WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHOR OF THE NEW NOVEL "ONCE UPON A TIME
IN HOLLYWOOD," MR. QUENTIN TARANTINO.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, AS LONG AS I HAVE A MOVIE MASTER AROUND HERE
AND A GUY WHO KNOWS A LOT ABOUT MOVIES AND WE MIGHT ENJOY A FEW
MOVIES IN COMMON.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE ADAPTATIONS.
I DO.
AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU.
I'M A HUGE FAN OF THE ORIGINAL SHORT STORY OR NOVELLA OF "THE
THING."
>> "WHO GOES THERE."
>> Stephen: DO YOU ENJOY THE THING?
>> I LOVE BOTH OF THEM.
I LOVE HOWARD HAWK'S IS THE THING, AND JOHN CARPENTER'S THE
THING.
>> Stephen: I LOVE JOHN CARPENTER'S "THE THING" BECAUSE
IT EXPLORES THE BEAST.
AND IN AN ANALOG, WAY, TOO.
>> THE EFFECTS IN THAT MOVIE ARE SOME OF THE GREATEST PRACTICAL
SPECIAL EFFECTS EVER PUT ON A MOVIE THEATER SCREEN.
NO, IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT-- I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST
HORROR MOVIES EVER MADE, IF NOT ONE OF THE GREATEST MOVIES EVER
MADE.
>> Stephen: I COMPLETELY AGREE.
IT IS MY HAPPY PLACE.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG IN MY LIFE, I GO W5U67 IT.
IF MY KIDS SEE MY WATCHING "THE THING," THEY ASK IF EVERYTHING
IS OKAY.
IT'S A WEIRD HAPPY PLACE, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ADAPTATION OF
THE FEELING OF THE NOVELLA.
>> ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE REASONS "THE THING" HOLDS A SPECIAL
PLACE IN MY HEART, IS I LOVE HORROR MOVIES.
I'M A BIG HORROR FAN.
I DON'T GET SCARED AT HORROR MOVIES.
I RESPOND TO SUSPENSE, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.
AND I CAN JUMP AT A BOO SCARE.
BUT THAT'S NOT TERROR.
I DON'T GET SCARED IN MOVIES.
"THE THING" I GOT SCARED IN.
AND I WAS SCARED AND IT MADE ME WANT TO PUT IT UNDER A
MICROSCOPE ABOUT WHY I WAS ACTUALLY FRIGHTENED DURING THAT
MOVIE.
AND I THINK THE REASON IS THIS, IS BECAUSE IF YOU KNOW THE
MOVIE, PART OF THE SITUATION IS THESE MEN ARE TRAPPED IN THIS
SITUATION IN THIS ARCTIC RESEARCH CENTER.
AND SO, ONE OR MORE OF THEM ARE POSSIBLY THIS THING THAT'S GOING
TO DEVOUR ALL OF THEM, AND NO ONE KNOWS IF YOU ARE THE GUY
I'VE KNOWN FOREVER OR YOU ARE THE THING.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
>> THE MOVIE MAKES THE PARANOIA OF THAT SO PALPABLE, SO REAL,
IT'S LIKE-- IT'S ALMOST LIKE ANOTHER CHARACTER IN THE MOVIE,
JUST THE SHEER PARANOIA OF IT.
>> Stephen: YES, EXACTLY.
>> BUT THEY'RE TRAPPED IN THANT ARCTIC.
THEY'RE SHAPPED IN THIS SHELTER.
SO THE PARANOIA IS BOUNCING OFF OF THE FOUR WALLS, BOUNCING,
BOUNCING, BOUNCING, THE FEAR OF THE PARANOIA.
BOUNCING, BOUNCING, BOWNGS OF BOUNCING, UNTIL IT HAS NOWHERE
TO GO EXCEPT THE FOURTH WALL OF THE AUDIENCE AND I STARTED
FEELING EXACTLY HOW THEY FELT.
