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Customer Reviews (5)

Fantastic
Thought provokingly awesome book. One of the best i have read in a long while! You gotta be into this kinda thing though. If you dont LOVE philosophy, save your money. If you are one of us who do enjoy it, you will absolutely LOVE it!

Really enjoyed the book. i'm a big tarantino fan & read it in 1 day
I really enjoyed this book. i'm a big tarantino fan & read the book in one day. I didn't even know it existed until 2 years after its publication. It was even better than i thought it would be. it's well written, humorous & a must-have for tarantino fans, even if you're not that much into philosophy itself.

Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy (Popular Culture and Philosophy)

a little less talk, a little more rock please
The book is what you'd think it would be: a fascinating look at the films of Quentin Tarantino.What I was disappointed in was the focus on the "Kill Bill" movies.I would like to have seen a greater variety of his movies.This might have had something to do with a poet (who I think I've met) being one of the editors.

From questions of miracles and self-destructive revenge to how characters in his films are doomed
Any who love Quentin Tarantino should find the reflections of some seventeen philosophers on his art to be thought-provoking. From questions of miracles and self-destructive revenge to how characters in his films are doomed, this survey is fast-paced and thought-provoking - and perfect for high school classroom date by any who have viewed Tarantino's films.

Great Entry in the Series
I am a big fan of the "popular culture and Philosophy" series and I own about eight volumes. This is one of the best in the series.I read these books, both to expand my knowledge of specific philosophers and their theories and ideas as well as to peek at the depths of meaning in some of my favorite works.The decent books in the series will have essays that say "here's a philosopher, here's his idea, this is how it applies to the work in question".which is fine for the first reason i read these books.The really good books in the series have essays that say "here's some things that happen in the work, this is how it illustrates the theme of the work, here's how it relates to the big questions of life, here's how it defends/opposes this philosopher's work".That is precisely what all the essays in this volume do.Whether analyzing Kill Bill as a modern retelling of Oedipus by way of female empowerment, discussing the structure of Pulp Fiction as an analysis of the compartmentalization of time, or using the crooks of Reservoir Dogs to compare group morality, all of the essays truly elucidate Tarantino's movies. ... Read more

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Excellant Novel
Excellant biography.Its objective,funny, interesting, and well researched.A must read not only for fans of the hot shot director, but for anyone interested in the process that goes into making movies. Myonly quarrel is that it ends before the making of From Dusk Till Dawn orjackie Brown. ... Read more

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With such iconic films as the Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2, and Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino has become the most famous and revered writer/director of his generation. Now he's back with his most ambitious movie yet: the World War II epic Inglourious Basterds. Starring Brad Pitt and filmed on location in Germany and France, it has the largest cast of characters of any Tarantino film to date. The movie will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2009.

The action tale follows the parallel story of a guerilla-like squad of American soldiers called "The Basterds" and the French Jewish teenage girl Shosanna who find themselves behind enemy Nazi lines during the German occupation. When the Inglourious Basterds encounter Shosanna at a propaganda screening at the movie house she runs, they conspire to launch an unexpected plot to end the war. Pitt plays Lieutenant Aldo Raine--the leader of the Basterds. Raine is an illiterate hillbilly from the mountains of Tennessee who puts together a team of eight Jewish-American soldiers to hunt down the Nazis.

Filled with Tarantino's trademark electric dialogue and thrilling action sequences, Inglourious Basterds is destined to become one of the most talked about films of 2009 and a landmark in cinematic history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A Tarantino Screenplay Always Gives You Extra Pleasure
"Inglourious Basterds" was one of my favorite films of 2009; since Tarantino's idiosyncratic screenplays are always fun to read - and frequently enlightening - I could hardly wait to get a copy. Now that I have it, I wish I'd gotten it long ago. The screenplay is as good as I remember it, and reading it lets me really explore the rhythms, the structure (Tarantino never gets as much credit for sound structure as I think he deserves)and the character notes. The 'stage directions' are also illuminating, and sometimes wickedly funny, as they comment on not only the action, but the likely audience reactions at times. Plus, as with most published screenplays, there are several deleted scenes and even some altered scenes. Some of the latter are particularly telling, as the published version of the conflagration at 'Operation Kino' is quite different and, in my opinion, not nearly as effective as what Tarantino ended up filming. (I won't spoil it for those who want to read it now!)

If you didn't like the film, and you're not a film student, there's not much need to buy this. But if you're a fan, or looking for insight into how to write a less-than-formulaic screenplay, rush out and get it!

Dreams Shouldn't ReMake History
The story was thrilling--Jewish woman escapes when her family is slaughtered by the Nazis, and soon afterward she is put in a position where she must host the entire SS Elite for a film showing.She decides it's her turn to exact revenge.She will burn the movie house down with all those murderers inside.Meanwhile a band of American Nazi hunters have decided to descend on the movie house at the same time--to kill the bastards.
I was on the edge of my seat, fascinated....until the Fuhrer himself sat down...and got burned up in the fire.
It was like reading the Titanic and suddenly having it not sink. Or--a better analogy would be reading a book about 9/11 where the terrorists are beaten up, the twin towers saved.
Certainly there are enough exciting, dramatic and (most importantly) historically accurate stories from the war that we don't need this foolish fluff.I can just see the children at school saying..."Oh, Hitler?He finally got his when he was burned in a theater."
What started as a wonderful story turned into an embarrassing sham.

