Tarantino
talks violence at
film festival
The screenwriter/director
By Tim Ryan
is among the biggest names
to attend, ever
Star-BulletinAcademy Award winner Quentin Tarantino, one of the most celebrated writer-directors of the decade with hits like "Pulp Fiction," "Reservoir Dogs" and "Jackie Brown," will attend the 18th annual Hawaii International Film Festival for the screening of his 1997 film "Full Tilt Boogie."
The festival begins Friday. "Full Tilt Boogie" will be shown on Oahu at 6 p.m. Nov. 11 at Signature Pearl Highlands. "Full Tilt Boogie" is a documentary about the production of "From Dusk Till Dawn" and the people who made it, including Robert Rodriguez, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis and Harvey Keitel.
Tarantino, one of the HIFF's highest profile attendees ever, arrives in Hawaii tomorrow. He will participate in a panel discussion on film violence -- "On-Screen Violence: How Much is Too Much" -- at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hawaii Theatre Mezzanine Room.
Tarantino will also show his personal copy of the 1977 classic Hong Kong monster thriller, "Mighty Peking Man," at 11:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Hawaii Theatre.
After laboring in a Manhattan Beach, Calif., video store for four years, Tarantino, now 35, made his feature directoral and screenwriting debut with "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992, a violent crime drama. Originally budgeted for a $35,000, the production grew to $1.5 million after Keitel became enamored of the script and agreed to star. The result was a cleverly structured and stylized caper dealing with themes of masculinity, loyalty and betrayal that was further bolstered by top notch tough-guy performances.
"Reservoir Dogs" premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival, where it was snubbed by the jury. Tarantino subsequently was courted by the industry and lionized by some critics as the next Martin Scorsese.
Tarantino lived up to his praise with his next project in 1993, "True Romances," an adolescent boy's daydream fueled by pop culture, violence, and testosterone. "Natural Born Killers" was also written by Tarantino.
Tarantino revisited depicted an urban landscape filled with gangsters given to low-level postulating in "Pulp Fiction."
Boasting a cast that included Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Uma Thurman and Christopher Walken, "Pulp Fiction" premiered to acclaim and some controversy at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival where it received the Palme d'Or. The film went on to box-office success, taking in over $100 million domestically.
Later that year, Tarantino received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film.
For HIFF ticket information call 528-HIFF (4433) or visit the HIFF box office at Ward Warehouse, middle driveway, second floor. Festival program guides are available at HIFF headquarters and all Starbucks Coffee locations.
Unlike previous festivals, this year there is no free ticket line to gain entry after ticket holders have been allowed inside. Only ticketholders will be admitted to screenings.
