Tarantino

Every well-documented homage, sample, or lifted shot in Quentin Tarantino's filmography, paired side-by-side with the source film he sampled it from. 22 pairs across 10 films.

A chronological documentary of 40 moments spanning 1955–2025 on Loreline.

last updated 2026-07-16

1. 1955-05-18 — Kiss Me Deadly: Robert Aldrich's 1955 noir uses the same low-angle trunk-POV shot of characters looking down.. 📹 "KISS ME DEADLY" (1955) - BOX SEQUENCE Robert Aldrich's 1955 noir uses the same low-angle trunk-POV shot of characters looking down. Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994). The trunk shot becomes a Tarantino signature appearing in nearly every film; he traces it back to Aldrich and to Anthony Mann's westerns.
2. 1963-02-14 — 8½: Fellini's 8½ has Marcello and Carla dancing in an overhead-lit nightclub frame.. 📹 Fellini's 8 1/2 | Dance scene Fellini's 8½ has Marcello and Carla dancing in an overhead-lit nightclub frame. Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994). The overhead lighting + dance-floor staging is pulled directly from Fellini. Tarantino later called Pulp Fiction "a B-movie version of 8½".
3. 1966-04-06 — Django (1966): Sergio Corbucci's 1966 Django — Franco Nero drags a coffin through a mud-soaked frontier town.. 📹 Django 1966 Machine gun scene 4K Sergio Corbucci's 1966 Django — Franco Nero drags a coffin through a mud-soaked frontier town. Referenced in Django Unchained (2012). Tarantino built Django Unchained as a love letter to Corbucci's 1966 film. Nero's cameo is the only on-screen passing of the torch.
4. 1966-04-06 — Django (1966): Sergio Corbucci's Django has its own ear-mutilation scene played for similar shock effect.. 📹 Django (1966) | Breaking Django's wrists | Italian with English subtitles | 2160p Sergio Corbucci's Django has its own ear-mutilation scene played for similar shock effect. Referenced in Reservoir Dogs (1992). Tarantino has cited the original Django as the direct ear-cutting reference; he'd homage Corbucci again decades later with Django Unchained.
5. 1967-12-21 — The Graduate: Mike Nichols' opening tracking shot of Dustin Hoffman on the LAX moving walkway as "Sound of Silence" plays.. 📹 The Graduate 1967 -- OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE Mike Nichols' opening tracking shot of Dustin Hoffman on the LAX moving walkway as "Sound of Silence" plays. Referenced in Jackie Brown (1997). Tarantino has named The Graduate's opening as the direct template — same airport, same moving walkway, same character-vs-soundtrack composition.
6. 1968-12-21 — Once Upon a Time in the West: Sergio Leone's 1968 spaghetti western — the template Tarantino has been chasing for his entire career.. Referenced in Inglourious Basterds (2009). The "Once upon a time" framing acknowledges Leone as the patron saint. Tarantino has cited OUATIW as the single film he most aspires to.
7. 1971-03-13 — Vanishing Point: Richard C. Sarafian's 1971 cult car-chase film — Kowalski drives the same 1970 Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco.. 📹 Vanishing Point (1971) - Dodge Challenger vs. Jaguar Richard C. Sarafian's 1971 cult car-chase film — Kowalski drives the same 1970 Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. Referenced in Death Proof (2007). Death Proof characters name-drop the Vanishing Point Challenger by model and year. Tarantino has called it his all-time favorite car-chase film.
8. 1973-05-13 — Coffy: Pam Grier's 1973 blaxploitation revenge film — a nurse takes vengeance for her 11-year-old sister.. 📹 Coffy (1973) - You Better Believe It's Comin'! Scene | Movieclips Pam Grier's 1973 blaxploitation revenge film — a nurse takes vengeance for her 11-year-old sister. Referenced in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003). The Bride's hospital-bed origin + nurse-with-vengeance setup is a structural lift from Coffy; the Pussy Wagon is a sly homage to Coffy's vehicle.
9. 1973-12-01 — Lady Snowblood: Toshiya Fujita's 1973 chambara film, whose revenge-tale structure Kill Bill faithfully follows.. 📹 Lady Snowblood Japanese Trailer Toshiya Fujita's 1973 chambara film, whose revenge-tale structure Kill Bill faithfully follows. Referenced in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003). Kill Bill's plot, structure, and sword imagery are extensively lifted from Lady Snowblood; the snow-garden finale stages an identical death.
