BIOGRAPHY

QUENTIN TARANTINO

Quentin TarantinoWriter | Actor | Producer

Date of Birth 27 March 1963, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Birth Name Quentin Jerome Tarantino
Nicknames QT 

Q
Height 6' 1" (1.85 m)


Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, Tony Tarantino, is an Italian-American actor and musician from New York, and his mother, Connie (McHugh), is a nurse from Tennessee. Quentin moved with his mother to Torrance, California, when he was four years old.

In January of 1992, first-time writer-director Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs (1992) appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. The film garnered critical acclaim and the director became a legend immediately. Two years later, he followed up Dogs success with Pulp Fiction (1994) which premiered at the Cannes film festival, winning the coveted Palme D'Or Award. At the 1995 Academy Awards, it was nominated for the best picture, best director and best original screenplay. Tarantino and writing partner Roger Avary came away with the award only for best original screenplay. In 1995, Tarantino directed one fourth of the anthology Four Rooms (1995) with friends and fellow auteurs Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Allison Anders. The film opened December 25 in the United States to very weak reviews. Tarantino's next film was From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), a vampire/crime story which he wrote and co-starred with George Clooney. The film did fairly well theatrically.

Since then, Tarantino has helmed several critically and financially successful films, including Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Inglourious Basterds (2009), Django Unchained (2012) and The Hateful Eight (2015).


Lead characters usually drive General Motors vehicles, particularly Chevrolet and Cadillac, such as Jules' 1974 Nova and Vincent's 1960s Malibu.
Briefcases and suitcases play an important role in Pulp Fiction (1994), Reservoir Dogs (1992), Jackie Brown (1997), True Romance (1993) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004).
Makes references to cult movies and television
Frequently works with Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Uma Thurman, Michael Bowen, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz.
His films usually have a shot from inside a car trunk
He always has a Dutch element in his films: The opening tune, "Little Green Bag", in Reservoir Dogs (1992) was performed by George Baker Selection and written by Jan Gerbrand Visser and Benjamino Bouwens who are all Dutch. The character Freddy Newandyke, played by Tim Roth is a direct translation to a typical Dutch last name, Nieuwendijk. The code name of Tim Roth is Mr. Orange, the royal color of Holland and the last name of the royal family. The Amsterdam conversation in Pulp Fiction (1994), Vincent Vega smokes from a Dutch tobacco shag (Drum), the mentioning of Rutger Hauer in Jackie Brown (1997), the bride's name is Beatrix, the name of the Royal Dutch Queen.
[The Mexican Standoff] All his movies (including True Romance (1993), which he only wrote and did not direct) feature a scene in which three or more characters are pointing guns at each other at the same time.
Often uses an unconventional storytelling device in his films, such as retrospect (Reservoir Dogs (1992)), non-linear (Pulp Fiction (1994)), or "chapter" format (_Kill Bill: Vol.1 (2003)_).
His films will often include one long, unbroken take where a character is followed around somewhere.
Often casts comedians in small roles: Steven Wright as the disc jockey in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Kathy Griffin as an accident witness and Julia Sweeney as the junkyard guy's daughter in Pulp Fiction (1994), Chris Tucker as Beaumont in Jackie Brown (1997), Mike Myers as General Ed Fenech in Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Jonah Hill in Django Unchained (2012).
Widely imitated quick cuts of character's hands performing actions in extreme closeup, a technique reminiscent of Brian De Palma.
Long close-up of a person's face while someone else speaks off-screen (close-up of The Bride while Bill talks, of Butch while Marsellus talks).
[Aliases] He uses aliases in nearly all of his movies: Honey Bunny and Pumpkin from Pulp Fiction (1994), Mr White, Blonde, Orange etc. from Reservoir Dogs (1992). Bill's team in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) (Black Mamba, Copperhead, Cottonmouth, and California Mountain Snake), The Basterds and other major characters in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
[Director's Cameo] Often plays a small role in all his films (ex.) (Mr. Brown in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Jimmie Dimmick in Pulp Fiction (1994), the answering machine voice in Jackie Brown (1997), The Rapist in Grindhouse (2007) and Warren in Death Proof (2007)).
Frequently uses mêlée weapons, such as the "samurai sword" (Katana) that Butch uses in Pulp Fiction (1994) and The Bride uses in the Kill Bill films, also the stake attached to a jackhammer used by George Clooney in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).
