Top 5 Quentin Tarantino Films
By Austin Johnson
First off, if you haven’t checked out our two-part podcast covering all of Tarantino’s films, then go fucking do that. I’m speaking for the Filmgazm team when I say that there is truly no way to describe our love for Q. He has more than made his mark on the film industry, and he has changed what a film can be. His passion and talent have shined through his work for over 25 years now, and we are fortunate enough to get his 9th film this July with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
The former high school dropout has racked up two Best Original Screenplay wins at the Oscars, along with three other nominations. His films have delivered some of the most iconic characters, which comes along with quotes that are cemented in our memories forever. I’ve had conversations that solely consist of Jules Winnfield quotes. There is a camaraderie amongst Tarantino fans that is fucking contagious, exciting all of us more and more as we reminisce on our viewings of his work. On the podcast, Connor and I discuss each film and our favorite characters, but I’m here to give a top 5, which means some great films will be left off. I don’t think a lot of people would be able to decide on a personal top 5 for Tarantino, because every damn film has something great to offer.
The former high school dropout has racked up two Best Original Screenplay wins at the Oscars, along with three other nominations. His films have delivered some of the most iconic characters, which comes along with quotes that are cemented in our memories forever. I’ve had conversations that solely consist of Jules Winnfield quotes. There is a camaraderie amongst Tarantino fans that is fucking contagious, exciting all of us more and more as we reminisce on our viewings of his work. On the podcast, Connor and I discuss each film and our favorite characters, but I’m here to give a top 5, which means some great films will be left off. I don’t think a lot of people would be able to decide on a personal top 5 for Tarantino, because every damn film has something great to offer.
5.) The Hateful Eight (2015)
“Well, I’ll be double-dog damned!”
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This is Q’s most recent film to date, and the man had the balls to put an intermission in this three-hour western epic. I’ll never forget stepping out for a cigarette and conversation with my brother when we saw it in theaters, and oh boy, has it grown on me since then. It made the least amount of money since 1997’s Jackie Brown, but that’s probably because Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out at the same time, so don’t be fooled, this is a classic. The Hateful Eight is the closest it gets to replicating Reservoir Dogs, as a huge chunk of the film takes place in one building, which happens to be a stagecoach lodge. The characters are all exhausted due to weather and playing mind games with one another, so their actions become irrational and selfish. The performances are so fucking good, it’s almost arrogant. We arguably get Samuel L. Jackson’s best Tarantino character with Marquis Warren. We get a wily performance from Kurt Russell as John Ruth, who played MacReady in The Thing, a film that is known to be a huge influence on The Hateful Eight. There’s an Oscar-nominated performance delivered by Jennifer Jason Leigh as the feisty Daisy Domergue, and then the legendary Ennio Morricone provides an Oscar-winning score to round out this dazzling film.
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4.) Inglourious Basterds (2009)
"It seems to me somebody's missing. Someone fashionable."
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Q really made heads spin with the 8-time Oscar nominated, World War II timepiece, Inglourious Basterds. It was only a matter of time before Q made a film centered around a war, and what better war than the one filled with the worst kind of humans to ever walk our planet, Nazis. This is where we get a legendary Christoph Waltz performance, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor that year for playing the role of Hans Landa, my favorite Tarantino villain. We also get his most redeemable character in Aldo Raine, played wonderfully by Brad Pitt. Most of Q’s work contains shit that is dealt with poorly and selfishly, but Aldo is a guy we can really get behind. After all, his crew of Jewish Americans goal is simple, killin' Nazis.
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3.) Reservoir Dogs (1992)
“Shit... You shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize.”
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Ahh, Tarantino’s first film, what a classic. This is the film that really turned me from being a fan to being obsessed with films all together. I love the simplicity of this project, and it’s always entertaining to watch this cast come together as most of them became some other character in Tarantino’s world in the future. Everything from the intro about tipping servers with our group of criminals all dressed in black suits to the infamous shootout between them in the warehouse at the end is a joyride that has become an absolute must see for anyone who enjoys films. Q was just 29 years old when he wrote and directed Reservoir Dogs, with just around a million dollars to spend. Back in '92, no one knew about the guy, so it barely broke even, but Q obviously accomplished something with the momentum it gained as time went on and he became more popular with the fans.
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2.) Jackie Brown (1997)
“I'm 56 years old. I can't blame anybody for anything I do.”
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For Q’s third film, he decided to smoothly adapt Elmore Leonard’s novel, Rum Punch. This is his most laid-back film and I think it shows tremendous range for him as a director, as he proved he could make something great without using excessive amounts of blood and violence. The dialogue is strong as ever in Jackie Brown, and we get a knockout De Niro performance as Lou, which gets lost in the mix of his many great roles throughout the years. The only Oscar nomination that the film got was for the effort put it in by Robert Forster as my all time favorite Tarantino character, Max Cherry. Pam Grier plays our title character in fine fashion, providing the first badass female character to show up in Tarantino’s work. Thanks to this film, "Cissy Strut" will be playing in my head forever.
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1.) Pulp Fiction (1994)
“That's an interesting point. Come on, let's get into character.”
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If I’m scrolling through Netflix or channels and I happen to see Pulp Fiction, I’m going to watch some of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s halfway through or on my "continue watching," I’ll stop what I’m doing to watch this masterpiece. Pulp Fiction made just above 200 million dollars at the box office, got Q the Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay, and another six nominations to go with it. The dialogue is praised often as this film comes up all the damn time in conversations amongst Tarantino fans. Its rewatchability is on a whole different level, with theories about the plot popping up all the time as everyone continues to go back and watch this slice of perfection. Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are an unforgettable pair that you see everywhere on posters, t-shirts, stickers, etc. Mia (Uma Thurman) has become something of an icon over time, appearing on most DVD cases and movie posters you will see. Classic performances from Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, and Quentin Tarantino himself stack up to make this one of the most memorable casts to ever grace the screen. Pulp Fiction somehow came up short in the 67th Academy Awards to Forrest Gump for Best Picture. Get the hell outta here with that, Pulp Fiction is one of the best and most complete films to ever be made.
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