Tarantino Top 10! | Movie News

JoBlo note: Just like Jim Law kick ass with our JoBlo.com TEN SPOTS every couple of weeks, Serena Whitney has been spreading that same sort of love on ArrowintheHead.com for quite some time now, and here's her latest, which considering all the buzz with GRINDHOUSE this week, seems to be a perfect fit.

With the release of the much anticipated film, GRINDHOUSE, I thought I would do a top ten on my favorite director, Mr. Quentin Tarantino.

Since I was little, I have been enamored with everything Quentin Tarantino has ever written and directed. (Yes, I'm aware of the fact I was WAY too young to even watch his films.) From his out of sequence plot lines, witty dialogue, fictional commercial products, pop culture references, obligatory unanswered mysteries, and his ability to turn has-beens into A-list stars, Quentin has been able to win over regular moviegoers, fanboys/girls, and well respected critics with his highly acclaimed films and hard work.

Although, it's hard to narrow down the most noteworthy moments from all of his films, (I can probably name ten from each movie he's done.) there are a few that do stand out from the rest. (To me at least) Here are my top ten most memorable scenes and sequences from the films directed by the man who is responsible for my passion of film and writing in the first place.

WARNING - SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!

10. Sin City - Dwight/Jackie Boy car bit

Although Quentin Tarantino only directed one scene in Robert Rodriguez's film, true fans immediately spotted the scene. The scene with Dwight (Clive Owen) having a conversation with a dead Jackie Boy (Bencio Del Toro) in the front seat of his car had a very Q.T-esque feel to it. (The neck bit was quite impressive.) The fact that he only filmed the scene for one dollar proves not only his loyalty to best friend, Robert Rodriguez, but also his absolute love for film. (Shooting a scene for a buck? That's gotta be love!)

9. Reservoir Dogs - Breakfast scene

The opening of Reservoir Dogs I can watch over and over again. I love everything about the scene. From Mr. Brown's (Quentin Tarantino) dissection of Madonna's "Like a Virgin," (Now every time I hear that song, I think she's talking about big d*ck.) to Mr. Pink's ignorant views of not tipping waitresses. (Although he did make some good points, I wanted to slap him.) The opening for the film was just as clever as it was funny and contrasted perfectly with the dark and serious scenes that were to follow after the opening credits.

8. From Dusk Till Dawn - Opening

Although, this film was only written by Mr. Tarantino, (it was directed by Robert Rodriguez) one can tell Quentin had a lot of creative control during the scene where Seth (George Clooney) and Ritchie (Quentin Tarantino) have a shoot out in the liquor store. It was an outstanding and tension-filled scene. The audience is also introduced to Sheriff Earl McGraw, (played by Michael Parks) who is later seen in Kill Bill Volume 1 and Grindhouse. If you are fan of this film, you will know that both the events in Kill Bill and Grindhouse must take place before the events in From Dusk ‘til Dawn, for sheriff Mcgraw meets his demise in the opening sequence.

7. Kill Bill 2 - Elle and I

I'm going to be honest when I say that I'm not the biggest fan of Kill Bill Volume 2. The high-paced action scenes from the previous volume were absent (and severely missed) from the way too dialogue driven second volume. However, Quentin did please his fans with the infamous trailer fight scene between Beatrix (Uma Thurman) and Elle Driver. (Daryl Hannah) It amazed me as to how he directed the film's most exciting scene from such an enclosed space. He also provided his devoted fans with yet another unanswered mystery as to the fate of Elle Driver. (My theory is that the Black mamba snake took care of her...but that's just me!)

6. Four Rooms - The Man from Hollywood

Despite the fact this film received poor reviews, I freaking loved it! My favorite short in the anthology film was Quentin Tarantino's "The Man from Hollywood." (Tied with Robert Rodriguez's "The Misbehavers") In the short, Ted the bellhop (played by Tim Roth) is offered a thousand dollars by big time actor, Chester (played by Q.T) if he would cut his friend's finger off if he couldn't light his zippo ten times in a row for a bet. The end result is quite hysterical, and if you haven't already seen the film, I'd suggest you do so soon.

5. Jackie Brown - Louissssssss!

Jackie Brown is by far my favorite Q.T film. I love everything from the actors, to the dialogue, and to the amazing soundtrack. I always considered it to being his greatest and most realistic character study, and most underrated film. Although, a lot of people may not agree with my positive opinion of Jackie Brown, many will agree that the film did have one great memorable scene with Louis (Robert De Niro) shooting down the surfer chick, Melanie (Bridget Fonda) in a mall parking lot. (In the middle of the day mind you!) I remember watching this scene and thinking Louis was going to slap her or punch her because she was constantly annoying him, but when he shot her to death in such a casual manner, I jumped halfway out of my seat. That was definitely the most surprising moment in that film.

4. Pulp Fiction - "Say what again? I dare ya!"

This is one of the most pivotal scenes in Pulp Fiction. In this scene, we see a breakthrough performance from Samuel L.Jackson. (Who was later nominated for an Oscar for his role as Jules) We also see the first appearance of the "Big Kahuna Burger," (a fictional fast food franchise seen throughout Q.T's films) and one of the biggest mysteries in cinematic history: Marsellus' suitcase. People to this day have still not received an answer as to what really was in his suitcase. I'm a firm believer that the diamonds from the diamond heist in Reservoir Dogs were in the suitcase. However, many believe it was Marsellus' soul in there. Spit some bullets below if you have any different theories!

3. Kill Bill #1 - Showdown at House of Blues

I can't really pick one scene I loved out of this visually striking sequence, because it was all great! The score, the fate of Sophie Fatale, the fight with Gogo, and the infamous "Bride vs.Crazy 88"showdown were all equally exceptional. If you can get your hands on the Japanese version of the film, please do. If you watch the fight sequences all in color, you will see how Quentin Tarantino made one of the bloodiest sequences ever seen in a main stream film.

2. Pulp Fiction - Marcellus rape scene

For some reason, when people think of Pulp Fiction, most automatically think of the twist dance off between Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Mia (Uma Thurman.) This is not the scene I consider the most memorable. I remember watching this unforgettable sequence years ago, and was in complete shock when Marcellus (Ving Rhames) and Butch (Bruce Willis) were stuck in a room wearing red gag balls, with rapists in the room trying to figure out which one was going to be raped first.

Then I was traumatized when the film actually showed Marcellus getting sodomized. (ICK!) Even though it was the most disturbing scene since Deliverance, it was the film's most powerful scene, and I was cheering when Butch went back to save the man who was trying to kill him. By far, Q.T's most controversial scene ever on film.

1. Reservoir Dogs - Ear cutting scene

Everyone has different songs that remind them of past memories, past loves, and past experiences. But, I guarantee you that the memory people are replaying in their heads when they hear the 70's classic, "Stuck in the Middle With You" is the first time they watched Mr.Blond (played by incredibly cool, Michael Madsen) cut the ear off a cop with a straight razor in Reservoir Dogs. This is my number one most memorable scene because even people, who have never seen this film, know about the infamous ear-cutting scene. In the special edition of the film, you can watch the scene from alternate angles. This is a feature I have yet to (and probably will never) witness.