Why Tarantino Will Only Make 10 Movies 

Tarantino is 59, and only recently became a father. He'll be 75 when his son graduates hs. Hes a millionaire who will continue to make money from royalties after his retirement. Hes not only free to do whatever he wants in Hollywood, hes also free to do whatever he wants with his life, and I think he'd rather raise the family he started very late in life than make 10 more movies

Sure he'll end with 10, but he's already voiced his desire to move into writing novels, and working on theatre and Television. Let's not forget that he now has two children who he wants to see grow up, he doesn't want to be doing this for the rest of his life is it means a detriment to his personal life

I mean, the idea definitely adds to Tarantino’s exaggerated mystique. His other films are already cultural entities unto themselves, so closing the book early lets him end that legacy on his own terms.

Tarantino will direct Fast and Furious 10 as his finale, you heard it here first.

The Nerdwriter notification hits different

I think also when you make too many movies, even if they're all good, people will still only select a handful to talk about. I've heard that every Ingmar Bergman movie is great, but I can only take peoples word for it because I have only seen 6 of his 27 movies. There is no way I'm gonna watch that many movies from one director, I simply don't have the time. I've seen all of Tarantino's movies and can say for certain that I think they're all great. I think he wants to be remembered like Stanley Kubrick or Tarkovsky. A short but diverse filmography that is worth seeing in its entirety.

Actually this is perfect timing. The landscape of films is changing and leaving after 10 films gives Tarantino a chance to not be affected by the new changes in Hollywood (ie. Your film turning into a Netflix release)

I understand Tarantino's careful consideration of leaving a legacy he is proud of, but it makes me wonder what he will do next. For a very passionate and hard-working filmmaker like himself, I wonder if he can enjoy sipping cocktails for the rest of his life and not create anything to bring out to the public. Who knows! Congratulations on the release of your book!

love your work. going to get your book.

Man I love Tarantino I would love to see thousands of movies made by him but retiring at the 10th movie is the smartest move by him not only money wise since he would still earn a lot even during retirement but also artistic wise. An artist has a limited amount of good art he can bring to the world. Once this limited amount ends it doesn’t make sense to keep going. I think Tarantino is close to the limit.

I sincerely believe he'll never actually hold true to this promise. The promise's value isn't in limiting the chances for overstaying one's welcome, it's in marketing. When he first declared that self-imposed limitation back in the late 90s, it automatically made every subsequent Tarantino trailer intrinsically prestigious. Not "a film by Tarantino", but "The *Xth* film by Tarantino", it's like when brands make special numbered collectors editions, but for movies. That's its value, and it's worked quite well for him. More importantly, people are gonna do what they're gonna do. It's easy to make promises that only future you has to keep, but once movie 10 is in the books and it's a few years later and he's at home with some idea he thinks would make a great film...what's he gonna do, go "Oh well, I promised to never make a movie again, guess I'll just throw it in the vault"? I doubt that. He's already demonstrated his willingness to bend these rules - had he made that Star Trek movie he pitched, he said outright it wasn't going to count. Why? Why not? I mean hell, he treats Kill Bill as one movie despite releasing as two and "The Whole Bloody Affair" still not being made available to the public nearly 20 years later. The rules don't matter, they just make his oeuvre feel special.

