The Landmark Western Quentin Tarantino Called “Ugly” Is Streaming for Free
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One of the greatest revisionist Westerns ever made, a movie that is often described as an “anti-Western” for how frequently it subverts conventions of the genre, is currently streaming for free in the United States. Trust noted Western aficionado Quentin Tarantino, however, to find fault with it. Tarantino has subverted Western tropes himself over the years, in movies such as Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. But when Robert Altman did it in 1971 with McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Tarantino thought that at least a part of Altman’s movie was “ugly.” The 1971 film was headlined by Warren Beatty, who Tarantino was convinced directed himself.
In an appearance on the Pure Cinema Podcast, Tarantino said that he has a complicated relationship with the movie in question, which also featured Julie Christie. “I think the first reel of the movie is the worst-mixed reel in the history of Hollywood cinema,” Tarantino declared in his trademark fashion, adding, “There’s a level of incompetence to the mix that Hollywood never really goes below.” He said that when he first watched the movie on VHS, he found the first act to be noticeably ugly and gave up. He tried to watch the movie a second time, but gave up again. It was only when he found a 35mm print and thought of gifting it to Richard Linklater that he gave the film another shot and had a completely different reaction.
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He said, “I really, really liked it. The first 20 minutes, the sound mix is still dreadful. It’s abysmal. But you get caught up in the movie, and it envelops you and Beatty envelops you and Christie envelops you, and then the whole end––I think it’s just perfect.” Tarantino is now putting together his long-rumored final film. Little has been revealed about it, but Tarantino’s cinematographer, Robert Richardson, recently revealed that the project will enter production in 2027. In the meantime, the filmmaker’s fans can look forward to The Adventures of Cliff Booth, the sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Written by Tarantino and directed by David Fincher, the new movie is getting an IMAX run in November ahead of its Netflix debut in December. Meanwhile, McCabe & Mrs. Miller is streaming for free on Tubi. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.