Tarantino: Songs and Scenes Inspired by the Films of Mr. Tarantino Returns October 16

Greg Vellante

The films of Quentin Tarantino have been known to possess the finest blend of pop and pulp. The soundtracks of his films are essentially inspired mix tapes hand-selected by Tarantino himself, and the writer/director’s eye (or ear for that matter) for musical detail in his films has always proven to be the most astute. With the tremendously enjoyable show For The Record: Tarantino, artists have taken the best of the best of Tarantino’s mix tapes, re-blending and re-appropriating the songs into their own unique assortment while crafting a whole new type of mix tape in the process.

Beginning again at DBA in West Hollywood on October 16, For the Record: Tarantino is guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve ever seen in such an intimate setting. On their website, they are a described as a series that “breathes a new kind of life into the movies by adapting the works of great directors to a theatrical concert setting,” and this is exactly what the talented cast and crew achieve with the films of Quentin Tarantino. Fundamentally the show is a live mix tape and feverish re-envisioning of Tarantino’s work and the result is wildly entertaining and unbelievably fresh.

Soon after one of the show’s skinny-tied Reservoir Dogs characters introduces the audience members to what they are about to witness, For the Record shifts into full gear, replicating the opening diner robbery from Pulp Fiction with a live band shredding the surf-rock track “Miserlou” in the background. The result is thrilling, and it only gets better from there.

As a skewed Tarantino universe where his famous characters sing their own songs and dance their butts off, they sometimes cross from one film story to another with ease. For example, in one moment Mia Wallace is telling Vincent Vega about her failed Fox Force Five pilot, a popular scene from Pulp Fiction where she describes her character as being a knife expert, then all of a sudden Vernita Green, AKA Copperhead, emerges to initiate the spirited knife fight near the opening of Kill Bill: Volume One, thereby transforming Mia Wallace seamlessly into Tarantino’s other Uma Thurman creation, The Bride.

As soon as the knife fight is over, The Bride simply walks back to Vincent Vega, resumes her conversation, and with a hilarious “Where was I?” she becomes Mia Wallace once more. Then, within minutes, the entire club erupts into dance as Mia and Vincent begin to replicate perhaps one of Pulp Fiction’s most indelible scenes – the Jack Rabbit Slim’s dance contest to Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell.”

Even better, during this aforementioned shift from Pulp Fiction to Kill Bill and back to Pulp Fiction, Vernita Green actually appeared in the shadows directly next to my booth, looking at me directly and telling me to shush, all the while holding a knife behind her back and waiting in the darkness to strike. Audiences can expect this type of interactive behavior throughout the whole show. At the beginning, I was having a gun pointed at my face and told to put my wallet on the table. I even clinked glasses with one of the Reservoir Dogs at one point.

For the Record: Tarantino is a show infused with familiar inspirations and its own unique spirit. With over 35 performances and songs throughout the “A Side” and “B Side” sections of the show, audiences are essentially paying less than a dollar per song in their $35 ticket price. This remarkable achievement is like popping quarters into a jukebox for both the aural and visual senses, except for this value you are getting so much more in entertainment quality.

Covering every bit of the Tarantino soundtrack spectrum, even paying attention to the more underrated of Tarantino’s titles, Death Proof and Jackie Brown (the latter of which is my favorite of Tarantino’s canon), this is a generous homage by a new generation of talent inspired by a singular artist who himself was inspired by decades of film and music culture. Thus, the inspiration is undeniably potent.

As a last note, recognition must be directed towards some incredibly gifted individuals who commanded the stage with ease during their performance in this wonderful show. I particularly enjoyed Dionne “Didi” Gibson, Rhett George, and Rogelio Douglas Jr., all of whom assumed multiple roles and truly impressed with their amazing voices. However, the clear standout and scene stealer was Rumer Willis, who plays various roles including Uma Thurman’s characters in both Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, as well as the role of Shoshanna in Inglourious Basterds.

Having only known her previously as the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, I will no longer resort to such an unfair simplification and instead recognize her as the incredible acting and singing talent that she is. The highlight of the show is her rendition of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” from the opening of Kill Bill: Volume One – mirroring the tense sadness of the scene perfectly with her vocals.

Readers should note that the cast does alternate, and on other nights they can expect either the aforementioned performers or another group that includes Tarantino alum Tracie Thoms, who appeared in the filmmaker’s Death Proof in 2007. Regardless of the cast, audiences are in for a treat. Funny, sexy, smart, stylish, violent, and stunningly dynamic, this is a show that would be a true shame to miss out on for music lovers and Tarantino lovers alike.

Tarantino: Songs and Scenes Inspired by the Films of Mr. Tarantino is Live at DBA Oct. 16 – Nov. 20.