If You Loved the Movie, You Need this Screenplay
After watching Inglourious Basterds for the fourth time in one weekend, I went out and bought its screenplay. I have to admit, it's the first screenplay I've ever read for any movie. Usually, watching the movie is good enough for me, but now I realize that screenplays can be just as good as novels. Tarantino is a master of dialogue. He really allows his characters to bring themselves to life throughout the screenplay, and here there is extra information about some of the main characters that I deeply appreciated. Of course, I can see that due to time constraints, the extra scenes couldn't be put into the movie, but they were wonderful to read. The biggest examples are probably the backstory of Sgt. Donny Donowitz (aka the Bear Jew) and also the real "origin of [Shosanna's] cinema ownership". There's also an extra Utivich scene, and some more mezmerizing hillbilly talk from Lt. Aldo Raine. If you didn't like the movie, well, this screenplay won't change your mind. It's still the same basic concept, obviously. But if you loved Inglourious Basterds like I did, then you will absolutely devour this screenplay.

Tells story in a new way
Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (12/09)

I had no desire whatsoever to see the movie "Inglourious Basterds," as World War II films seem all the same to me. They hardly ever acknowledge that not every German was a Nazi, and the ubiquitous sense of futility and defeat displayed by the persecuted characters drives me crazy. However, I also love Quentin Tarantino. "Inglourious Basterds: A Screenplay" is not like these other stories, even though the usual, expected characters are involved. Reading this screenplay was, actually, quite an enjoyable experience.

The notes on camera shots kept me in touch with what Tarantino wanted me to see, but I loved that I was also able to design my own characters' looks, speech, and mannerisms, as well create the settings in my head. What is unique, storywise, is that civilians are allowed to make their own decisions about their actions and time of death; there were German characters as well as Nazis; and he created Allied leaders who, uncharacteristically, grant a lot of freedom to a group of cunning, violent, American soldiers. True to my expectations and Tarantino's reputation, there are plenty of people acting on their hatred, however, that wars should have rules regarding acceptable ways to kill have always been ridiculous to my mind, so I did not find the gore in the story shocking at all. Tarantino's writing and dialogue are easy to understand, and the entire story moves effortlessly along to what I found to be a very satisfying ending.

In World War II movies I know many of the people I am watching are going to be shot, or will let themselves be shot, and I already know the ending. "Inglourious Basterds: A Screenplay" tells a Second World War story in a new way, and is every bit as harrowing and violent as real war must be. Reading this well-written screenplay was a unique way of experiencing what Quentin Tarantino wanted me to see and learn, and while the movie has recently been nominated for a Golden Globe Award, I still have no desire to see it. I enjoyed the one this screenplay created in my mind far too much.

Revenge Film at its Best!
Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds: A Screenplay is the screenplay for the revenge war film of the same name.Moviegoers love Tarantino's films for a multitude of reasons or they hate them for a multitude of reasons, but the screenplay provides a whole new insight into the filmmaker and his work.

Author David L. Robbins says in the forward, "The script remembers, too, the classic propaganda films of Leni Riefenstahl and Joseph Goebbels.It glimpses the faces of Hitler and Churchill and the interior of a wartime movie house in Paris, and zooms in on the horrors of close combat, the mania of vendetta.. . . Inglourious Basterds does not indulge in lampoonery or mere cobbling.It is reverently authentic as a war story, working the same tense, edge-of-the-seat magic as the best of the genre, book or movie.At the same time, it's Tarantino, its own thing."

There are two main story lines in the film and the script -- one deals with the death and ultimate revenge plot of Shosanna Dreyfus and the other follows the basterds through Germany as they take on the Nazis and bumble around during secret missions to win the war.In typical Tarantino fashion, the script bounces from each group and several moments in time, quilting together the larger arc of the story and conclusion of the war.

The script includes little tidbits about the characters that are never seen or talked about on screen.Readers will be amazed by the depth of detail Tarantino provides in stage direction, the description of the scene, and explanation.

Although the script does not depict the true conclusion of World War II, Tarantino illuminates the horrors of war and creates an atmosphere of the ridiculous in its revenge themes.Watching the film is fast-paced, hilarious at moments, and gruesome, but reading the script plunges readers into their own personal version of the events and enables them to sink their teeth into Tarantino's witty and poignant dialogue.The basterds' dialogue drips with disdain and self-righteousness, while Col. Hans Landa, or the Jew Hunter, uses language to demonstrate his superiority, even though his outward actions border on comedic.

Overall, Inglourious Basterds: A Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino is an excellent specimen of a screenplay from its detailed stage direction and description to its witty and insightful dialogue, it will capture readers imaginations just as the film did on screen.There are portions of the script that did not make it onto the big screen, but that's to be expected with any film; there also are scenes in the movie that are not in the script.The beauty of a screenplay is that it is not a stationary work of art, but one that evolves from page to screen under the guidance of its maker. ... Read more

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Worshiped like a film star by fans of his ultrahip and violent movies, reviled and condemned by the self-appointed guardians of mortality, Quentin Tarantino has become the cult hero of the nineties.

Using exclusive material from her interviews with Tarantino and those close to him, Jami Bernard traces his fascinating rise from high school dropout and B-movie junkie to the darling Hollywood, exploring the philosophy and mythology of the writer and director who has, with just a few explosive films, turned the movie world on its head.