Extreme violence, much of which is suggested off-screen
Frequently has a female character who wears a black and white pant suit (Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction (1994), Pam Grier in Jackie Brown (1997), Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)).
Often creates fictional brands of objects due to his dislike of product placement. The Red Apple cigarettes and Big Kahuna burger established in Pulp Fiction (1994) are often referenced in his other films.
Frequently sets his films in Los Angeles, California
Often frames characters with doorways and shows them opening and closing doors.
Minor character dialogue is off-screen in his films
A character cooly talks through an intense situation, either delaying the occurrence of violence or avoiding it through resolution.
Interjects scenes with introduction of a character's background (Hugo Stieglitz is introduced in the middle of the Nazi torture scene in _Inglorious Basterds (2009)_, O-Ren is introduced with an interuption in the main story in _Kill Bill: Vol.1 (2003)_).
Frequently uses Spanish classical guitar for the soundtracks
Known for giving comebacks to "forgotten" actors and/or cult actors by giving them important roles in his movies: John Travolta (Pulp Fiction (1994)), David Carradine (Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)), Lawrence Tierney (Reservoir Dogs (1992)), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown (1997)), Robert Forster (Jackie Brown (1997)), Shin'ichi Chiba (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003))... even in smaller/cameo roles: Sid Haig (Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)), Edward Bunker (Reservoir Dogs (1992)), Rod Taylor in _Inglorious Basterds (2009)_) and Michael Parks (Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), and_From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)_), most recently with Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hateful Eight (2015)
Frequently references his home state Tennessee in his films: In Pulp Fiction (1994), Butch plans to meet his connection in Knoxville, which is also where his grandfather bought the gold watch; the song "Tennessee Stud" by Johnny Cash appears in Jackie Brown (1997); Death Proof (2007) is set in Lebanon, Tennessee; Lt.. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds (2009) hails from Maynardville, Tennessee.
Often interjects titles to tell the audience of a new portion of the story. (Character names in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Chapter form in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Explanations of what audience will see such as in Pulp Fiction (1994))
Characters frequently use the phrase bingo
Shots with only a woman's bare feet (Uma Thurman is barefoot in the introduction of Mia in Pulp Fiction (1994) and while the Bride is sitting in the back of Buck's truck trying to move her big toe in _Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)_. In Death Proof (2007) Sydney Tamiia Poitier (Jungle Julia) is barefoot almost constantly and Rosario Dawson (Abernathy) has her feet hanging out the window of a car while she is asleep) or characters who discuss bare feet (Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) discusses the ethics of foot massages with Vincent (John Travolta) in Pulp Fiction (1994), In Death Proof (2007) Abernathy (Rosario Dawson) talks about Stuntman Mike ('Kurt Russell') bumping into her feet when he walks by.
Prefers to start most of his films with a scene before the main titles are shown
All of his films feature one or more scenes in a restaurant
Characters often utilize sharp, bladed weapons. (Mr. Blonde uses a straight razor to cut off Marvin Nash's ear in Reservoir Dogs (1992), Butch uses a samurai sword to kill Maynard in Pulp Fiction (1994), The Bride uses a samurai sword to kill several characters in _Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)_ and _Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)_, Lt. Aldo Raine uses a Bowie knife to cut a swastika in Col. Hans Landa's forehead in _Inglorious Basterds (2009)_, Vernita Greene fights The Bride with a butcher knife in _Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)_)
Often shows a relationship between an older experienced character and a younger character in a manner similar to a parent or teacher
Cleft chin
His characters often discuss their favorite films or series while carrying out their activities
His films often feature at least one character who is deeply religious or spiritual and tries to reconcile that faith with their actions (Jules in Pulp Fiction (1994), Jacob in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)).
Revenge is a common theme in his films
Often frames dialogue scenes around a character preparing food, usually intercut with close-ups of their hands and food items: Vernita Green making her daughter cereal in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Bill making B.B. a sandwich in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), Hans Landa offering Shosanna Dreyfus a strudel in Inglourious Basterds (2009), King Schultz pouring beers in Django Unchained (2012).
Usually when giving an interview, he will greet the audience with a peace sign
Many of his protagonists are morally suspect, violent-tempered individuals who ultimately best their antagonists by outmatching them in sheer brutality
Colorful main antagonists with an elaborately thoughtout, vivid but extremely twisted (and often bigoted) world view and philosophy
Scenes are more often than not loaded with homages or visual references to other director's works
Often times, the violence in his films is over exagerrated and rooted in a darkly comic context.
