Tarantino's Film Universe

There is a premise out there among film theorists and bloggers that the movies Quinten Tarantino has been a part of make up a cinematic universe not wholly unlike what Marvel has done with its comic book superheroes, just not near as intricate.  This theory has even been confirmed by Tarantino himself concerning a few of his movies and deep introspection has been fleshed out among the World Wide Web that a hasty Google search will provide many results for your perusal if interested.  What I would like to look at today is not how his alternate universe has movies within movies and whether characters that make up the Tarantino universe can cross over to the different planes of existence.  Instead I will be connecting the Easter eggs of his films.

 

What brought about this post was when my friend Danny and I were discussing Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.  He has seen neither of these movies and I am working to find a date that works for us to have a movie club night with Evan to watch both.  While talking about the greatness of both films, Danny asked whether they were connected and he had to watch Reservoir Dogs prior to Pulp Fiction since it was released first.  My answer to him was yes and no.

 

The reason for the ambiguity is because the films do not require a specific order of viewing to be understood but they are thinly related, and I do mean thinly.  The specificity of this connection is that two of the characters in each film are brothers.  Tarantino has stated in interviews that Vic and Vincent Vega are siblings and there is even the hope out there among Tarantino fans that eventually a movie will be made that teams the two up.

 

 

The most recent Easter egg discovered that unifies the Tarantino universe is from Django Unchained.  A character never seen onscreen by the name of Crazy Craig Koons, found on a Wanted Poster, is related to Captain Koons, played by Christopher Walken, in Pulp Fiction.

 

 

Another connection in this film universe includes Mr. White speaking with a woman named Alabama in Reservoir Dogs, who is a main character in the Tarantino written True Romance.  An additional ancestral connection is Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz in Inglourious Basterds and Lee Donowitz from True Romance.  The failed television pilot Uma Thurman’s character discusses in Pulp Fiction bears a strong resemblance to the assassins in the Kill Bill films.  The same sheriff character can be found in From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, and Death Proof.

 

 

An unconfirmed relationship between Django Unchained and Kill Bill is that the Bride is buried in the grave of Dr. Schultz’s ex-wife.

 

 

Recurring elements of the Tarantino universe include Red Apple cigarettes, Big Kahuna burgers, and Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant.

 

Like the Slusho in J.J. Abrams movies or a bright yellow ball with a star on it in the Pixar universe, these kinds of things don't enhance the movies or forward the plots in any way.  They are simply little nods of the cinematic head to fans that pay close enough attention to spot the Easter eggs Tarantino is dropping throughout.