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Cinema Speculation Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,554 ratings

Instant New York Times bestseller

The long-awaited first work of nonfiction from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: a deliriously entertaining, wickedly intelligent cinema book as unique and creative as anything by Quentin Tarantino.

In addition to being among the most celebrated of contemporary filmmakers, Quentin Tarantino is possibly the most joyously infectious movie lover alive. For years he has touted in interviews his eventual turn to writing books about films. Now, with Cinema Speculation, the time has come, and the results are everything his passionate fans—and all movie lovers—could have hoped for. Organized around key American films from the 1970s, all of which he first saw as a young moviegoer at the time, this book is as intellectually rigorous and insightful as it is rollicking and entertaining. At once film criticism, film theory, a feat of reporting, and wonderful personal history, it is all written in the singular voice recognizable immediately as QT’s and with the rare perspective about cinema possible only from one of the greatest practitioners of the artform ever.

The audiobook is narrated by Edoardo Ballerini, and features Quentin Tarantino reading the first and last chapters. A perfect listen for all fans!

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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 9 minutes
Author Quentin Tarantino
Narrator Edoardo Ballerini, Quentin Tarantino
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date November 01, 2022
Publisher HarperAudio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B09V3FTWKY
Best Sellers Rank #6,817 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#6 in Film History & Criticism
#10 in Movie History & Criticism
#42 in Performing Arts (Books)

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
2,554 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an enjoyable and interesting read that offers insightful stories about filmmaking. They appreciate the good prose and easy reading style. The book is praised as a great resource for film enthusiasts, with its enthusiasm for movies as art and messengers of the zeitgeist. Readers appreciate the attention to detail provided on the actors and production backstories.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

65 customers mention "Enjoyment"65 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it fun and engaging, with great content for movie fans. The author takes the reader on a journey through the years, with detailed and compelling exercises. The book offers an added bonus of watching movies, which many consider an added bonus for casual movie enthusiasts.

"...The myriad threads of this thought exercise are detailed and compelling...." Read more

"...A fun read." Read more

"Super interesting read!!..." Read more

"...(although he's truly a great director), but I absolutely loved reading this book...." Read more

42 customers mention "Insight"42 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the author's insights into movies and life. They find the book entertaining, enlightening, and thought-provoking. Readers appreciate the autobiographical tone and descriptions of defining moments. The author knows the stories and personalities behind many films.

"...It’s a deeply personal book too, framing these consequential films as ‘fixed-points’ in the development of a filmmaker that influenced his own..." Read more

"...Tarantino uses a very personal writing style and gives interesting insights into his life, influences, and inspirations. Love it!" Read more

"...quickly becomes a frenetic meditation on cinema and the influences of Quentin Tarantino. A fun read." Read more

"The book delved into many fascinating stories regarding how and why pictures got made and also covered the actors that starred in them." Read more

35 customers mention "Writing style"25 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the prose good and personal, with interesting insights. The book reads well and is beautifully constructed. Readers appreciate the author's unmistakable language and voice.

"...His words speak with authority, the product not only of a lifelong career, but of a genuine love of feet. I mean film...." Read more

"...Tarantino uses a very personal writing style and gives interesting insights into his life, influences, and inspirations. Love it!" Read more

"...He also clearly made an effort in writing the book to talk to some of the big players from the era and get their take on his thoughts at times...." Read more

"The prose might have been a bit off (which is why I dinged it a star) but this book is a fascinating window into the hodgepodge of cinematic..." Read more

26 customers mention "Movie buffs"26 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book for its insightful analysis of films. They appreciate Tarantino's passion for movies as art and messengers of the zeitgeist. The book changes their moviegoing experience and shapes the development and production of movies.

"...starts with a few essential films, but quickly becomes a frenetic meditation on cinema and the influences of Quentin Tarantino. A fun read." Read more

"Super interesting read!! Goes into different movies that he loved as a child and teen and talks about how each inspired him to become the writer..." Read more

"...His storytelling skills parse performance, structure, and direction with an emphasis on overall audience delight rather than to illustrate an..." Read more

"...Tarantino's enthusiasm for movies as art and as messengers of the zeitgeist comes through in this book." Read more

7 customers mention "Style"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's writing style. They find the book's sense of story, music, and pace engaging. Readers also mention that the author writes about filmmaking enthusiastically without coming off as pretentious or overly critical.

"...The way that Tarantino describes and discusses films is a real work of art. I think this book would be a treat for just about any movie buff." Read more

"...The book gives a very personal look into a number of the films that shaped his early views on filmmaking and cinema, the people who influenced..." Read more

"...But particularly film. His insights are spot on and his sense of story, style, music, and pace have made me the kind of superfan I generally only..." Read more

"...films from his favorite era of film-making and never comes off as pretentious or overly-critical...." Read more

5 customers mention "Actor background"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the background on actors and productions. They find the book informative and entertaining, offering insights into screenwriters, directors, actors, and filmmaking. Readers appreciate the detailed coverage of screenwriting, directing, and production details.

