Tarantino’s Top Sci-Fi Pick Surpasses Star Wars, Shocks Audiences!

One thing Tarantino relishes is dissecting the works of filmmakers who have significantly influenced his love for cinema—from absolute classics to B or even Z-grade movies.

From his enthusiastic appreciation for Battlefield Earth, regarded as one of the worst movies ever, to his affection for the western Rio Bravo, his favorite war movie found in Brian De Palma’s collection, and the film he considers the greatest New Zealand movie ever made, Tarantino’s interests are broad and varied. He is also known for his keen interest in Audition, one of the most shocking films ever made, and his opinion that the movie Rambo was overly sanitized compared to the book it was based on.

While he may not have the encyclopedic knowledge of cinema that Martin Scorsese possesses, Tarantino’s passion for film is undeniable and widely recognized. Even the late Bertrand Tavernier was impressed by his knowledge, having engaged in deep discussions with him about the filmography of the legendary John Huston.

“When the lights came back on, I was in seventh heaven”

In 1977, at the age of 14, Quentin Tarantino was among the millions who flocked to theaters to witness the debut of a new space opera saga by George Lucas: Star Wars.

In a November 2022 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tarantino discussed his experiences. Although he didn’t consider Star Wars the best in terms of creativity and artistic quality, he acknowledged it as the most entertaining:

“Of course, I loved Star Wars. How could you not? But I remember—and this isn’t a ‘but’ in a negative way, but in a positive one. The film completely swept me away, and I was carried along by these characters… When the lights came back on, I was in seventh heaven. I looked around and had this moment of realization, thinking: ‘Wow! What a night at the movies!'”

However, it was another sci-fi film that year that won his favor: Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind: “Well, Star Wars isn’t necessarily and exactly my type of film. At the end of the day, I tend to prefer Close Encounters of the Third Kind: it’s this broader vision, and the fact that Spielberg wanted to create an epic for everyone, not just movie buffs. Few films have had an ending like that of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It really shook the audience.”

Spielberg’s film, now a classic, was a massive success, grossing over $306 million; adjusted for inflation, that would be an astronomical $1.6 billion today. Its success was so great that it even saved Columbia Pictures from severe financial difficulties.

AlloCiné features over 40 daily articles about film and TV news, interviews, streaming recommendations, and quirky trivia about your favorite movies and series. Subscribing to AlloCiné on Google Discover ensures you explore the riches of a site created by enthusiasts for enthusiasts every day.