Why Do Good Directors Turn Bad? | Video Essay
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- How exactly do the greats lose track of what is good?
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Honestly i think The Hateful Eight is one of the most underrated films of the past few years. Yes it's long, but i honestly had no problems with the pacing whatsoever. There was never a dull moments, and it was just riveting from start to finish in my opinion.
I have seen that film about 4-5 times. It's one I show to my mates and I never once get sick of it. Every scene flows together. I think this critic was missing the point with this film. This was the one of his that was the most like a stage play and those usually go on for 3 hours. There are times when pacing is key and the film falls flat because they're just repeating the same scene. But every scene in this movie established character and scene. Tarantino often talks about the "hang out" movie. Where you get to "hang out" with these characters and spend time with them. For many, that film is Jackie Brown. But for me, Hateful Eight is my "Hang out" film.
@Solarstar10 Yes! I second that.
And its now you realise that "bad" is subjective and it based on what type of film people like.
The Hateful 8 is a slow paced mystery film.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 is a fast paced action film.
I personally think they are both good in different respects
@@boser2562 Any movie is considered subjective, people will argue and say that Will Ferrell films are better then anything Welles ever made, and vice versa.
I also really liked it! I loved the interplay between all the distinct Tarantino characters and think all the actors did well bringing them to life.
I saw an interview with Chris Pratt where he talks about this topic. Anna Farris was significantly more famous than him when they met and noticed that people around her were always flattering her even on bad ideas so when he became famous he would use that knoledge to try to stay grounded
Meanwhile, Jurassic World keeps agonizing painfully along.
@@fontcaicoya5686 but it rakes in that sweet dough every time
@@Fragile_Media Exactly, Pratt will probably do more 2-3 big studio movies just to secure his name as an A-List and then go to more "serious" movies. That's very common in Hollywood.
and now everyone hates Chris Pratt lol
Hateful eight was a love project not a commercial project.
that doesnt mean it should get a free pass
@@FullFatVideos but it was a good movie
@Slevin If you think The Hateful Eight was not a good movie, you have no credibility criticizing films.
@Slevin Doesn't know how to read. He didn't say you have no credibility, because you are a rando on the internet. He said you have no credibility because you don't like cringefest films like The Hateful Eight.
Man shut up
The question is why won't Simpsons end
Probably is going to end after the second movie, cause the creators said that the second Simpsons movie will be the officially end of the series and since Disney bought Fox and they announced the second movie the end of the series will be more probably to come
Because Walter White is gone
Because money, and because it would gave ended years ago if matt greoning was still show runner
@@lucasmartinssaraiva1162
Good because that's one thing I would really want Disney to do in terms of handling Fox's property, which is to end Simpsons and maybe Family Guy.
It has been going on too long. It’s gotten so generally weak i hardly care if they end it. The next season could be the last one and I wouldn’t care. The series hasn’t been that great for the last 10-15 years. There’s an occasional great episode but so many are weak or plain awful. The celebrity cameos are getting worse and worse. I cannot believe they made an entire episode involving Lady Gaga. Truly an awful episode. Then you get others like that lame BBQ episode that seemed like an add for the Food Network. I found it pretty boring in general. The series has been on so long now they’ve already resorted to rewriting backstories. That’s a huge red flag a show has dragged itself out too long and is running out of material. The Halloween and holiday episodes are typically the one consistently good ones but even with them i worry they may also start going downhill. That last Halloween special was awful. It was totally forgettable. The only things I remember about it are that the Springfield kids left Earth to find a new planet and they celebrated thanksgiving at the end. LAME! It’s a Halloween episode ya morons! I have no hope they’ll get better. Gone are the memorable ones like the automated house voiced by Pierce Brosnan, the Easy Bake Coven one, the one where Homer turns 3d, the one where Lisa’s psychotic imaginary friend returns and kills her closest friends. I don’t even really remember the last few. They’re so weak and forgettable now. I imagine they’ll get worse and worse now.
Tarantino is still amazing I’m sorry but I have to disagree with you and the hateful is a slow burn and that is the risk he was taking. Very underrated film
Was pulp fiction not a slow burner?
franky all his films have a nice slow burn like a perfect blunt
@@christucker7655 exactly my point. Tarantino wasn't being risky by making The Hateful 8 a slow burner. All of his movies are like that. Its part of his style
You can see it all the way from reservoir dogs which wasn’t particularly long but used the non-linear narrative incredibly to keep us guessing where the story would go next.
