Quentin Tarantino Is Great, but He’s Wrong About the Current Movie Industry

My perception of Quentin Tarantino and his works has always been a love-hate relationship. Films like Pulp Fiction mesmerized me in my youth, and the release of Jackie Brown timed perfectly with my growing interest in exploitation films. Yet the hype and sensation around Kill Bill began to sour me on his work. At that point, I was deeply obsessed with Japanese cinema and was hyped to see great works paid homage on screen. Lady Snowblood, Zatoichi, and Goke: Body Snatcher From Hell were among my favorite features referenced in the movie. However, the discussion around these films was minimal when it came to Kill Bill outside of those in the know.

While some personal reflections may seem like a non-sequitur, Quentin Tarantino’s recent comments about the state of the movie industry seem to take a very pro-corporate, mainstream view that feels antithetical to his roots as a filmmaker and the films he celebrated.

“Well, what the f*ck is a movie now? What — something that plays in theaters for a token release for four f*cking weeks? All right, and by the second week you can watch it on television. I didn’t get into all this for diminishing returns. I mean, it was bad enough in ’97. It was bad enough in 2019, and that was the last f*cking year of movies. That was a sh*t deal, as far as I was concerned, the fact that it’s gotten drastically worse? And that it’s just it’s a show pony exercise. Now the theatrical release, you know, and then like yeah, in two weeks, you can watch it on this [streamer] and that one. Okay.”

The Times, They Are A-Changing, Including Theaters

The lockdown is sometimes stated as a general decline in movie theater attendance. Yet, only 852 million movie tickets were sold in 2023 after restrictions were lifted, down by 46% from the previous year (via Wolfstreet). This decline happened despite the phenomenon of ‘Barbenheimer’ breaking records. Meanwhile, streaming has had its challenges, but specific platforms, like Netflix and Tubi, continue to find great success in maintaining consistent growth. You can argue we are in the age of streaming and that theaters are losing their relevance. Looking at big-budget Hollywood productions and only under that narrow scope of the landscape of what the director is willing to consider a ‘movie,’ Tarantino is correct.

However, a counterpoint would be that the shifts have allowed more films to get the global recognition they deserve. Back in 2003, tracking down a VHS or DVD of Lady Snowblood would have been cumbersome, especially with the cultural landscape less focused on being habitually online. Now, Toshiya Fujita’s masterpiece starring the iconic Meiko Kaji is available to stream on Max or The Criterion Channel; it is more accessible than ever.

Additionally, arguing about theater’s and Hollywood films’ struggles and formats of release in redefining what a ‘movie’ is feels drastically out of touch. Almost every major city will have an indie theater(s) or art space(s) dedicated to showing new films and retrospectives. The online age allows for more sharing and promotion of these events instead of blindly trusting what Hollywood deems to be a movie to celebrate. Knowledgeable fans often curate content at these theaters, and you can have a trash cult horror flick one week followed by an introspective on Japanese New Wave the next — that was an excellent month for theatergoing!

The meme of Tarantino idly looking around an opulent locale in contemplation feels unfortunately apt in his comments here. His passion for film came from the niche market of the long-gone VHS trading days and theaters that specialized in specific content. If anything, we are going back to that era with the advent of streaming, allowing a wider range of accessible content outside the mainstream and a newfound appreciation for theaters, albeit in smaller, more intimate spaces that don’t come with children typing away on their phones and talking.

Money as motivation is not bad, if that is what Tarinto meant when he spoke of ‘diminishing returns,’ even in the arts. People like Roger Corman and William Castle were showmen first, figuring out how to profit from movies through sensational content and advertising. I love both directors’ work and am not jaded enough to say that cinema must always be about spreading art and not just being financially motivated. However, Tarantino’s comments make me wonder what the young hopeful working at a movie store tracking down rare VHS tapes would think of his remarks today.