If there’s one thing that Quentin Tarantino is better at than writing and directing films, it’s probably just talking about films. The filmmaker has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of specific genres of films, which is a large reason why many cinephiles find his work to be fascinating. And that’s exactly why you’re probably interested in listening to Tarantino talk about what he loves for almost 3 hours.
In the latest episode of the Pure Cinema Podcast, Tarantino sits down to talk to the July 2019 programming of his New Beverly Cinema. What makes this podcast so interesting isn’t the fact that this is a chance for Tarantino to rave about the films he selected as part of this month’s programming, but also because this is the month which features the release of his latest film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”
And while the filmmaker does spend plenty of time talking about the films that are in the lineup for July, he also spends a great deal of the podcast talking about his influences and inspirations for his latest film, the love letter to 1969 Hollywood and the changing era. Specifically, he goes into great detail about one of the characters in ‘Once Upon a Time,’ Rick Dalton.
Portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, Dalton is a former A-lister in Hollywood that has fallen on hard times as the ‘60s turned into the ‘70s and the film industry changed in a fundamental way. Tarantino talks about which actors influenced his take on the story of Dalton, as well as diving deep into the character history, explaining why we find Dalton where he is in the film.
Look, you probably don’t need much more selling for the podcast. Either you’re down to listen to Tarantino discuss film for 3 hours or you probably didn’t read this far, to begin with. So, enjoy!