You made me blow my screen :(
Tarantino´s late output is far superior to his earlier works. In terms of maturity, directing style, crisp dialogue. The man is like a fine wine. Only gets better and Hateful Eight is a masterpiece.
"Why Do Good Directors Turn Bad?", Simple, its part of life. You win some, you loose some.
The most obvious answer
And they lose their humanity when they become so rich that they think rich people problems makes for a sympathetic movie
No but it's like a whole thing. That's why Tarantino says he will do only 10 movies because he has studied numerous directors careers and somewhere around that number most of them seem to fall off. There is exceptions like Scorsese ofcourse but more often than not that seems to happen especially if the guy is writer/director.
For an example like Francis Ford Coppola was on fire making Godfather 1 & 2, Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, Outsiders, Rumble Fish and one of his latest movie that pretty much killed his career called Twixt (2011) is so not selfaware how horrible it is in pretty much every aspect. And his career wasn't thriving for years before that bottom. Another is Brian De Palma whose latest Domino is c-class stuff too and he has some classics under his belt too. Carlito's Way and Mission Impossible are pretty much the latest really good ones from him and they are from 90's.
There seems to be somekinda falling off point for many directors. Almost like they got old and are having hard time reinvent themselves among other factors.
@@aleksisuuronen5969
Martin Scorsese still on top
@@JoshuaGraham8383 David Fincher or Paul Thomas Anderson haven't missed. Lynch, Nolan, Haneke. Coen brothers have had some misses but so many more movies than 10 before that even began.
I feel like great directors overthink their later films. They know they’re good so they stick to the same/similar recipe for later films so they don’t lose their reputation. They don’t take risks like they did in earlier films because they’re scared of creating a flop and tainting their stellar reputation. The film they create works but it’s not a masterpiece like their earlier creations.
Spielberg has said before that some of his best decisions came about from pure ignorance and stupidity and bravery. When he was young he was reckless and didn’t have the deep understanding of the craft that e does now. Now that he knows what he knows today, he’s much more careful and precise than he was in his younger days. The problem is that it can easily fall into the trap of being TOO CAREFUL and too cautious. The reckless abandonment sometimes gives those movies the edge and rawness that they need. While technically, Directors in their older years are actually objectively better than they’ve ever been, but they don’t have the ignorance they used to have.
In the words of Ridley Scott: “It’s a scary thing, to know what you’re doing. Caused too much thinking in the brain instead of letting your instincts guide you. It’s a constant battle.”
Given that they are human they will make mistakes and they will be ruled by fear and caution and not by risk in order to preserve their great reputation. Creativity is not easily built, so if they want to be great they will have to reinvent the ways in which they do things and be more imaginative. we don't know why their masterpieces are good we just know that they are good, the build up aka everything that went into making them good not one thing only.
What youre talking about is a signature. When people go to a movie they expect at least as good experience as the last one. If they were to take risks and experiment, it would well damn have to be better than before otherwise theres no point.
Wouldn't that be underthinking though? They aren't putting in as much thought...
@8un3zz yeah, sure😂
Long story short: "His pacing is no longer to my personal taste, and therefore he's getting worse as a director".
I personally think Tarantino is just getting better and better.... hateful eight one of my favorite movies ever
I thought his earlier movies were more captivating, I keep think how good must he be to have produced such masterpieces, you just know the movies are were good. the later movies of most directors usually pale in comparison to their earlier works, people are afraid of risk because you stick with what works aka what you know.
pulp fiction and reservoir dogs had better stories to tell but in terms of direction I think his later movies hold up .. hatefull eight had more tension building , suspense and better characters than his earlier works . I prefer it more than deathproof and kill bill series .
^ Vertigo’s got it spot on. Tarantino’s earlier works have him as a better storyteller, his new works as a better director. Then I’d say his stuff in the middle are films like Inglorious Basterds. The opening scene of that film probably shows both sides of Tarantino best. The camera is used interestingly, the dialogue is slow and arguably mundane with simple things like someone asking another for milk yet the dialogue is also extremely tense and well written. But alongside that it’s brilliant exposition too and sets up a story in ways that we saw him do in his Pulp Fiction & Reservoir Dogs days too.
Honestly I don’t think Hateful Eight is bad but I do think it’s Tarantino’s more left field film so far. He’s taken that indulgence in dialogue and tension and turned it up to the maximum. If that’s what you like in Tarantino films then you’ll enjoy it, if it’s something you only like in small doses then you’ll probably find Hateful Eight drawn out and a bit convoluted
@Django Fett says a fucking Star Wars fanatic XD!!!!
