10 of Quentin Tarantino’s Favorite Movies
Director Quentin Tarantino has eclectic taste in film, and he exhibits this each time he does an interview and names some of his favorites. His semi-annual Quentin Tarantino Film Festival also displays his passion for everything from blacksploitation to spaghetti westerns. If you’d like to see some of the titles that inspired works like Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds, give these films a try.
Day of Anger (1967) – Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma star in this Tonino Valerii spaghetti western a veteran gunfighter who takes a young street sweeper under his wing and teaches him the tricks of the trade.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) – Tobe Hooper’s influential horror flick about a group of teenagers who unwisely stumble across a family of cannibals in 1970’s Texas. A forerunner of the slasher film craze of the ‘80s, although the gore is surprisingly light.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – The film that started the whole spaghetti western craze, the movie stars Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef as three gunfighters searching for a cache of buried treasure during the American Civil War. Directed with visual flair by Sergio Leone.
Master of the Flying Guillotine (1975) – Jimmy Wang stars as a one-armed martial arts master who’s hunted down by an assassin and several cohorts. A sequel to One Armed Boxer, the film features one of the coolest weapons ever seen on-screen.
His Girl Friday (1940) – Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell star as a divorced couple who trade barbs and reignite their passions while covering the execution of a convicted killer. Directed by Howard Hawks, it’s one of the finest examples of the screwball comedy genre.
Dawn of the Dead (1978) – George Romero’s classic zombie movie about a group of survivors who barricade themselves in a shopping mall while the undead stalk the planet. Filled with social commentary and lots of over-the-top gore effects courtesy of make-up whiz Tom Savini.
Rio Bravo (1959) – John Wayne is a no-nonsense sheriff who must defend his town from a potential jailbreak engineered by a wealthy rancher. Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan, and Angie Dickinson co-star. Directed by Howard Hawks.
Death Rides a Horse (1967) – After 15 years in prison, a gunfighter (Lee Van Cleef) goes looking for revenge and constantly crosses paths with a young man (John Phillip Law) in search of those who made him an orphan. A spaghetti western directed by Giulio Petroni.
The Chinese Boxer (1970) – Jimmy Wang Yu wrote and directed this tale of a Chinese marital arts school forced to defend itself from villainous Japanese interlopers. Featuring a number of great fight scenes, especially in the second half of the film.
The Mack (1973) – Max Julien stars as Goldie, a drug dealer who gets released from prison and becomes a successful pimp despite competition from fellow pimps, corrupt cops, and his own brother. Co-starring Richard Pryor.
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