Comix Confessions
Plus, a Tarantino speculation & Billy Dogma
Early in his career, Quentin Tarantino wrote screenplay's titled “True Romance,” “Pulp Fiction,” and a movie called “Death Proof” for a cinematic anthology called “Grindhouse.”
It appears that Tarantino liked to write movies with titles that sounded like a movie category in a movie video store section. Which makes sense because half of Tarantino's film education came from working and co-curating a movie rental store in the 1980s.
Recently, Tarantino made it known that he is only going to direct ten movies and probably transition to creating plays and books. I imagine that he will consider directing television, too. Which means he has one movie left in his arsenal and he's already claimed it will be titled “The Movie Critic.” Which makes sense and sounds super-meta if you read his book “Cinema Speculation” and listen to “The Video Archives” podcast with his old pal/movie-maker, Roger Avary.
I believe Tarantino to be a great cinematic deejay. But before he folds his movie director chair, what genre do you think is missing from Tarantino's oeuvre? A title that would fit in a hip movie rental store?
1 – Crime Noir
2 – Spaghetti Western
3 – Giallo
4 – Chop Socky
5 - Revenge-o-matic
6 – Slasher
7 - Superhero
One could argue “crime noir” is covered in a lot of Tarantino movies like “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pulp Fiction,” and “Jackie Brown.” As is the spirit of Giallo. He covered spaghetti westerns in “Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight.” Chop Socky (Kung Fu) and “revenge-o-matic,” (a term coined by Tarantino himself) got covered in “Kill Bill volumes 1 and 2.” So that leaves us with the Slasher category which was hinted at in the Manson Family parts of “Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood.” Slasher is a sub-genre of 1980s horror, which Tarantino would be a student of and inspired by. Only in “Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood,” the knife was a dog.
I know I'm ignoring other major genres like comedy, science-fiction, fantasy, and superhero, but one could argue Tarantino sprinkles comedy throughout all his movies bringing levity to his drama. He even wrote a gangster-inspired treatment for a Star Trek movie that may or may not get made by someone in the near future. I believe Tarantino has already demonstrated fantasy to a magnificent degree in movies like “Inglourious Basterds” and “Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood.” And, even though Tarantino was weened on comic books, there's no way he's gonna write a superhero movie (although he did express interest in Marvel Comics' Luke Cage - Hero for Hire, eons ago).
Personally, I would love to see Tarantino tackle a proper horror film. I don't know what more you can do and say with the Slasher sub-genre but that hasn't stopped anyone. Two of my favorite non-John Carpenter horror movies are “Maniac,” directed by William Lustig, and “Tourist Trap,” directed by David Schmoeller. “Maniac” is more psychological while “Tourist Trap” leans into the supernatural and I'd like to see Tarantino write something in that realm. A surreal space where he could explore the schizophrenic psyche of a madman. But I suspect he'd write something more cult related. A cross-between “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” “The Invitation” (2016) and “Barbarian.” But, who knows what kind of horror movie Tarantino would write? The guy likes to take big, unexpected swings and I appreciate that.
What untried genre would you like to see Quentin Tarantino tackle?
Or, who is one of your favorite directors (dead or alive) and what kind of movie do you wish they had made -- and why?
If you’re in NYC next Thursday, I’ll be reading excerpts from COVID COP and BILLY DOGMA, alongside other great cartoonists at Theodore Gallery. Come buy a copy of Covid Cop #1 and/or any of the comix made for sale at our intimate salon. This event is in conjunction with the current exhibit, “Sequential Obsessions,” interlacing extraordinary comics art with equally extraordinary contemporary art.
Comix Confessions
A Reading of Comix Stories by New York Cartoonists!
Gabrielle Bell, Dean Haspiel, Peter Rostovsky and Bishakh Som
July 13th, 5-8pm
Reading starts at 6:30 pm!
Theodore Gallery
373 Broadway, Suite F10, Buzz #610 (6th floor), NYC
I’ve been busy avoiding paid work for personal work and it’s only ramping up the anxiety factor. But so it goes. I wrote a short horror film script about Artificial Intelligence that I hope to direct. Revisited and revised a play I abandoned in 2018 that I pray to nail. Finished the comic book script for COVID COP #2 that I plan to draw this Fall. And I’m launching my BILLY DOGMA Kickstarter on July 11th.
For those who are unfamiliar, I’ll tell y’all more about Billy & Jane in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, please click the NOTIFY ME ON LAUNCH button here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deanhaspiel/billy-dogma
I appreciate you.
xox
—Dean
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