I think the early movies were much more focused on writing. Tarantino needed time to become a master in the cinematic sense, too.
I like all his movies after Kill Bill much more than the ones before.
I thought this said “why do good directors turn bald”
"A video essay on Howard Hawks"
Yeah, your right
Haha ROASTED!!
No, no, he has a point
Thumbnail would make sense.
Bad? Dude, cmon... Less than amazing is the term your looking for. None of those movies are objectively bad
ikr How many directors can say that they didn't direct none bad film? I only think of Kubrick....
@Slevin could you give some tittles to the "better movies" you're referring too
@Slevin i was just trying to get put on :/
tjr greatly appreciate it I’ve watched a lot of Kubrick and Quentin and more recently Martian Scorsese but I enjoyed hateful 8 and a lot of Quentin’s films I don’t get why there’s so much hate tbh but I definitely check this stuff out bc I want to write screen plays and direct and this past year I’ve just been learning more and more thanks for the recommendations
@@miguelvidal2335
Kubrick's first five movies were really shit
Not all directors become bad... The directors who do become bad just overthink or become overconfident... But there are still a lot of directors who have been good from beginning to end... And that does not mean that director doesn't have bad movies... Every director has bad movies... It is just about rising up and improving your work... :)
Director’s are human beings. It’s impossible to have a perfect resume. Kubrick, I’d argue, may have the best resume in film history, but even he had a couple thuds himself.
True. Scorsese’s going just as strong +40 years after his first classics.
@@TheGeorgeD13 Only in his early days.
I concur. Robert Altman springs to mind.. In his twilight years he made Gosford Park, a film very much out of his MO. And nevertheless it's one of his best.
And his final film, A Praire Home Companion is one of my favourite films ever. If you watch it and don't smile. You're dead inside.
Rajatava Kar Christopher Nolan makes really good movies I mean he kinda dreaded with Batman begins but he was basically forced to make a superhero movie and when DC finally let him make his own Batman movie he aced it
Strongly disagree with tarantino I think he was just playing around with forcing the movie audience to watch a stage play.
Also I once sold gwyneth paltrows Cookbook to her husband... It was funny as fuck.
Really not sure about the star trek thing though
A very fucking cool stage play
That would be Lars von Trier
Wow you are dramatic, you just hold Tarantino to a higher standard. His movies are fine.
They are great
Who?meh just another board
His movies have never been that good. Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are boring as fuck. Kill Bill lacks the charm of the martial arts and grindhouse films it attempts to pay homage to.
Hara Kiri
Pixote
Marketa Lazarova
Funeral Parade of Roses
M
everyone holds him to a higher standard, cause he's tarentino you knob
Good in you for bringing up Sally. I was concerned that you were going to leave that huge element and possible reason out of your otherwise solid analysis. Here's hoping that Once Upon, is fantastic.
What’d you think? I can certainly understand the argument that it’s too long and meandering, but personally I loved it. Top for Tarantino for me
You made this whole video because Tarantino’s 2 last movies were westerns which you don’t get that westerns are almost always slower in pacing than most films.
Crazy Hourse then they are objectively worse films. You can say “oh the pacing is bad? That’s okay because it’s a western”
@@TheCephalon no thats not how it works people have their preference and for you slower pacing is not one of them does that mean its bad? no it doesnt. Does it mean you have shit tast and have a lack of attention span? no it also doesnt. it just means you dont like something that a lot of other peolple do like.
@@TheCephalon Slower pacing is not bad.
I thought Hateful Eight Was one of His best Films I freaking loved it .
I actually liked the pacing of the Hateful Eight. Seeing how people got by on the western frontier was pretty interesting, and the dragging pace captured the feeling of being trapped in a blizzard. And like you mentioned, Tarantino's writing and dialogue kept me entertained. But I'm not really bothered by slow pacing in general, even the constant flashbacks and constantly-branching storylines of Attack on Titan don't bother me. As long as it feels like a scene had a point to it, whether in character development or plot, I'm glad it was included.
I think there's a lot to be said for necessity. Starting out QT _had_ to succeed in order to have a career. Whereas now he could make three bad films in a row and still get funded for the fourth, without risk, without a sword hanging over your head there is less incentive to do something great. I think a big reason why Marvel have kept rolling is that they continually take on bigger and bigger projects as they go.