With the furor over Reservior Dogs, the triumph of Pulp Fiction, and the bitter conflict over Natural Born Killers, Tarantino's meteoric rise has been perspective of those who have worked, played, and done battle with him, Jami Bernard looks beyond the media icon and reveals the man--and his message. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Well researched, well written
When Tarantino blew up in the early 90's, there were slews of quickie books written to cash in on his enormous popularity. This is not one of them. Jami Bernard has done one of the most thorough and detailed biographies ever done on a celebrity. She misses nothing. The only problem this book has is the same problem almost all Q.T books have- they were all written 2 to 3 years into his career, so there is no recent information. This is one book I'd love to see updated and re-released.It is a richly detailed and fair account of Tarantino's life and career up until 1995.

The single best book about Tarantino
This book is a must-read for every true Tarantino fan.

Jamie Bernard's book is simply amazing. It covers Tarantino's life from childhood till about 1996. The book is well-written, and goes deep into detail and uncovers Tarantino's life as hyperactive kid, movie theater regular, fatherless child and genius moviemaker. This is the single best book ever written about Quentin Tarantino. No other book delivers such great information, biographical facts and stories about the making of his early movies and involvements in projects. If you want to read a good book about Tarantino, get this one first. It's the best!

trust me on this...

A great scoop on Tarantino's beginnings
I just finished reading this book, and it is a fine work of reporting. It interviews people from both sides of the Tarantino debate (those who love him and those who hate him), and allows you to draw your own conclusionsfrom all the statements. It covers Tarantino's life from his birth up tothe moment when he made Four Rooms.

Too bad this book is out of print. Ihope there will be a reissue in the future, probably covering the latestworks of Tarantino.

Excellent, well written book, with a lot of information.
This book is a very good book.It gets you very familiar with Quentin and his movis. Every Quentin fan should read this book.I am going to read it again. Read the book!! Thomas Peterson MXPF89C@prodigy.com Kuna, Idaho ... Read more

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The leading expert on Tarantino introduces and contextualises this ground breaking director’s work.

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Quentin Tarantino: Life at the Extremes explores the uses of violence in the films Tarantino has written, directed, and produced. Arguing that extreme violence is central to Tarantino's art, the book helps readers understand its purpose in his films—as metaphor, as movement, and as motivation. For Tarantino, the book explains, violence serves the purposes of film. In each of his movies, he explores the boundaries of taste and audience reaction, using violence and shock to bring questions of responsibility and expectation to the forefront of discussions on cinema.

After introductory chapters placing Tarantino and his films within the broader context of American cinema, author Aaron Barlow focuses on Tarantino's six major directorial efforts. Each film is discussed from its genre starting point and the differing directions the films take are explored, as are the structural elements. In the end, readers will see how Tarantino deliberately pushes film in new directions through old techniques, styles, and even actors, crafting original art from what others have discarded.

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There is violence in our lives every day.
Read the full review at [...]


"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." says Bob Dylan.

"You don't need a movie critic to tell you if you like a movie." says Bob Etier.

If you agree with my two favorite "Bob's", then you might just as well take a pass on the first three chapters of Quentin Tarantino -- Life at the Extremes by Aaron Barlow.I read them all (for the review of course) -- and learned a great deal.Some people compliantly take their prescriptions for years and enjoy the benefits thereof.Others want to know how the drug works in their bodies to provide those benefits.They do their research and discover that a bit of basic anatomy and pharmacology are needed to get their answers.Some people enjoy Tarantino's movies and are pleased with the entertainment. Others want to know "Why is it good?" or "Why does it appeal to me so much?".If you fall into the latter category, then this is the book for you!

[...] ... Read more

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Not since Martin Scorsese in the mid-1970s has a young American filmmaker made such an instant impact on international cinema as Quentin Tarantino, whose PULP FICTION won the Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix Award. A manic talker, Tarantino obsesses about American pop culture and his favorite movies and movie makers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

de-ja-vu all over
After a couple of articles written about the same period of Tarantino's carreer (which was very short so far when this book was published) I got a strogn sense of de-ja-vu. It's basically the same questions and answers all over again, and the book only slowly goes forward to the next film or project.

I guess a book like this would be much more interesting if the filmmaker had done a lot more films and the book could do with only 1 or 2 interviews per period. This one was written too soon, alas.

The guy who bashed Tarantino doesn't have a clue!
This is just a response from the "reader" in California that so badly slammed Tarantino in his review. I personally havent had a chance yet to read this particular book but I have seen his movies and I dont know what your talking about. I am 30 years old and married and I think his movies are fantastic. They are not meant to be "Godfather" like films, they are of a new generation of film making and have an originality all their own.I dont even want to begin speculating in what you call a good movie (probably enjoy crap like Punch Drunk Love).I think Tarantino is great if you aren't trying to follow the mundane, reoccuring theme in most movies today.

GENIUS!!!!!!!!
This guy is a genius. This is a great book. I hope they release new editions of this book after he's completed some more films.

Boring Book About a Boring Man
It's terribly sad that so much attention is sent in the wrong direction.Did the man behind this book just think he was cool for having something to do with a man who only ten year olds still think is smart?Tarentino's films are universally and fundamentally boring, at least for anyone who has ever lived a real life and not just fantasized about having one.His dipictions of violence eminate from his own personal lack of sexual energy.Sadly, teenage males without girlfriends seem to like these slammed together video games that are being called brilliant, and continue to support the trash factory that generates this type of hyper garbage.It's especially sad when a true film afficienado understands the brilliance of all of the original pictures which he doggedly ripped off and claimed the scenes for his own.If one more person calls this sad, pathetic, lack of a man a genious, I will become even more sick of him.Please get a life and buy a real one too.Keep pretending that you and Uma are an Item.Maybe some ex film critics will believe you.