10. 1974-04-05 — Foxy Brown: Jack Hill's 1974 blaxploitation film made Pam Grier the genre's defining star.. 📹 Foxy Brown (1974, trailer) [ Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, Peter Brown, Terry Carter] Jack Hill's 1974 blaxploitation film made Pam Grier the genre's defining star. Referenced in Jackie Brown (1997). Jackie Brown was written specifically for Grier as a reactivation of her 70s persona; the entire film is a Foxy Brown homage by way of Elmore Leonard.
11. 1976-04-01 — Helter Skelter: The 1976 made-for-TV adaptation of Vincent Bugliosi's book on the Manson murders — Tarantino's primary research source.. 📹 Helter Skelter - Trailer The 1976 made-for-TV adaptation of Vincent Bugliosi's book on the Manson murders — Tarantino's primary research source. Referenced in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Tarantino spent years researching the Manson Family for OUATIH; Helter Skelter (book + film) is his primary cited reference.
12. 1977-02-16 — Executioners from Shaolin: Lau Kar-leung's 1977 Shaw Brothers film featuring Pai Mei as the villain.. 📹 Executioners From Shaolin(1977)-"Priest Pai Mei...again" Lau Kar-leung's 1977 Shaw Brothers film featuring Pai Mei as the villain. Referenced in Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004). Pai Mei is a transplanted Shaw Brothers villain; Gordon Liu (who plays Pai Mei in Kill Bill) was also in the 1977 original Shaolin films.
13. 1978-03-23 — Game of Death: Bruce Lee's yellow-and-black tracksuit, the costume that became posthumous Bruce Lee iconography.. 📹 Bruce Lee's Nunchaku Duel | Yellow Suit Scene | CLASSIC Game of Death Fight Bruce Lee's yellow-and-black tracksuit, the costume that became posthumous Bruce Lee iconography. Referenced in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003). The Bride's costume is a direct lift of Bruce Lee's Game of Death tracksuit, photo-recreated by Tarantino as posthumous tribute.
14. 1978-08-12 — The Five Deadly Venoms: Chang Cheh's 1978 Shaw Brothers wuxia — defines the "outnumbered hero takes on a school of identically-dressed swordsmen" trope.. 📹 Five Deadly Venoms 1978 Final Fight Chang Cheh's 1978 Shaw Brothers wuxia — defines the "outnumbered hero takes on a school of identically-dressed swordsmen" trope. Referenced in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003). The Crazy 88 sequence is paced and shot in the Shaw Brothers tradition; Tarantino has named Five Deadly Venoms as a primary influence.
15. 1978-09-16 — American Boy: Scorsese's documentary about Steven Prince includes Prince's spoken story of injecting a friend with adrenaline — verbatim source of the scene.. 📹 American Boy Original Trailer - Martin Scorsese's Documentary about Steven Prince Scorsese's documentary about Steven Prince includes Prince's spoken story of injecting a friend with adrenaline — verbatim source of the scene. Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994). Tarantino has said the adrenaline-shot scene is taken word-for-word from Steven Prince's monologue in the 1978 Scorsese doc.
16. 1982-04-02 — Cat People: Paul Schrader's 1982 Nastassja Kinski film — Bowie's title song was originally written for this scene.. 📹 Cat People (Putting Out Fire) Paul Schrader's 1982 Nastassja Kinski film — Bowie's title song was originally written for this scene. Referenced in Inglourious Basterds (2009). Tarantino has called the Cat People song needle-drop one of his proudest soundtrack moments. The Schrader film is a long-standing personal favourite.
17. 1982-06-25 — The Thing: John Carpenter's 1982 The Thing — Antarctic researchers locked in with an unknown shapeshifter.. 📹 The Thing (1982) - MacReady Tests the Blood Samples John Carpenter's 1982 The Thing — Antarctic researchers locked in with an unknown shapeshifter. Referenced in The Hateful Eight (2015). Tarantino acknowledges The Thing as the structural template — Ennio Morricone's Hateful Eight score actually reuses unused cues he composed for The Thing in 1982.
18. 1987-02-13 — City on Fire: Ringo Lam's Hong Kong heist film ends in an identical triangular standoff.. 📹 CITY ON FIRE (1987) - Heist & Escape Ringo Lam's Hong Kong heist film ends in an identical triangular standoff. Referenced in Reservoir Dogs (1992). Tarantino was sued (informally) by City on Fire fans; he later admitted Reservoir Dogs is largely an Americanised cover version of Lam's 1987 film.