Yep. Marvel has constantly tried to reinvent themselves with each phase of the MCU. I think that’s to their long-term benefit.
@Mr Temporal
Yeah exactly
even though Incredible Hulk, Thor and First Avenger are ok/meh films they were able to get a lot of momentum from how good the first Iron Man was
Tarantino is still a G idk what ur talking about
Benjy L hahahahah I have never seen Tarantino as “a G” but it’s so true.
I take it you've never seen Deathproof? THAT movie had a pacing issue and was plain boring to watch, the 1 Taranino movie i really do not like
Cheers I came to comment this
I could imagine that a lot of Directors just change their syles over time and maybe when you already love the first movies the newer one isn't your cup of tea anymore. I prefer Tarantino's later work.
One of the hardest things to do in the editing room is to take out what doesn’t need to be there.
Well, Tarantino supposedly has another 2 films in him yet. So hopefully he'll go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
I hope so. But like this video I classify Tarantino films in 3 groups. The 90's films which were all brilliant 5 STar films, the post break films which all had brilliant stuff in them but weren't quite as good (Kil Bill to inglorous) and the last few which have some brillinat stuff but are badly paced.
The thing about Tarantino, it's no coincidence his best and tightest films where done when he had something to prove. After his post-Jackie Brown break he had nothing and probably had more say so the films got more flab. The thing I will say thought is perfect or flawed every Tarantino film has some bit of genius about them.
Something that makes you glad he made it. He still can produce amazing dialogue, direct an amazing scene and he always does something great with actors that make them must see. Even in his not so great films. I mean who else can discover a talent like Christoph Waltz and give his first scene in American cinema one of the greatest and most tension filled scenes you could ever imagine.
His next film might be a career killer if done wrong.
@TGDS everything, I've seen many terrible movies with A list stars
This video should have been on Steven Spielberg and not on Tarantino.
Spielberg isn’t bad either, especially compared to someone like Francis Ford Coppola
Awesome video. Loved the amount of research done. Pretty unique as well.
Tarrantino's idea of stopping before he got stale was a good one, but he overestimated how many movies it was going to take for him to get to that point.
And then there's Christopher Nolan. He's just consistently awesome
So I have to disagree with you on Quentin Tarantino, but I think what you said in the essay is 100% true when it comes to directors being out of touch. In the case of Tarantino is it really his fault for the pacing or is it the editor? I'm more inclined to say the editor
The director works simultaneously with the head editor for the film. The director has a huge effect on the edit and the pacing of the film.
@@joe-vh6sj I totally agree but I think even the video is making the suggestion that the editor is one of the big reasons for Tarantino's pacing.
I guess the main point to take on here is that his previous editor polished up Tarantino's work better than his current one does. Maybe Tarantino would've always had pacing like his more recent movies with a different editor. I remember well seeing interviews with him and his previous editor, and he clearly meant it when he said Sally Menke was his best collaborator, you could tell they had a great working relationship.
It's also worth noting that his very time editor passed away prior to Hateful Eight. So it was a anew collaborator.
Furthermore, I feel like Tarantino went with a more theatre approach to Hateful Eight drama.
@@StickNik spot on lad
watching this after the release of once upon a time in hollywood is a different kind of feeling. this makes so much sense
I discovered your channel thanks to your Fifty Shades of Rey video (I'm a Reylo), and boy am I happy I did! I really enjoy your perspective and insight. Great content, you absolutely nailed it in this video. I had a hard time pinpointing what annoyed me in Tarantino's most recent works, and you helped me articulate it. Thanks!
Creativity, as with vitality, many times diminishes with age. As simple as that
I think that may be a little too "simple" and the evidence does not bare it out.or many of the claims made in this video.for that matter Tarantino for example last few movies Inglorious bastards, Hateful 8 once upon a time in hollywood.have in my opinion been his best.
I do feel a difference in QT editing post-Sally (rest in peace), but I don't think it's hurt him too dramatically. The presentation is maybe less organic, but I think Django and Hateful are some of his best stories so far.
Ridley Scott, on the other hand, has absolutely lost it.
This has got to be one of my favorite Patreon plugs .
