Among the major Hollywood filmmakers of today, none have as distinct and easily recognizable a style asQuentin Tarantino. His many stylistic flairs clearly spring from the fact that he is first and foremost a fan of cinema. His films are full of Easter eggs and homages to classic movies. Some of his films, such asOnce Upon A Time In Hollywood, are pretty much alove letter to filmmaking.
The most important part of any Tarantino movie, however, has to be the intricate web of connections it weaves to the director’s entire filmography — a series of intricate links that come together to create a Shared Quentin Tarantino Cinematic Universe. Fans have speculated for years that the Tarantino cinematic universe was a thing — and the filmmaker himself confirmed this long-standing theory in 2017, in an interview withNews.com:
“There’s the realer than real universe, alright, and all the characters inhabit that one. But then there’s this movie universe. And so From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, they all take place in this special movie universe. So basically when the characters of Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, when they go to the movies, Kill Bill is what they go to see. From Dusk Till Dawn is what they see.”
It seems Tarantino’s movies inhabit not one, but two cinematic universes, each living within the other. Here are some facts about the shared Quentin Tarantino cinematic universe.
8The Big Kahuna Burger
Miramax Films
The Big Kahuna Burger takes up a big chunk of the iconic Samuel L. Jackson monologue inPulp Fiction, which culminates with the recitation of Ezekiel 25:17. It is one of the mosticonic film monologuesof all time, and an unforgettable introduction to the fictional burger brand within the Tarantinoverse. Big Kahuna Burgers have been present in Tarantino’s movies from the very beginning, includingReservoir DogsandFrom Dusk Till Dawn.
7Red Apple Cigarettes
Tarantino didn’t just invent a fake burger brand in his movies — his film characters also love smoking a fictional brand of cigarettes called Red Apple Cigarettes. Tarantino features various fictional brands in his films because of his abject hatred for product placement. Given the ubiquity of cigarette-smoking scenes in his films, Red Apples have made many an appearance in the Tarantinoverse. Some notable ones include the Red Apples billboard ad inKill Bill Vol. 1, and inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodwhere Rick Dalton appears in a video ad for the brand.
6The Vega Brothers
Another regular fixture in Tarantino’s films are the last names that are found across different movies. If you’ve ever spotted them yourself, chances are that the two characters were canonically related. The best example of this can be seen in the first two films directed by Tarantino. BothReservoir DogsandPulp Fictionfeature characters with the last name of Vega — in the former, it’s the sadistic Mr. Blonde, whose real name is revealed to be Vic Vega. In the latter, it’s John Travolta’s character, Vincent Vega. The two characters are siblings within Tarantino’s film universe, and Tarantino even envisionedaPulp Fictionprequelfor the two brothers set in Amsterdam, where they have a falling out over a woman. Unfortunately, the film never got made.
Related:Kill Bill 3 and Quentin Tarantino’s Quest to Complete a Trilogy
5Kill Bill as a Movie Within the Tarantinoverse
Tarantino isn’t a director known for subtlety. He places his many references and Easter eggs out in the open. But it’s the way in which he puts these references right in your face that appeals to fans. The most beautiful example of this within Tarantino’s movies was 13 years in the making — setting up an amazing Easter egg forKill Billall the way back inPulp Fiction.
During conversation with Vincent inPulp Fiction, Uma Thurman’s character, Mia Wallace, talks about how she starred in an action show pilot led by women. Her description of the various action heroines perfectly matches up with the women characters inKill Bill: Vol 1. It seems the pilot actually got turned into a movie in the “special movie universe” within the Tarantinoverse.
4The Koons
Perhaps no other film in Tarantino’s filmography is decked up with as many brilliant moments asPulp Fiction. The movie also features a cameo by Christopher Walken, in one of the most underratedTarantino movie converstations. Walken appears in the movie as Captain Koons, delivering a family heirloom to a young Butch Coolidge that was in his possession.
The name Koons appears one more time inDjango Unchained, as one of the criminals hunted down by the bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz — Crazy Craig Koons. The criminal Koons is the great-great-grandfather of Captain Koons fromPulp Fiction.
Related:Reservoir Dogs: 5 Iconic Scenes in the Quentin Tarantino Movie
3A Nurse Named Bonnie
Tarantino’s characters also tend to reference the same names across movies — off-screen characters whose backstories appear to line up enough that they could be the same person. One of these characters who appears as far ahead asReservoir Dogsis the nurse Bonnie. Chris Penn’s character Eddie references her for the very first time as a nurse who can help care for a wounded character. InPulp Fiction, Tarantino himself appears as the character Jimmie, talking about his wife named Bonnie, who is also a nurse. There is yet another nurse with the same name referenced in the movieTrue Romance.
2The Donowitzs
The Tarantinoverse also links up a father-son relationship across two movies. 2009’sInglourious Basterdsfeatures Eli Roth as the baseball bat-loving soldier Donny Donowitz, otherwise known as the Bear Jew. Years before we watched his Hitler-killing exploits, Tarantino introduced us to his son in the 1993 filmTrue Romance. Lee Donowitz is a major part in the second half of the film, and a successful film producer with a penchant for drug dealing.
1A Girl Named Alabama
True Romance’swoman lead Alabama Whitman is also referenced inReservoir Dogsby Mr. White. He talks about a former partner named Alabama, but mentions that they haven’t worked together in some time.
