In a recent interview with French publication Le Monde, Paul Schrader hinted at new details for Quentin Tarantino's upcoming and purportedly final movie: The Movie Critic. Set in the 70s, the film is said to draw inspiration from Martin Scorsese's iconic Taxi Driver and will revolve around a fictional pornographic movie reviewer.

Unfortunately, production of the movie was delayed due to strikes by SAG-AFTRA and WGA, pushing back the planned start in Fall 2023.

Paul Schrader drops fresh details

Schrader, the filmmaker behind Taxi Driver revealed that Tarantino sought permission to recreate a scene from Rolling Thunder and might include further reimaginations of '70s films. According to Schrader, Tarantino will incorporate extracts from '70s movies and craft his own versions of classics.

Schrader revealed, “Quentin will insert extracts from films from the 1970s. And he will also make his own versions of films from that era. He asked my permission to shoot the ending of (Rolling Thunder), by John Flynn, as I had written it in the original screenplay — before it was completely rewritten and watered down.”

Understanding Quentin Tarantino's process

This echoes Tarantino's previous work in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood where he seamlessly placed Leonardo DiCaprio's character into scenes from Steve McQueen's The Great Escape and other films. The Movie Critic continues Tarantino's trademark of exploring real history through fictional characters.

This approach was first notable in the Oscar-winning Inglourious Basterds where a fictional group of Jewish American soldiers plots to assassinate Germany's leadership leading to the death of Adolf Hitler. Similarly, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood reimagined history by depicting a different fate for Sharon Tate and the Manson family.

While no real-world figures are confirmed for The Movie Critic, Tarantino's fondness for blending fact and fiction sparks curiosity about the movie's narrative. Despite some initial division over historical liberties in Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino's storytelling has generally resonated with audiences.