Never includes his name in a director's credit in the opening titles of his films. The credits always end with the name of his producer(s).
Soundtracks often feature dialogue from their respective films.
It is common for the antagonist character in Quentin Tarantino films to have a low or non-existent on-screen body count, although many can be seen to torture others, kill off-screen or order others to kill. Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs (1992), Marsellus Wallace from Pulp Fiction (1994), Bill from _Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)_ and _Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)_ and Calvin Candie from Django Unchained (2012) don't kill anyone on-screen, Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds (2009) kills one person on-screen, Ordell from Jackie Brown (1997) kills two on-screen but Stuntman Mike from Death Proof (2007) kills several on-screen.
Almost always uses pre-recorded music for his films
Frantic scenes are often intercut with a character taking their time and behaving methodically

Was sued by Don Murphy for $5,000,000, accused of assault. Tarantino attacked Murphy in restaurant, slammed him against the wall and punched him. [November 1997]
Together with Lawrence Bender founded record company called A Band Apart Records. It will focus on film soundtracks and its releases will be distributed through Maverick Records, owned by Madonna. [July 1997]
Was planning to direct an episode of The X-Files (1993) but refused to join the Director's Guild of America. The Guild refused his request for a waiver so that he could direct the series. [November 1996]
Claims that Tarantino acted in the film Dawn of the Dead (1978) or the film King Lear (1987) are incorrect. Quentin falsely listed these credits years ago on his acting resume to compensate for his lack of experience and these incorrect credits have subsequently been attributed to him in such places as Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide and the Cinemania CD ROM.
First noted screenplay was titled "Captain Peachfuzz and the Anchovy Bandit", which was written in 1985.
Tarantino claims that James Best taught him how to act.
Collects old board games having to do with television series like I Dream of Jeannie (1965), The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), The A-Team (1983), etc.
In all of his original screenplays, the name of a police detective named Scagnetti is referred to at least once. Most of the times, the particular scene was cut out of the final versions.
He was an unlisted screenwriter for Tony Scott's Crimson Tide (1995). He was brought in to punch up the script's dialogue, reportedly adding the Silver Surfer scene, submarine movie scene, racist horse monologue among other polishes.
He delayed production of Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) several months when Uma Thurman became pregnant. He refused to recast her, as he had written the role specifically for her, based on an idea the two conceived on the set of Pulp Fiction (1994).
Is a huge fan of The Three Stooges.
His parents are Tony Tarantino and Connie McHugh. His father is from New York, and Quentin's paternal grandparents, Dominic James Tarantino and Elizabeth Jean Salvaggio, had Italian ancestry. Quentin's mother was born in LaFollette, Tennessee, to Edwin William McHugh and Betty June Woody, was raised in Ohio, and has English and Irish ancestry.
Although he uses both elements in his films, he strongly detests violence and drugs.
Is listed in the acknowledgments of actor Ethan Hawke's novel, "Ash Wednesday".
Two of Tarantino's favorite films are Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) (which he owns a 35mm copy of) and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), which he references in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003).
President of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 57th Cannes International Film Festival in 2004.
Considers Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) one of the finest Westerns ever made, even writing an extensive article about it for Sight & Sound magazine titled A Rare Sorrow. The article was featured in the Pulp Fiction (1994) Special Edition DVD as an extra and also appears in Paul A. Woods' Film Geek Files (pgs. 129-132). Interestingly, the director of Ride in the Whirlwind, Monte Hellman, was the executive producer of Reservoir Dogs (1992).
Good friends with Robert Rodriguez and Kristin Chenoweth.
He has called Uma Thurman his muse.
Named after the Burt Reynolds character Quint Asper from Gunsmoke (1955)
Was at one point in his life considering to become a novelist. He said that he tried writing two chapters of a novel about his experiences working at the Video Archives in Manhattan Beach. As can be immediately seen, novelistic narrative techniques bear a strong influence on his distinct filmmaking style.
In 1994, before Pulp Fiction (1994), in an interview with Charlie Rose, he cited his three favorite films as Blow Out (1981) (directed by Brian De Palma), Rio Bravo (1959) (directed by Howard Hawks) and Taxi Driver (1976) (directed by Martin Scorsese).