19. 1992-10-23 — Reservoir Dogs: The Mexican-standoff finale — three men point guns at each other in a triangle.. 📹 Reservoir Dogs Mexican Standoff The Mexican-standoff finale — three men point guns at each other in a triangle. Tarantino was sued (informally) by City on Fire fans; he later admitted Reservoir Dogs is largely an Americanised cover version of Lam's 1987 film.
20. 1992-10-23 — Reservoir Dogs: Mr. Blonde dances to Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle With You" before cutting off the cop's ear.. 📹 Stuck In The Middle With You | Reservoir Dogs Mr. Blonde dances to Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle With You" before cutting off the cop's ear. Tarantino has cited the original Django as the direct ear-cutting reference; he'd homage Corbucci again decades later with Django Unchained.
21. 1992-10-23 — Reservoir Dogs: Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blonde — heisters identified only by color codenames.. 📹 Reservoir Dogs | Naming Mr.Pink Scene Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blonde — heisters identified only by color codenames. Tarantino has named Pelham 123 as the direct inspiration for the color codename device.
22. 1994-10-14 — Pulp Fiction: Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega twist at Jack Rabbit Slim's.. 📹 Pulp Fiction Legendary Dance Scene (John Travolta + Uma Thurman) Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega twist at Jack Rabbit Slim's. The overhead lighting + dance-floor staging is pulled directly from Fellini. Tarantino later called Pulp Fiction "a B-movie version of 8½".
23. 1994-10-14 — Pulp Fiction: Vincent injects adrenaline into Mia's heart to revive her from an overdose.. 📹 A Shot of Adrenaline - Pulp Fiction (6/12) Movie CLIP (1994) HD Vincent injects adrenaline into Mia's heart to revive her from an overdose. Tarantino has said the adrenaline-shot scene is taken word-for-word from Steven Prince's monologue in the 1978 Scorsese doc.
24. 1994-10-14 — Pulp Fiction: The diner robbery cold-open and circular structure.. 📹 Everybody be cool, this is a robbery! l Pulp Fiction The diner robbery cold-open and circular structure. Tarantino has named The Killing as the structural template for Pulp Fiction's nonlinear storytelling.
25. 1994-10-14 — Pulp Fiction: The trunk-POV shot — characters look down into the trunk at the camera.. 📹 Pulp Fiction trunk scene - Trunk POV The trunk-POV shot — characters look down into the trunk at the camera. The trunk shot becomes a Tarantino signature appearing in nearly every film; he traces it back to Aldrich and to Anthony Mann's westerns.
26. 1997-12-25 — Jackie Brown: Opening tracking shot of Pam Grier walking through LAX in stewardess uniform, "Across 110th Street" plays.. 📹 Jackie Brown.Across 110th Street.Bobby Womack Opening tracking shot of Pam Grier walking through LAX in stewardess uniform, "Across 110th Street" plays. Tarantino has named The Graduate's opening as the direct template — same airport, same moving walkway, same character-vs-soundtrack composition.
27. 1997-12-25 — Jackie Brown: Pam Grier returns to the screen after a 15-year exile from leading roles.. 📹 The Dressing Room Exchange | Jackie Brown | Quentin Tarantino | Pam Grier | @lionsgateplay Pam Grier returns to the screen after a 15-year exile from leading roles. Jackie Brown was written specifically for Grier as a reactivation of her 70s persona; the entire film is a Foxy Brown homage by way of Elmore Leonard.
28. 2003-10-10 — Kill Bill Vol. 1: The Bride in the yellow-and-black tracksuit in the House of Blue Leaves.. 📹 [HD] Kill Bill Vol. 1 | One ticket to Tokyo, please. The Bride in the yellow-and-black tracksuit in the House of Blue Leaves. The Bride's costume is a direct lift of Bruce Lee's Game of Death tracksuit, photo-recreated by Tarantino as posthumous tribute.
29. 2003-10-10 — Kill Bill Vol. 1: The House of Blue Leaves fight against the Crazy 88.. 📹 Kill Bill: Volume 1 "The Bride vs The Crazy 88 fight scene" 4K HDR The House of Blue Leaves fight against the Crazy 88. The Crazy 88 sequence is paced and shot in the Shaw Brothers tradition; Tarantino has named Five Deadly Venoms as a primary influence.
30. 2004-04-16 — Kill Bill Vol. 2: The Bride is buried alive in a wooden coffin.. 📹 Classic Quentin: Kill Bill Vol. 2 "Buried Alive" HD The Bride is buried alive in a wooden coffin. Tarantino has cited multiple 1970s Italian crime/spy films for the buried-alive trope; Kill is the most-cited specific source.
