JoBlo
note: Just like Jim Law kick ass with our JoBlo.com TEN SPOTS every
couple of weeks, Serena Whitney has been spreading that same sort of
love on ArrowintheHead.com for quite some time now, and here’s her
latest, which considering all the buzz with GRINDHOUSE this week,
seems to be a perfect fit.
the release of the much anticipated film, GRINDHOUSE, I thought I would
do a top ten on my favorite director, Mr. Quentin Tarantino.
Since I was little, I have
been enamored with everything Quentin Tarantino has ever written and directed.
(Yes, I’m aware of the fact I was WAY too young to even watch his films.) From
his out of sequence plot lines, witty dialogue, fictional commercial products,
pop culture references, obligatory unanswered mysteries, and his ability to turn
has-beens into A-list stars, Quentin has been able to win over regular
moviegoers, fanboys/girls, and well respected critics with his highly acclaimed
films and hard work.
Although, it’s hard to
narrow down the most noteworthy moments from all of his films, (I can probably
name ten from each movie he’s done.) there are a few that do stand out from the
rest. (To me at least) Here are my top ten most memorable scenes and sequences
from the films directed by the man who is responsible for my passion of film and
writing in the first place.
WARNING – SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!
10. Sin
City – Dwight/Jackie Boy car bit
Although Quentin Tarantino only
directed one scene in Robert Rodriguez’s film, true fans immediately spotted the
scene. The scene with Dwight (Clive Owen) having a conversation with a dead
Jackie Boy (Bencio Del Toro) in the front seat of his car had a very Q.T-esque
feel to it. (The neck bit was quite impressive.) The fact that he only filmed
the scene for one dollar proves not only his loyalty to best friend, Robert
Rodriguez, but also his absolute love for film. (Shooting a scene for a buck?
That’s gotta be love!)
9.
Reservoir Dogs – Breakfast scene
The opening of
Reservoir Dogs I can watch over and over again. I love everything about the
scene. From Mr. Brown’s (Quentin Tarantino) dissection of Madonna’s “Like
a Virgin,” (Now every time I hear that song, I think she’s talking about
big d*ck.) to Mr. Pink’s ignorant views of not tipping waitresses. (Although
he did make some good points, I wanted to slap him.) The opening for the
film was just as clever as it was funny and contrasted perfectly with the
dark and serious scenes that were to follow after the opening credits.
8.
From Dusk Till Dawn – Opening
Although, this film was only
written by Mr. Tarantino, (it was directed by Robert Rodriguez) one can tell
Quentin had a lot of creative control during the scene where Seth (George
Clooney) and Ritchie (Quentin Tarantino) have a shoot out in the liquor store.
It was an outstanding and tension-filled scene. The audience is also introduced
to Sheriff Earl McGraw, (played by Michael Parks) who is later seen in Kill
Bill Volume 1 and Grindhouse. If you are fan of this film, you will
know that both the events in Kill Bill and Grindhouse must take
place before the events in From Dusk ‘til Dawn, for sheriff Mcgraw meets
his demise in the opening sequence.
7.
Kill Bill 2 – Elle and I
I’m going to be honest when I
say that I’m not the biggest fan of Kill Bill Volume 2. The high-paced
action scenes from the previous volume were absent (and severely missed) from
the way too dialogue driven second volume. However, Quentin did please his fans
with the infamous trailer fight scene between Beatrix (Uma Thurman) and Elle
Driver. (Daryl Hannah) It amazed me as to how he directed the film’s most
exciting scene from such an enclosed space. He also provided his devoted fans
with yet another unanswered mystery as to the fate of Elle Driver. (My theory
is that the Black mamba snake took care of her…but that’s just me!)
6. Four
Rooms – The Man from Hollywood
Despite the fact
this film received poor reviews, I freaking loved it! My favorite short in the
anthology film was Quentin Tarantino’s “The Man from Hollywood.” (Tied
with Robert Rodriguez’s “The Misbehavers”) In the short, Ted the
bellhop (played by Tim Roth) is offered a thousand dollars by big time actor,
Chester (played by Q.T) if he would cut his friend’s finger off if he couldn’t
light his zippo ten times in a row for a bet. The end result is quite
hysterical, and if you haven’t already seen the film, I’d suggest you do so
soon.
5.
Jackie Brown – Louissssssss!
Jackie
Brown is by far my favorite Q.T film. I love
everything from the actors, to the dialogue, and to the amazing soundtrack. I
always considered it to being his greatest and most realistic character study,
and most underrated film. Although, a lot of people may not agree with my
positive opinion of Jackie Brown, many will agree that the film did have
one great memorable scene with Louis (Robert De Niro) shooting down the surfer
chick, Melanie (Bridget Fonda) in a mall parking lot. (In the middle of the day
mind you!) I remember watching this scene and thinking Louis was going to slap
her or punch her because she was constantly annoying him, but when he shot her
to death in such a casual manner, I jumped halfway out of my seat. That was
definitely the most surprising moment in that film.
4.
Pulp Fiction – “Say what again? I dare ya!”
This
is one of the most pivotal scenes in Pulp Fiction. In this scene, we see
a breakthrough performance from Samuel L.Jackson. (Who was later nominated for
an Oscar for his role as Jules) We also see the first appearance of the “Big
Kahuna Burger,” (a fictional fast food franchise seen throughout Q.T’s films)
and one of the biggest mysteries in cinematic history: Marsellus’ suitcase.
People to this day have still not received an answer as to what really was in
his suitcase. I’m a firm believer that the diamonds from the diamond heist in
Reservoir Dogs were in the suitcase. However, many believe it was
Marsellus’ soul in there. Spit some bullets below if you have any different
theories!
3.
Kill Bill #1 – Showdown at House of Blues
I can’t really pick one scene I
loved out of this visually striking sequence, because it was all great! The
score, the fate of Sophie Fatale, the fight with Gogo, and the infamous “Bride
vs.Crazy 88″showdown were all equally exceptional. If you can get your hands on
the Japanese version of the film, please do. If you watch the fight sequences
all in color, you will see how Quentin Tarantino made one of the bloodiest
sequences ever seen in a main stream film.
2. Pulp Fiction – Marcellus rape scene
For
some reason, when people think of Pulp Fiction, most automatically think
of the twist dance off between Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia (Uma
Thurman.) This is not the scene I consider the most memorable. I remember
watching this unforgettable sequence years ago, and was in complete shock when
Marcellus (Ving Rhames) and Butch (Bruce Willis) were stuck in a room wearing
red gag balls, with rapists in the room trying to figure out which one was going
to be raped first.
Then I was
traumatized when the film actually showed Marcellus getting sodomized. (ICK!)
Even though it was the most disturbing scene since Deliverance, it was
the film’s most powerful scene, and I was cheering when Butch went back to save
the man who was trying to kill him. By far, Q.T’s most controversial scene ever
on film.
1.
Reservoir Dogs – Ear cutting scene
Everyone has different songs that remind them of
past memories, past loves, and past experiences. But, I guarantee you that the
memory people are replaying in their heads when they hear the 70’s classic,
“Stuck in the Middle With You” is the first time they watched Mr.Blond
(played by incredibly cool, Michael Madsen) cut the ear off a cop with a
straight razor in Reservoir Dogs. This is my number one most memorable
scene because even people, who have never seen this film, know about the
infamous ear-cutting scene. In the special edition of the film, you can watch
the scene from alternate angles. This is a feature I have yet to (and probably
will never) witness.