In the last Sight & Sound Greatest Films Poll (2002), he listed his Top Ten films as: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) (Leone), Rio Bravo (1959) (Hawks), Taxi Driver (1976) (Scorsese), His Girl Friday (1940) (Hawks), Rolling Thunder (1977) (Flynn), They All Laughed (1981) (Bogdanovich), The Great Escape (1963) (J. Sturges), Carrie (1976) (De Palma), Coffy (1973) (Hill), Dazed and Confused (1993) (Linklater), Five Fingers of Death (1972) (Chang) and Hi Diddle Diddle (1943) (Stone).
Despite the constant comparison between them amongst fans, he considers fellow director Paul Thomas Anderson to be one of his best friends. In fact, Tarantino has praised Anderson's work, calling him a "filmmaking artist".
His mother Connie McHugh was only age 16 when she gave birth to him.
A vocal proponent of celluloid-over-digital filmmaking, Tarantino got his first experience with the latter technology by directing a segment of the film Sin City (2005) with his friend Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who lauds the technology at every opportunity, made this his mission to convert Tarantino as well. At the end of shooting, Tarantino is reported to have said simply, "Mission accomplished.".
On The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), he stated his all-time favorite James Bond film is From Russia with Love (1963).
Hates product placement hence, the use of the fictional cigarette Red Apple and now-defunct cereal Fruit Brute in his films.
His mother reluctantly consented to allow him to drop out of Narbonne High School at age 16 on the condition he get a job." I wanted him to see that life without education would not be a picnic". She thought he would return more focused and go onto college. Tarantino with a reported 160 IQ wanted to study acting and felt he could learn more following his own path.
Six of his movies are mentioned in FHM's (DK) 100 Best Male Movies Ever (7 October 2004 issue): True Romance (1993) at #75, From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) at #73, Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) at #26, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) at #25, Reservoir Dogs (1992) at #11, and Pulp Fiction (1994) at #1.
Was offered the role of the President of the United States of America in Battle Royale II (2003) but had to decline due to scheduling conflicts.
Has stated that he would like to direct a James Bond movie at some point in his career.
Frequently cites Rio Bravo (1959), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and Battle Royale (2000) among his favorite films.
Named his production company, A Band Apart, after the Jean-Luc Godard film Band of Outsiders (1964).
Often references numerous attributes of the works of Jean-Luc Godard, particularly in Pulp Fiction (1994). The disjointed structure of Pulp Fiction (1994) may itself be an homage to Godard's use of jump cuts in Breathless (1960), the film that launched the French New Wave of cinema.
Is a huge fan of the Half-Life computer game series, and has considered possibilities of directing a movie adaptation.
Ranked #81 on Premiere magazine's 2004 annual Power 100 List. He was unranked in 2003.
Cites his influences as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Sergio Leone and Jean-Luc Godard.
Ranked #8 in Empire (UK) magazine's greatest directors ever 2005 poll.
Was the spokesman for SkyperfecTV, a Japanese based satellite TV network, a competitor to the now locally defunct DirecTV endorsed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Was guest director for one scene for Robert Rodriguez' Sin City (2005).
Eli Roth wanted to have the world premiere of Hostel (2005) at the 2005 Iceland Film Festival. During the festival, Roth and Quentin Tarantino were made honorary vikings at Viking Village, in a ceremony arranged by Eythor Gudjonsson. Roth's Icelandic name is Eli Sheldonsson, and Tarantino's Icelandic name is Quentin Conniesson.
His all-time favorite director is Howard Hawks.
Each of his directed movies, with the exception of Death Proof (2007) and The Hateful Eight features someone from the cast of Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973). Harvey Keitel from Reservoir Dogs (1992) Pulp Fiction (1994) and Inglourious Basterds, Robert De Niro from Jackie Brown (1997), David Carradine from Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004), 'Robert Carradine' from _Django Unchained_ and David Proval is in Four Rooms (1995).
Was originally offered the chance to direct Men in Black (1997), which he turned down.
Was originally offered the chance to direct Speed (1994), which he turned down.
Is godfather to two of Michael Madsen's sons Hudson and Calvin Michael. Michael and his wife DeAnna joked in OK! magazine about naming Quentin godfather to their newest son Luke Ray as well.
Is spoofed in the short film Let's Get Real! (1999), which contains several satirical references to Pulp Fiction (1994).
