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Cinema Speculation

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Cinema Speculation
First edition cover
AuthorQuentin Tarantino
Audio read byEdoardo Ballerini
Quentin Tarantino
LanguageEnglish
SubjectFilm
PublisherHarper
Publication date
November 1, 2022
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages400
ISBN978-0-06-311258-2
OCLC1348950198

Cinema Speculation is a 2022 nonfiction book by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, published by Harper on November 1, 2022.

Background

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Cinema Speculation is Tarantino's debut work of nonfiction and combines "film criticism, film theory, a feat of reporting, and wonderful personal history."[1] The book is a collection of essays organized around "key American films from the 1970s" which Tarantino saw in his youth,[2] ranging from blaxploitation films to all the Best Picture nominees of 1970.[3] It was inspired by the film writing of critic Pauline Kael.[4]

Contents

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The first and last chapters are autobiographical. Two other chapters are a homage to film critic Kevin Thomas, and a comparison of two generations of film-makers. The rest of the chapters are essays about the following films:

Publication

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The book was initially scheduled to be published on October 25, 2022;[5] Cinema Speculation was published by Harper on November 1, 2022.[6] It is the second book in a two-book deal Tarantino signed with HarperCollins in 2020.[4] Tarantino promoted the book with a nationwide book tour.[7] The book's cover features a photograph of Steve McQueen with director Sam Peckinpah on the set of the 1972 action crime thriller The Getaway.[8]

Reception

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Cinema Speculation received favorable reviews, with a cumulative "Rave" rating at the review aggregator website Book Marks, based on twelve book reviews from mainstream literary critics.[9] The book debuted at number five on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list for the week ending November 5, 2022.[10] Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review, writing, "Whether you agree with his assessments or not, he provides the original reporting and insights only a veteran director would notice, and his engaging style makes it impossible to leave an essay without learning something."[11] The Daily Telegraph reviewer Jasper Rees gave the book 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "At times it's like leafing through yellowing back issues of Screen International. At others you feel Tarantino would have made a brilliant Tinseltown gossip columnist."[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Zilko, Christian (May 29, 2022). "Quentin Tarantino Announces Film History Book 'Cinema Speculation' Coming This Fall". IndieWire. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  2. ^ Shutler, Ali (May 30, 2022). "Quentin Tarantino to release new book 'Cinema Speculation' later this year". NME. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Quentin Tarantino's "Cinema Speculation" Is an Obsessive Insider's View of Hollywood|The New Yorker
  4. ^ a b Shaffer, Claire (November 17, 2020). "Quentin Tarantino Lands Book Deal, Including "Once Upon a Time in...Hollywood" Novelization". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 19, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  5. ^ "Quentin Tarantino book 'Cinema Speculation' to land Oct. 25". Associated Press. May 27, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  6. ^ "Cinema Speculation". HarperCollins. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Raup, Jordan (October 5, 2022). "Quentin Tarantino to Embark on Nationwide Book Tour for Cinema Speculation". The Film Stage. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  8. ^ Williams, Owen (May 30, 2022). "Quentin Tarantino's Cinema Speculation To Be Published This Autumn". Empire. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  9. ^ "Book Marks reviews of Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino". Book Marks. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  10. ^ "Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction". The New York Times. November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  11. ^ "Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino". Kirkus Reviews. October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  12. ^ Rees, Jasper (November 1, 2022). "Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino review: like a monologue from a relentless 19-year-old geek". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.