While it is certainly an arguable take, many Hitchcock aficionados consider Frenzy to be among his strongest works. I am teaching Hitchcock soon, and my course includes ten films, The 39 Steps, Shadow of a Doubt, Spellbound, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, and Frenzy. Frenzy is also one of Hitchcock's four "doubles films," the others being Shadow of a Doubt, Strangers on a Train and Psycho, and one of my professors showed us those four films for discussion in a film theory class when I was young. He thought showing us all four films was important. You could argue that Frenzy is the least of those four films, and it might be, but not by much. A better example of a director who you could cut their late works off would be Billy Wilder. I show ten Wilder films in my Wilder course, and I stop with The Apartment, even though Wilder made nine films after 1960. Part of this has to do with the limitations of ten-week quarters where I teach, but I find Wilder's body of work more impressive before 1960 than after by a good margin. The good thing about Tarantino having ten films means if I ever teach a Tarantino course I could show all of his films. However, I find his body of work as a whole to be very uninteresting, despite my admiration, and lack thereof, of certain individual films. Tarantino' career resembled Kubrick's, in that he carefully chose his projects based in the perception he wanted to create of himself as an artist. However, the differences between Tarantino and Kubrick are more telling than the similarities. Kubrick's films as a whole have a very specific voice, coupled with an interesting intellectual obsession with dehumanization, war, and man's capacity for evil against his fellow man. It is present from his first film to his last film, even though his first two films are weak, and Lolita is a bit of a misfire. Kubrick also disowned Spartacus, which was work for hire, something Tarantino never had to do in his career. While Tarantino has made nine films, ten if you count Kill Bill as two movies, his body of work is not as intellectually compelling as Kubrick's. The most persistent theme is revenge, but all of his movies approach the subject in a different way. I don't mean how Hitchcock's movies approach guilt in a different way. While Hitchcock used that single theme to craft 53 very different films, the worldview of the director is obvious. The only variation is in how he manipulates the audience to question their own view of guilt. Tarantino by contrast doesn't have very complex ideas about revenge. The theme is incidental in his first three films, because they are all crime films, and that theme is going to be there if you really look for it. Pulp Fiction will always be remembered as the most important film of the 90s, but it is very atypical of Tarantino's work as a whole. The rest of his movies have revenge as the main theme, but in most cases, he placates his audiences' views toward revenge, and never challenges them. Only the endings of Kill Bill and The Hateful Eight deliver something challenging when it comes to revenge, and the views expressed about revenge in Tarantino's movies are so inconsistent that I am sometimes tempted to consider anything intellectually meaningful I get out of his films as unintentional. Tarantino is a great writer of dialogue, and good at creating memorable scenes and characters. He also has a good eye, though many of his most striking visuals in his movies are lifted from other directors. My overall opinion though is that his films are usually fun but often intellectually vacuous, and he lacks discipline as a storyteller, which is why most of his films are so episodic. I think Django Unchained is his best constructed screenplay, but I'm of the contrarian opinion that Inglorious Basterds is a muddled mess of a movie, with three brilliant scenes and some great performances. I meet many Tarantino fans and enthusiasts, but few who can articulate what makes a Tarantino film uniquely interesting other than its "coolness." I find Tarantino's obsession with his body of work as one connected canon to be ironic, because while he has had many successes as a filmmaker, providing an interesting body of work to present as a single artistic statement is not one of them. In fact, I would say he fails more than almost any writer-director in particular. The director I can think of who has a body of work where each movie is a piece of a greater statement is David Cronenberg. I have never taught a Cronenberg course, though I've thought about it many times, because I can't reduce his body of work to ten films, and now he has twenty. Even the "duds" like M. Butterfly and Map to the Stars are fascinating failures that could have only been made by Cronenberg. Even the "works for hire" like Fast Company, The Dead Zone, and A History of Violence feel like films that could have been made by nobody else. The irony is the reason Cronenberg succeeds at being a singular auteur with a body of work more important than any single work is he doesn't give a shit about posterity. While Cronenberg is obviously influenced by Antonioni and Bergman, he feels no need to set his career in some kind of cinematic tradition. While he makes films with an audience in mind, he is not there to entertain or earn the admiration of the audience, but to challenge and transform them. In fact, if Cronenberg read this RU-vid comment he would probably not even find it interesting, let alone care about it. Tarantino though, would likely go on a half hour rant about how I don't understand his genius.

Quentin alluded to "Kill Bill" being 2 movies & if we consider "Death Proof" a movie then, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was his final film. Sorry folks that's 10 movies already... 😢

While I'm not asserting he'll do it, I have a tiny hope that, after the tenth, Tarantino will come out with an 11th, very late in life; kind of an "epilogue"-film, I guess? Admittedly this IS wishful thinking on my part. I just love his films and also never want him to stop.

He is currently directing a romantic comedy Christmas story set in present day Manhattan. He stars in it as a data scientist youtuber who falls in Love with someone who he later discovers is his social media rival. Scenes of the two characters ice skating, picnic in park, sunset at Brooklyn bridge etc, heated passionate scenes. tears heartbreak.

I think it makes sense, to a certain point. Great directors sometimes have their catalog diluted by endless studio interference or obligations, making movie after movie. I think of Spielberg, once a man with an undeniable style and vibe, who sorta makes any and everything right now. Not saying it's bad, but Tarantino wants to make his own stuff and maintain that unique style and direction. I love his films and don't want him to stop making them, but I respect that if he feels that 10 is enough, that's enough.

Having a limit to your work also can boost your creativity. If you know you only have 1-2 more works to produce then you're desire to make them even better will be that much stronger. There's no last attempt after his 10th movie.

Shutter Island a minor? I think it's great

Really proud of you for finishing your book man. Been watching your channel for years now. You and Tony Zhao are some of the originators of the RU-vid video essay, and you set a great standard that so many have imitated. Congrats on your success and influence. Can't wait to read the book!