Has stated that he would like to make and star in a film telling the story of John Brown, the abolitionist.
Named his favorite films of 2005 as Sin City (2005), Domino (2005), Hustle & Flow (2005) and The Devil's Rejects (2005).
Has named My Bloody Valentine (1981) his all-time favorite slasher film.
During his stay in the Philippines, Tarantino got trapped in traffic due to flooding as he was traveling to Malacanang Palace to meet President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and receive a lifetime achievement award. Refusing to give up, he and his partner Tikoy Aguiluz got off their limousine and took a pedicab each to reach the palace. After arriving, Tarantino stated "It was a lot of fun. It just took a long time but it was not bad at all.".
Has two sisters and one brother: Tanya Marie Tarantino (b. Pasadena, California, 4 October 1964), Ronnajean Tarantino (b. Phoenix, Arizona, 22 June 1969) and Edward James Tarantino (b. Simi Valley, California, 3 October 1974).
His father was born in Queens, New York, and has a sister named Diane. Their parents are Dominic Tarantino and wife Elizabeth.
His mother was born in Tennessee on September 3, 1946. She is the adopted daughter of Ellis and Elizabeth (Betty) Shaffer.
After his parents divorced, his mother married musician Curtis Zastoupil.
As a child, one of his favorite movies was Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). He credits the film with helping him learn genre distinctions.
Wrote the forward for the book "Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi".
Was offered a chance to direct Westworld (2016), which he turned down.
Was ex-girlfriend Mira Sorvino's date the night she won her best supporting actress Oscar.
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was raised in Los Angeles, California.
Close friends with Jennifer Beals and Sofia Coppola.
In the 2008 Empire magazine poll of the 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, Tarantino listed his favorite films as: 1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), (Sergio Leone), 2. Rio Bravo (1959), (Howard Hawks), 3. Blow Out (1981), (Brian De Palma), 4. Taxi Driver (1976), (Martin Scorsese), 5. His Girl Friday (1940), Howard Hawks), 6. 5 Fingers of Death / King Boxer (1972), (Chang-hwa Jeong), 7. Pandora's Box (1929), ('Georg Wilhelm Pabst'), 8. Carrie (1976), (Brian De Palma), 9. Unfaithfully Yours (1948), (Preston Sturges), 10. Five Graves to Cairo (1943), (Billy Wilder), 11. Jaws (1975), (Steven Spielberg). Choices #2, 3 and 4 are marked as "interchangeable".
Lived with Jennifer Beals while getting his first films produced.
Directed 6 actors in Oscar nominated performances: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Robert Forster, Christoph Waltz (twice), and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Waltz won for his performances in both Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012).
His three favourite Alfred Hitchcock movies are; Sabotage (1936), Suspicion (1941) and Torn Curtain (1966).
He is mentioned in the cartoon "Courage the Cowardly Dog" as the zombie director Quintin Tarantella in several episodes, the first being "Everyone Wants to Direct".
He screens Rio Bravo (1959) for potential girlfriends as a test of their compatibility.
Thanked by the rock band Nirvana in the liner notes of their album "In Utero".
His films mainly feature criminals and characters committing horrible crimes involving murder and drugs. The only crime Tarantino has committed was shoplifting from a bookstore when he was a teenager.
Has said that the three films that have most influenced him as a director are: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) (which he says "is obvious"), Mario Bava's Black Sabbath (1963) (because that taught him the importance of having a distinct directorial voice), and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) (because that taught him about mixing genres).
Did not become interested in writing and directing until he was in his early twenties.
Is a huge fan of filmmaker Roger Christian and named Christian's film The Sender (1982) as his favorite movie of that respective year. He also attended the premiere of Battlefield Earth (2000) along with Christian, John Travolta and George Lucas and according to Christian, Quentin really liked it, claiming it to be the kind of movie he always wanted to make but never could since he knew it would kill his career given Hollywood's reputation.
True Romance (1993) character Clarence Worley personifies Quentin Tarantino's passions in life.
The Big Kahuna burger is mentioned in at least three of Tarantino films.
Stated on a radio interview that the one thing he cannot stand seeing in movies is real animal and insect death or torture, and that real acts of violence have no place in film, which is about realism through artifice.
Krishnan Guru-Murthy introduced the subject of movie violence during an interview, in the wake of "Django Unchained", with Quentin Tarantino on Channel Four News. Quentin Tarantino responded memorably that he refused the question, that he had given his opinion exhaustively in other settings and that he was "shutting [Krishnan's] butt down" about the matter.
