Quentin Tarantino reveals the three movies he couldn’t live without
There is no doubt that the best place to watch a movie has always, traditionally, been in the cinema. The smell of the buttered popcorn, the indeterminably sticky floors and the mammoth sound all combine to create a viewing experience that is unrivalled. Even today, possessing almost every movie ever made in the palm of our hands at all times, the allure of the projected movie is unstoppable. However, there is one man who has always seen the value of home movie-watching: Quentin Tarantino.
Though he would likely still champion the cinematic experience as vital to the evolution of filmmaking, Tarantino has always been an advocate for meticulously watching movies at home. He famously got his education in cinema by sitting in his chair and devouring VHS tapes. In a 1994 BBC feature showcasing Hollywood’s hottest new director, a young Tarantino takes viewers on a tour of one of Los Angeles’ most treasured spots—Video Archives. This beloved video rental store played a pivotal role in shaping his encyclopedic knowledge of film and his unique creative vision.
The video store acted as a proving ground for the young director. It was where he cut his teeth on what truly constituted a ‘great movie’. The unit not only operates as one of the young Tarantino’s favourite places but also as the soon-to-be title of his podcast and, ultimately, the place where he really began to understand the mechanics of movies.
In the BBC feature, Tarantino passionately discusses some of his favourite films and the joy he found working at the iconic Video Archives store. He reflects on how he recommended films to customers and eventually influenced Hollywood’s viewing habits. This deep dive into the life of Indiewood’s hottest new director was filmed by David Thompson, known for profiling cinematic legends like Jean Renoir, Michael Powell, Vittorio Storaro, and Peter Greenaway. The documentary traces Tarantino’s journey from his early life in Knoxville, Tennessee, through his move to Los Angeles at the age of two. The aspiring filmmaker quit school at 15 to study acting, and by the late 1980s, he was penning major scripts like True Romance and Natural Born Killers—all while still working at Video Archives in Manhattan Beach.
“Until I became a director, it was the best job I ever had,” says Tarantino, bristling with so much youthful vigour that he can barely contain it—like an infant showing off his Lego. “I was a customer there, and I really liked, and eventually he asked me if I wanted a job, and I was like ‘yeah, it would be a dream’, and it was,” adds the Reservoir Dogs director as members of staff go on to share Tarantino’s star status in the store.
“This is one of the few places that Quentin could be a regular guy and come get a job and then become a star,” but he isn’t referring to the space the job allowed Quentin to write. No, they mean the customers thought he, with his encyclopaedic pre-Google knowledge of cinema, was a bonafide star of the film business. He reflects that in Hollywood, “people want you to tell them what is good, what to like, what not to like,” and it was a role Tarantino clearly relished.
The longer Tarantino discusses his relationship with film, you get a vivid sense of a director just hitting his stride. In the footage, Tarantino returns to Video Archives for a signing to celebrate the Reservoir Dogs video release, energetically navigating the store as he selects his top three films for a desert island scenario. His choices are more than just personal favourites; they offer an inspiring glimpse into the kind of film lover Tarantino was and the filmmaker he was destined to become. The selection reflects the diverse influences that would go on to shape his unique style, blending genre, storytelling, and cinematic history into something unmistakably his own.
First off, under the drama section, is Brian De Palma’s Blow Out, which Quentin describes as “some of Brian De Palma’s finest film”, with the utmost admiration, before adding: “Which means it’s one of the greatest films ever made because as we all know, Brian De Palma is one of the finest directors of his generation.” Tarantino has routinely shared his appreciation for De Palma in the years that followed this video, and if there is one director who has influenced him the most, then it would be hard to argue against the Scarface filmmaker.
The next movie on his list, unsurprisingly for any Tarantino fan, is a western. As the director behind The Hateful Eight, Tarantino has made it clear how pivotal the western genre—and its many sub-genres—has been to shaping his cinematic vision. From the gritty landscapes to the moral complexities, the influence of the western runs deep in his work, consistently informing his storytelling, characters, and visual style. It’s a genre he reveres and one that plays a key role in his creative evolution.
Moving right along to the western section, he finds Howard Hawks’ film Rio Bravo. Tarantino continues to muse over the cast and says, “This is, as far as I’m concerned, another one of the finest films ever made. Dean Martin gives one of the finest performances ever”. As he moves on to his next selection, the director goes into the full modern-90s and selects a laserdisc.
He picks up a very special selection and lands on the masterpiece that is Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, a selection which is a naturally gorgeous piece of film paraphernalia for any movie junkie. Tarantino gushes over Harvey Keitel’s performance and hints at their upcoming happy union of director and actor. Tarantino once stated why he loves the movie so much: “One of the things about Taxi Driver [is] that it is just so magnificent. I actually do feel that it may be the greatest first-person character study ever committed to film. I mean, I really actually can’t even think of a second, or a third or a fourth that can even come into contention with it.”
The footage below shows Tarantino at the beginning of his journey. Only one picture into his predicted ten-film set, Tarantino is young and hungry. He bounces from speech to speech with the excited glee of a spaniel, narrowly missing making a puddle on the floor. The real joy comes when you remember that he’s still almost certainly the same today.
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