Disappointing narration

Unfortunately only the first and last chapters are read by Tarrantino himself which is disappointing. The other guy does a good job but it'd be better if Quentin read the whole thing as its written so much in his voice.

4 people found this helpful

A cinephile's dream

if you like someone talking with great insight about their movie influences then I can but hop you enjoy this book as much as as I am.

3 people found this helpful

Incredible!

What a book. Incredible. 9 hours of QT waxing lyrical about the movies that made him.

1 person found this helpful

I hope he does lots of these!

At first I was disappointed to discover Quentin doesn't narrate the majority of the book. However, the guy who does is actually very good and actually captures those Tarantino inflections without straight up doing an impression.

It's just great. I could listen to his thoughts on film all day and never get bored. Even if you aren't a tarantino fan, his knowledge of film and his take on the selection chosen for the book, would be interesting to anyone.

1 person found this helpful

Wonderful

This is so much more than it appears to be. A great deal of info about fantastic movies long forgotten, but also a very revealing read about Tarantino as a person. It exceeded my expectations, and taught me a few things. Thank you, Mr. Tarantino.

Cinema Speculation - fantastic

The best audiobook of 2023 so far... A great journey through movies at had an effect on him from one of the greatest movie makes of the modern age.

Great stories about iconic films (and others!)

Terrific book, written with humour and love. Makes you want to revisit (or watch for the first time) many of the classic and not so classic movies of Tarantino’s youth. It also makes you long for the days of double bills and non multiplex cinema visits, whether you were there or not. You get the occasional nod or reference to his own movies but this is about the movies he grew up with and the people that influenced him. Although Tarantino only reads the first chapter and some notes toward the end of this audiobook, you can “hear”his voice throughout. Recommended. Be prepared to Google many a name!

Screen Time

Quentin Tarantino went to the cinema a lot when he was a primary school kid to see Dirty Harry and other violent movies. His mum took him - along with whoever she was dating at the time. Tarantino had a child psychologist at school - who was also a movie buff and talked about violent films with the young QT. So you can see perhaps where his love of films and later movie-making started (and his penchant for violence in his work). This is in some ways a book about going to the cinema in the 1970s and what the movies were like. It’s extreme geekery, as you’d expect, probing esoterica, much of it long-forgotten (and maybe rightly so). There’s also talk of more mainstream hits such as Jaws and Rocky (which QT loved). At times, my mind wandered - especially, for example, when we got into the weeds of an elaborate plot for a creaky 1970s thriller. The problem is the narration. QT narrates the first and last sections - and this works very well. The last section is probably the best bit. Ballerini does a serviceable job overall - though sounds a little sedated - but there’s no substitute for the passion of the man himself. Not having QT narrate the whole book was a mistake. That said, this mix of cinema reportage and memoir does work well and fans will love it. It’s at its strongest when QT takes a broad overview of the industry and its history, though some of the synopses of his favourite movies can be fun. If you’re a cinephile, you’ll find it interesting; if you’re a QT fan, you may have heard or read it already. Either way, it’s worth your time if you take movies seriously. But it’s hard to imagine anyone taking them more seriously than QT…

Properly outstanding

Film history and criticism Tarantino style. Listening to how loving and enthusiastic this book has clearly been written with was a pure joy

Pulp Faction

Quentin’s love for his early, life-forming experiences at his local cinemas is infectious, informative and feckin’ funny.