Insightful
Everybody would like to get inside the head of a genius, get to know how he thinks. Well, this book allows you to do just that. You get a sense of Tarantino's concerns when writing, you learn that the first draft of Pulp Fiction was doing 500 pages.

But since it is all interviews, there are quite a few redundancies. The same questions answered the same way. It might not be the best book to know about Tarantino. In fact it isn't. But it's a good book for anyone who wants to feel the passion of moviemaking, and to catch some clues on what made his movies so delightful. Unfortunatly, the book isn't recent and all interviews topics only include Tarantino's first two movies (Reservoir and Pulp) as well as references to True Romance and Natural Born Killers, which scripts he had sold prior to Reservoir. ... Read more

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When Quentin Tarantino was eight years old, and all the regular kids were lining up to see the latest from Disney, Tarantino’s mother took him to see Carnal Knowledge. Sound about right?

A high-school dropout who never attended film school, Tarantino got all the education he needed while working the register at Los Angeles’s fabled Video Archives. His enthusiasms — for pop culture (foreign and domestic), eye-popping aesthetics, and genre films — would become notorious and infectious. The outrageous success of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction essentially killed off Tarantino the man, and gave birth to Tarantino the myth.

Here, from legendary novelist and historian Jerome Charyn, is a portrait of both the man AND the myth — and the mind behind them both. More than a biography, more than a critical study, Raised by Wolves is a feisty and astute reckoning with Tarantino en toto. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Seemingly senseless gibble gabble...
The moment I saw the cover of this newly published book, I immediately went to the cash register and bought myself a copy. I mean, even the title sounds cool.."Raised By Wolves". Yet, when I began reading this book, I was wondering where all of this writing was going.

The author, Jerome Charyn, seems to have only a wide knowledge of vocabulary that makes it sound like he knows what he is talking about. And at the same time, I feel as if he writes on purpose only to confuse the reader with all this filmic and post-modernist gibble gabble that really, if you try to think about it, doesn't make too much sense.

I wanted a detailed story about Tarantino's life as a youth, how he became the person he is today. What influences he had, what things he did to mold him into a film director, etc. There were bits and pieces yes, but I feel as if there was too much confusion around his aimless commentary and analysis to make it worthwhile to read.

Awsome Director,Awful Book
I consider myself to be the biggest fan of Tarantino and his art. I've purchased many biographies on him and filmographies and when I found out this was coming out I almost pooped my pants. I ordered it and when I finally got it I was very dissapointed.

This book is a one sided bashing of the writer/director. How could this pass as a biography? There are many times where the author takes a quote from a Tarantino movie and deeply reads into it. There is no problem with that except, he gets the quotes wrong. If you are going to take someones quote out of context you should at the very least make the quote correct, or at least close.

All in all this book is trash. Pick up Tarantino by Jim Smith or The Pocket Essential Quentin Tarantino. Actually pick them both up The Pocket essential gives a better view of his life and a concise overview of the movies. Jim Smith's has an extensive view of his filmography and almost no personal life. They go together great. Like Mia and Vincent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

to be that guy...
Who collects all the crap, did I really need this?Am I glad I have it?Not really.

A wonderful screenplay
Tarantino's rich, exciting dialogue comes to life in his Oscar-winning screenplay, Pulp Fiction.If you love the film, read this, because it may answer any further questions you have about it, and you'll understand the movie a bit more.I strongly recommend this book to anyone who highly admires Quentin Tarantino.

"I'm an American baby, our names don't mean s***"
This is the original screenplay of 1994's top movie, Pulp Fiction.If you haven't seen this flick, do so.Right now.Afterwards, buy this trade paperback and relive all the high points of the film.The stories are great, the characters leap from the pages, and the dialogue is tight and witty. It's $12.95 well spent, if only so you can deliver all the cool lines at parties.My favorite bit of dialogue involves Butch, a boxer, and Esmerelda, a cab driver.

Butch: ...Esmarelda Villalobos--is that Mexican?
Esmerelda: The name is Spanish, but I'm Colombian.
B: It's a very pretty name.
E: It means "Esmerelda of the wolves."
B: That's one hell of a name you got there, sister.
E: Thank you.And what is your name?
B: Butch.
E: Butch.What does it mean?
B: I'm an American, baby, our names don't mean s***.

one of the best fiction movies ever
the reason i like this movie is because it has alot of big name actors of the 90s samuel l. jackson, john t, bruce willis, ving rhames, uma thurman, and tim roth i enjoyed when uma thurman got high and was listening 2 some cool music n her house 2 celebrate her and john winning the dancing contest at the restuarnat this movie made me respect samuel jackson more because like denzel most of his movies are outspoken characters in this movie he plays a religious guy who has strong belief in Jesus Christ so with that he tells his partner john during their conversation at a classy restuarant that he is going to retire and walked da earth and john told him he was crazy because da people that walked da earth are known as bums which was kind of funny 2 me and bruce willis breaking on his adorable wife was also funny when he got very mad at her for leaving his father valuable watch at the hotel he had 2 go back and get it and got into so trouble on his way there pulp fiction slightly turned into die hard because bruce was all bloodly up like he was in all of his die hard films ving rhames was the king in this film but later he was raped by a gay guy but bruce saved him and he told bruce that this was between them there was some other scenes but the scenes that i mentioned all my favorite parts of the movie

Reads like a book; very addictive. Great dialogue.
PULP FICTION, the film, is one of my favorites, and I own both the DVD and the screenplay by Quentin Tarantino. Now, as with most things, since Quentin has become ultra-popular, it's suddenly become "cool" to dislike him and his movies (particularly FICTION). Quoting Dave Thomas (SCTV), "Let's get down to the nitty gritty here": Whether or not you like the film, Quentin DOES have a knack for superb dialogue, and here is proof.

