TARANTINO XX Blu-ray Review
Tarantino XX arrived on Blu-ray, and it is the premiere, must-own collection of his work. The set includes Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Death Proof, and Inglourious Basterds. In addition to these films, the set includes two discs containing five hours of all-new bonus material, highlighted by a critics’ retrospective on Quentin Tarantino’s groundbreaking catalog of films and “20 Years of Filmmaking" that contains interviews with critics, stars, and other masters of cinema. Tarantino XX is my favorite Blu-ray set and is the most comprehensive look into a director's career that I own.
This disc is wonderfully packaged with beautiful artwork from Mondo artist Ken Taylor. I liked the art so much that I used it for my Twitter background and header image. The set comes in a sleeve with great art on all sides. Inside is the coolest packaging I could ever hope for. The panels show off the various art that Taylor did for each film. It captures the various characters from the films and is beautiful with vibrant colors. The art is also used for the animated chapters of each disc.
Quentin Tarantino has shaped my film-going life since I was a senior in high school. Pulp Fiction was the first Tarantino movie that I saw. I remember what theater I saw it at, who I saw it with, and what we talked about afterwards. I think that Tarantino films either bring people together or force people apart because you love them or hate them. His films are an acquired taste, much like a pint of beer.
I have seen each movie multiple times, and I love every single one. If I had to list my favorites in order, it would be as follows: Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Kill Bill 1, Kill Bill 2, Jackie Brown, and finally Death Proof. Don't get me wrong, each of these films is truly awesome. Each of the films above have moved me immensely. Watching them is like going on a journey into one of the coolest universes you can imagine. You can relate to the characters, even though you may not want to admit it.
Read my reviews for:
Pulp Fiction Blu-ray Review
Jackie Brown Blu-ray Review
The bonus discs are pretty epic and are worth the price to buy this set on their own. On disc one, we are treated to a group of veteran film critics talking about how the movies impacted their lives and film making as a whole. It is so refreshing to see someone like Stephanie Zacharek sharing her dislike of a movie like Pulp Fiction.
Disc 2 includes The 20 Years of Quentin Tarantino. This feature is wonderful. It takes fans through Tarantino's career from aspiring director to mentor to Eli Roth and RZA. It features interviews with the various casts and crews that have been involved in his film career. The coolest part is the way that the interviews are edited together. It starts off with Laurence Bender, longtime Tarantino producer, talking about the creation of Reservoir Dogs. Greg Nicotero, Stacey Sher, and Mike Simpson are also included in this in-depth look at the creation of Reservoir Dogs.
The stories are so real and humorous that you will find yourself laughing out loud. This is one of the realest looks inside the making of a movie that I have ever seen. One of the best parts is hearing how Tarantino became involved with Harvey Weinstein and then took the film to the Cannes film festival. This disc is a must watch for any Tarantino fan, or film fan for that matter!
The mentor sequence shows how wonderful and caring Tarantino is. I love hearing how RZA and Roth just kind of stuck to him like magnets and soaked up as much knowledge from him as they could. This sequence was so inspirational.
Disc 2 also includes a great Q&A after a reunion screening of Jackie Brown. It was cool to hear Robert Forster and Pam Grier sharing their experiences working on the film. There are so many wonderful and personal stories that I loved watching this piece. The best parts were some of the audience questions. It was cool to hear him talk about what parts he would have done differently.
Finally, this disc also includes an awesome look into Tarantino's next opus, Django Unchained, which I am looking forward to seeing this Christmas.