A Director’s Self-Assessment

Even a cinematic icon like ​Quentin Tarantino has preferences within his own impressive ⁤filmography. In a recent, expansive⁢ conversation on “the Church of Tarantino” podcast, the two-time Oscar winner delved into his creative process and offered ⁣a candid assessment of his work.

Tarantino revealed that while “Once‍ Upon a Time in Hollywood” holds the place as his⁣ personal favorite, ‌he ⁤considers “Inglourious Basterds” ‌to‍ be his ​best work.However, he reserved particularly high praise for “Kill Bill,” ​describing it as‌ uniquely ‍his own creation.

“‘Kill Bill’​ is the ultimate Quentin movie, like nobody else could’ve made it,” Tarantino explained. “Every aspect about it is so ⁤particularly ripped, like⁤ with tentacles and bloody tissue, from my imagination and my id and my loves and⁢ my‍ passion ​and my⁢ obsession. so I think ‘Kill Bill’ is the movie I was born to make, I‌ think ‘Inglourious Basterds’ is‌ my masterpiece, but ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is my favorite.”

Script vs. Direction: A Nuanced ⁢View

The discussion extended beyond the finished‍ films to the underlying scripts. Tarantino‍ identified‍ “Inglourious Basterds” as his strongest screenplay, with “Hateful Eight” and “Once Upon ⁤a Time ⁢in Hollywood” closely following. However,he ‍also highlighted a distinction between writing⁢ and directing.

He believes “Hateful ⁢Eight” represents⁢ his best⁣ directorial‍ work, specifically ‍in how he brought a solid script to life. “There’s an ‌aspect of ‌’Hateful ⁤Eight’⁢ that I actually​ think is probably⁣ my best directing of my material, ‌i.e., the material is written and it’s solid.​ So it’s not like I⁣ have to create it, like ‘Kill Bill,’ it’s solid, it’s right‍ there and I ‍actually ⁤think⁤ it’s my best⁢ servicing [of] my material as a director.”

The Uncharted Territory⁤ of a Final Film

Despite his​ affection for “Once Upon a ‌Time ​in Hollywood,” a sequel, “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” is moving forward with⁢ David⁢ Fincher ​at the helm for⁣ Netflix. Tarantino revealed he‍ intentionally stepped⁣ away from directing the ‍project becuase he felt it lacked⁤ the freshness he seeks ​for what he’s described as his tenth and final film.

“I love this script, but ‍I’m still ‌walking down the same ground I’ve already walked,”⁣ Tarantino said.⁢ “It just⁣ kind of unenthused me. This last movie, I’ve got to not no what I’m doing again. ⁢I’ve got to be in‌ uncharted territory.”

The ⁢Scrapped “Movie Critic” Project

Tarantino ⁢also addressed the‌ fate of his​ long-rumored final film, ​”The ⁢Movie Critic,” explaining that it was ultimately⁢ abandoned as it ⁤felt too familiar. ‌The project, he explained, mirrored the challenges and solutions he ⁣encountered with “Once Upon a ‌Time in hollywood.”

“I wasn’t⁤ really excited about dramatizing what I wrote when I was in pre-production, partly‍ because I’m using the skillset ‌that I ⁢learned from ‘Once Upon a Time in⁢ Hollywood’ [of] ‘How are ‍we going to turn Los Angeles into the Hollywood of 1969 without‍ using CGI?'” ⁤he explained. “It was something ⁢we had to pull off. We had to​ achieve it. It wasn’t for‌ sure that we⁢ could‌ do it. ‍… ‘The Movie Critic,’ there⁢ was⁢ nothing ⁣to figure out. I already⁣ kind‍ of knew, more ​or less, how to turn L.A. into an older time. It ​was too much like the last one.”