Incredible Hidden Details In Quentin Tarantino Movies You Might've Missed
Published by Reblogs - Credits in Posts,
20 Incredible Hidden Details In Quentin Tarantino Movies You Might've Missed
Quentin Tarantino is known for his dialogue and characters, though an underrated quality of the writer-director is the subtle details in his movies.
Summary
- ▪ Quentin Tarantino's films are known for their clever world-building and hidden details that most viewers miss.
- ▪ The use of vintage materials, including cars, aids in expressing the personalities of Tarantino's characters.
- ▪ Tarantino uses music to enhance storytelling and reinforce themes, often connecting scenes through song choices.
Quentin Tarantino is known for his exceptionally written dialogue, complex and unforgettable characters, and asynchronous storytelling, yet an overlooked aspect of his movies is his effective use of small hidden details to improve their overall framework. From his 1992 crime-thriller debut, Reservoir Dogs, to his three-hour alternative history epic Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, clever world-building can be found throughout Tarantino's filmography.
The Quentin Tarantino shared universe consists of the "realer-than-real" world where Pulp Fiction and Inglourious Basterds take place, and then there's the movie-in-a-movie realm, in which characters experience hyperrealistic phenomena, and that includes From Dusk Till Dawn and the Kill Bill movies. Irrespective of the world in question, there are incredible hidden details in each of Tarantino's movies that most viewers miss.
20 Mr. Blonde & Rick Dalton Own The Same Car
Michael Madsen's 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille is featured in Reservoir Dogs and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
A key component of Quentin Tarantino's aesthetic is the use of vintage materials, including songs, clothing, and cars, to aid in expressing his characters' personalities. One of the best characters in Quentin Tarantino's movies is Mr. Blonde, and this is because of his sociopathic manner, his wry sense of humor, and his car. As seen in Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde drives a 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, and Rick Dalton owns the same vehicle in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The car belongs to Mr. Blonde actor Michael Madsen in real life, and its use in both movies furthers Tarantino's "realer-than-real" aesthetic by connecting his characters to real-life possessions.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is available to stream on Hulu.
19 Mr. White & Jimmie Dimmick Are Brothers
Harvey Keitel's Reservoir Dogs character's real name is Larry Dimmick.
Reservoir Dogs centers around a group of career criminals who use code names based on colors to keep their identities anonymous from law enforcement and each other. In the case of Mr. White, audiences learn in the first act that his real name is Larry. However, one detail viewers might not know unless they read Quentin Tarantino's screenplay or watch a deleted scene from the movie is Larry's last name: Dimick. As part of the filmmaker's shared universe, Larry is said to be the older brother of Jimmie Dimmick, the character played by Tarantino himself in Pulp Fiction — never mind the difference in the written spelling of the last names.
Tarantino has a penchant for giving his characters familial ties, as with the more famous connection of Reservoir Dogs' Vic Vega, aka Mr. Blonde, and Pulp Fiction's Vincent Vega, so the Dimmicks aren't a surprising pair, just more hidden within the lore. Considering Tarantino's "realer-than-real" mechanics, Mr. White likely chose a life of crime to support himself and his brother, and Jimmie chose another path while still maintaining connections to organized crime via his older sibling. In another Reservoir Dogs deleted scene, Nice Guy Eddie, Mr. Pink, and Mr. White discuss a nurse named Bonnie, who'd be Mr. White's sister-in-law since she's also named in Pulp Fiction as Jimmie's wife.
Reservoir Dogs is available to stream via Showtime through Paramount+.
18 Max Cherry Leaves A Movie Theater With Jackie Brown's Credits Music Playing
This reinforces Tarantino's realer-than-real and movie-in-a-movie world mechanics in his filmography.
Quentin Tarantino uses music to enhance his storytelling and reinforce his film's themes, and the songs in Jackie Brown are a good example. At one point, Max Cherry leaves a movie theater, and "Monte Carlo Nights" by Elliot Easton's Tiki Gods is heard coming out of the auditorium. This same song plays during Jackie Brown's end credits. While not confirmed but suggested by Roger Ebert, this choice could mean that Max just watched Jackie Brown, thus contributing to the movie-within-a-movie theory. If true, it explains Max's perpetually calm demeanor in every scenario, as he'd already know how everything is going to play out if he'd watched the movie he's in.
