TARANTINO

Biography

QUENTIN TARANTINO WAS BORN ON MARCH 27, 1963 IN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, THE SON OF A 16 YEAR OLD NURSING STUDENT CONNIE AND A 21 YEAR OLD LAW STUDENT AND ASPIRING ACTOR TONY. CONNIE NAMED HIM AFTER BURT REYNOLDS' INDIAN CHARACTER, "QUINT" ON THE 60S TV SERIES GUNSMOKE. WHEN QUENTIN WAS 2, THEY MOVED TO SOUTH LOS ANGELES WHICH IS WHERE QUENTIN GREW UP. HIS MOTHER TOOK HIM TO THE CINEMA FROM AN EARLY AGE, HE SAW FILMS LIKE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (WHICH WAS A MAJOR INSPIRATION), THE WILD BUNCH AT AGE 6, CARNAL KNOWLEDGE AT AGE 8 AND DELIVERANCE AT AGE 9. FROM THESE EARLY INTRODUCTIONS TO CINEMA, TARANTINO FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MOVIES AND WENT AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.

BY 1988, TARANTINO HAD WRITTEN HIS SECOND SCRIPT, NATURAL BORN KILLERS AND IN 1990 HE SOLD THE SCRIPT FOR TRUE ROMANCE FOR $50,000. HE DECIDED TO USE THIS MONEY TO MAKE HIS THIRD SCRIPT, RESERVOIR DOGS ON 16MM AND IN BLACK AND WHITE WITH HIS FRIENDS IN THE LEADING ROLES. IT WAS AROUND THIS POINT THAT TARANTINO LEFT THE VIDEO STORE TO DO REWRITES FOR CINETEL, A SMALL HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION COMPANY - IT WAS AT THIS TIME HE MET LAWRENCE BENDER AND STRUCK LUCKY; BENDER WAS ATTENDING ACTING CLASSES WITH PETER FLOOD, WHO WAS DIVORCED FROM ACTING TEACHER LILY PARKER AND KNEW HARVEY KEITEL FROM THE ACTORS STUDIO. KEITEL SAW THE SCRIPT AND WAS IMPRESSED ENOUGH TO RAISE SOME MORE FINANCE, ACT IN THE FILM AND HELP TARANTINO CAST THE MAIN ROLES. AT THIS POINT, PRODUCERS MONTE HELLMAN AND RICHARD GLADSTEIN

ALSO JOINED THE PROJECT.

IN 1991, TARANTINO FILMED SOME SCENES AT SUNDANCE WITH HIM PLAYING

THE ROLE OF MR. WHITE AND STEVE BUSCEMI PLAYING MR. PINK. THESE SCENES

WERE SHOWN TO VARIOUS FILM PEOPLE TO COMMENT ON AND THE GROUP

CONTAINING TERRY GILLIAM WERE PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED. RESERVOIR DOGS

FINALLY PREMIERED AT SUNDANCE '92 BEFORE APPEARING AT VARIOUS FILM

FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD. MIRAMAX PICKED THE FILM UP FOR

DISTRIBUTION AFTER SUNDANCE AND IT WAS RELEASED IN THE US LATER IN

1992 AND IN THE UK ON JANUARY 8 1993. TARANTINO TRAVELED AROUND THE

VARIOUS FESTIVALS IN 1992 PROMOTING HIS FILM AND WRITING HIS NEXT

SCRIPT, 'PULP FICTION' WHICH WENT ON TO WIN THE PALME D'OR AT CANNES

IN 1994. IT FINALLY OPENED AMIDST INCREDIBLE HYPE AND CRITICAL ACCLAIM

ON OCTOBER 14 IN THE US AND OCTOBER 21 IN THE UK.

IN 1996 HE ALSO APPEARED IN THE MOVIE 'GIRL 6', ACTING HIMSELF, CURDLED WHERE THE 'GECKO BROTHERS' FROM 'DUSK' APPEAR HE WAS PRODUCING, HE MADE SOME CHANGES FOR 'THE ROCK' AND APPEARED IN STEVEN SPIELBERG'S DIRECTOR'S CHAIR, A CD-ROM GAME. BEING A FAN AND FRIEND OF THE AMERICAN TOP-SELLER AUTHOR ELMORE LEONARD, IN 1997 HE DECIDED TO MAKE THE

MOVIE 'JACKIE BROWN' BASED UPON LEONARD'S NOVEL RUM PUNCH.

TARANTINO’S FILM