Quentin Tarantino: Talking trash about his critics

Apparently Quentin Tarantino was a little wounded after all about the barbed critical reception his new film, "Inglourious Basterds," got at Cannes this year. In case you forgot, although the movie got a standing ovation, the critics were for the most part unimpressed, with the Guardian calling it "an armor-plated turkey," Time's Richard Corliss dubbing it "a misfire" and Movieline's David Bourgeours saying "by the end of the film it's hard to care much about what happens to anybody on screen."

I'm heading off to see the film tonight, so I may volunteer a few thoughts myself shortly. But Tarantino, in a new interview with GQ magazine, has decided that -- ahem -- he is probably a far better critic any of the ink-stained wretches that haunt the screening rooms around town. I'm not sure that volunteering this information is going to do wonders for the reviews of "Basterds" when the film arrives next month, but tact has never been Tarantino's strong suit.

So after dismissing the bad reviews at Cannes as being the work of celebrity journalists, not the "bona fide literary film critics" that he respects, Tarantino went on to say: "I respect criticism. But I know more about film than most of the people writing about me. Not only that, I'm a better writer than most of the people writing about me. And I can write film criticism better than most of the people writing about me too."

That's called biting the hand that feeds you. And the whoosh you just heard is the sound of "Inglourious Basterds' " Rotten Tomatoes score dropping faster than the stock market on Black Friday.  

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PREVIOUSLY: IS "INGLORIOUS BASTERDS" REALLY KOSHER PORN? 

Comments

[Ed Kim]

Tarantino's comments may not have been prudent or humble but that does not mean he isnot correct. The critics panning his movie are just as interested in advancing their own careers as Tarantino is with respect to his. The operative question is: What is more likely, Tarantino making a poor movie or the critics misguidedly/intentionally trashing an otherwise enjoyable film? Given his track record (and the rousing audience response at Cannes), I'll take Tarantino.

[Jim B]

I come from a generation of aspiring filmmakers who have looked up to Tarantino in the past. I think he writes interesting genre material and enjoyed pieces of his last few films.

With that said, I had a chance to read the script circulating online and, based on the footage that I've seen of the film leading up to the film's release, it seemed a true representation of the film. Like his work in the past, it's story and style are dictated by Tarantino's cinephile tastes. This(and the running time) seem to the major weaknesses of the film. I'm going to pass on this one.

[Chris Yogerst]

This is awesome, too many critics know nothing about film! Check www.parcbench.com for a response to Tarantino's comments!

[Christian Toto]

Beware the artist who feels he can do no wrong.

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[Mike]

Seriously? If Tarantino's dissing of his critics really does affect the Tomatometer for Inglorious Basterds, then that just proves his point ... he really is a better film critic than all those "celebrity journalists."

[Daniel Persson]

What you're saying is you and critics like you, will give bad reviews to this movie
based on nothing else but Tarantino's offscreen remarks?
I'm starting to see his point!

[Todd]

Everything Tarantino said is true. The critics didn't understand "Grindhouse", didn't crucify the Weinsteins for cutting "Kill Bill" into two separate releases, and didn't see that "Jackie Brown" is every bit as great as "Chinatown". However, they did ride the coat tails of "Dances with Wolves" over "Goodfellas" and "Gump" over "Pulp Fiction". Hollywood would be amazing if Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson ran this town!

[Mint Cement Julip]

@Todd: Where do you get your info? The critics didn't hate Grindhouse, the fans did. It still has an 80% over at rottentomatoes, am I right? I don't remember anyone claiming Kill Bill should have been one film. It has a wonderful cliffhanger at the end of part 1 that isn't in the original cut, am I right? Besides Vol. 2 wasn't shelved, they were still working on it when Vol. 1 was released. As far as your Jackie Brown comparison, did you just choose the latter because it rhymed? And finally, directors don't usually run studios, they're busy....DIRECTING. So your last statement sounds kinda silly, dontyathink?