Jackie Brown is available to stream on Prime Video.
17 The Board Games Operation & Life Are Stacked Near Mia's Body During The Adrenaline Shot Scene In Pulp Fiction
They can be seen briefly before Mia is resuscitated after her overdose.
One of Pulp Fiction's vignettes centers around Mia, the wife of crime boss Marcellus Wallace, and Vincent, who is tasked with showing her a good yet safe time. Unfortunately, Vincent carelessly leaves his heroin in his duster's pocket, and Mia snorts the heroin, mistaking it for cocaine. Perhaps because the subsequent scene is filled with so much tension, most viewers fail to notice the board games Operation and Life on full display at Lance's house, as he, Vincent, and Jody revive Mia with a shot of adrenaline. It's a cool nod to the situation, and it also reinforces the theme of life over death even through the most strange predicaments.
Pulp Fiction is available to stream on Max.
16 "Kill Zed" Appears In The Background Before Butch Decides To Save Marcellus
Letters from a Killian's Red beer sign combine with Zed's "Z" keyring in Pulp Fiction.
Pulp Fiction continues its theme of morally gray protagonists making challenging decisions in the heat of particularly trying times in its penultimate story, "The Gold Watch." In it, Bruce Willis's Butch Coolidge and Ving Rhames's Marcellus engage in a messy shootout that injures civilians and nearly kills them both. Although the situation appears dire for Butch, he gains the upper hand through sheer pragmatism and nearly ends the fearsome Marcellus's life inside a random pawn shop. However, the flashback to Butch's childhood earlier in the story is one of the details that implies Butch won't go through with his actions.
After narrowly escaping sexual assault and torture by brothers Maynard and Zed, an injured Butch steals Zed's chopper keys and elects to leave the pawn shop. While Captain Koons's gold watch speech in the flashback has a profound effect on Butch as a child, there's another small detail that confirms he'll do the right thing. The "Z" on Zed's key ring subliminally fills out the missing letters on the "Killian's Red" neon sign in the shop. When put together, "Kill Zed" is spelled out in red while Butch is choosing a weapon to save Marcellus with.
15 Mr. Blue From Reservoir Dogs Was Played By A Real Career Criminal
Eddie Bunker spent time in San Quentin State Prison for armed robbery.
Another overlooked aspect of Quentin Tarantino's work is his commitment to working with qualified professionals behind the scenes of his movies to ensure a solid degree of realism is portrayed in his work. The earliest example of Tarantino's affinity for attention to detail is displayed in Reservoir Dogs. Among the many colorful characters featured, Mr. Blue is played by former career criminal Eddie Bunker, thus giving the film an added sense of realism. Although Mr. Blue has very little dialogue and is killed off-screen, Bunker's consultation proved to be invaluable, as he helped Tarantino work out the finer details of how career criminals typically plan armed robberies.
14 Death Proof Makes Subtle References To Kurt Russell's Career
Tarantino's Grindhouse movie contains references to The Virginian and Big Trouble in Little China.
Stuntman Mike is a serial killer who uses his "death proof" stunt car to stalk and murder unsuspecting women. However, despite Mike's nefarious ways, he is charming and well-read, thus making it possible for him to get in his victims' good graces. Additionally, Mike delivers a monologue that details his history as a stunt performer, including a mention of him working on the classic Western series The Virginian. Mike's actor, Kurt Russell, appeared in The Virginian twice as a boy. Also, the tank top that his character wears in Big Trouble in Little China appears in the bar in Death Proof. These two details show Tarantino's appreciation for Russell's career.
Death Proof is available to stream via Showtime through Paramount+.
13 Inglourious Basterds' Archie Hicox Is The Great, Great Grandson of Oswaldo Mobray
Tim Roth's Hateful Eight character's real name is Pete Hicox.
Returning to Quentin Tarantino's proclivities for making his characters related, a less-known instance of such familial bonds in his shared universe is that of The Hateful Eight's Oswaldo Mobray and Inglourious Basterds' Archie Hicox. Most viewers likely miss the connection between the two characters because of the vastly different periods each film is set in, and because of their profession of choice, with Oswaldo being a notorious outlaw and Archie a respected British Commando Lieutenant during World War II. Unlike the instance of Vic and Vincent Vega or even Larry and Jimmie Dimmick, Oswaldo and Archie's relationship uniquely and firmly reinforces Tarantino's themes of choice.
