MY BEST FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY
THE FIRST FILM FROM QUENTIN TARANTINO
Don't let the ads for KILL BILL fool you. Quentin Tarantino hasn't directed only four films, he's done five (well, five and a quarter if you consider his entry into FOUR ROOMS). His FIRST film was a flick called MY BEST FRIEND'S BIRTHDAY that he shot back when he was still a video clerk.
Co-written by fellow clerk Craig Haman, think of the film as a precursor to TRUE ROMANCE. The hooker with a heart of gold, the dangerous pimp, the Elvis worship, and so on. Handfuls of dialogue are identical along with some of the plot points (too bad Christian Slater didn't get into a karate battle with Gary Oldman as happens in BIRTHDAY). This early work shows some of Tarantino's abilities at framing, effective camera movements, and staging.
Ultimately, the film feels like what it is - an amateur first time effort - but it's very interesting to see this work from QT. Oh, and look for a small role by Rich Turner - the "lead Sheriff" from RESERVOIR DOGS.
If this movie is available anywhere else, I don't know where. Video quality is pretty rough (see screen grabs and judge for yourself).
Available exclusively on DVDr with two bonus shorts: WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FOOLING? and YOU'RE STILL NOT FOOLING ANYbody.
Or purchase WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FOOLING? and YOU'RE STILL NOT FOOLING ANYbody on their own:
