* * * * (Out of * * * *)
1. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
2. Jackie Brown (1997)
3. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
4. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Season 5 (2004-2005)
4a. Episode 24: Grave Danger (2005)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Django Unchained (2012)
7a. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
7a. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
8. The Hateful Eight (2015)
9. Death Proof (2007)
(released theatrically as part of the 2007 film Grindhouse)
10. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
cinematiccoffee 
Jackie Brown is my favorite Tarantino film. I love how he goes for a very straightforward character driven narrative. He doesn’t get carried away with style over substance and he doesn’t go cra cra with the dialogue. (And,he doesn’t insert himself as an actor. It’s a wonderful ensemble piece.) It’s very natural and it rings true.
Next I have to go with Reservoir Dogs. I saw it when it first came out and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was floored. To me it was like he was taking the violence of Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch and marrying it with the blood lust of The Last House on the Left. The dialogue was rhythmic, realistic and revolutionary. I loved it.
I enjoy Pulp Fiction, I’ve seen it many, many times but I wasn’t as enamored with it as everybody else was. It’s my #3.
Then Inglorious Bastards which I view as just another Tarantino film except it’s about Nazis, it has Christolph Waltz and Hitler doesn’t die in the bunker. Then Django Unchained which is basically Inglorious Bastards as a Western with racist rednecks, an uncle tom and vile slave trader as cannon fodder. Bravo. That’s my top 5.
I too loved Jackie Brown and along with Out of Sight, probably one of the greatest of more recent adaptations of Elmore Leonard material. In this case, it was an adaptation of “Rum Punch” 🙂 And yes, thank goodness Tarantino did not cast himself in a role 🙂
Reservoir Dogs is a true cult film and even though he would go on to do more polished films, this one remains compulsively watchable and I love how you make comparisons to aspects of Straw Dogs, The Wild Bunch and Last House on the Left.
Whereas Reservoir Dogs was brilliant in it’s plotting and dialogue, Pulp Fiction is not only brilliant in those two categories, but also in Tarantino’s direction and gave him all the encouragement to do something ambitious on that scale with his next film Jackie Brown.
Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained are like Tarantino summing up everything he loves about the genres and films he loves and putting on a cinematic spectacle blended in with history.
Your rankings are interesting btw 🙂 Once again, thanks for dropping by and keep those comments coming 🙂
Jackie Brown is hands down my top Tarantino film, with a standout turn from Pam Grier, and the excellent (underrated) Robert Forster as Max Cherry. Pulp Fiction would be number 2, for its ensemble genius. I actually applauded at the end of that, unheard of in British Cinemas. As for Reservoir Dogs, have you seen the original film it copied, ‘City On Fire’? I suspect you have.
Best wishes, Pete.
I have seen Ringo Lam’s City On Fire and I loved it. Please tell me, when you first saw Pulp Fiction, did everybody look at you when you were applauding since you mentioned that it was uncommon in cinemas in Britain? 🙂 Jackie Brown is outstanding like the rest of Tarantino’s work and here is an interesting piece of trivia (though you probably know this already): did you know that to this day, it serves as Tarantino’s only adapted screenplay? It was based on Elmore Leonard’s novel entitled “Rum Punch” Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂 P.S. I replied to your comment under the David Cronenberg post 🙂
I did know about ‘Rum Punch’, and yes, they did look at me strangely when I applauded in the cinema. (Even my wife at the time) I have never done that since. 🙂
That is pretty funny 🙂
Too difficult to say.
Probably Reservoir Dogs first as I’ve seen that the most. When it came out it just blew me away. Who the FxCK was this QT guy! Then your top 4 would fit in somewhere around there but mixed to whatever mood I was feeling. Will be introducing Jackie Brown to my daughter in the next few weeks. Can’t wait to see it and my darling Pam again.
You know it is interesting, even for Tarantino fans who saw Pulp Fiction first, they always talk about Reservoir Dogs the most. Ain’t that something? 🙂 I think your daughter will love Jackie Brown and interestingly enough, it is Tarantino’s only adapted screenplay – it is loosely based on the Elmore Leonard novel Rum Punch. Fascinating isn’t it? 🙂 Anyway, thanks for dropping by 🙂
Elmore Leonard had a good run with his novels in the 90s with that trio of great film adaptions. Get Shorty, Out Of Sight and Jackie Brown all coming one after each other.