Near The Hateful Eight's climax, Oswaldo's real identity as Pete "English Pete" Hicox is revealed to audiences, thus making for a double surprise for longtime viewers of Tarantino's work. The revelation is shocking because it confirms his status as one of the people responsible for the massacre at Minnie's Haberdashery, but it also references his relation to the brave military man who sacrifices his life to bring down Hitler's regime. Additionally, it shows that Tarantino is perpetually interested in reinforcing themes of choice and consequences for one's actions, as both men meet their untimely deaths because of their decisions, just under vastly different circumstances.
Inglourious Basterds is available to stream on Prime Video while The Hateful Eight is available to stream on Netflix.
12 White & Pink Soap Containers Are Separated From Orange In Reservoir Dogs' Bathroom Scene
This is a subtle hint to Mr. Orange's true identity.
Reservoir Dogs is rife with references to pop culture, but the film also features a multitude of small details and hints at the true nature of many of the film's secretive characters. While Quentin Tarantino uses specific songs and references to past and future characters in his shared universe, he also uses many visual cues in many of the film's scenes to clue audiences in on the larger framework of the movie's themes. Mr. White and Mr. Pink wash their hands while struggling to figure out how to get out of their predicament alive, but keen-eyed viewers will notice the placement of the soap containers featured in the scene's background.
During the scene, Mr. White and Mr. Pink go over options that might help them solve their problem while also narrowing a list of who they think tipped off the police about their criminal activities. While the two men discuss things, pink and white soap containers are stacked next to each other while orange soap containers are stacked opposite of them. This small detail occurs on screen just when Mr. Pink suggests Mr. Orange might be an undercover cop, but Mr. White sharply shoots the notion down. However, Mr. Pink is later vindicated when Mr. Orange reveals his identity after saving Marvin Nash's life from Mr. Blonde.
11 Rick Dalton, Franchesca, & Cliff Booth Walk Down The Same Airport Hallway Featured In Jackie Brown's Opening
This is another subtle way of connecting Tarantino's shared universe.
Quentin Tarantino cleverly connects two movies that couldn't be further from one another thematically. During Jackie Brown's opening, the title character passes through Los Angeles International Airport in a scene that not only references Mike Nichols's The Graduate but also establishes Jackie's internal conflicts as a burned-out flight stewardess slowly getting by in life. In Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton confidently walks down the same hallway with his beautiful wife Franchesca after returning to the States from filming in Italy, while his stunt double Cliff Booth hauls their luggage.
On one hand, the scene is merely a reference to Jackie Brown's introduction scene that's accompanied by Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street," but the scenes represent something much greater. Jackie Brown's scene briefly yet effectively demonstrates Jackie's state of being at the start of the film. She's moving forward yet not going anywhere, and it justifies her actions throughout the scene. When Rick walks down the hallway, it's at the height of a career resurgence, thus representing new beginnings for himself and Cliff. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's moment is brief, but its connection to Jackie Brown makes it a hidden gem.
10 John Shaft Is A Descendant Of Broomhilda Von Shaft
It's unclear if Django is Shaft's great-great-grandfather.
Django Unchained featured some of Quentin Tarantino's most memorable and unique characters in his filmography, ranging from German dentists turned bounty hunters to evil masterminds masquerading as feeble old men. Among Django Unchained's unique cast of characters is Django Freeman's wife, Broomhilda von Shaft, and while she isn't in the movie as much as her other heroic counterparts, Kerry Washington's performance makes her one of Tarantino's toughest female characters. Although Broomhilda is mostly a damsel, she gives the movie a certain amount of heart that wouldn't exist without her. Furthermore, her last name, von Shaft, is a little detail that suggests an even greater layer to her already interesting character.
As seen in Django Unchained's ending, Django utilizes all the skills that King Schultz bestowed upon him to rescue his wife Broomhilda and destroy Candyland with unforgettable flair. While Django Unchained isn't an official prequel to Shaft, Broomhilda is the connective tissue between Tarantino's movie and the legendary 1971 blaxploitation film and its title character. Furthermore, Django's stylish choice of clothing, expert marksmanship, dismantling of oppressive forces, and fox-like swagger all hearken back to the similar charisma and motives of every iteration of John Shaft, thus suggesting Django and Broomhilda are Shaft's great-great-grandparents.