"...regarding how and why pictures got made and also covered the actors that starred in them." Read more

"...influenced him during his formative years and goes into great detail about the screenwriters, directors, actors and production backstories...." Read more

"...Hypothetical questions about different actors or directors in these and other films. Quentin definitely knows his stuff! Great read...." Read more

"...Lots of great stories about the actors, writers and directors from each of the films he discusses." Read more

Great read - even my dog started to enjoy it
5 out of 5 stars
Great read - even my dog started to enjoy it
Quentin is a great storyteller.Although I've heard some of the things he narrates on this book before, he goes into more details here.I have not finished reading it. But it's a must for cinema and Quentin movies fans.My dog loved it too.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2024
    I really like Quentin Tarantino, the author. Most of his movies are cool, for sure, but you don’t need to like them to love this book. Here, he flexes an entirely different muscle with ease. I’ve admittedly been a fan of his since I saw “Pulp Fiction” - in the original German - while studying abroad as a high schooler. I could instantly recognize the unmistakeable product of a true film nerd. Like knows like, so maybe I’m biased.

    In this tome, his words ring out from the musty confines of non-fiction with the same realistic cadence, slang and expressiveness found in his scripts. As a narrator of an obvious wealth of film knowledge, compounded by spilled secrets of an insider’s perspective, he brings a unique insight brimming with an approachability not usually found in scholarly treatises about 1960’s and 70’s film culture. His opinion on film is formed by an admittedly really, lucky but f’n cool life - the best a film nerd could ask for - having essentially been raised by Hollywood, and well-steeped in its legends and history. His words speak with authority, the product not only of a lifelong career, but of a genuine love of feet. I mean film. He walks a road of deep thoughts on impactful movies from his upbringing of varying quality which, to quote the author, “Produces a cocktail mixed with piss that’s disturbingly tasty.”

    Obviously, it’s a delightful read. However, novice film buffs should have your IMDb.com ready to look up some deep cuts for your next watchlist of excellent cinema. It’s not just well-known mainstays like ‘Bullit’ and ‘Dirty Harry’ though. The author waxes philosophical on Marvel multiverse-style questions like, “What if Brian de Palma directed Taxi Driver?” The myriad threads of this thought exercise are detailed and compelling. There’s also fascinating discussion on the scope and breadth of a genre of self-described ‘Revenge-a-matic’ films. I’ve enjoyed several of these myself, featuring immortal action stars like Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson. This authors’ interest spans multiple shelves of video rental store shelves, from sci-fi and comedy to Toby Hooper’s other, also-great horror flicks that aren’t called ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’

    It’s a deeply personal book too, framing these consequential films as ‘fixed-points’ in the development of a filmmaker that influenced his own contributions to the medium. For instance, in the concluding chapter - no spoilers - we learn about in an influential figure named Floyd. He’s a movie nerd Obi-Wan who happens to be a man with a deep knowledge of film and a dream to be a screenwriter, which obviously affected a young Quentin. It just makes sense in a way, how all these personalities, on screen or sitting in front of the screen, impacted this author in fundamental ways.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
    Reading this book feels like learning a lot more about an old friend. Tarantino uses a very personal writing style and gives interesting insights into his life, influences, and inspirations. Love it!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2025
    The best conversations never end where they begin. One topic leads to another and by the time it’s done you feel much wiser (and sometimes a little older). This free ranging book starts with a few essential films, but quickly becomes a frenetic meditation on cinema and the influences of Quentin Tarantino. A fun read.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2024
    Super interesting read!! Goes into different movies that he loved as a child and teen and talks about how each inspired him to become the writer and director he is today!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
    The book delved into many fascinating stories regarding how and why pictures got made and also covered the actors that starred in them.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023
    It shouldn't be surprising that Quentin Tarantino's film criticism of personally relevant 70s American films is both entertaining and enlightening. His storytelling skills parse performance, structure, and direction with an emphasis on overall audience delight rather than to illustrate an aesthetic theory of "cinema."

    I share that same memory of audience participation as child and young teen going to less-than-luxury theaters. We would trust our developing "gut" to recognize and cheer character truths and even hail glorified action (even, or especially, if, transgressive), as American celluloid mythology itself morphed from the outsider cowboy hero to the moral ambiguity of unpredictable lawmen in an urban wilderness.

    Who better to survey the films of that fertile era than one of our most extraordinary and inventive directors?

    My desire to read more Tarantino writing on film is second only to my desire to see more (new) Tarantino films, guaranteed to always unspool to the cathartic delight of us old balcony sitters and grounded groundlings.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023
    Like a lot of famous movie directors, Quentin Tarantino is an absolute movie lover. One thing you learn from this book is that he's been one since he was a little kid. Since then, he's gone on to meet, talk to, and trade stories about thousands of people in the movie industry: actors, producers, directors, stunt men, etc. So he not only knows movies, he knows the stories and personalities behind hundreds and hundreds of films. In fact, reading this book, it's breath-taking to realize how many movies Tarantino has seen (usually more than once) and how much he knows about them.