Recommended on all levels - one of my hobbies is scriptwriting and this is a definite inspiration as it was written by a man-child who never took a single screenwriting course. He just did it, and that's always been my own strategy when it comes to these things. ... Read more

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A Must Film School Teaching Tool
Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" is a MUST teaching tool for film schools.This is precisely what we want to tell students how they can make great films with bare minimum resources and lots of creativity. The entire film was shot in a funeral home warehouse (cheap rent)which was used for shooting most scenes and for turning an upstairs room into Mr Orange's flat. There was no big budget for grand sets,costumes, pretty girls and handsome faces but the right mix of creativity, talents, a fine script, the strong performance of the right cast and crew delivers miracles!!

The Tarantino phenomenon begins with "Reservoir Dogs", the film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino which won him worldwide acclaim and gave him his first break.

Eight to eighty years old are fascinated by the riveting story and moved by the unlikely friendship developed between Tim Roth/Mr Orange (the undercover cop) and Harvey Keitel/Mr White (the veteran criminal who unknowingly took Mr Orange under his wing, cared for him while he was badly wounded and got himself mortally wounded protecting Mr Orange in a shootout which saw him killing his longtime criminal friends Joe Cabot and Nice Guy Eddie for the sake of Mr Orange in a scene made famous by Mr White's line:"Kill that man, you die next.") In the end, because of honour and friendship, Mr Orange told Mr White the truth and was executed point blank by a sobbing Mr White who was in turn brought down by a shower of bullets from the arriving police.

The stunned audience will forever carry the powerful image of Cop and Criminal embraced in Death.

It is not just the plot that captivates our imagination, it is Tarantino's ability to make us captive audience witnessing scenes of violence and suspense while he eases our tensions with the light-hearted K-Billy's Supersounds of the Seventies(think the ear-hacking torture scene of Marvin Nash, the cop tied to a chair by Mr Blonde). Well, who can ever forget the violent ear-hacking scene accompanied by Stealers Wheel's delightful "Stuck In the Middle With You". Ingenious!Brilliant!!

It is great that the Reservoir Dogs Screenplay has this watershed,climactic scene of Tim Roth/Mr Orange shooting Mr Blonde as its cover. Think the horror and helplessness of the audience when the psychopathic Mr Blonde hacked off the ear of the cop tied to a chair to the tune of "Stuck in the Middle with You" and doused him in petrol and Mr Orange delivered the surprise fatal rounds of shots to save the poor cop just in time, much to our relief. It was only then that we discovered the undercover role of Mr Orange.

For Reservoir Dogs fans, this has to be one of the most coveted and treasured items. The screenplay not only provides the entire script with all the dialogue of the movie, hence "Dogs" fans can recite the lines along with their heroes or even before they deliver the lines at movie-screenings, the introductory article "The Miscegenated Cinema of Quentin Tarantino" by Stanley Crouch also makes interesting reading. This screenplay is well produced with plenty of still photos from the movie and more.

"If you kill that man, you die next."
"Reservoir Dogs" is one of my favorite movies.Just the acting, the writing, the mood, the setting, the characters....just everything about it I loved!After reading the screenplay for "Pulp Fiction," I decided to pick this up."Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay" is a must-have for any "Reservoir" fan.

Tarantino's writing is so clever and realistic.These people talk like real people!If you see movies about criminals, they're always talking about the heist, how big and bad they are, and what they would do if the cops would try to take them down.Have you ever heard a criminal trying to explain the orgin of Madonna's "Like a Virgin?"Have you heard a criminal explain why he doesn't believe in tipping?Or, have you ever seen a criminal dance to the song "Stuck in the Middle with You?" just before brutally torturing a cop?Of course not!That's why the material works and is so original.We actually believe these characters created out of fiction are real.And that's what's so great about it.

Here's a quick description of the story:Things go horribly wrong when perfect strangers plan to pull off the perfect caper.As it turns out, they were set up...but by who?Now, they must uncover the rat in the house before the cops are able to get them.In a crime/noir where no one is safe and everyone fears each other, ANYTHING is possible.

The book includes photos from the movie, as well as things that were either cut out from the movie or added in later.Pretty cool, if you ask me.That way, it's like you're experiencing it for the very first time.

Tarantino is a master when it comes to writing and directing.If you loved the movie, then you are bound to enjoy "Reservoir Dogs: The Screenplay," filled with humor, suprises, and a shocking conclusion.

Strikingly original and well told.
This maximum script by Oscar-winning writer Quentin Tarantino offers a vivid portrait of the finished film, even if you haven't seen it! This is a brilliant scenario, with an informal introduction to boot, but it Tarantino's style of writing and his management of characters that makes it click. Enjoy.

