5. Sally Menke
Sadly, long-time Tarantino collaborator Sally Menke passed away in 2010. As Tarantinos loyal and exceptionally talented editor, Menke worked on all of his feature films until her death, starting with Reservoir Dogs and ending with Inglourious Basterds. Yes, Tarantino often gets credited for being the auteur of a generation, but without Menke, his films would undoubtedly have lacked much of the precision, tempo and grit, which only Menke could apply to a roll of celluloid. Her exceptional contributions didnt go unnoticed though. She received Academy Award nominations for both Inglourious Basterds and Pulp Fiction. No doubt if she was still with us Menke would have continued her editing career with Django Unchained. The film is most comparable in tone and style to Inglourious Basterds, and new Editor Fred Raskin (assistant editor on the Kill Bill films) does her proud. But Tarantinos latest did feel like it lacked the complete sharpness and clarity felt in his previous films - perhaps this was partly due to Menkes absence.
(A Band) Apart Of: 7 Features
Collaborative Influence: 9/10