At a time when movie directors’ names cease to be an asset to lure the public into movie theaters or streaming platforms, Quentin Tarantino’s case is completely out of the ordinary. Author of a highly acclaimed but not exhaustive work (nine feature films in a little over 30 years), Californian filmmaker is a big star its brilliance often overshadows even the brilliance of very popular actors who lead the casting. The final test of your unusual charm? Tarantino on April 9 It will be at the Coliseum Theater in Barcelona by presenting his new book ‘Cinema Meditations’ (Reservoir Books) and audience tickets for the event, At a price of 94 eurosThey have practically run out. There is probably no other filmmaker in the world capable of doing something like this.
For those who want to listen to the author ‘Pulp Fiction’ talking about movies but can’t afford to pay those sums (or find it silly) -seats cost 89 and 82.50 euros respectively to follow the talk from the first and second floors of the Colosseum – an equally recommended option and much more. economic. It’s free actually. This is a digital audio file. It’s called ‘Video Archives’. And it has an interesting as well as beautiful story.
The coolest video store
In 1985, an aspiring director in his twenties named Quentin Tarantino began work. as a clerk at Video Archives, a video store in Manhattan Beach, south of Los Angeles, which at the time served as a meeting point for the South Bay area’s community of ‘psychotronics’ and B-movie lovers. There he befriended another young amateur filmmaker. Canadian Roger Avaryhe was also an employee of the video store and together they began filming ‘My best friend’s birthday’ (1987), a 16 millimeter black and white film, which soon turned into a half-length film. the fire destroyed half of the filmed material.
Shortly after, Tarantino wrote: a scenario about an armed robbery that ends badly and, through producer Lawrence Bender, he was preparing to shoot with the same guerrilla film tactics he used in making ‘My Best Friend’s Birthday’ (a single set and Video Archive staff in main roles) when the project fell through. in the player’s hand Harvey KeitelOffering to star in and co-produce it. The rest is history. ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992) received an extraordinary reception, and Quentin Tarantino left his job at the video store to take along with Roger Avary, with whom he began working on different intrigues that would eventually take shape. Pulp Fiction script (both won Oscars in 1995).
Tarantino’s consolidation as a star director coincided with the same time. Video Archives bankruptcyAfter a disastrous move to Hermosa Beach in 1995, it closed its doors. business owners auctioned off the entire catalog of VHS tapes and DVDs among its former employees, and the vast majority (about 8,000 references), who also retain local shelves and so recreate the crowded aisles of the video store in the basement of your house.
breakage and imprisonment
Also Tarantino and Avary they fell because of a dispute That they perpetuated around the real author of the “Push Fiction” script. Moving away from his former colleague, the Canadian embarked on a rather discreet career as a director, screenwriter, and producer that seemed to end with Avary in 2008. convicted of willful homicide after being in a car accident while driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Misfortune must have softened Tarantino’s heart, who, after years of being estranged, becomes concerned about his former partner’s condition. Gradually they both heal the wounds, rebuild the relationship, and planning new joint projects. From this rescued complicity came the idea to launch ‘Video Archives’, a podcast where for each broadcast they select two or three movies from the collection of old video stores and talk about them with extreme subjectivity for several hours. .
The program, which started in July last year and has consisted of approximately fifteen episodes so far, Passionate validation of the works of the 70s and 80s For one reason or another, it was overlooked by the critics and the public of the period, and its picture was erased from the history of cinema; it’s also an exciting, albeit impromptu, defense. importance of physical format (and VHS in particular) in the face of the tyrannical hegemony of digital technology and platforms (there are many observations on issues such as the appearance of the covers and the ‘transfer’ quality). Each chapter also has a coda it is in. gala avaryRoger’s daughter describes the steps she must follow to be able to see the films reviewed for herself (to make it more interesting, ‘Uncle Quentin’ does not have access to the basement) and gives her opinion on them.
‘Video Archives’, available on platforms such as Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music and Apple Podcasts, can also be listened to for free on the program’s awesome website.