Clever.Very Clever
Tarantino has picked up a metaphorical batton where Scorcese left, and used stimulating dialogue and complex storyline, with a feel good vibe at the end with a post sex 'Wow! That was great'.Tarantino's obsession withmaking crime more stimulating through black culture and drugs helped movethis moveie along.Keitel was great, Roth was good.Not as great as PulpFiction, but you can see the stems of his talent in this movie, better thanin True Romance.

QUENTIN-SENTIAL SCREENPLAYS
Ah yes...Tarantino's first script entitled True Romance which he sold for 30,000 dollars is a genius effort of great proportion and the writing, you will notice in subsequent films and scripts,is common for him. Certainterms will show up later on in other movies. And as for Reservoir Dogs,hissecond greatest film ever,he used the money from True Romance's script tomake this ingenius mob classic complete with terms used in his other filmsincluding one or two from True Romance. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

"I Used To Be You...Then I Evolved", Stinging Black Humor
Tarantino's original script for 'Natural Born Killers' is vastly superior to the movie. Oliver Stone's film version (while still entertaining and transgressive)is meandering and extreme for the sake of extremity (in everything from the jarring editing to unnecessary scenes-like the young woman-Scagnetti murder scene to Mickey hinting at the rape of his hostage and Mallory's subsequent seduction of the gas station attendant). To his credit, I understand what Stone is trying to achieve: a statement about media culture and an increasingly amoral American psyche, but he doesn't quite succeed, in my opinion. The result is an uneven movie with a bit too much padding.

Unlike the original script, the film provides the background stories for Mickey and Mallory so that the audience can empathize with why they are the way they are. There is also a scene in which the killer couple have a spiritual epiphany after encountering a Native American shaman. Despite their respect for the shaman, Mickey accidentally kills him after a bad dream. The movie is effectively commenting on several things: The hypocrisy of a 50's American ideal of family and it's disillusioning affect upon our serial killing antiheroes, in addition, the shaman scene also screams of American hypocrisy-the history between the colonists and Native Americans and also an insincere, self-righteous idea of spirituality on the part of Mickey and Mallory. But these things are lost in translation-what exactly is the movie trying to be, a psychological profile of the American serial killer and how American history and culture shaped such human beings? Or, is it a satire of the 'serial killer' and the (media) culture surrounding him/her? Because Stone's film tries to do both at once, the film feels shallow (even if impassioned) since it cannot satisfy both topics completely.

Tarantino's script, on the other hand, is much more focused. It knows exactly what it is-a black satire of serial killer culture in America. Mickey and Mallory are much more absent in Tarantino's version. Instead, the two are more of a symbol or driving force for the real story, that of the journalists and policemen whom are after them. The hypocrisy of this story is in the characterization of the policemen and journalists because they are less concerned with the welfare of the people than they are with furthering their careers, social status and so forth.

The biggest change, however, is with Mickey and Mallory themselves, who are much more mythical here than in the movie. In the film we understand why they are so extreme (what with their backgrounds and all), not so with this script, where they are ambiguous-they serve more as moderators of the unjust (the corrupt policemen and the opportunist paparazzi), which heightens the satire because the roles of the just and the unjust have been reversed (Mickey and Mallory, although killers, represent love and are the only truly honest characters).

The script has far less unnecessary story bits. As I said earlier, the Stone version has a scene in which Scagnetti kills a young woman. Why is this important? We already knew that he was an opportunist and a corrupt police officer. In the script, Scagnetti's corruption is hinted at several times but doesn't include the murder/rape scene, which would've been overkill. The script is much more subtle in this regard.

Simpler and more focused than the film (not to mention much more fun), I highly recommend this original script. Get it with the flick and compare for yourself!

Tight, tight, tight: much better than the movie
I've always wondered why people read plays but not movie scripts, and after reading "Natural Born Killers," I wonder that even more.
This is a great script for a movie that could have been excellent if Quentin Tarantino, the script's author, had directed the movie himself.I don't know WHAT Oliver Stone was trying to do.
The script, in case you don't know, is the story of a husband and wife with an insane past that go on a love-fuelled, almost invincible killing rampage across the country.Their crimes are senseless and random, and the media (and the public) LOVES them.It's the bizarre story of their killing sprees, their romance, their capture, and their escape, and...well, I don't want to give too much away.
The script follows an incredibly cool format, of being mostly an hour-long TV special about the two killers, intertwined with the people making the TV special and interviewing the killers themselves, intertwined with flashbacks.
It could have been an amazing movie, but instead we got a weird, cartoonish mess that exudes barely any of the well-developed themes, tight action, and believable characters (individuals and mobs) that Quentin Tarantino actually wrote.
Read the script, and skip the movie--that's what I say.Read the script, and hope that maybe someday Tarantino will remake the movie himself, the right way, the way it should have been.