>> Stephen: WHICH I THINK IS AN ENORMOUS INDICATOR OF GREAT
ART.
IT CHANGES HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK AT THE ART.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
BY ME PUTTING THAT UNDER A MICROSCOPE AND REALIZING, OKAY,
I'M AFFECTED BY "THE THING," FOR THAT REASON, AND I FIGURE OUT
WHY IT IS.
WHEN I STARTED WRITING "RESERVOIR DOGS" I WAS LIKE I
NEED TO HAVE THAT ASPECT THAT'S IN "THE THING."
I NEED TO TRAP THESE BASTARDS.
I NEED TO TRAP THEM IN THIS WAREHOUSE, AND NO ONE CAN TRUST
ANYBODY ELSE.
AND I WANT THE PARANOIA OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT
WAREHOUSE TO BOUNCE ACROSS THE WALLS AND HOPEFULLY, LIKE IN
"THE THING," IT WILL GO OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE.
>> Stephen: STUDIOS ARE RETHINKING WHETHER THEATRICAL
RELEASES ARE WORTH IT.
MAKE THE CASE RIGHT NOW FOR THE BIG SILVER, WHY THAT SHOULD BE
THE FIRST CHOICE?
>> WELL, I THINK THE-- I THINK THE MAIN REASON IS...
TV'S FUN.
IT'S GOOD.
I'VE CARRIED MEMORIES THAT I'VE SEEN ON TELEVISION FOR MOIST OF
MY LIFE.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO WATCHING A MOVIE-- AND I'VE SEEN MANY
MOVIES THAT HAVE BECOME SOME OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES AND THE ONLY
WAY I HAVE EVER SEEN THEM IS ON TELEVISION.
A LOT OF THE CLASSIC MOVIES I SAW ON LATE-NIGHT TELEVISION.
>> Stephen: "THE THING."
>> WELL, THE ORIGINAL "THE THING."
BUT THE THING IS...
( LAUGHTER )
EXPERIENCE.
THERE IS AN ASPECT ABOUT IT BEING DISPOSABLE.
WHEN YOU-- WHEN A MOVIE COMES UP ON THE THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN
ENOUGH TO SEE, AND IT MAKES YOU LEAVE YOUR HOUSE AND BUY A
TICKET AND YOU COULD DO ANYTHING IN THE WORLD YOU WANT THAT
NIGHT, BUT I DECIDE TO GO SEE A FILM, ONE FILM IN PARTICULAR.
YOU GO TO SEE IT.
MAYBE YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, MAYBE IT'S IN THE AFTERNOON, OR MAYBE
IT'S WITH YOUR DATE OR WIFE OR WHATEVER, AND YOU GO TO SEE IT
AND YOU BUY A TICKET AND SIT DOWN AND HAVE AN EXPERIENCE.
AND YOU HAVEAB EXPERIENCE WITH A BURN OF STRANGERS.
AND AT THAT MOMENT, ONCE THE MOVIE GETS GOING, ONCE THE
LIGHTS ARE DOWN, YOU BECOME A COLLECTIVE.
THIS AUDIENCE HERE IS A COLLECTIVE.
THERE'S YOU BY YOURSELF, YOU-- I'M TALKING TO YOU.
THERE'S YOU BY YOURSELF, BUT THEN THERE'S ALL OF YOU TOGE
TOGETHER.
AND YOU START APPRECIATING THE MOVIE IN THAT WAY.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE-- IT'S NOT ALWAYS A
GOOD EXPERIENCE-- BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE, THOSE
ARE THE THINGS THAT STAY IN YOUR MIND AND THAT YOU REMEMBER FOR
THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
AND THEY BECOME INDELIBLE-- INDELIBLE SNAPSHOTS.
>> Stephen: OKAY, I'LL GO TO THE MOVIES.
( APPLAUSE )
IN ON SALE NOW.
QUENTIN TARANTINO, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.