This is a very cool concept. I recommend it to filmmakers and film enthusiasts.
After Tarantino’s success in the beginning of 1990s, a new school of Tarantinoesque films/filmmakers emerged and this book is about them,.
Including Tarantino himself, a chapter is dedicated to all directors covered, who have each created their own signature.
Overall, a good testament to cinema, the ‘90’s, and insights into filmmaking, Some are still relevant today, some show how the times have changed in terms of financing, technology, trends and many more.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of Andrew J. Rausch’s informative new book Generation Tarantino: The Last Wave of Young Turks in Hollywood. This book examines directors who got their start in the 90s and proceeded to develop a film career that has mostly continued until today. In the introduction, Rausch establishes his criteria for inclusion in this book, explaining that he wanted to examine filmmakers in the 90s who were most likely influenced by the maverick filmmakers of the 70s who have been studied and analyzed considerably. I appreciated this specialized focus since many of the filmmakers coincided with my developing awareness of styles and themes in directors. While the book has Tarantino in the title, Rausch focuses on a wide range of directors ranging from Richard Linklater to Darren Aronofsky, with John Singleton, David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Guillermo del Torro, Kevin Smith, Noah Baumbach, Christopher Nolan, and Paul Thomas Anderson in between. The book ends with Sofia Coppola, whose debut film The Virgin Suicides, came out in 2000, but was in production during the late 90s. It’s interesting to consider all of these directors who got their start in the 90s and have become well-known auteurs who have established their own unique voices, influencing other directors and styles in Hollywood. Although not all of these directors are known for blockbuster successes, many of them have further solidified the importance of independent cinema with unique voices and styles as a necessary option to the kind of generic templates that can be a part of big budget studio productions. In fact, it seems that some of these directors wished to tell stories and featured characters that were lacking representation in the 1980s, and Rausch mentions how these directors were also a part of the emerging voice of Gen X. Although I don’t remember being aware of how some of these themes and styles were specifically unique to Gen X at the time, reading some of Rausch’s examples and analysis in the chapters helps to highlight the diversity of interests and influences that all of these directors brought.
Each chapter focuses on one director, specifically spending time on the films they created in the 90s. There is a brief biography that provides some background about how these directors got into film, and I think that was one of the more interesting parts of each director’s biography. John Singleton was the one director who ended up going to a formal film school, and he was able to gain interest in his screenplay for Boyz n the Hood, while still in school. Kevin Smith attended a filmmaking program that was supposed to provide some kind of knowledge about the process of making films, but he ended up leaving before finishing the program. Almost all of the directors in the book had some kind of passion or interest in film from an early age, and they knew that they were going to pursue some aspect of filmmaking. Some directors like Sofia Coppola and David Fincher grew up around films and eventually ended up with jobs on films, although Coppola’s family ties to filmmaking probably gave her more of an advantage than Fincher. Nevertheless, it was interesting to learn more about how each of these directors learned about film, often outside of the more formal training that we might expect. Maybe this is also the reason why so many of them have developed their own unique voice and tell stories of individuals who are unique or relatable. The origin stories of Tarantino and Richard Rodriguez are probably the most interesting. Tarantino worked in a video store and was most likely influenced by all of the videos he watched. In hist excellent book Cinema Speculation, he talks too about going to the movies with some of his mom’s boyfriends, and how watching the exploitation, action, and horror movies from the 70s influenced his style. Rodriguz used to make films with his friends, often modeling stories on popular films like Rambo. Again, it is interesting to see how many of these directors were influenced by less mainstream films and stories, and that influence seems to appear in many of their films and stories.
The chapters also feature descriptions and details about the development and production of their first films. Many of them struggled to find funding for their films, since they had yet to establish their names and films often require considerable funding to be made. Some directors like David Fincher had a terrible time on their first film. Fincher’s first film was Alien 3, for which he was like the 6th director. He explained how his experienced in post production, letting the company cut his film considerably, affected his decision to make another film. Other directors seemed to have worse experiences with their second films. Kevin Smith (Mallrats), Guillermo del Torro (Mimic), and John Singleton (Poetic Justice) all seemed to struggle with their follow up films, whether from pressure from studios to cut their films a certain way or to manage budgets. In fact, Noah Baumbach even had to include Eric Stoltz in one of his films and ended up writing a part just to include Stoltz to get funding. It was interesting to learn more about these challenges, and how other directors like Wes Anderson or Paul Thomas Anderson were firm on maintaining their artistic vision. Rausch provides a helpful understanding of how funding a film can lead to compromises in details from the running time, special effects, or even the actors involved in the film. I loved learning about the different actors that were considered