The big story going around today is that Quentin Tarantino called Death Proof his worst movie, which is true, both that he said it and that it’s his worst, but it’s not quite the whole story. Here’s the full quote, from a director roundtable Tarantino did with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I’m really well versed on a lot of directors’ careers, you know, and when you look at those last five films when they were past it, when they were too old, and they’re really out of touch with the times, whether it be William Wyler and ‘The Liberation of L.B. Jones’ or Billy Wilder with ‘Fedora’ and then ‘Buddy Buddy’ or whatever the hell. To me, it’s all about my filmography, and I want to go out with a terrific filmography,” he said. “[2007’s] ‘Death Proof’ has got to be the worst movie I ever make. And for a left-handed movie, that wasn’t so bad, all right? — so if that’s the worst I ever get, I’m good. But I do think one of those out-of-touch, old, limp, flaccid-dick movies costs you three good movies as far as your rating is concerned.”
So, yes, he said Death Proof is his worst, but still pretty decent, and that he hopes it will go down as his worst movie. All of which I agree with. But there are a lot of factors at play – getting the right budget, casting who he wants, the coke wizard showing up at the right time, Alan Ball’s noisy minah birds shutting up – God only knows what else. Nonetheless, I wish him luck.
Interestingly, he also says he hates digital movie making and digital projection, so much that it’s part of the reason he wants to retire:
His comments on film vs. digital are nearly scathing too. He says digital is part of the reason he wants to retire, and it’s “not what I signed up for.” The filmmaker clearly loathes digital projection, calls it “television in public” and says because of DP, “it’s over.”
Ouch, harsh words. Reached for comment, digital responded “MEEP MORP I AM NOT PROGRAMMED TO FEEL FEELINGS MEEP MORP DARKNESS CLOSING IN 00011011011101111011010101101010111…”
[thanks to ThePlaylist for the video transcription – I couldn’t get it to work – and the picture]