I went from being super pumped to super sad when news broke that The Movie Critic would not be Quentin Tarantino’s final film.
The project’s demise has all been eloquently detailed in an article by The Hollywood Reporter, but what makes matters worse for me is that it was going to be so much more than I originally thought it would be, as it reportedly had a meta element to it that would circle back to Tarantino’s earlier works.
Now, as somebody who adores Tarantino’s filmography, hearing this news hit me pretty hard. Here’s why.
A Movie About Movies Seemed Like A Perfect Bookend To Tarantino's Career
When I think about directors who love movies – outside of just loving directing them – two filmmakers always come to my mind: Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. Yes, of course, every filmmaker enjoys watching films, but these two in particular have always spoken about how this movie is one of the greatest of all time, or how that movie really inspired them.
But, unlike Scorsese, who usually has pretty predictable choices – like, is anybody surprised that he loves Citizen Kane? -- Tarantino usually has more, let’s just say “eclectic” taste when it comes to his favorite films. And, that taste usually filters into his own flicks, which is part of Tarantino’s appeal.
Like, if you think about all of Tarantino’s movies, you definitely see a hint of this film here, or a taste of that movie there, in pretty much all of his work. Paying homage to other movies, while also adding his own unique flair, is pretty much Tarantino’s whole style.
So, a movie about a film critic who worked for a porno mag sounded right up his alley. It also sounded like, to me anyway, the perfect bookend to his career. Tarantino has always been a director who makes pulpy movies, but is critically adored.
It would have been interesting to see what kind of movie he could pull out of that territory with a critic as his protagonist. But now, we’re seemingly getting none of that, which is a huge bummer.
Rumors Of The Cast Sounded Fantastic
Now, I wasn’t following every rumor attached to The Movie Critic, as information was coming out piecemeal. However, what I did hear was that Bruce Willis and John Travolta could possibly make appearances in this new movie, which made sense. Because even though Bruce Willis was diagnosed with dementia, I figured that Tarantino would somehow try to fit both him and Travolta into his last flick, since they were both in Pulp Fiction (my favorite Tarantino movie).
But then, rumors started to dry up about their involvement, and Deadline reported that Brad Pitt would be in the film. That sounded pretty cool, because I thought The Movie Critic might make for a nice compliment to Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (Which I’ll get into soon), as The Movie Critic was also supposed to take place in the ‘70s.
Finally, I remember reading an article in Variety about how Tom Cruise was possibly being circled for a role in the film. And since I’m also a big fan of Cruise’s auteur movies like my colleague Mike Reyes, I was stoked with the idea of Cruise possibly working with Tarantino.
All this is to say that I really can’t stand that none of these performers will be making an appearance in The Movie Critic, since The Movie Critic is no longer being made. I mean, come on! And then, you of course have the Tarantino regulars, like Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Uma Thurman, etc. who could have come back to be in The Movie Critic, too, but no. As of right now, we’re not getting any of that, which makes me super upset.
I Was Really Looking Forward To Tarantino Focusing Specifically On The '70s
I mentioned earlier that when I think of filmmakers who love watching movies, I think of Scorsese and Tarantino. And, when I think about filmmakers who love the ‘70s, my mind always leaps to Paul Thomas Anderson, but also Tarantino, which is weird, because, believe it or not, but none of his films have actually taken place in the ‘70s (Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood is just on the cusp in 1969).
Now, I say this is weird because I could have sworn that Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown took place in the ‘70s, as they both just have that ‘70s vibe to them, but no. Both of those films took place in the decade that they were made in, which was the ‘90s.
Really, it was the fact that Tarantino was paying homage to movies from the ‘70s that really gave both of those films that general ‘70s feeling, and I would have loved to have seen a Tarantino movie definitively set in that decade, kind of like Boogie Nights, or Licorice Pizza, both by PTA. Unfortunately, as of right now, it looks like we won’t be getting that quintessential ‘70s movie from Tarantino, which totally sucks. I think he could have nailed it.
Whenever Tarantino's Final Film Does Come, It Will Likely Be Years Down The Line
We really don’t have any timeline at this point of what Tarantino’s final film will be, but it will likely be very far off if The Movie Critic is just now dissolving. I’ve never been a fan of Tarantino’s decision to only make 10 movies, and it seems like he wants his very last film to go off with a bang. So that just leads me to believe that he’s going to take even longer getting whatever’s next off the ground.
And, while people have speculated what that next movie might actually be (And no, I don’t think it would be that oft-rumored R-rated Star Trek movie), I also don’t want to know what it might be.
The issue is, I’ll take anything from Tarantino, and I won’t be upset if it doesn’t live up to his standards, because I have not set the parameters of what a final Tarantino movie should be. He has. And since he’s committed to making this his last film, who knows how long it will take him to feel confident with whatever screenplay he writes being “the one”?
All I know is, we’re probably in for a long wait. But, who knows? Maybe he’ll finally do that Kill Bill sequel he mentioned all those eons ago. A boy can dream, can’t he?
But, what do you think? Are you as upset as I am that The Movie Critic has been scrapped? For more news on Quentin Tarantino’s final movie, which will hopefully be in the near future, and not the distant future, be sure to swing by here often.
