Who References The Referencer? Supercut Explores Pop Culture Nods To Quentin Tarantino Movies
It's no secret that Quentin Tarantino movies use lots of references to other films, TV, and pop culture in general. From visual nods to chunks of narrative, dialogue, music, and more. Quentin Tarantino movies are without a doubt a post-modern stew of film history. And that's possibly why we all love them so much.
But, perversely, and also thanks to Tarantino's iconic and iconoclastic way of movie making, he's also been personally referenced himself by other directors a helluva lot in other shows and films that have been made.
Testament to that is this supercut from video essayist Jacob T. Swinney. Swinney is no stranger to exploring the nuances and techniques of Quentin Tarantino movies. He's previously looked at the director's mastery of the extreme closeup, his slick use of sound, and his bloodiest scenes.
For his latest video essay he looks at how various mediums and media pay homage to the director. From movies like Swingers, Space Jam, Shaun of the Dead, even Captain America: Winter Soldier, to television shows like The Simpsons, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Robot Chicken and The Office. There's also music videos too.
The Influences In Quentin Tarantino Movies
Of course the influence of Quentin Tarantino movies doesn't even stop there either. His dialogue, much like lines from The Simpsons, has made its way into the everyday vernacular we all use. Which is surely the mark of a director and artist who has had a huge cultural impact.
Yet, even though he's the grandmaster when it comes to referencing other works of fiction, he has said that at the core of each film is his own vision. "All my movies are achingly personal,” he's said. “People who really know me can see that in my work." And as for what has been the biggest influence on his movies, he's spoken before about it being the work of novelist Elmore Leonard. "He was probably the biggest influence on my life: I have been reading Leonard since I was 14 and got caught stealing his novel The Switch from K-Mart. I got in huge trouble. I was grounded all summer long. But I was so p*ssed off that I didn’t manage to get the book that two days later I went back and stole it proper.”
You can see more of Jacob T. Swinney's videos at his Vimeo page. And if you want to know where Tarantino's visual references come from, check out Swinney's previous video below.