The Movie Critic (Quentin Tarantino, 20never)

[yoloswegmaster]

Quentin Tarantino’s Final Film Is Coming as Filmmaker Readies ‘The Movie Critic’

Logline details are being kept in a suitcase but sources describe the story as being set in late 1970s Los Angeles with a female lead at its center.

[aox]

His take on Pauline Kael would be interesting.

[DarkImbecile]

Excited for the scene where she smashes Andrew Sarris’ head to a pulpy mess with a film reel canister

[therewillbeblus]

It would be interesting if he used this as an opportunity to extend the themes of his last film (i.e. validating the Rick Daltons and Cliff Booths of the world, who would dissipate from the public sphere - the kind of 'has-beens' who Tarantino would resurrect the careers of throughout his own career) into a self-reflexive punchline on his own existence, by having Kael/the Critic championing people like Travolta... actually having a direct impact and allowing them to stay stars, thus changing history that affects Tarantino's own films' and careers' creation; imagining a world in which all his favorite genre movies and "cool" people kept going to an extent that his purpose ceased to be even possible to exist because there's no need for his brand, no place carved out for him, and by proxy the film would reveal the absence of cinema that he's been ranting about lately - calling this the worst period in film history, etc.- and validate the utility he brings to the table. The ultimate mic drop for a highly-opinionated egomaniac with talent - affirm his own value, give the middle finger to the industry, peace out

I don't know, that's a crazy idea, but it has a non-zero chance of being something of that ilk

[yoloswegmaster]

Excited for the scene where she smashes Andrew Sarris’ head to a pulpy mess with a film reel canister

Is this before or after she kills Orson Welles in the memory and honor of Herman J. Mankiewicz?

[hearthesilence]

I can't wait for Tarantino's re-imagining of the shoe incident with John Cassavetes, healing us all with a vicious revenge fantasy smiting him with sadistic glee.

[Kracker]

Does anyone really believe this will be his last film? every single news announcement is touting this as his last and I know why he's putting a number on himself but I think he's already been in a semi-retired state for quite a number of years where he simply just doesn't feel the need to make another movie and will only make one if he's really truly sure of himself. And it can be seen as some kind of swansong, like Once Upon a Time and this upcoming film. I dont think anyone can get a lock a decade prior on when their tap will run out and I can totally see the same announcements in 5 or 6 years of QT coming out of retirement to make one "last" love letter to Hollywood or something.

[therewillbeblus]

I do. He's a very rigid thinker in many ways with a big ego and has always gone out of his way to commit to his declarative opinions and stances on various topics, rarely if ever walking them back. If he hadn't been touting this plan and the rationale behind it across the last few years in seemingly every major public interview platform around, then I'd suspect he might give himself some flexibility on that personally-imposed rule. But it's out of the bag, and I don't think he'll leave himself open to be called a liar - though don't discount miniseries etc

[Kracker]

For the record, you're not a liar if you say you'll never do this or that. Because its only reflective of what you feel at the time, not years from now or even the next day. People and circumstances change and no one can account for what will happen in the future. It's not even a promise. As you said its simply a personally-imposed rule, a self-disciplined way to keep that big ego in check.

[therewillbeblus]

Oh I completely agree, you’re speaking my (person-first) language (have you read all the ‘me vs the world’ debates on this reductive language throughout the forum? I could use any help I can get!) But I’m not calling him a liar, I’m saying that he might frame himself that way or be (understandably) concerned that a collective response would, opening himself up to criticism. Tarantino strikes me as a person who pretends that he doesn’t care what you think of him but really deeply does. Like most of us, just a bit more animated about it

[bearcuborg]

So a non violent film? Sounds intriguing.

[dekadetia]

So a non violent film? Sounds intriguing.

And here I was assuming a third act axe-fight with Renata Adler in the middle of Times Square.

[black&huge]

Several scattered thoughts here if this is in fact happening:

As stated multiple times in this thread in regards to Tarantino's ego but I'm guessing this is an adaptation of his own Cinema Speculation or at least an extension of it. What better way to send yourself off than by adapting yourself? I predict a lot more movies within a movie a la Nation's Pride and The 14 fists of Mcluskey maybe this is will also be Tarantino's trailer show to film the bits and pieces of abandoned ideas he let slip over the years: Double V Vega, Agent Orange, Cowgirls in Sweden, Jody the Grinder (last three being either rumored or directly talked about but abandoned fake trailers for Grindhouse) and whatever else he's thinking he never spoke publicly about

Then I'm thinking this is his love letter to cinema as if his other films and especially Hollywood weren't. Maybe the overall here is that this is his own biopic and if he's gonna end it here and to once again bring up his ego I'd say this is a perfect Tarantino way to go.

