Quentin Tarantino Says This Forgotten Movie Blew His Mind

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Growing up, I was obsessed with movies, and so was Quentin Tarantino, especially the vibe of Los Angeles cinema. He didn’t just love the blockbusters, though – he was really drawn to a specific kind of film. One that really stuck with him was Rolling Thunder. It’s a 1977 revenge thriller directed by John Flynn and written by Paul Schrader, who also wrote Taxi Driver – a huge name! The movie follows a veteran, Major Rane, who comes home to find his family has been attacked. What I find so fascinating, and what clearly grabbed young Tarantino, was how Schrader combined really deep character development with incredibly shocking action. It’s a powerful mix, and you can definitely see its influence in Tarantino’s work.

Quentin Tarantino has often talked about the profound impact this movie had on him, even writing in his book, Cinema Speculation, that it completely captivated him the first time he saw it. He first experienced it as a teenager at a double feature with his mother, and it immediately sparked a lasting fascination.

He loved the film so much that, for ten years, he’d travel to any theater in Los Angeles that was showing it – long before it was available to watch at home. Tarantino believes the unique appeal of Rolling Thunder is that it seamlessly blends intelligent drama with exciting action.

He considers it the ultimate combination of character-driven storytelling and action, a belief he maintains to this day. It’s clear how this movie’s balance of strong characters and intense action influenced his own acclaimed films, such as Kill Bill and Django Unchained.

Starting in February, Quentin Tarantino is switching gears from filmmaking to theater. He’s paused work on his last planned movie to direct a play in London’s West End. The play is already written, and he intends to cast actors he’s collaborated with before, but details about the story are being kept secret.

Beyond his work as a director, Quentin Tarantino also writes screenplays for other filmmakers. He recently wrote a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood called The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which David Fincher directed and stars Brad Pitt. The film, also featuring Timothy Olyphant and Elizabeth Debicki, will be released on Netflix this summer. Additionally, Tarantino recently appeared as an actor in the independent film Only What We Carry, playing a character named John Percy alongside Simon Pegg.

Despite the anticipation for his tenth and last movie, Quentin Tarantino doesn’t seem to be rushing back to directing. He’s said he wants his son to have memories of being on the set of his final film. For now, he’s keeping busy with his New Beverly Cinema and writing about the classic films that sparked his passion for filmmaking.

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2026-02-05 19:44