Cites Melville's Le Doulos (1963) as the best screenplay ever.
Cites Jean-Pierre Melville as the greatest director of gangster movies.
Was working on a script titled The Vega Brothers, which would follow Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction (1994) played by John Travolta, and Vic Vega from Reservoir Dogs (1992) played by Michael Madsen. However, when considering the current ages of the actors, he said "It's kind of unlikely now." Tarantino made Inglourious Basterds (2009) instead.
Has expressed his desire to work with Kate Winslet, Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Simon Pegg and Michael Caine.
As of September 2015, Tarantino's films have grossed $1,407,548,403 worldwide.
First job was collecting quarters and restocking magazines from automated magazine boxes that dispensed pornographic titles.
Worked at Video Archives in Manhattan Beach, California from 1985-1990 with future filmmakers Roger Avary and Daniel Synder. He became well know to local residents for his extensive knowledge of world cinema and eclectic, customer tailored video recommendations. He wrote several screenplays during his time at Video Archives including Reservoir Dogs (1992) True Romance (1993) and Natural Born Killers (1994). He purchased the entire stores video inventory of 8000 titles when it closed that he prefers watching to using video streaming services, like Netflix.
Got his first job in the film industry at age 16, by lying about his age, as an usher at Pussycat Theater, a porn theater in Torrance, California.
Plans to retire after his 10th major film. He has stated he would like to write novels, books on film history, plays and work as a theater director.
Filmed his latest film The Hateful Eight (2015) using the Ultra Panavision 70 film process This rare film process has not been used for 50 years despite the technical advantages it offers over current technology.
Has indicated a desire to adapt his screenplays Reservoir Dogs (1992) and The Hateful Eight (2015) for theatrical live performances.
Owns the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles, the theater where he often saw double features as a kid. He helped the prior owner to keep it afloat and stay open with a $5000/mo subsidy. Subsequently, he bought the building in December 2007 to save the revival theater from being redeveloped into a Supercuts. In October 2014, he assumed full ownership and programs the theater's slate personally with kid's matinées, double features nightly, midnight showings on the weekends, vintage shorts/cartoons and a commitment to always show in 35mm celluloid film.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6927 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on December 21, 2015.
Among his favorite authors is a Russian poet Boris Pasternak, whose grave Tarantino had visited in June 2004, while visiting Moscow Film Festival.
One of his favorite horror films is the original Black Christmas (1974). His tradition is to watch the film in his home theater every Christmas season.
Is a huge fan of the cult classic drama film Showgirls (1995) by Paul Verhoeven.
Forbids all cell phones on the set when shooting, insisting that all such devices be turned in at point of entry - no exceptions.
Is a fan of sexploitation filmmaker Russ Meyer. He has expressed interest in remaking his film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965).
Counts director Terry Gilliam as a major mentor, even according him a "Special Thanks" credit in Reservoir Dogs (1992).
One of his biggest influences in filmmaking is Kar-Wai Wong's film Chungking Express (1994). He helped get the film distribution in North America.
Insists on being beside the camera at all times during a take. The notion of being in another room watching his actors perform on a video-assist monitor is both anathema and unacceptable to him.
Detests CGI (Computer-generated imagery) trickery, opting not to shoot a sequence at all unless it can be accomplished 'in-camera'. If a chase has to be filmed at 80mph, it must be captured as it happens and not faked with camera under-cranking.
One of his biggest pet peeves while filming is actors and crew members napping on set. In his words "It always kinda bugged me so I came up with something where it wouldn't bug me." That something was a huge purple dildo named "Big Jerry". When ever an actor or crew member dozes off on set Quentin puts "Big Jerry" as close to the offenders face as he can without waking them and snaps photos that are hung on "The Wall of Shame" on set. Several photos of A-list actors and "Big Jerry" exist. All in good humor and fun according to the director.
President of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 67th Venice International Film Festival in 2010.
Lady Snowblood (1973) and Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) were big influences for his Kill Bill films.
Announced his retirement after two more films.[November 2016].
He was asked to direct 8 Mile (2002), but he was busy with "Kill Bill".
John Travolta asked him to direct Battlefield Earth (2000). He declined.
He was asked to direct Get Shorty (1995). He declined, though he did persuade John Travolta to star in it.