from this in any number of ways. He might focus in on specific genres, directors, even actors and do so with a more technical focus. Anything he writes about, technical or otherwise, is sure to be entertaining. All us Tarantino fans eagerly await a work on his own filmography as he now openly 'speculates' wrapping that up with his next picture. I would even love to read a book of his focused entirely on the various cinemas/movie theatres that have featured in his life, for example. He refers to many of them in these pages and it made me reflect on how important they are in our own personal film-going history and the influence they have on our consumption of films. They have clearly had a massive influence on him and his work. This is a great contribution, thanks for the ride Quentin, and do keep it coming!

I really enjoyed this cinema book by Quentin Tarantino. Written in his familiar sweary scatter gun style of speech. I even bought ' Rolling Thunder' as QT had raved about it. Some great insights into some known and not so well known films. I disagreed with his opinion that the character of Travis Bickle, as played by Robert De Niro, was not a real vietnam veteran. Paul Shrader wrote Bickle as exactly that. What about the scenes showing Bickle making dum dum bullets and a sliding mechanism made out of a old suitcase to hide a gun? It obviously shows he was trained in some kind of special unit. Bickle would not have got it out of a book. He comments on Bickle's " fake" karate stance he takes up when Albert Brooks is trying to get him out of the campaign office. Anyone trained in self defence can see its genuine. Sometimes, as we know, QT doesn't always do his research and shoots his mouth off before putting his brain in gear. That aside, I loved his stories about Floyd, his cinephile friend, who would talk about films with him when he was a boy. This guy could have been a very funny movie critic if he hadnt been such a dodgy character. Tarantino saw hundreds of films when he lived in L.A. He knew what types of theaters showed the kind of films he wanted to see. Especially those giving repeat viewings. Not all films get the full treatment. And that will probably let a few readers down who are dying to know his full blown thoughts on their favourite cult film. ' Enter The Dragon' just gets a fleeting mention - despite QT's love of the Kung Fu genre. Although Bruce Lee's friend and film rival, Steve McQeen, does get more attention when QT speculates on films ' Bullitt' and ' The Getaway' which are both exciting chapters. The classic ' Deliverance' also gets the full treatment. This is a really entertaining book on cinema by a master of cinema. Buy it, sit back and enjoy it because I promise you will be seeking out a lot of the films that he casts his cinematic eye over.

I can only add to the chorus of approval for this book- it is fun and riveting to read, and like his films, grabs your attention not just with the plot line of each chapter but also with the unpretentious deep knowledge he has for the medium of film ( and of course some of his pointed insights come from the fact that he is now an insider himself- as with Walter Hill's discussion with him about The Getaway script). If you are a cinephile it is also downright educational. His first chapter about his liberal mum taking him (aged 6 or 8) to cinema meant for adults, along with her partner or her dates it a moving autobiographical tribute not just to her but also to the kind of parenting that came with those forward thinking times ( not always of course, but well remembered by me, being of a similar age). His tribute to a 2nd tier film critic for the L.A. Times Kevin Thomas is just superb and after reading his chapter on 'The Outfit' (1973) I was eager to order it from Amazon right away (as eager he once was to see any film that Kevin Thomas had once praised in a review) only to find the The Outfit DVD is out of print and a Blu Ray of this film has never existed! My reading of this book coincided with the Sight and Sound 2022 poll issue just coming out. How much better (and educative) it would have been if Quentin Tarantino had brought out his own 100 all time list, rather than that ossified, meretricious (and now politically correct) listing!

An essential read if you love the 70's

Un muy buen libro

He writes lucidly with a lot of honesty. Book has lot's of information, must for cinema buffs.

Comprato il libro perchè ero curiosa di sapere le sue valutazioni su vari film degli anni '70. Non delude. Ha iniziato da bambino ad andare al cinema e ne ha visti di film. È una lettura interessante e non stanca il lettore. Il libro è arrivato da poco e sono arrivata quasi alla fine.

Interesting, but some sections would benefit from an editor being a bit more censorius reminded me of some classics I had forgotten and gems I had never heard of

I really like Quentin Tarantino, the author. Most of his movies are cool, for sure, but you don’t need to like them to love this book. Here, he flexes an entirely different muscle with ease. I’ve admittedly been a fan of his since I saw “Pulp Fiction” - in the original German - while studying abroad as a high schooler. I could instantly recognize the unmistakeable product of a true film nerd. Like knows like, so maybe I’m biased. In this tome, his words ring out from the musty confines of non-fiction with the same realistic cadence, slang and expressiveness found in his scripts. As a narrator of an obvious wealth of film knowledge, compounded by spilled secrets of an insider’s perspective, he brings a unique insight brimming with an approachability not usually found in scholarly treatises about 1960’s and 70’s film culture. His opinion on film is formed by an admittedly really, lucky but f’n cool life - the best a film nerd could ask for - having essentially been raised by Hollywood, and well-steeped in its legends and history. His words speak with authority, the product not only of a lifelong career, but of a genuine love of feet. I mean film. He walks a road of deep thoughts on impactful movies from his upbringing of varying quality which, to quote the author, “Produces a cocktail mixed with piss that’s disturbingly tasty.” Obviously, it’s a delightful read. However, novice film buffs should have your IMDb.com ready to look up some deep cuts for your next watchlist of excellent cinema. It’s not just well-known mainstays like ‘Bullit’ and ‘Dirty Harry’ though. The author waxes philosophical on Marvel multiverse-style questions like, “What if Brian de Palma directed Taxi Driver?” The myriad threads of this thought exercise are detailed and compelling. There’s also fascinating discussion on the scope and breadth of a genre of self-described ‘Revenge-a-matic’ films. I’ve enjoyed several of these myself, featuring immortal action stars like Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson. This authors’ interest spans multiple shelves of video rental store shelves, from sci-fi and comedy to Toby Hooper’s other, also-great horror flicks that aren’t called ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’ It’s a deeply personal book too, framing these consequential films as ‘fixed-points’ in the development of a filmmaker that influenced his own contributions to the medium. For instance, in the concluding chapter - no spoilers - we learn about in an influential figure named Floyd. He’s a movie nerd Obi-Wan who happens to be a man with a deep knowledge of film and a dream to be a screenwriter, which obviously affected a young Quentin. It just makes sense in a way, how all these personalities, on screen or sitting in front of the screen, impacted this author in fundamental ways.