Tarantino Unchained: His 5 Most Bizarre Meltdowns

4. Jan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGQaJcwAtpU The Meltdown: I don't know who "Jan" is exactly, but I don't like her hat. I don't much care for her interview technique, either, given that she conducts this particular interview with Tarantino with about as much tact as the nurse from Misery. This interview was broadcast live in 2003 when Kill Bill, Vol. 1 was hitting theatres, and movie violence was - once again - being blamed for inspiring real-life killing sprees. Jan - the loud-mouthed woman who has been poised to interview our loud-mouthed director - becomes increasingly agitated with Tarantino's stance on the matter and begins to poke fun. Tarantino, realising that Jan is out for his blood, decides to answer her questions in the manner they deserve: with complete flippancy. "Why the need for such gruesome, graphic violence?" bellows Jan like a waking Jabberwocky, only for Tarantino to yell back: "Because-it's-so-much-fun, Jan! Get it!" Jan doesn't like this very much, of course, and tries to peg the director as a depraved product of movie violence after he tells her that he used to watch violent movies as a kid. "You're talking about real-life and I'm talking about the movies," Tarantino insists, though at this point the interview has disintegrated into something resembling the sixth stage of a shouting contest. Was It Justified? This interview was doomed from the start. Jan was obviously invited on the show because the producers knew she'd yell things at Tarantino like an ill-informed mom who can't see the difference between movie violence, gun control and mental health. Though Tarantino is right to insist that movie violence and real-life violence are worlds apart, he probably could've done without recommending that a 12-year-old go see Kill Bill. Anyway, this is pretty funny, so who cares?
Contributor

All-round pop culture obsessive.