for each of the parts in different films, imagining how many of these iconoclastic 90s films would have turned out differently if the cast were different. Rausch often follows up the first film with the directors’ second film, and how that film developed as well. Again, it was interesting to learn about what each of the directors were working on, the decisions they made, and how success often brought them both more options and sometimes less control over subsequent films. It was also interesting to see how sometimes these second films may have been held up, farily or unfairly, to the first film. Rausch includes reviews from critics, often well-known movie reviewers, and indicates how time has eventually shifted the appreciation for some of these films. Films like Mallrats and Poetic Justice, both sophomore films that differed somewhat from their directors’ debuts, were possibly victims of a movie going public looking for more of the same. Rausch explores how these films have often grown a cult following since the 90s and have become more appreciated. Although Jackie Brown is Tarantino’s third film, it also seemed to be a victim of the massive success of Pulp Fiction yet is now often regarded as one of Tarantino’s best films. I really enjoyed reading about the development of both of these films. These chapters are informative and incredibly interesting for fans of film. I remember how innovative and unique Pulp Fiction was when it came out, and I probably went to see it like 6 or 7 times, often bringing friends to see it for the first time. As someone who can remember when most of these films came out, it was great to read about their development.
The chapters end with the directors’ later filmography after the 90s, where Rausch explores what they have been up to. This was often short since the focus is primarily on the 90s output. Also, be advised that since many of these films were Miramax films, Harvey Weinstein plays a role in securing the rights to some of these films and giving these directors their first opportunities. Although Rausch doesn’t delve into Weinstein’s crimes, he does present the brothers as somewhat unscrupulous and mob-like in their threats to other studios. Although there are many different directors in the book, Tarantino is the primary focus, and there is one chapter that looks at a few “Tarantinoesque” directors whose films came out sometime around Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Rausch explores the term “Tarantinoesque” and how it entered the film lexicon after Pulp Fiction. He also uses this chapter to dispel the notion that these films were somehow influenced by Tarantino, and in someways critiquing Tarantino for not acknowledging his influences from other films. While it was interesting to learn more about these films, I felt like this chapter wasn’t as well connected to the rest of the book. It was more like a long detour to the outskirts of these films from the 90s to explore some lesser known and less interesting sights. Furthermore, the other filmmakers all seemed to not appreciate being lumped in with Tarantino. Despite being a book about the unique voices and visions of these filmmakers, Rausch also shows how the market and demand for theEase popular films can sometimes seek to lump others into the fold to build off the popularity of others. The only other issues I found with the book was the lack of representation and the uniformity of the chapters. Rausch provides a lot of information and some useful criticism and analysis of these films and different directors, but there were 2 directors from Mexico, 1 African American director, and 1 female director. Although the stories and films from the 90s may have been more diverse, it seems like directing opportunities were not as equally distributed. Although Rausch focuses on some powerful directors, there are some directors of color who could have been included. For example, the Hughes Brothers debuted with the powerful Menace II Society and followed that up with the underrated Dead Presidents. Mario Van Peebles, son of the great Melvin Van Peebles, made his directing debut with 1991’s New Jack City, and followed those up with other important films in the 90s like Posse and Panther. Earnest Dickerson started working with Spike Lee, but debuted with Juice in 1992 and followed that up with Demon Knight. Kasi Lemons was in Candyman, but also debuted directing Eve’s Bayou in 1997. Jennie Livingston debuted with the incredible documentary Paris is Burning in 1990, which introduced more people to ball culture of NYC, which has had such an impact on the way people talk and dance today. Jane Campion’s The Piano also came out in the 90s and was the second woman to be nominated for an Oscar, and the first to be nominated twice. Although Sophia Coppola deserves inclusion on this list, it almost felt like her placement at the end and the shorter focus on her work kind of felt like the book was shortchanging female directors. I don’t think that was Rausch’s intention at all. Coppola’s only film from the 90s came out in 2000, so she debuted at the tail end of this book’s focus. However, it does seem like there are other female directors who could have also been included. Additionally, the chapters started to feel somewhat formulaic towards the end. While the stories were still interesting, especially Paul Thomas Anderson’s approach to filmmaking and how he was able to get his 90s films The Hard Eight and Boogie Nights made, some of the later chapters felt like there was less information and less focus. Again, I don’t think this was a purposeful choice on Rausch’s part, but rather it was more about the timing of the directors’ work and that they had less output than some of the directors who were working earlier in the 90s. Overall, this is a fun and entertaining book to read, especially if you enjoy films. I remember seeing a lot of these films for the first time when they were either in the theater or when they were first available at video stores, so it was cool to revisit them, learn more about them and understand their importance. Highly recommended book.

