Tarantino Hates 80s Movies Except For These 6
It turns out Tarantino absolutely despises the 80s era because of political correctness. But there are still some exceptions — Tarantino fans, go add them to your watchlists!
We all know and love Tarantino for his unapologetic takes. On The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the director of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill admitted:
“To me the 80s and the 50s were the worst time for movies ever ‘cause it was just this kind of politically correct time. In the 80s it was self-censorship. It was the rise of political correctness after the 70s where everything was just “go as far as you can.” Then all of the sudden everything got watered down. Every character had to be likable and the audience had to like everybody.”
However, later in the interview, Tarantino admitted that there are movies from that decade he actually enjoyed. Today, we're taking a look at every single one of those 6 Tarantino-approved films.
Year of the Dragon (1985) Gets Crime Thriller Right
Directed by Michael Cimino. Genres: action, crime, drama, thriller.
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Year of the Dragon has 53% from critics and 53% from the audience.
- On IMDb, Year of the Dragon is rated 6.8/10.
Mickey Rourke leads this intense crime drama that dives deep into New York's Chinatown. This gritty thriller explores the cultural tensions and the price of justice. Tarantino said:
“But every once in a while a movie would pierce through. And it would be like, oh wow, that was f– terrific. And you would see how the critics would like have a conniption about it. And but like to us, this was the real noise. This was the s–. And we loved it. And it was something like the Year of the Dragon would come out and that would be fantastic.”
Year of the Dragon is available on Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, and Apple TV.
8 Million Ways to Die (1986): A Highly Underrated Action Tarantino Loved
Directed by Hal Ashby. Genres: action, crime, drama, thriller.
- On Rotten Tomatoes, 8 Million Ways to Die has 0% from critics and 39% from the audience.
- On IMDb, 8 Million Ways to Die is rated 5.7/10.
8 Million Ways to Die is a gritty dive into Los Angeles' underbelly that Tarantino praised, saying:
“Hal Ashby's 8 Million Ways to Die with Jeff Bridges and Andy Garcia. That was f– fantastic.”
It follows a former detective battling his own demons while getting deeper and deeper in LA's crime world.
8 Million Ways to Die is available on The CW and Fawesome completely free of charge.
Flesh+Blood (1985): Medieval Mayhem That Mesmerized Tarantino
Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Genres: period drama, adventure.
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Flesh+Blood has 82% from critics and 63% from the audience.
- On IMDb, Flesh+Blood is rated 6.7/10.
Flesh+Blood follows a girl who finds herself captivated by those who kidnapped her. The movie explores Stockholm Syndrome in a way you've never seen before. It unapologetically refuses to play by conventional rules. Tarantino said:
“Paul Verhoeven's Flesh+Blood with Rutger Hauer. That was f– amazing.”
Flesh+Blood is available on Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, and Apple TV.
Manhunter (1986): the OG Hannibal Lecter Story
Directed by Michael Mann. Genres: crime, mystery, thriller.
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Manhunter has 94% from critics and 77% from the audience.
- On IMDb, Manhunter is rated 7.2/10.
Following Will Graham into the darkness he tried to escape, the film creates tension through an increasing sense of dread. Tarantino noted:
“Michael Mann's Manhunter...The first of the Hannibal Lecter thing. And William Peters is just terrific as f– Will Graham.”
Manhunter is available for free on Kanopy.
Near Dark (1987): A Horror Tarantino Saw 5 Times
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Genres: contemporary western, horror, dark comedy.
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Near Dark has 83% from critics and 74% from the audience.
- On IMDb, Near Dark is rated 6.9/10.
Caleb Colton (Adrian Pasdar) encounter with a beautiful vampire leads him into a world he never thought of. Tarantino got really enthusiastic about Near Dark, saying:
“The f– massacre scene in the diner, which was like: oh my God, that's like the f– Manson family just walked into this bar and just massacred everybody. It was a great movie. Now no scene was quite as good as the massacre scene, but it didn't have to be. I saw that film five times just for that scene.”
Unfortunately, Near Dark is not available for streaming or purchasing online. But you can get a DVD on Amazon.
Breathless (1983) Inspired Tarantino’s Own Movies
Directed by Jim McBride. Genres: action, drama, romance, thriller
- On Rotten Tomatoes, Breathless has 63% from critics and 49% from the audience.
- On IMDb, Breathless is rated 6.0/10.
“The only movie that kind of approximated the kind of movies that I later made, or that I thought about, or the movies I was making in my mind was Jim McBride's remake of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, the Breathless with Richard Gere. That was about as close to a Quentin movie as I had ever seen at the theaters,” Tarantino revealed.
The story follows our anti-hero as he drives from Las Vegas to Los Angeles in a stolen car, leaving nothing but chaos everywhere he goes. It's a perfect movie with a reckless energy Tarantino holds so dearly.
You can catch Breathless on Hoopla for free.