Dude, I'm sorry, but I *strongly* disagree with you on Tarantino overall. I get why you'd think that The Hateful Eight was dragging, but honestly, it really depends on how patient you are with the film. I would argue that every scene and how they were handled in that movie was necessary in order to flesh the story and characters out. I also disagree with you in regards to the quality of his films. Kill Bill (particularly Vol. 1) are among my favourite films of all-time, including Pulp Fiction, and I also find Jackie Brown to be one of his lesser films (albeit still a really good one).
That being said, take Tarantino out of the discussion, and this is a pretty well done video overall, with interesting insights as to why a number of once good directors go bad, and some points that I agree with.
I don't think anyone is incapable of getting so out of touch with the audience's tastes these days, that making a 90's style film today would just feel dragged out. Times change Directors don't, thus diminishing returns from becoming out of touch with the audience who made them great in the first place. No one's perfect and neither is him.
@@ZeRo-bx7lp I never said he was perfect, just that it didn't necessarily apply to him. I already said that I think Jackie Brown was one of his lesser films, which implies that I don't think he's perfect. I wasn't aiming my point at the fact this guy said he thinks Tarantino is out of touch with audiences, or that he may have had yes-men, because those weren't relevent in my points.
Also, way to be manipulative trying to get me to comply with you by using the old phrase of "nobody's perfect". That doesn't mean I have to agree with specific points that someone makes to criticize someone's work. Real shady, man. -__-
@@definitelynotapervert5602 You keep your opinion, I don't want you to agree with me. I just want to validate the Essay's point of diminishing returns and decline of aging directorial philosophies through poor realization that their work is a product of their time. You can't take Tarantino out of the discussion, his work is validating the argument against himself.
@@definitelynotapervert5602 He didn't actually say Tarantino was out of touch.
I've been screaming that Tarantino and Nolan badly need ruthless editors for at least 5 years now, both in the writing room and in the cutting room.
Dunkirk?
@@pleaserewind295 I think his worst film, still a good one though
Garrett Rodgers Dunkirk could've potentially been better with the right editing, I agree. The reason it doesn't work too well is because it's a jumbled mess. It tells the journey of multiple characters, but it switches back and forth between location, time and story in an incomprehensible fashion.
I think even the best editing may not have truly improved the film because the relevant timelines of the character journeys overlap with each other so much. In my opinion the script needed rewriting.
Don't agree with everything but Interesting. Just one thing, Paltrow was never IN touch with her audience.
The ending of Django was slow for a reason. Tarantino had to prove Django could be completely self-sufficient and manipulate people in the same way that Schultz could. Just being really good at shooting up a house full of people would be satisfying in the moment, but shallow, and wouldn't help his character in the long term, and completely mess up the 90% of the movie that was about persuasion and tricking people, not revenge or violence.
It's the cycle of artistic life: breakthrough, stardom, decay... Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds, The Hateful Eight...
I high-key loved the hateful 8. favorite Tarantino thus far.
Nice.Someone who doesn't say lowkey when they really like something.Kudos
"Django Unchained" is my favorite Tarantino movie.
Still a good essay though :D
Great essay, thank you guys :)
Please help me what is the name of that jazzy piano song that plays in the background in the beginning of the video. I’ve been looking for it for ages and despite being in a dozen and a half video essays I can’t find it at all
I didn't know bone tomohawk was the sequel to guardians of the galaxy
Why do good directors make bad movies?
I had this question for a really long time
Nothing can be said about hateful eight that makes me think it's a bad movie. In fact, it's not even supposed to be a film if you ask me, it feels more like a live stage play. Everything builds. There are no dull moments. Every shot is composed and lit intentionally, it's under rated.
Bad is subjective most directors want to try make a different type of film and them being termed "bad" is a combination of them not grasping it fully yet and fans not agreeing with the choice.
Interesting video. Better than the Nostalgia Critic video. Maybe do a longer Tim Burton video before Dumbo comes out?
Possibly the greatest video essay I've seen, like, ever. I love your points. They really made me think.
Scorsese never make a bad film. He just keeps getting better and ever.
I don't think an artist must stop after a certain point, but if he/she doesn't grow of course the quality of his output is going to go south or (paradoxically) if he/she starts to second guess him/herself. Basically an artist must play at the razor's edge always through out his career if they want to keep growing, but how many can deal with that stress? or to be more precise: With the idea that they might not be on the top always? or never be back at the top? Actually this thought has stoped many artists (mostly writers) from bothering trying and in the long run has cost us (as humanity) more than the "bad artworks" they couldve made.
