The movie that made Quentin Tarantino “depressed”
Among the most impactful filmmakers within the landscape of contemporary cinema, Quentin Tarantino has crafted a body of work that is widely discussed and studied by a massive global audience. With seminal gems such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Tarantino played a major role in permanently reshaping the frameworks of American cinema during the 1990s while inspiring directors all around the world to re-imagine arthouse action.
Recently, Tarantino announced that he is going to end his artistic journey with a final project that has garnered much speculation. Titled The Movie Critic, some fans thought that the Jackie Brown director was going to end with a biopic about Pauline Kael. However, he proved everyone wrong by revealing it was about a virtually unknown writer at a porno magazine in the 1970s, based on a real-life figure he once knew.
Since Tarantino’s incredible run as a filmmaker is coming to an end, some have taken the opportunity to reflect on his contributions to the world of cinema. One interesting addition that might have slipped many people’s lists is the 2007 double feature called Grindhouse, which was made in collaboration with Robert Rodriguez. While it has gained a cult following since its release, the initial reaction had an adverse effect on Tarantino’s psyche.
During a conversation with the BFI, Tarantino once said: “I was depressed when Grindhouse didn’t do well. I felt rejected. That Friday night that it opened, I saw it at the Grauman’s Chinese. Robert was there, different members of the cast were there. Simon Pegg was there, and Edgar Wright. And it was one of the most magnificent screenings of my film I’ve ever had, as great, and maybe even a little more exciting than Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction.”
According to the filmmaker, the impressive screening made the poor reception feel even worse: “It was everything we could have hoped the experience would be. Then I had the box office, and I was surprised, I was surprised for a while, but then, the show got over. I started working on Death Proof, and the first screening we had of it was in Cannes. That ended up being a lot of fun and to really actually watch the chase scene in the Le Palais was something.”
Made up of Rodriguez’ Planet Terror and Tarantino’s Death Proof, the project was a love letter to the campy B-movies that the filmmaker grew up watching. He later claimed that it was his most misunderstood work, especially because he saw that audiences failed to engage with the fascinating history of exploitation flicks.
Watch the trailer below.
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