"Natural Born Killers" Original Screenplay Review
There are people who seem to either enjoy Stone's movie and hate Quentin's screenplay or vice versa. Fact is I enjoyed both. Quentin Tarantino's original screenplay for "Natural Born Killers" is far different from the nightmarish acid trap that it became once Oliver Stone got his hands on it. Stone's film is far more epic and sadistic though Quentin's version isn't exactly a day at Disney World either. Much of Quentin's work is used in the film version though the way the story is told is so completely different than it was clearly conceived. The opening diner sequence is nearly the exact same as presented in the film though this is really the only one of Mickey and Mallory's murder spree sequences that Quentin intended to include (aside from the court room murder which was "deleted" from Stone's cut). Following that, the script takes a much different approach with it being told almost entirely in a documentary style with Wayne Gale (played in the film by Robert Downey) acting as the central character. Jack Scagnetti, who was a sadistic crooked cop in Stone's "NBK", is far less brutal in this one and is not positioned as a longtime rival of the murderous couple but more as a veteran cop being sold into hauling the two killers to the asylum. While the character of Dewight McClusky (played by Tommy Lee Jones in the movie) was a character in this script as well, his role is decreased and most of his action was written for a character named Wurlitzer, who didn't make Stone's version. The majority of the first half of the filmed "Killers" was not a part of the original Tarantino story and most of the social commentary was also absent. If you're a Tarantino fan or someone who would like a different take on the "NBK" story, this is an intruiging read.

Sometimes it can drag,but this is a great script.
I rented the movie directed by Oliver Stone due to the fact that Quentin Tarantino's name was on the story credits and I knew that Oliver Stone among others had messed with his script and Tarantino had removed his name from the screenwriting credits but I wanted to see it anyways.I thought the movie sucked,I hated it.So I bought the original script to see how the movie could've been and this is a great script.There's no mention of how the cinematography should look.There's no sexually abusive sitcom father,nor indian guy.This is how the film should have been.The movie is virtually just a big TV special by Wayne Gale who was played in the movie by Robert Downey Jr. The story is amazingly different.The opening scene is the same though.The story is basically Mickey and Mallory Knox in jail while Mickey is being interviewed by Wayne Gale.That's it.Buy this script.Burn the movie.Enjoy

NATURAL BORN BORING
A man who has not lived a life cannot tell a real story.Tarentino's films are universally and fundamentally boring for anyone who has ever lived a real life and not just fantasized about having one.His dipictions of violence eminate from his own personal lack of sexual energy.Sadly, teenage males without girlfriends seem to like these slammed together video games that are being called brilliant, and continue to support the trash factory that generates this type of hyper garbage.It's especially sad when a true film afficienado understands the brilliance of all of the original pictures which he doggedly ripped off and claimed the scenes for his own.If one more person calls this sad, pathetic, lack of a man a genious, I will become even more sick of him.Please get a life and buy a real movie. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

One for everyone
Well - I enjoyed it!!!... as an admirer of Tarantino, although not a fanatic, I found it an easy, sensible, informed read and it lead me to admire the bloke a lot more after reading this than I did before.I looked at other books recommended by the other 'critic' but they weren't (in my opinion) as smooth to read as this one - which is laid out with interesting little boxed snippets to the pages.Brilliant title by the way (which attracted me in the first place, incidentally)

Essential Addition
This is a well written and interesting read. A must for all Tarantino fans and an excellent addition and reference for your DVD collection. Not to be missed.

great read for fans!
This is a must have book for Tarantino fans. It is very easy to read and does not patronise the reader like some other film books do. Buy it now!

Doesn't live up to its promise
"Page's book is a quick glance over Tarantino's films from literary studies perspective. A good companion if you want to check out approaches on how to look at the films. Everyone who hasn't read the indispensible trio Bernard-Holm-Smith yet, or everyone who just wants to read a simple, fast and uncomplicated analysis of his films, should ca nit, but the book just is not really more than that." -Sebastian H. (Full review available at www.tarantino.info) ... Read more

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For the first time since Hitchcock, moviegoers have embraced a film director whose name is synonymous with his own genre — a culmination of the crime, gangster, and film noir genres that both celebrates and comments ironically upon itself. Part of the Ultrascreen series, Quentin Tarantino: The Film Geek Files charts the controversial success of Tarantino's self-directed films and screenplays. From Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, and Pulp Fiction to Natural Born Killers, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill, Tarantino has created a unique aesthetic drawing on pop-culture icons and ideals gleaned from movies, TV shows, comic strips, and old Top Ten records. This definitive, illustrated book provides the most essential interviews, essays, and reviews of Tarantino's career — from geekish video-store clerk to a cult figure of rock-star status. Aimed at a young, literate, moviegoing audience, Quentin Tarantino is a colorful guide to the brash, media-saturated world that spawned the premier filmmaker of his generation. Includes 70 black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

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A must have for any film geek
This book chronicles the caeer and succes of the of the most influentialfilmmakers of the past decade. The book is composed of essays, interviews,articles, and reviews surrounding the works of QT. Any QT fan must havethis book. It discusses topics ranging from the Reservoir Dogs torturescene to the contents of the Pulp Fiction "briefcase" to QT's ownpersonal favorites. ... Read more

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At the beginning of 1992, no one had heard of Quentin Tarantino. By mid-1995, Quentinmania was in high gear, and he was being hailed as the hip new Oscar-toting messiah of film making. In this irreverant personal biography and in-depth study, Jeff Dawson interrogates Tarantino about his early influences, his use of violence, and accusations of plagiarism. Dawson takes the reader behind the scenes of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Destiny Turns on the Radio, to get a glimpse of Quentin through the eyes of Harvey Keitel, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth and other Tarantino gang members interviewed for this book. Includes dialogue that didn't make it into the final cut, as well as the original plot twists for True Romance and Natural Born Killers that got axed by the censors. Includes great color and black and white photos throughout. ... Read more

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The Cin-enema of Fools
(...)Tarentino's films are universally and fundamentally boring for anyone who has ever lived a real life and not just fantasized about having one.His dipictions of violence eminate from his own personal lack of sexual energy.Sadly, teenage males without girlfriends seem to like these slammed together video games that are being called brilliant, and continue to support the trash factory that generates this type of hyper garbage.(...)