My random hope is very predictable one though. I hope he manages to get most or all his regulars back and the A listers he's done a couple with as well as whoever he's wanted to dream work with. Make it a big whole family gathering so to speak.

[hearthesilence]

FWIW, Glenn Kenny responded to Joseph McBride's post on this, and Kenny says a well-connected source of his (which he couldn't name) said it wasn't about Pauline Kael nor was it called The Movie Critic.

[yoloswegmaster]

Tarantino himself has confirmed that the movie is titled "The Movie Critic" and is set in 1977 but is not about Pauline Kael.

[Kracker]

At least all the parroting of this being his last film finally vanquished any talk of that Star Trek movie or Kill Bill 3.

[yoloswegmaster]

Tarantino revealed more details about his next film (spoilered for length):

SpoilerShow

As it happens, his new film The Movie Critic, which goes into “pre-pre production” next month, is also set in the same year that Rolling Thunder was released.

The Movie Critic takes place in California in 1977 “and is based on a guy who really lived, but was never really famous, and he used to write movie reviews for a porno rag.”

The filmmaker did not want to reveal the name of the magazine but for The Movie Critic it’ll be called The Popstar Pages.

I ask if the critic in question was “known”. Tarantino throws his head back: “Well, he was known if you read the Popstar Pages!!”

He explained: “He wrote about mainstream movies and he was the second-string critic. I think he was a very good critic. He was as cynical as hell. His reviews were a cross between early Howard Stern and what Travis Bickle [Robert DeNiro’s character in Taxi Driver] might be if he were a film critic.”

Sipping his juice, he added, “Think about Travis’s diary entries.

“But the porno rag critic was very, very funny. He was very rude, you know. He cursed. He used racial slurs. But his shit was really funny. He was as rude as hell.”

Tarantino did research into the reviewer’s life. “He wrote like he was 55 but he was only in his early to mid-30s. He died in his late thirties. It wasn’t clear for a while but now I’ve done some more research and I think it was it was complications due to alcoholism.”

No one has been cast. He acknowledged that there aren’t any actors in his repertory company in that age range. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, he conceded, are too old for the part.

“I haven’t decided yet but it’s going to be somebody in the 35 year-old ball park. It’ll definitely be a new leading man for me.”

Paul Schrader also revealed that Tarantino contacted him about the film (this may contain spoilers, so click at your own risk):

SpoilerShow

...in his original “Rolling Thunder” script, William Devane’s Vietnam vet was much more explicitly racist until it was toned down. That film’s reputation has increased over the years and it might get renewed attention soon, according to Schrader. “Quentin [Tarantino] — this may have changed — but about a month ago he was making a film, had something to do with filmmaking in the ’70s. And part of this, he’s going to use clips from movies from the ’70s, but he’s also gonna remake movies from the ’70s. And he asked me, ‘Can I redo the ending of “Rollling Thunder?”’ And I said, ‘Yeah, go for it. I’d love to see you redo the ending of “Rolling Thunder.”’ Who knows whether he actually will or not. But it was something that was tickling his imagination in a very Tarantino-esque way.”

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

I can’t seem to find any confirmation, but is the critic loosely based off William Margold?

[therewillbeblus]

I can’t seem to find any confirmation, but is the critic loosely based off William Margold?

That wouldn't work since

SpoilerShow

the critic being researched died in his late 30s

[The Elegant Dandy Fop]

Got it. Just saw the porno/critic detail and it’s where my mind first went. Plus Margold was a happy man who collected teddy bears, not a violent individual!

[therewillbeblus]

Not sure how reputable Daniel Richtman is, but he's saying that Tarantino offered Paul Walter Hauser the lead role of The Movie Critic prior to the SAG strike and I've never wanted something to be truer (and perhaps thematically connective, considering the hiring of two of the most glamorous male movie stars in his last cumulative zenith of wish-fulfillment, if this will mark a smaller coda to something more grounded)

[domino harvey]

Brad Pitt will star, though unclear if he’s playing the titular role

[therewillbeblus]

While it's more speculation at this point, some publications are reporting Tom Cruise in talks for a role too. Wouldn't be surprised if QT's mission is to recruit a bunch of the most "Bad-Ass Movie Stars" to show up in movies getting digested by the titular character throughout

[Monterey Jack]

Wouldn't be surprised if QT's mission is to recruit a bunch of the most "Bad-Ass Movie Stars" to show up in movies getting digested by the titular character throughout

I would not be opposed to this at all. It could be Tarantino making mini-sendups of 70s-style movies, like the fake trailers from Grindhouse.

[therewillbeblus]

Cancelled

I wonder if he's just going to keep scrapping good movies because he's limiting himself to one. What a shame