When the full fat crew finishes look who’s talking excellently just to choose one of the most interesting topics in the film industry😏😏🤓Good shit lads
thanks so much dude! x
One problem I have with Tarantino movies of recent times is that they feel more and more like masturbations and less like movies. Like he is trying to make a Tarantino movie instead of just trying to make a good movie. Hard to really describe what I mean.
He knows people expect a certain style when they go to his movies and he's trying to make sure they aren't disappointed. Sometimes that doesn't work well if you're trying to make a different kind of film from your earlier works.
Self-Parody
because you don't know what you mean
EXACTLY my thoughts.
I think what you're saying is Tarantino has become a parody of himself.
Hateful eight is fantastic. Especially if you saw the 70mm road House version. Django unchained was more commercial but it was an interior film.
The Hateful 8 is brilliant. It gets better every time I see it . The four part version on Netflix is amazing. I think people get old it’s a part of life . Some directors make movies too long.
Hey man is there any way you could use a service that isn't patreon? After the way they treated sargon i refuse to end use patreon ever again
Geran Ball Nobody cares about Sargon so no, they won’t.
Geran Ball
Who the fuck is saragon
This is probably your best video. Very perceptive and accurate.
You could also replace "Good Directors" with "Big UA-camrs" in the title and the video. There are a lot of parallels, as a UA-camr you also need to reflect yourself and need to know when it's over, and it's only never over if you do it, because you love it. If you reach 1 person or a million with a video it should not matter, you should stick to yourself and respect yourself!
Great Essay!!!
The Hateful 8 was the first Tarantino film I watched where I knew I was watching a film. All the others, I was so engrossed with the characters and the story that I never felt like I was in the middle of a movie.
Django isn't a western movie; it's a southern movie. The Hateful Eight is a western movie. Tarantino said this himself. Also, Tarantino hasn't directed/written any bad films -- all are special. My favorite is Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Crimson Django is a western in the south. The setting is the south but the film is still a western lol.
Django’s very much a western right down to its titular character being named after a character from a Sergio Corbucci spaghetti western.
Not sure how Hateful Eight is a western geographically or genre wise. It’s set in Wyoming lol.
Toni Kroos I disagree. Calling it a western is a simplification. Due to the theme of the movie that sounds incorrect to me. It having old guns and horses doesn’t make it a western. Sure, it looks like one, but it isn’t one. Then again, I feel the same way about people calling The Dark Knight a superhero film.
Kaizer-Man I agree that The Hateful Eight can be better called a neo-western, but it’s a western in its core, whereas that’s not the same in Django. I don’t know how someone can watch both of these movies and insist Django is a western.
Hateful Eight is a terrible film in just the sheer waste of the "Its a Mad, Mad, Mad World" lens for a claustrophobic house whodunit film
Great video babe
thanks baby
A valiant attempt to explain this phenomenon. I just think they get bored/lose their passion/are no longer carrying out their favourite ideas.
Spot on. The hateful eight was self indulgent.
I totally agree with your points about directors in general but disagree that these points can be applied to Tarantino. In fact, with pacing specifically, I always felt Jackie Brown had some pacing issues in some of the dialog scenes (just my opinion). In fact, I really didn't like the film when I first saw it. This was actually my own fault for thinking I was going to be getting another Pulp Fiction. It wasn't until I saw an interview where he explained how each movie was his "take" on a genre. I then went back and re-watched it as a heist/caper movie and found it much more enjoyable. When I watched the Hateful Eight for the first time, I was actually concerned that it would be a repeat of Django Unchained. I was delightfully surprised to see it wasn't that type of film at all. Whereas Django harkens back to the revenge exploitation films of the 70's, the Hateful Eight was more of a mystery story. Many mysteries are often very deliberate to the point of feeling "slow" to some viewers. I think the film has more in common with Columbo or Sherlock Holmes, or even the rather pulpy "Murder, She Wrote" series than the exploitation sub-genres Tarantino is often portraying. If one goes into the theater with a mindset that the film will be some (subjectively) interesting take on a genre, then I think said viewer will enjoy him/herself as a fan of the art. I don't think there's any danger of Tarantino ending his directorial career with a flop. As a side note, there are some directors who definitely break this mold and keep getting better, or at least staying on par with their earlier work. Kubrick, in my opinion, is a good example here. Yes, 2001 is arguably his best movie for its technical achievements, but A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and even Eyes Wide Shut (I know it has detractors, but it's still a great movie and would most likely have been even better had Kubrick lived to complete the final cut) are all fantastic movies that continue his high standards for his craft.
