Quentin Tarantino at the Grand Rex for his book "Cinema Speculation": we were there, we tell you!

If I tell you Quentin Tarantino, you answer me? " Director with an overflowing imagination ", " Passionate moviegoer " or " Legendary director with an impressive filmography ". If you look closely, every Quentin Tarantino movie is a cinematic event and a success. From"Reservoir Dogs" in 1992 to"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" in 2019, through the inevitable"Pulp Fiction" in 1994,"Inglourious Basterds" in 2009,"The Dirty Eight" in 2015 and of course"Kill Bill"... his films have become for many true masterpieces of the 7th art, as much for their scenario as for their direction.

Proof of his fame, Quentin Tarantino has been nominated and awarded several times. In Cannes, the American director and screenwriter even received the Palme d'Or in 1994 for"Pulp Fiction".

This spring, Quentin Tarantino, already author of a bestseller ranked No. 1 in the New York Times bestseller list, is back with a highly anticipated book. Entitled"Cinema Speculation", the book was released in bookstores on March 22. One week later, Quentin Tarantino was on stage at the Grand Rex for a rare and exclusive event. On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, the mythical hall of the Grands Boulevards in Paris welcomed the director, screenwriter, but also writer for the special evening"Cinema Speculation Conversation".

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On the program, an evening of fascinating discussions with Quentin Tarantino. The opportunity to learn more about his latest book, but also to return with him on his passion, the 7th art, through film reviews, stories and personal stories. The writer will also read an extract from his new book.

Our return on this exceptional evening

Spending an evening with Quentin Tarantino is a privilege that many can claim to have experienced. Just the presence of some 2,700 spectators in the Grand Rex 's Grande Salle was a great gift from the filmmaker.

Moderated by Thierry Frémaux, the general delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, this hour-long discussion (without the presence of a translator, too bad for the non-bilinguals...) allowed for a review of the main themes of Cinema Speculations, Tarantino's essay on American cinema in the 1970s - a period that has been dubbed the New Hollywood - and on the works that marked this era. If you've already read this book, then you already know most of what was said during the conversation, which unfortunately felt like a rehash, for much of the evening. However, it was when the filmmaker of Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction went off the beaten path of his book that the exchange became highly exciting.

And these asides were numerous! The first one, about the director Brian de Palma, was evoked at length and taught us about the tastes of the director of Scarface and his love for Reservoir Dogs, despite his hatred of "films where all we do is talk". Another, about the conditions of film projection, allowed us to learn more about the cinema that Tarantino owns in Los Angeles, the New Beverly Cinema, where only films on film are projected ("I'm a romantic, I prefer a 35 mm print in bad condition than a perfect digital print", confesses the star of the evening).

And above all, the conversation ended with a big revelation. He told us a little more about his tenth and last film. He confirmed some rumors - its title, The Movie Critic - and denied others - no, it will not be a biopic on the famous critic Pauline Kael. But most importantly, he confirmed that the script was finished and that shooting would begin in the fall of 2023.

Quentin Tarantino then ended the evening with a reading of the first chapter of Cinema Speculations. A very rich book where we learn as much about the filmmaker as about the New Hollywood. This is an opportunity to talk about it! If we can regret that this essay is interested in one of the most known and commented period of the history of cinema, we benefit especially from the richness of Tarantino's culture and his status. Being a recognized filmmaker, he did not have much trouble verifying his theories (his "speculations") with those concerned, which gives great value to the work.

Above all, we find the unique verve of the genius dialogue writer that he is, we love it! This essay will delight any film lover, and we can only recommend it. From now on, we would like to read what the filmmaker has to say about films from other countries and other times.