31. 2004-04-16 — Kill Bill Vol. 2: Pai Mei trains the Bride in the five-point palm exploding heart technique.. 📹 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) - The Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique Scene (12/12) | Movieclips Pai Mei trains the Bride in the five-point palm exploding heart technique. Pai Mei is a transplanted Shaw Brothers villain; Gordon Liu (who plays Pai Mei in Kill Bill) was also in the 1977 original Shaolin films.
32. 2007-04-06 — Death Proof: The 1970 Dodge Challenger that Zoë Bell rides on the hood of, name-checked on screen.. 📹 Zoë Bell - Grindhouse - Death Proof Car Chase Scene The 1970 Dodge Challenger that Zoë Bell rides on the hood of, name-checked on screen. Death Proof characters name-drop the Vanishing Point Challenger by model and year. Tarantino has called it his all-time favorite car-chase film.
33. 2009-08-21 — Inglourious Basterds: Opening title card: "Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France...". 📹 Inglourious Basterds - Once upon a time Opening title card: "Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France..." The "Once upon a time" framing acknowledges Leone as the patron saint. Tarantino has cited OUATIW as the single film he most aspires to.
34. 2009-08-21 — Inglourious Basterds: Shosanna prepares the cinema for the Nazi screening, "Cat People" plays on the soundtrack.. 📹 Inglourious Basterds (6/9) Movie CLIP - Ready for Revenge (2009) HD Shosanna prepares the cinema for the Nazi screening, "Cat People" plays on the soundtrack. Tarantino has called the Cat People song needle-drop one of his proudest soundtrack moments. The Schrader film is a long-standing personal favourite.
35. 2012-12-25 — Django Unchained: Franco Nero — the original Django — appears in the Candyland bar scene, asks Jamie Foxx how to spell his name. "D-J-A-N-G-O. The D is silent." "I know.". 📹 Cei doi Django - Franco Nero ( Django 1966) si Jamie Foxx ( Django Unchained 2012) Franco Nero — the original Django — appears in the Candyland bar scene, asks Jamie Foxx how to spell his name. "D-J-A-N-G-O. The D is silent." "I know." Tarantino built Django Unchained as a love letter to Corbucci's 1966 film. Nero's cameo is the only on-screen passing of the torch.
36. 2015-12-25 — The Hateful Eight: Strangers trapped together in a snowbound cabin, growing certainty that one of them is hiding something.. 📹 The Hateful Eight - The Four Passengers - Killing Spree Scene (1080p) Strangers trapped together in a snowbound cabin, growing certainty that one of them is hiding something. Tarantino acknowledges The Thing as the structural template — Ennio Morricone's Hateful Eight score actually reuses unused cues he composed for The Thing in 1982.
37. 2019-07-26 — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Cliff Booth fights Bruce Lee on the Green Hornet backlot.. 📹 Bruce Lee Fight Scene - ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019) Cliff Booth fights Bruce Lee on the Green Hornet backlot. The backlot scene takes place on the real Green Hornet production. Lee's daughter Shannon publicly criticised the film's portrayal of her father.
38. 2019-07-26 — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Cliff drives Pussycat back to Spahn Ranch, finds the Manson Family in residence.. 📹 Cliff Booth punched a Hippie at Spahn Ranch Scene 1080p - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019) Cliff drives Pussycat back to Spahn Ranch, finds the Manson Family in residence. Tarantino spent years researching the Manson Family for OUATIH; Helter Skelter (book + film) is his primary cited reference.
39. 2024-12-02 — The Green Hornet: Bruce Lee as Kato in the original 1966-67 ABC television series.. 📹 Bruce Lee - Way of The Kato ( The Green Hornet 1966 ) Tribute Bruce Lee as Kato in the original 1966-67 ABC television series. Referenced in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). The backlot scene takes place on the real Green Hornet production. Lee's daughter Shannon publicly criticised the film's portrayal of her father.
40. 2025-05-16 — The Killing: Stanley Kubrick's 1956 heist film told out of chronological order, with each character's timeline returning to the same moments.. 📹 Stanley Kubrick’s The Killing | NewsRush Stanley Kubrick's 1956 heist film told out of chronological order, with each character's timeline returning to the same moments. Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994). Tarantino has named The Killing as the structural template for Pulp Fiction's nonlinear storytelling.

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