This reminds of how David Lynch has his never ending desire to only work on projects he is really excited about and parting ways if that doesn't work out, which has affected his filmography with each title from it feeling like a testament to his versatility to exploring different genres and themes all while staying true to his methods, which has become something of his own There is something truly charming about such directors that even makes you look brightly in the future where they might retire, or have already retired knowing that their legacy wound't be dented by a shoddy film, much like others i want Lynch and Tarantino to make more and explore their creativity but that might lead to some shabby work of art

If shutter island is minor Scorsese, then Death Proof is minor Tarantino.

French person here: the pronounciation of "oeuvre" is easier than you think. "Oeu" in French is pronounced "uh" (like the exclamation), e.g.: oeuf ("uh-ff") = egg. So basically just forget the spelling, just say "uh" and then "vre". "uh-vre"

I did say he will start writing novels, which sounds pretty awesome to me.

Interesting, I wouldn't classify Shutter Island as minor Scorsese, but I would definitely give Jackie Brown and Death Proof that label. I haven't felt the need to rewatch the Hateful Eight since I saw that, either, so I wouldn't say Tarantino has avoided the Major/Minor game completely. Congrats on the book!

I think a body of work should be more about the progression of the artist. If you don't take risks and make bad art you won't grow.

Congratulations on publishing your first book! Love your video essays and excited to read more of your writing :)

Congrats on the book! And thanks for your wonderful oeuvre of video essays.

I have never seen a more immersive/intuitive/well done way to advertise for a book haha. Love the vids! I think I might check this book out after seeing what it’s all about these last couple vids.

Hugh congratulations on the book! Its amazing the journey you have been on since you started here. Its awesome to see and I (and I am sure many others) are very proud!

I love how happy you are getting to present your book to the world, it feels like the relief of someone who finally got to do the one things they've been wanting to do for a long time.

My view is that Tarantino thinks life itself is a story, which will have some kind of clean resolution for him without any loose ends. Maybe he hasn't met enough people who've died before reaching their full potential.

I really love the visuals of the Oeuvres Gallery. A great idea executed wonderfully.😊

Maybe he doesn't want to make movies that suck and so being picky and making only movies you are passionate about will get you remembered as a great film maker.

Decided to watch to see if you were on the ball with this, since I am extremely familiar with Tarantino's reasons for stopping at 10 films (having listened to literally every podcast he's appeared on, and nearly all interviews. So many people are confused about it,, and he's often been completely misquoted on this - eg Jason Bateman paraphrased his statement to PTA as "Every director only has 10 good movies" which QT doesn't believe in the slightest. You're 100% right that he's obsessed with oeuvre, and he's similarly obsessed with the trajectory of other directors careers (just see the Final Films episode of The Pure Cinema Podcast which he guests on). He doesn't want to outlast his skill as a director, and feels that one bad film can cost 3 good ones. However it's not only about having a perfect oeuvre, and stopping games of major/minor like you pointed out. He's also looking into the future with his plan, and how he can give his career a lasting impact. To elaborate what I mean by that, I'll use the example he uses in a Hollywood Reporter discussion - when he was young, he discovered Howard Hawkes and became a massive fan, first he discovered Rio Bravo, and then he saw Barbary Coast or something, then His Girl Friday. I am making up the order, but the idea was he had a gold streak that got him to love this director, when he might've ended up dropping him had he seen two mediocre Hawkes pictures first. Similarly he imagines young guys and girls in the future, discovering Tarantino films. Now he doesn't want them to start with his Alien 3 or The Ladykillers and then get turned off. He wants to give future discoverers that golden streak, that has them go from one film to the next with growing excitement. And then there's reasons that have nothing to do with oeuvre - he's getting older and he has other things he wants to do. He wants to do a play, novels, film criticism, and doesn't want to be stuck with tunnel vision for filmmaking, believing it's the only thing he can do and dragging himself through it. He doesn't want to have to keep waking up for call sheets in the morning. He wants to spend more time at home, be a man of letters, especially now when he has a wife and two children.

His writing never fails to impress. I haven't seen every film of his till date, but his writing is consistently great with all of his movies that I have watched. There may be other minor issues with few of his films, but the writing is unmatched.

Love your contents! I'm curious what was that 3D like environment to showcase Oeuvre gallery?

being a film nerd, he no doubt give a lot of thought into this, and designing it from the beginning

The art gallery visuals and the editing you did to make that work are really cool.

