Last month, while attending a screening of a new 35mm print of Big Trouble in Little China (such an excellent movie) at Alamo Drafthouse (The Greatest Movie Theater Ever), my friends and I got on the topic of ranking Quentin Tarantino’s movies.
The same group of guys had all seen Inglourious Basterds together in the theater, and we were trying to decide where it fit in the Tarantino Hierarchy of Awesomeness.
Turns out it’s pretty hard to do. I’m a big Tarantino fan, and I really like all of his movies. Deciding which movie is “better” than another is tough. But since QT turned 48 earlier this week, now seemed like a good time to dig deep and make it happen. Epic poems shall one day be written about this feat!
I’m only including films that were written and directed by Tarantino, as those all have his unmistakable imprint on them. So while I love True Romance, and it would fit solidly in the middle here, it didn’t make the cut. A stand had to be taken!
1) Pulp Fiction
Most movie snobs would give me major guff for putting Pulp Fiction above Reservoir Dogs. But I don’t care — it’s the first Tarantino movie I saw, and still my favorite. I like the pacing, the characters, and the story.
2) Reservoir Dogs
But that’s not to say I dislike Reservoir Dogs. It comes in at a very strong number two. To me, the characters and dialogue are the best parts of the movie. And the fact that it ruined the song Stuck In The Middle With You for pretty much everyone who saw it. Sorry, Stealers Wheel!
3) Inglourious Basterds
This proved to be the hardest to rank. I loved the movie immediately, but it’s hard to put it above some of Tarantino’s older work that I’ve become more attached to over the years. But if I’m being honest, and everyone is required to be fully honest on the internet, this is where Inglorious Basterds fits for me. From the opening scene, I was sucked into the story. And I loved how awesomely villainous the main villain is.
4) Kill Bill (1&2)
It has a excellent plot and over-the-top action. And David Carrdine. And sweet JAPANESE GIRL ROCK. That wasn’t meant to be all caps. I accidentally hit caps lock. But it just feels right.
5) Jackie Brown
I lot of people drink the Haterade when it comes to this movie, but I enjoyed the whole old school 70s vibe. And Sam Jackson as a B-team arms dealer. Also, it was great to see Pam Grier in a starring role again.
6) Death Proof
This is a fun movie. Of course, having Austin as the setting made me like it even more. Kurt Russell was fantastic. But I can’t say it’s better than any other of Tarantino’s movies.
Think I’m way off? Let’s fight about it on the World Wide Web. Leave a comment below, or message us on Twitter or Facebook.