@Billy Bodyslam I tend to agree that Jackie Brown was underappreciated when it came out. I know I didn't fully appreciate it until later. I would have loved to have seen his take on Natural Born Killers. I didn't care much for the final product there but I could see a much better movie was hiding underneath. I appreciated what was attempted, but it just didn't work for me. True Romance, on the other hand, was fantastic and still feels like a quasi-Tarantino movie. I think it was pretty close to what was envisioned and I'm just guessing that he sold it because it wasn't different enough for him from what he'd already done and wanted a new challenge.
@Billy Bodyslam I had a very positive experience with Pulp Fiction. Maybe I was fortunate to be in college at the time. I had professors recommend the movie to me. Everyone I ran into at the time loved the movie. In fact, I remember most of my peers and teachers being really upset that Forrest Gump beat it out for best picture. Of course, college is a weird time for being in a strange microcosm, so maybe that was part of it. Well, that, and that I went to a liberal arts school as well. I think artistic folks appreciated the Renaissance film had in the 90's, so I was surrounded by like minded people who loved movies as much as me.
QT's filmography has always been hit-and-miss. After the awesome one-two punch of RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION, he returned with JACKIE BROWN, his first major creative misfire. The film was adapted from an Elmore Leonard book and, as QT's ear for dialogue was heavily shaped by Leonard, this should have been a match made in heaven. Instead, it was a ponderous bore; everything QT added to make it his own just further bogged it down. After his previous films (including the excellent TRUE ROMANCE, which he wrote), I thought any QT flick was must-see. This was the one that taught me he, too, was mortal.
He came back a few years later with KILL BILL but while these were, overall, excellent, they weren't perfect. The 1st film, which is the best of the two, is, in fact, the last time to date that QT created the sort of taught, lean, no-moment-wasted screenplay that marked his earlier work. Parts of the 2nd film began to show some of the same problems as JACKIE BROWN--QT being far too indulgent, with evidently no one around him telling him he should reign in his excesses.
That becomes his major shortcoming as a filmmaker. His next project, DEATH PROOF, is QT lost so far up his own ass that it's borderline unwatchable. There's no sense of pace--it just drags and drags and drags--and the tone is all over the board. It feels like 3 different movies, all of which were improvised by different people without consulting one another, then was just stitched together. This is QT's first genuinely awful movie.
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS largely continues this trend. Here, Tarantino was trying to do a riff on both THE DIRTY DOZEN and THE LAST METRO. He could have picked either and made a solid flick. Instead, he tries to meld these fundamentally different movies together and just ends up making a very long, bad mess, with neck-breaking tonal shifts punctuated by long stretches of tedium wherein the director himself seems to have become so overindulgent as to have lost the plot. The good QT touches are so few and far between they have no chance of saving the movie, which doesn't work on any level.
After all of this, DJANGO UNCHAINED was a most welcome return to form and easily QT's best directorial effort since the first KILL BILL. Some of the problems I've been outlining are present--some scenes run on too long and are too in love with themselves--but most of it works quite well. DJANGO UNCHAINED is a _great_ movie.
I still haven't seen THE HATEFUL EIGHT. I've heard both the criticism and the praise of it and it sounds like QT's strengths and weaknesses locked in combat again. Whatever the case may be with it, it isn't a case of a great filmmaker suddenly going bad. I love QT's work but he's been pretty uneven for a lot of years now.
One more reason is that they're always trying to do new things and when constantly trying out new things your creativity tends to wear thin and it may be a new style, but is objectively weaker than previous projects because of lack of experience in the new style. This is the problem with masters who get bored of doing the same thing twice. The harder you push your limits the faster you'll find them. The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long.
I agree with the second point about 'yes men'. If a bunch load of people keep telling you your ideas are the best, then why wouldn't you keep doing them. It can be dangerous to keep having people who agree because how else would you grow without feedback.
Personally loved the hateful 8 perfect length
*SHAMALAMADINGDONG*
Very few directors can manage to keep raising the bar with each film they make; still fewer creators can manage to stay relevant and fresh. Scorsese is probably the first name to come to mind that is as good in his later years as he was when he started.
I love the Hateful Eight, and honestly liked the slower pacing. Works with the setting and overall story being told. So many movies and entertainment formats nowadays are all action and fast paced all the way through. The hateful eight seems more grounded in reality with its slower pacing, life's not a race most of the time.