The Beatles are a perfect example of a body of work being a work in itself. The Beatles discography sees the band rise from humble beginnings, to the peaks of worldwide fame, and their evolution into true innovators of popular song. And they did all of that in just EIGHT YEARS. They made Abbey Road and parted ways still on top of the world! You can see in “Let It Be” probably the closest they came to releasing a clunker at the bitter end, but that never happened. They left the party on their own terms when EVERYONE begged them to stay

I read Tarantino's thoughts on Howard Hawks and John Wayne's 'Rio Lobo' just the other day. He regarded them as "cutting-edge artists" and "the coolest guys", who "stayed too long at the party... not realizing the world has turned on them... ", before declaring he doesn't want to make his own 'Rio Lobo'.

I bought your book, can't wait to read it!

Bought the book. Excited to dig in Evan. Thank you for inspiring my own journey into essay writing and video!

I pre-ordered the hardcover version and it arrived today! Already enjoying it and glad to see the insight and articulation of your videos carried over seamlessly to your book!

Tarantino is very much concerned if he keeps going he may make a bad movie like death proof again! And if his latest movie is a flop he has to come back and redeem himself. But what if THAT movie is a flop too?! In order to end your career on a very much high note. And to not risk any damage after… I can understand why he wants to limit himself to only 10 movies!! 🎥

How is Shutter Island minor Scorsese, it's a great movie

Pre-ordered from Powell's Bookstore in Portland, Oregon (not a fan of chains), and it arrived this past weekend. Dove into the first chapter on Emerson, and am loving it. Well done, young man.

The shutter Island comment was out of line.

I have some doubts that he will leave his Filmography at only 10 movies. Sure I think he has the resolve to publicly retire after his 10th and stay retired for at the very least a decade. But the thing is Tarantino is a creative, he is constantly coming up with new ideas, and his favorites manifest into films. In one interview he mentioned that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was supposed to just be a Novel, he started out writing it and got about half way before he decided that it had to be a movie instead. For Tarantino the ultimate creative outlet for him is making movies, and unless his passion for making movies fades, or he finds an outlet that is as satisfying to him as making movies (like doing Miniseries on TV as he's often mused about making, or writing books) I think that over time he will eventually return to the big screen (that is provided that phsyical film has not yet died out) because as he often states he makes movies that he wants to see. And I'm sure that if no films coming out scratch that itch for "good cinema" (as he personally defines) he'll come back and make it himself for himself.

So glad there’s an audiobook. I’m big into getting stuff done whilst absorbing content. Congrats, Evan, on your two year journey! Quite an accomplishment in your own body of work. 😎👍🏼

A small comment on your definition on "oeuvre" as "a body of work" related to your question "can a body of work be a work of art?" Of course the response seems to be indubitably yes, but I wanted to add this : In french language, some consider that "usage makes law", in that oeuvre has slowly lost the meaning of body of work (we actually use another similar word for it in construction : ouvrage) beginning with Marcel Duchamps (readymade) blurring the line between objects and art. Nowadays when people call something an "oeuvre", it is directly related to the artistic aspect of a creation, it still technically means the ensemble of creations from an artist, but common folks use the word to describe a particularly moving piece or art, just like a work of art (="oeuvre d'art). I don't know if you bring up this in your book but I thought it was worth mentioning from a language usage approach.

Seems like a gimmick to me

Congratulations on your book. I like your short format videos. I don't remember which of your videos brought me in, but the variety of topics from Gordon Parks to Logan is great, and then there is the need to watch or re-watch when something occurs such as Norm Macdonald's death.

Well Death Proof is definitely a minor film

Congrats on the book release! My copy should get here on Friday and I’m stoked to read it, been a fan for a couple years :)

Let's end with a Marvel movie. Hehe

Congratulations on your new book! I don’t think I’ll be able to support you buying it, but I hope it does well and will continue to watch and like your videos, they are all very good :)

A true artist will always find a way to express themselves. If QT only makes 10 films, he will surely continue on as a writer of novels (as we’ve seen with Once Upon a Time).

I really appreciate you're mentioning the music you put in the video! Thumbs up!

Tarantino does have a *major/minor* dichotomy. Death Proof is in the minor camp, as Pulp Fiction helms the major. That is inescapable, unless you're Denis Villeneuve, who just keeps landing in the major zone with every release.

Can't remember who said it. I think it was on the Empire Movie podcast a few years ago, but with regards to QT saying he's only going to make 10 films, and that he counts kill bill vol 1 and 2 as one film: "You charged me for 2 tickets, its 2 movies" He's already made 10.

Tarantino's just making more time for defending what Roman Polanski did that time.

Evan! I have a topic I think you could touch on in a video. I heard someone calling Stranger Things (specifically season 2) campy. I would not describe it as campy, but I'm realizing I have zero clue what campy even means. Can you make something going over what is camp? How to use it? Is it good or bad?

Tarantino should keep making movies man... He's one of the only few whose making old school pure Hollywood movies

Congrats on the book! I never think of my drawings/paintings in ouvres. But whenever I go carefully through them, I start seeing themes or techniques that have thematic resemblence. You can call that subconciously thinking in ouvres.

Easily one of the greatest directors of all time.

To think I’ve seen this directors entire body of work over my nearly 30 years. With its gritty violence, harsh realities and satisfying fights and endings. I will miss his films but I understand as an artist that if he’s saying he’s done then he is done. I hope he moves onto other avenues Oh and I pre ordered your book and it will be arriving in the mail anyday now

So good to see how happy you are with the book! Keep up the good work

I began your book yesterday, I already love it. What you wrote at the beginning about education and your childhood really spoke to me, and inspired my thoughts throughout the rest of my day. Glad to see your evolution Max, from France, excited to see your nexts œuvres 😉 (the way you said it was pretty cute 😌)

Beyonce?!?!

Hey Nerdwriter, any idea if your book is going to be available here in Brazil? Even if it comes out in English, here, I really would like to read it. Thanks, and great video!

Wait, Shutter island is amazing!?

Heads UP: It's a nerd search or worth a google, but I think he doesn't accept Death Proof has apart of his 10 film catalogue. I think Kill Bill Vol.2 filled that role.

All good but why did Once upon a time in Holywood sucked then? Such a shame 1/10 went to waste.

My favorite Tarantino movie, or at least the one that's stuck with me the most, is his interview on the Howard Stern Show (2003), where he went to great lengths to defend Roman Polanski. Definitely some of the most insane dialogue ever to come out of his mouth!

I think Tarantino started downhill after Kill Bill, when it seems he just started getting blank cheques. In putting everything he makes on this massive pedestal, his work has become too bombastic. What I think he should do is challenge himself to work outside of his comfort zone and make, for example, a sci fi drama produced straight to Netflix on smartphone cameras. But he can't do that after proclaiming it'll be his last movie, that's like grabbing a big mac for your last meal.

I've always enjoyed your channel and the work you do so I had pre-ordered your book and am looking forward to listening to it on my commute home today.

Just don't say 'oeuvre' if you can't pronounce it, like at all. Embarrassing. (By the way, try the phoneme in 'bird')

Simple. He cares about quality over quantity.

I disliked video just by title alone...

Will there be a re-print available in the UK? The books are already sold out.

(Great Master) (Great Master) Beyonce (Great Master)

*Eleven You don't get to count two different movies as one just because you feel like it, Q.

thank fuck it's only 10. should have been 0

Another interesting angle here is whether Tarantino approaches his 10th film differently, knowing that it's his last. More pressure on himself in writing, directing, etc.? In casting does he seek to work with his favorite performers from his previous 9? Does he seek out actors he's wanted to work with but hasn't yet? Could he trust a up-&-comer in this oeuvre-concluding work? Will he be stricter or more relaxed than usual with the actors on set?

Is it because he’s got a foot fetish?

My copy is arriving today! Congratulations on this achievement, Evan!

Oh no one more movie and we might not get anymore from that creep? So sad wow how will we cope

I've ordered my copy and I look forward to reading it. Thanks for everything you've done so far, dude. Thank God you didn't quit after 10 essays. Phew!

Just listened to the first essay about Waldo Emerson(hope i spelled that right). It was great! And a promise for the essays to come. Thanks, i really appreciate your body of work.

Went to buy the ebook but it looks like it isn't available in the UK (tried amazon and apple books). Any ETA for that?

gonna find that book out there homey! stoked to read it. thanks for all the words and all the thoughts, all the inspiration and all the years!!!

*Huge* congrats on the book! It has come out on my birthday and I'll be looking to pick up a copy soon. ✌

Will there be an audiobook coming out? Hope you do as that's how I learn since I'm dyslexic. Either way, as someone who followed you for a long time, this is an awesome milestone.

I'm excited to have this book in hand today! I've loved many of your videos. You have a unique voice and gift for storytelling. Can't wait and congratulations!

Book is great, if anyone wants to hear it from a random long-time subscriber. Very very very enjoyable and well written. The magic of articulation in our time.

So happy for you! Won't lie, your channel had kind of 'fallen off my algorithm', but I am a longtime fan and so happy to see that your book is finally here. Just purchased, and thank you for the years of thought-provoking video essays.

Congratulations on the book release! Will definitely be pickin up as soon as it's available in my country

Wish your book will be released in the Philippines! Keep on creating, man.

Why Shutter Island as Example ? This movie is great

Will there be an audiobook narration of your book? I don't have the time to actually read, but me forenzing would find your words interesting.