The work of Quentin Tarantino has had an impact on scores of filmmakers over the last 30 years, and references and homages to his movies can be seen in all sorts of other movies, shows, and really anything related to pop culture. Eagle-eyed viewers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have perhaps spotted that one special reference to a Tarantino movie in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, and after finally getting to watch the movie for himself, Tarantino approves of the homage to his work in such a massive movie series.
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The scene in question involves characters Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson (Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie) visiting the tombstone of the “dead” Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and on it is written the words from Ezekiel 25:17, “The path of the righteous man …” These, of course, are words that are part of the Bible verse Jackson’s character recites in PULP FICTION before putting bullets into a poor soul in an iconic scene.
“Probably the first commentary I ever read was the Stan Lee ‘Soapbox’,” Tarantino said in an interview with BBC Radio 1 (via IndieWire), referring to the column that appeared at the end of every Marvel comic for years. “All of a sudden, my universe was now being quoted inside a gate as closed as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it felt pretty good.”
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Tarantino said that he knew the reference was there before he watched the movie, in the past having seen Jackson interviewed on a late-night show where the reference came up. But the busy director has been getting through many of the MCU movies in prep for the cultural phenomenon that in AVENGERS: ENDGAME, and along with talking WINTER SOLDIER he mentioned recently in an interview that he loved, in particular, THOR: RAGNAROK.
Tarantino was asked about other shout outs to his work in other mainstream projects, like THE SIMPSONS and the parody of a KILL BILL scene in movies like TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE. He even talked about how the animated movie KUNG FU PANDA is "a straight parody of KILL BILL in every way." I guess I have to rewatch KUNG FU PANDA now.
While some big blockbusters and animated movies may be throwing out some Tarantino references, the director is dishing out plenty of callbacks to a classic era of Hollywood with his new movie, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD, which is in theaters now.