Hateful Eight is in my top 3 of his movies to be honest. Along with Jackie Brown and Kill Bill
@Billy Bodyslam I love that Hateful 8 is pretty much 2 sets. It's like a stage play caught on film. I think Pulp Fiction is a victim of my over watching it. Seen it so many times it's sort of slipping down the list. My own fault really.
No, his weakest film is Jackie brown. My evidence is that I just reminded you it exists if you know about it or more likely I just told you it exists
Erm there are numerous clips from brown in this video hahaha
I love Jackie Brown. Death Proof is his weakest.
Cheybat I love Jackie Brown. It’s only bad if I view it has a Taratino film instead as a film in general
Hateful 8 is the only nearly 3 hours long movie that I enjoy. It actually makes you involved in the movie
Jackie Brown is arguably his best film.
They don't lie when they say that editors carry half the movie on their shoulders... Glad to see you're talking about the shift of collaborators. Also, I'm glad to see some actual criticism of Tarantino on youtube. This coming from someone who enjoys his work.
That Billy Corgan podcast was really informative 👌👌
Kill Bill.........It's Tarantino's White Album.. could have been so much better as single movie.. there I said it.. phew.. totally with you on Ridley Scott. The man is a ledge but Hannibal !? really I mean i can forgive him cos he'd come off the back of doing Gladiator...but even so.. what was he thinking!
Directors are human, man. Ridley Scott is a genius, but he isn’t infallible. But he definitely knew what he was doing on even Hannibal. The technical craft on display is actually quite excellent. Some of his best work. Shame it was wasted on a rather subpar script.
Kill Bill series is his best work. You're so wrong.
hehe it's just my opinion ralf.. i think his best work was pulp fiction or res. dogs.. or at a push jackie brown..
I like Tarantino’s older stuff more and feel his movies were too long after Kill Bill but I think he is getting back to his roots with his new film.
Tarantino did an interview with Charlie Rose 20 years ago where they spoke at length about this subject, touching on the careers of many, ,including Coppola and De Palma. It's probably still up on youtube.
Anyone know the song playing in the background throughout the video?
the hateful 8 is absolutely brilliant, it may be his best movie overall in my opinion.
I've had this question for a real long time
valid points, good vid
5:11 is there a definitive way to tell when pacing isnt sharp? at least in recent memory, apart from (now died/soon to be) marvel shows, i havent watched a lot of tv OR film and been able to know immediately
6:38 so essentially, once great directors start making movies and decisions in their movie making(script, editing choices etc) that becomes memes of themselves and their style
I started watching all of Tarantino's films that he directed yesterday. Did Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Jackie Brown in 1 day. Now I'm wondering if I should have started with the most recent as I don't think the later ones get better than the first 3.
What was that Ridley Scott movie you showed?
The Hateful Eight was indeed a slog. There was absolutely no reason this 3 hour behemoth needed to be anything longer than 90 minutes. There are no complex themes or characters explored, just 3 hours of inane chattering.
I concur with your assessment. Being a veteran creator, I have seen it in other creators I know. It's true.
I love the slow burn pacing of The Hateful Eight personally.
I feel like the lack of meaningful constraints is a major issue too. The more power a creative person gains, the fewer constraints are placed on their work. And constraints are a powerful motivator to creativity. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say.
You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I love Tarantino's earlier work but felt for example Django and 8 was less "deep" commentary and more gun action gorefest for the sake of gore. If you like that better, good for you.
I didn't even feel the time passing while watching the hateful eight
So basically:
1. Out of touch
2. Too many yes men
3. Keep going because you don't know when to stop and it's all you know to do
The last 2 sound like variations of the first one
Django Unchained was a bit oddly paced, but I wasn't bored for one second
Great Food for Thought, thanks 🐄
Same reason celebrities get political and think they know better then everyone. They live in a bubble, and they believe their own hype. They start being hungry and Forget about the craft itself
I kinda agree the bubble is created when their reaction to fame elevates their ego and that detaches them.
One director that isn't on this list is Martin Scorsese, his movies get better than the one before. A true directorial genius!
I'm not sure which film the Ridley Scott clip that follows the Alien clip is from but it looks identical to a scene in Blackadder II.
The hateful 8 is such a badass movie ...one of my favorites ever but after i first saw it i was disappointed that it was so short ...then later i realized it was nearly 3 hours long lol thats just how into the story i was
nothing kills creativity like becoming comfortable
rich people creating art is rarely interesting