Generation Tarantino by Andrew Rausch is a fun and informative read about a group of directors who came to prominence in the 90s and spoke specifically to that period.

I don't feel the need to give you my life history or a recap of my formal and informal education in film, it isn't relevant to this book. Even the most casual movie fan who remembers the 90s will enjoy and appreciate this book. In fact, one of the reasons is because it doesn't get so deep that you need a broad background in film, just a fan's love.

I much prefer the discussion when the term generation simply refers to a group, such as these directors, who share certain sensibilities that also speak to the times they were in. It is the forcing of the generation tags many seem to want to wear rather than be open minded that gets annoying. These aren't all "Gen X" directors and it wasn't just "Gen X" who could relate to the films. I'm certain that a late twentysomething or early thirtysomething in the early 90s related to these films better, at that time, than a 15-20 year old. I say with certainty because I am one of those people. The false demarcations of Boomer, Gen X, etc serves some very broad purpose but loses its value when trying to shoehorn Boomer directors into Gen X shoes. It isn't about Boomer or Gen X, it is about some of the population during a specific time frame experiencing a shared social and cultural world. But some people seem to tie their self-worth, or denigrate someone else's worth, based on arbitrary generational lines.

Having ranted enough about that, this book walks back and forth across both uses of the term generation, and it works in this case. These directors captured what was going on during that time (and even earlier as evidenced by Dazed and Confused) in unique and powerful ways, helping those of us going through it to see ourselves and our friends in these stories.

What probably connects these directors more than some kind of generational thing is that their film education was informal or less formal than the previous group of directors usually linked together. That isn't to say they didn't get that same information, they just got it largely from watching the previous "generation" and applying what struck them most to the world they found themselves in.

I would highly recommend this to both those readers who remember the 90s films as especially speaking to them as well as readers who simply enjoy reading about film history. If your interest isn't specifically 90s films this is still valuable because understanding how these directors started helps to appreciate and understand what they have done since then.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for an advance copy of this book that looks at a group of filmmakers who began their careers in a time where movies that were personal, even small were the rage, and the shadow of a little film called Pulp Fiction changed the way studios did business.

I loved movies. During the late 80's and 90's I spent way to much money on scripts, movies, posters, books and magazine. I subscribed to Premiere, Movieline, Cinemafantasique, and spent way to much at Tower Books in New York buying import magazines. Part of the reason I worked in a music store was access to foreign magazines, films, soundtracks and more. I loved nothing more than going in blind, renting movies and being either impressed or disgusted by what I saw. This happened at the same time in a lot of films. I read biographies, making of books, and spent more money on Criterion than I think on college. I remember watching Memento and going oh this guy is going places. Batman I would not have expected. Or watching Pi, without even a thought the same director would make a movie about professional wrestling. The 90's were such an innocent time. Which is why I enjoyed this book so much. Generation Tarantino: The Last Wave of Young Turks in Hollywood by historian and film writer Andrew J. Rausch is a look at the creators who began in the 1990's, how they got their start, the works they created, and how the film business was changed.

The book is broken into 14 chapters, dealing with 13 male directors and 1 female director. The directors are listed by the entry into the business starting with Richard Linklater and ending with Sofia Coppola. The introduction discusses how the movie studios had changed into a business that loved blockbusters far more than it liked art. As the 90's came around, many of these blockbusters were showing their age, something that seems familiar. Also with VCRs and soon DVD's there has always been a need for smaller, cheaper movies, if not just for a studio to have product. Into these niches came many of these directors. The book spends time discussing the influence of Quentin Tarantino, discussing imitators, and how every studio wanted a small budget quirky movie that could net them hundreds of millions of dollars, and even awards. The chapters over brief bios of the directors, how they became interested in film, where their ideas came from, early works and home movies, before talking about the films they created. These have lots of information, behind the scenes gossip, studio interference and critical and audience reception. As this book deals with the 90's larger works say Nolan's Batman films are mentioned but not discussed.

A book that really brought me back, filled with a lot of information, and very well-written. Rausch has done a lot of research, finding interviews, discussions, and digging deep to put the reader in the script room and on the set of the film. There is a lot of discussion on equipment, how ideas came about, casting and what life was like on the set. There is also a lot of studio influence, slashing budgets, fights of final cuts, test screenings gone bad, and much more. All told in a oral history kind of way, not gossipy or mean spirited. One can learn quite a bit from what is written here, almost a film school in itself, in what to do, what not to do and how to really believe in oneself.

I have seem all these movies, and it was nice revisiting them. A person just catching up to film could learn quite a lot from this book. People like myself who remember this time with a lot of fondness will enjoy hearing these stories again. A really fun book, and one I quite enjoyed.

Few figures have come to personify the lively independent cinema of the Nineties more convincingly than Quentin Tarantino. But this book isn't just about him. Instead author, Andrew J. Rausch examines the early output of a number of major cinematic talents who first broke through in the Nineties: notably Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson, David Fincher, John Singleton, Sofia Coppola and more, as well as Tarantino himself.
It's fascinating stuff. It's easy to forget that Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn) actually subjected himself to medical experiments to help raise funds for his early projects while the likes of Kevin Smith (Clerks) and Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise) encountered all manner of career hiccups even after wowing critics and audiences with their debuts. Given that filmmakers from a variety of countries are included, I was surprised to see that neither Danny Boyle (Shallow Grave, Trainspotting) nor Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) were omitted from the list even though fellow Brit, Christopher Nolan (Memento) quite justifiably does.
This is nevertheless a fascinating insight into a fascinating decade in the history of celluloid,

Good overview of the directors who debuted in the 90s. A lot of directors are covered meaning each director gets kind of a quick chapter covering their first couple films. It’s good for directors you don’t know much about, but I didn’t learn a lot about people I’m a fan of like Tarantino, PTA and Fincher. One note, the author attributed Mank to a director who isn’t David Fincher, Mank’s actual director.

Beyond the nitpick, Rausch does give a great summation on this generation of directors.

I received a free egalley of this book in return for an honest review.