Django Unchained is available to stream on Prime Video and Starz.
9 An Expletive Is Underneath The Bride's Shoes In Kill Bill: Vol. 1
This is a subtle way to characterize The Bride in Tarantino's bloody revenge thriller.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 features many Easter eggs that provide information about its otherwise mysterious characters. Throughout the film, The Bride is an austere woman who excels at killing anyone who tries to stop her from exacting her revenge on Bill and his crew of deadly assassins. While preparing to combat the Crazy 88 bodyguards, though, she walks down a see-through catwalk and a brief shot of her shoes from below reveals the phrase "f*ck u" on their soles. It's a funny little detail that helps characterize The Bride beyond that of a cold-blooded killer as well as sum up her attitude toward anyone who gets in her way.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 are both available to stream on Prime Video, Starz, and Tubi.
8 Death Proof's Stuntman Mike Eats At The Same Diner As His Victims
Kurt Russell's character can be spotted in the diner's background during the Grindhouse movie's second act.
In addition to being portrayed as a charismatic serial killer, Stuntman Mike is also something of a force of nature, seemingly always showing up at the right place at the right time. Furthermore, he excels at blending in with his environment as he doesn't wear any flashy clothes or present himself in a particularly showy manner. That's why when Death Proof's second act introduces audiences to the new cast of women, it's not easily noticed that Mike observes the women discussing their lives and plans. The moment is a neat detail that speaks to his commitment as a killer while also confirming Arlene's earlier suspicions that he's a stalker.
7 Mr. Pink's Fate Is Revealed Right Before Reservoir Dogs' Credits
Mr. Pink gets arrested by the police in Tarantino's debut.
Reservoir Dogs is notable for virtually every character meeting their untimely demise at some point in the film. However, Mr. Pink's fate is seemingly left in the air after grabbing the satchel containing the stashed diamonds and escaping the crew's hideout. While this ending would seem to be the most appropriate for the pragmatic, self-preservationist in Mr. Pink, a small detail reveals his true fate just before the end credits roll. Although one would be forgiven for engaging more with the drama surrounding Mr. White and the dying Mr. Orange, viewers with keen ears can hear the Los Angeles Police arresting Mr. Pink just outside.
The moment requires multiple viewings or at least a superb quality entertainment setup, as Mr. White's groaning and crying combined with the off-screen police officers yelling instructions at him make it nearly impossible to hear. However, this detail highlights one of Tarantino's themes of criminals facing the repercussions for their actions despite how likable they are as characters. While Mr. Pink escaping would make his character arc come full circle as he's depicted as someone who looks out for himself above everyone else in the film's introduction, his having to live with the consequences of his actions in jail is much more fitting.
6 Floyd From True Romance Is Aldo Raine's Great Grandson
Lieutenant Aldo "Apache" Raine and Floyd are both played by Brad Pitt.
One of the least expected instances of characters being related in Quentin Tarantino's films is the believed connection between Inglourious Basterds' fearless and no-nonsense Lieutenant Aldo "Apache" Raine and True Romance's burn-out stoner character Floyd, both of whom are brilliantly played by Brad Pitt. While the idea of Floyd being Aldo's great-grandson seems like a simple fun fact for longtime audiences of Tarantino's work, it speaks to a greater theme of the unpredictable nature of family members. As seen with Butch in Pulp Fiction's "The Gold Watch," the Vega and Dimmick brothers, Archie and Pete Hicox, and Broomhilda and Shaft, people do and don't follow in their ancestors' footsteps.
After seeing the history-making events as they're depicted in Inglourious Basterds, one might assume that the offspring of someone as effortlessly cool as Aldo would undoubtedly go on to have just as cool sons who would carry on their ancestor's legacy as one of America's greatest war heroes. However, making Floyd a stoner with little to no real aspirations is sobering and more true to life. It also speaks to Tarantino's ability not to give any of his characters preferential treatment irrespective of their relationship to previous characters, thus making the events and people in his movies feel real.
True Romance is available to rent on all major VOD platforms.
5 The Bride's Real Name Is Revealed In Kill Bill: Vol. 1
The name Beatrix Kiddo can be seen on her airline boarding pass.
