Quentin Tarantino has made a few notable comments related to his views on the movie industry and what he believes to be the best film he’s made.
The Pulp Fiction director most recently stopped by Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show to talk about the latter, and said his most recent flick—2019’s Once Upon a Time In Hollywood staring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie—is by far his favorite film.
“For years people used to ask me stuff like that,” Tarantino said. “And I would say something like, ‘Oh, they’re all my children.’ I really do think Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is my best movie.”
The film was a blockbuster, grossing $374 million at the worldwide box office and picking up 10 nominations at the 2022 Oscars, including best director and best picture. Brad Pitt ended up taking home a trophy for Best Supporting Actor. In a separate appearance on Roger Avary’s The Video Archives Podcast, Tarantino also took a moment to eviscerate the current “era” of movies.
“Even though the ’80s was the time that I probably saw more movies in my life than ever—at least as far as going out to the movies was concerned—I do feel that ’80s cinema is, along with the ’50s, the worst era in Hollywood history,” Tarantino said. “Matched only by now, matched only by the current era!”
He added, “the good thing about being in a bad era of Hollywood cinema is the [films] that they don’t conform, [they’re] ones that stand out from the pack.”
Quentin Tarantino had previously elaborated a bit on this viewpoint in an interview with The Los Angeles Times,where he blamed the current state of the movie industry on superhero flicks, and criticized Marvel filmmakers for being “hired hands.”
“You have to be a hired hand to do those things,” Tarantino said. “I’m not a hired hand. I’m not looking for a job.”
He then went on to speak about the chokehold that superhero movies have on the worldwide box office, and compared it to how auteur directors in the ’60s were overjoyed when musicals fell out of style. Tarantino said he “can’t wait for the day they can say that about superhero movies.”
In another news, Tarantino is confirmed to be helming an upcoming eight-episode limited series that marks his first TV show. IndieWire reports he broke the news during his book tour in New York City while in discussion with Elvis Mitchell. The series will premiere in early 2023.