    I'm not the biggest fan of Tarantino's movies (although he's truly a great director), but I absolutely loved reading this book. As a result, I wound up watching about ten films, so far, that I'd never even heard of before. The way that Tarantino describes and discusses films is a real work of art. I think this book would be a treat for just about any movie buff.
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2025
    The prose might have been a bit off (which is why I dinged it a star) but this book is a fascinating window into the hodgepodge of cinematic influences that created one of my favorite modern directors.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Big Bad Bob
    5.0 out of 5 stars Why we love movies.
    Reviewed in Canada on February 10, 2025
    Five stars! Quentin Tarantino's "Cinema Speculation" is a pure delight for any film buff. It's not a traditional memoir or a dry film history; it's a passionate, opinionated, and often hilarious deep dive into the movies that shaped Tarantino as a filmmaker. He explores a fascinating mix of films from the 70s, some well-known, others more obscure, and offers his unique perspectives on their artistry, impact, and cultural context. Tarantino's writing style is as energetic and engaging as his films, and his love for cinema radiates from every page. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves movies and wants to understand the mind of one of modern cinema's most distinctive voices. It's a treasure trove of insights, anecdotes, and personal reflections that will leave you wanting to revisit (or discover) the films Tarantino discusses.
  • Zeka Sixx
    5.0 out of 5 stars Imperdível, especialmente para fãs do cinema dos anos 70
    Reviewed in Brazil on December 6, 2023
    Este fantástico livro reúne uma coleção de ensaios escritos por Quentin Tarantino, em geral sobre filmes que ele viu no cinema em sua infância/adolescência, entre o início dos anos 70 e o início dos 80. O renomado diretor, logicamente, não se atém a apenas analisar os filmes que dão nome a cada capítulo. No legítimo espírito "uma coisa puxa a outra", eles são apenas uma desculpa para Tarantino dar seus pitacos sobre toda a carreira de alguns de seus diretores (Don Siegel, Sam Peckinpah), roteiristas (Paul Schrader) e atores favoritos (Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen), especular e resgatar inúmeras fofocas de bastidores da fervilhante "Nova Hollywood" dos anos 70.

    Logicamente, dada a quantidade de citações a filmes e artistas da época, é um livro que será bem melhor saboreado por quem assistiu aos diversos filmes mencionados, ou pelo menos leu sobre eles. Eu inclusive me arrisco a dizer que ter lido "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" é quase que um pré-requisito para ler este livro.

    Um dos capítulos mais legais do livro é aquele em que Tarantino se dedica a imaginar como seria "Taxi Driver" se tivesse sido dirigido por Brian de Palma (um dos cineastas a quem o filme foi oferecido antes de chegar às mãos de Scorsese).

    Outra coisa legal são as pequenas descobertas sobre os gostos peculiares do autor, como descobrir que Tarantino foi um enorme fã de Stallone e de "Rocky" (e que gosta ainda mais de "Rocky II"), ou que ele considera "O Massacre da Serra Elétrica" um dos pouquíssimos filmes PERFEITOS da história do cinema.

    Eis aqui a lista dos filmes que dão a partida em cada capítulo do livro (alguns eu já havia visto, outros já estou louco para ver devido ao entusiasmo com que Tarantino escreveu sobre eles):

    - "Bullit", de 1968 - já vi;
    - "Perseguidor Implacável" (Dirty Harry), de 1971 - já vi;
    - "Amargo Pesadelo" (Deliverance), de 1972 - já vi;
    - "Os Implacáveis" (The Getaway), de 1972 - quero ver;
    - "A Quadrilha" (The Outfit), de 1973 - quero ver;
    - "Irmãs Diabólicas" (Sisters), de 1973 - quero ver;
    - "Daisy Miller", de 1974 - quero ver;
    - "Taxi Driver", de 1976 - já vi;
    - "A Outra Face da Violência" (Rolling Thunder), de 1977 - quero MUITO ver;
    - "A Taberna do Inferno" (Paradise Alley), de 1978 - quero ver;
    - "Fuga de Alcatraz", de 1979 - já vi;
    - "Hardcore", de 1979 - já vi;
    - "Pague para Entrar, Reze para Sair" (The Funhouse), de 1981 - já vi.
  • Tete
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
    Reviewed in Mexico on June 13, 2023
    Un muy buen libro
  • Alexander
    5.0 out of 5 stars GOAT
    Reviewed in Germany on November 10, 2024
    Best book ever
  • Sarthak kush
    5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK
    Reviewed in India on March 11, 2024
    it was a great book to read if you are film fanatic