Although The Bride's real name isn't outright revealed until Kill Bill: Vol. 2, there's a brief scene in Kill Bill Vol. 1 that reveals The Bride's name as Beatrix Kiddo. When embarking on her flight to Japan, The Bride slides her boarding pass on the counter where her first and last names appear. Additionally, Bill refers to The Bride as Kiddo in the opening moments of the first film, but since Kiddo is a common nickname, it's easy to assume he's using a colloquialism upon first viewing. The details are very well hidden, but they also serve as one of the most notable Easter eggs in Tarantino's work.
4 Antonio Margheriti Directed One Of Rick Dalton's Movies
Inglourious Basterds' Sergeant Donny Donowitz uses the name as an alias during the Nazi party scene.
During Inglourious Basterds' Nazi film premiere scene, Sergeant Donny Donowitz claims to be an Italian cameraman named Antonio Margheriti. That name comes up again in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, during the montage showing Rick Dalton's career in Italy. Among the many genre movies the actor makes is Operazione Dyn-o-mite, which is said to have been directed by Antonio Margheriti. However, considering Donny dies in Inglourious Basterds, and Antonio Margheriti was a real-life Italian filmmaker (best known for directing Yor: The Hunter from the Future), the use of the name in Inglourious Basterds is likely a fun reference to the real Margheriti.
3 O-Ren Ishii Times Her Own Death In Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Lucy Liu's character gives an estimated battle time of five minutes in Japanese.
The Kill Bill movies are filled with intense and exciting fights, but one of the best is Kill Bill: Vol. 1's climactic battle between The Bride and her former partner, O-Ren Ishii. As seen throughout the film, both women are highly skilled combatants, thus making for a fairly even match before The Bride kills O-Ren. However, the detail that makes the fight truly remarkable is the fact that O-Ren Ishii tells The Bride in Japanese that she might not last five minutes in their fight if she doesn't bring her A-game. This is especially prophetic when their fight concludes at exactly four minutes and fifty-nine seconds.
2 Django Unchained's King Schultz Really Was A Dentist
Throughout the film, the condition of Django's teeth improves significantly.
In Django Unchained, Dr. King Shultz claims to be a former dentist when he properly introduces himself to Django, admitting he hasn't practiced in quite some time. However, keen-eyed viewers will notice that throughout the film, Django's teeth appear whiter and whiter, strongly implying that King has done some dental work on him during their moments of off-screen downtime. In addition to him teaching Django how to fight, read, and outsmart slavers, King taking the extra time to care for Django's oral health adds another layer to his role as Django's surrogate father.
1 Mr. Orange Reveals His True Identity In Reservoir Dogs' Opening Scene
This is before he's explicitly revealed to be an undercover police officer in the movie's second act.
Reservoir Dogs' Mr. Orange/Freddy Newandyke is an undercover police officer among a group of prolific career criminals, and he is one of Quentin Tarantino's earliest examples of using small details in his storytelling. While Mr. Orange does an exceptional job concealing his true nature, even going so far as to earn the trust of the perpetually aloof Mr. White, details hidden in the film's opening tip scene give away his true identity. After Mr. Pink's diatribe about not tipping waitresses, Joe returns and demands everyone chip in. He notices the money doesn't add up, and when he asks who didn't tip, Mr. Orange rats Mr. Pink out.
The opening tip scene is rife with many of Tarantino's trademarks, including characters establishing who they are through well-written dialogue and minute, seemingly insignificant details that provide additional context. For Mr. Orange, he exposes himself as at least being a double-crossing snitch. As eventually revealed, Mr. Orange is an undercover police officer, and this scene, combined with the soap containers, as well as a brief shot of an orange balloon popping out of a group of multicolored balloons gives his true identity away earlier. Each instance is subtle, but once audiences become aware of them, they highlight Quentin Tarantino's underrated world-building abilities through the use of small details.
Subscribe to our newsletters
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.
A CSULB film graduate and amateur filmmaker, Micah is drawn to stories with compelling characters and interesting stories. He values integrity and honesty, and ensures his work is well-researched and fact-checked.
Tags: Tarantino, Bookmark, Pulpfiction, Cinesemiotics, Intertextuality, Synchronicity, Zas