Kurt Russell reveals what he has learned about Quentin Tarantino and John Carpenter when reflecting on his acting career. Russell first worked with the acclaimed Halloween director on Carpenter’s 1979 biopic Elvis, and would later collaborate on Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and Escape From LA. He then worked with Tarantino on two features, beginning with 2007’s Death Proof before reuniting on 2015’s The Hateful Eight.
As Russell looked back on his career with GQ, the actor briefly touched upon what makes both Carpenter and Tarantino unique filmmakers when reviewing his work on Death Proof.
While Russell states Tarantino was inspired by Carpenter’s work, Carpenter’s style is more reserved when compared to the former’s stand-out, bombastic filmmaking, though their motivations leave them with a lot in common. Check out Russell’s full explanation below:
One of the reasons Quentin got into making movies is ’cause of John Carpenter. I mean, I know that from the horse’s mouth. John’s more reserved in his humor and his style. Quentin is very, very outgoing. But there’s a lot of similarities too in what’s driving their mojo on making a movie. It’s not like a director who’s searching for a vision. They’ve got it in their head and it’s just a matter of them having the freedom to say “I like that, I like that, like that, don’t like that, don’t like,” you know, it’s easy for them.
Quentin Tarantino Is A Self-Confessed John Carpenter Fan
Tarantino has never been shy about his admiration for Carpenter’s filmography, opening up about his experiences with the filmmaker and his work throughout his own thirty-two-year career in interviews. When discussing the inspirations behind The Hateful Eight in 2015, Tarantino revealed that not only did The Thing inspire the Western, but also his debut Reservoir Dogs through its use of tension and paranoia in a limited setting with a small cast. Tarantino has also credited The Thing as one of the few horror films that scare him, showing his admiration for Carpenter as both a director and audience member.
Because of this, it is perhaps unsurprising that Tarantino almost took a stab at his own take on one of Carpenter’s most recognizable creations with his potential pitch for a Halloween sequel. Following Reservoir Dogs’ release, Tarantino was offered the opportunity to direct a sixth Halloween movie that would have seen Michael Myers embark on a Route 66 killing spree as the inciting incident. While Tarantino’s potential Halloween film would never come to be, his less-than-favorable view of the franchise’s various sequels left him relieved that he never brought his to life.
With his roughly sixty-year career, Russell’s perspective on two of his most well-known collaborators is a fascinating insight into two of Hollywood’s most distinct voices. Both Carpenter and Tarantino have been celebrated for their unique filmmaking visions, though it is hard to deny that the latter’s bombastic, loud, and distinct features stand out from Carpenter’s slower, subtle, but well-crafted hits. However, with Russell recognizing that both filmmakers have similar goals, viewers may be able to see just how each director is closer in priorities upon rewatches.