THE pop bio of the quintessential 90's pop auteur
Well-paced and revealing, this "not-too-long," "not-too-short" bio reads like the Everyman-movie-geek fantasythat it is. The author spent considerable time following Tarantino aroundas he began his attack on Hollywood in 1992, with Reservoir Dogs, and assuch, he was given enviable access to the celebrities that found their wayinto the young director's orbit.Extensive one-on-one interviews-- withsuch H'wood players as Samuel L. Jackson, Tony Scott, Harvey Keitel, aswell as collaborators Roger Avary and Laurence Bender, not to mention theman himself--offer an entertaining glimpse into the mind of the strugglingactor who decided he would have a better shot at success if he wrote hisown screenplays, and went on to direct arguably the best film of the 1990s,Pulp Fiction.

Bonus revelations include Tarantino and Co.'s experienceacting in the indie flick Destiny Turns on the Radio, QT's reactionfollowing both the 1994 Cannes D'Or Award and the predictable Forrest GumpOscar landslide of 1995 that left Tarantino & Avary holding only theBest Screenplay statuette, as well as Tarantino's side of the storyregarding his battle with the producers of Natural Born Killers. Anall-around good read that is honest enough to suggest Tarantino as perhapsthe next Orson Welles-as-washed-up-has-been, and wise enough in the end tobet against it. ... Read more

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Essential For Tarantino Fans
This book is a nice introduction for novice Tarantino fans and satisfying for the hard core fan also. D K Holm explores every thing from Q's childhood up to his future project "Inglorious Bastards." The book is well written, informative, easy to read and a great alternative to higher priced books that are ten years out of date. This is a great book if you can find it!

Concise, clever, great
"This book is one that should be at arm's lenght on every QT fan's desk. A tiny little book that fits between all those Pearys and Bernards, the Dawsons and Woods. A book that can not stand on its own, but is a very sensible addition to what is already available on the market." -Sebastian H. (read the complete review at www.tarantino.info) ... Read more

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True Romance, directed by Tony Scott, is a hilarious, twisted road movie about which Interview raved, "A pop-crazy, instant B classic with A clout." Alabama, a hooker, and Clarence, a comic-book store clerk, fall in love and hit the road in a purple Cadillac. They are going to Los Angeles to start a new life -- with a suitcase full of cocaine accidentally stolen from Alabama's defunct ex-pimp. Guided by the spirit of Elvis, Clarence attempts to sell the coke to a top Hollywood director, putting the young lovers in the middle of a standoff between the narcs and the Sicilian gangsters who rightfully own the cocaine. This publication of Tarantino's first screenplay, written when he was still a video-store clerk, contains the original ending and Tarantino's "answers first, questions later" structure, both of which were altered by Scott. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Addictive
The single review on Amazon for this screenplay is about three words long and doesn't discuss the merits of the literature AT ALL. I'm starting to think Amazon should place word limit restrictions so reviewers can't submit comments such as, "cul movie!"

If you've read my review of Tarantino's PULP FICTION script you'll see that I called it very addictive, and the same is true here, in fact it's more enjoyable to read. I printed it out off of my script website (wiredonmovies.com) and read it rather quickly. The movie itself disappointed me, and seemed like a fanboy's "wet dream" as some have described it. All in all the elements don't quite add up and the film (directed by Tony Scott) has an edge but lacks the humor of Tarantino's edge.

The screenplay is a blast, and differs from the film sometimes, especially the end. I imagine Quentin's version of the film (he originally planned on directing it but turned it down for RESERVOIR DOGS and used the money he made off this script to fund that project) would have been superior to Scott's own outcome.

Tarantino
It's tarantino. It's the screenplay of the movie. you saw the movie,right? GET IT. ... Read more

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Quentin Tarantino, director of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, and writer of True Romance, Natural Born Killers and From Dusk Till Dawn, is undeniably the cult director of the decade. Here, Paul Woods traces the life, films and influences of the self-confessed 'movie geek' who has become the film stylist of the nineties, and one of Hollywood's hottest properties. Fully updated to include Tarantino's latest hit movie, Jackie Brown. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for a Tarantino follower.
King Pulp is a reaveling biography of Quentin Tarantino(movie wise). The book tells many interesting facts that even the most hardcore Tarantino followers will hear for the first time. Though the book tells alot abouthis movies,It should have gone more indepth about the man behind them.There are many very cool photos of him on the job and pictures from hismovies. A must read for any Tarantino devotee. ... Read more

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Second revised edition of TARANTINO A-ZED: THE FILMS OF QUENTIN TARANTINO. It includes a biography of the American film director, Quentin Tarantino as well as information on his key films and cinematic influences. It is written by the authors of KISS KISS BANG BANG: THE UNOFFICIAL JAMES BOND FILM GUIDE and contains 50 illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Dictionary
Xactly - just a Dict, nothin else, no synopsis just VERY short Xplanations of characters, situations and names. not worth $ U would pay, find anThr 1. ... Read more