Hey folks, Harry here... The following rumor is possibly insane and unbelievable... And I'm not going to say I believe it... but there is circumstantial evidence and whispers to kinda back this up. First, here's the alleged rumor:
Also, a guy I know who works at (Harry Deleted The Name Of Company To Protect The Guilty) says that... and this is something I had trouble believing, but if its true it will be huge... is that Tarantino made a western called "Forty Lashes" that will be a surprise announcement at Cannes. It was shot and edited in secret and is now in the can and will be shown there. IF you end up not printing this and it turns out true, be ready for several million I told you so's and some serious gloating.
Seaweed
Harry here again... Now this is likely bunk... as a matter of fact I'd say that there is about a 5 & 11/23% chance that this scoop is reliable, but... well here ya go... 1. Seaweed has been a good spy and informant in the past. 2. Tarantino was seen in Catorce, Mexico in the Sierra Madres by crew members of THE MEXICAN... noone knew why he was there. For the last two years... other than when Quentin showed up in Austin... he's been amazingly off the radar... his movements untracked... his habits unfollowable. Back a year and a half ago there were rumors that Quent was shooting in Mexico and in Africa, but no one could get confirmations and when people I knew were asked.... they seemed to be completely confused and shocked that someone would suggest such a thing.
Is it possible in today's Internet... spy over every shoulder... world to shoot a film that no one knows is shooting? Actually... Yes. It is possible. Example? Okay, everyone knew that Richard Linklater was shooting WAKING LIFE... his "cartoon" film... but at the same time or slightly after or before, he shot a film called TAPE... No one I knew knew anything about it until Sundance announced their line-up and Linklater had two films in instead of one.
In addition... Quentin has been spending a great deal of his time in New York City instead of Los Angeles... Now there could be many reasons for this... Perhaps he developed a taste for the town after he did Broadway for those months a while back... Maybe he found a beautiful New York Kitten and couldn't stay away... Maybe he likes a city that never sleep... But there could be another reason. Perhaps... Just perhaps, Tarantino has been locked up in some secret room somewhere that Bob and Harvey Weinstein own doing post for the last 4 months... Maybe that's why he had to leave SXSW abruptly this year... Maybe there's something to all this...
But like I said, I think it's bullsh*t. I think it isn't true, but there's a chance, narrow and unlikely... The sort of thing that creates legends... There are very few filmmakers that I think can do a below radar big film. Luc Besson, James Cameron, Richard Linklater and Quentin Tarantino. Why? Because I have confidence they can do it.
The last bit I heard on this was waaaaaay back in 1999 from Kiowa Scout:
AICN fave Quentin Tarantino recently completed the script of Elmore Leonard's novel "Forty Lashes" as a directing vehicle for himself. I hope that he makes this his next project. Miramax will produce with Lawrence Bender. It was nearly produced in the early `70's for William Friedkin and Jon Voight. This story revolves around two inmates, one black and one Indian, of Yuma Prison in Arizona who strike a deal through a rep for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be released. They must first track down five of the state's most dangerous prisoners who escaped during a transfer. I had the tremendous opportunity to meet this man who happens to be one of my all-time favorite directors in the world. I just had to tell him how MUCH I anticipate this one. No word on production schedule. The Quicker, the Better!
So... has Quentin shot a new film? Did he go out and shoot FORTY LASHES in late 1999 ta mid 2000? Is this why, suddenly... one day out of the blue he called Tim up at the Drafthouse and said... 3 Weeks to the QT3? Or was it because he was about to go shoot it? Or has he shot it since QT4?
So... why post this rumor? Because... it is delicious... the sort of rumor that I so want to be true it isn't even funny. As I watched SAVAGE STREETS at the Drafthouse Wednesday night, all I could think while watching that badass Linda Blair taking them punks that done done her wrong and making them bleed and burn... well all I could think was.... MY GOD! QUENTIN IS MAKING ONE OF THESE.... BUT WITH GREAT DIALOGUE, ACTING AND CINEMATICS...
Now here's the thing... the story is about an American Indian and a Black Man that escape from Prison in the old west in this Elmore Leonard novel... and just thinking about it... Who would he of cast if he was going to do it on the QT? How could he assemble a crew? Keep it quiet? I don't know... Sounds like bullshit, but I tell you... the whole time I'm at Cannes... somewhere I'll be hoping for this to come true!
...
Folks... Harry here again... I haven't been able to shake this rumor from my head, that's why the percent went from 2% to 3 and 9/16%! Someone below says, "How could NO ONE let it slip?" Well, technically... here's someone... And, the rumors have been solid for years now.... Since early 1999. Hell Hollywood Reporter and Variety announced that this was Quentin's next film. Then all word disappeared... But Quentin finished the script... I've heard that. BUT... when Quentin was recently asked about THE VEGA BROTHERS, he stated that THAT film was pretty far off because he had to shoot his next film, KILL BILL and then his WORLD WAR II film.
What the hell happened to FORTY LASHES?
It was to be Quentin's Western... A genre he loves! The last QT fest was heavy on the male male friendship, escape and conquer flicks... Festival before that was heavy on the 'Jackie Brown-esque' films...
I think the reason I'm reacting so strongly to this RUMOR is that I have gotten to know Quentin a bit and it sounds like the sort of thing he would do. Quentin comes in and out of the country, states, cities on a whim... kinda like Kane from Kung Fu... But he was in Mexico... Why?
Well, his producing partner, Bender was producing THE MEXICAN... he could have just been visiting... but I remember getting reports from Guadelajara Newspapers saying that Quentin Tarantino was directing a film called THE MEXICAN with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts... Well I knew it was bunk, I knew Gore Verbenski was directing it... so I never paid it any mind... WELL... What if Quentin was shooting with an extremely small crew... What if Quentin, used the umbrella of THE MEXICAN, dubbed the shoot THE MEXICAN and figured any escaping press would simply think... "Stupid Mexican Newspapers... Gore Verbenski is directing that!!!!" and just dismiss it as bad reporting?
Quentin sunk a lot of time into FORTY LASHES the script... did it just suck and he decide to never make it... or to walk away from it for years then revisit it? Could be... But FORTY LASHES has completely disappeared off his development slate... He doesn't bring it up as a potential future film. And he has been disappearing without a trace in the papers for months at a time.
Like I said, this could very well be wishful thinking and probably is... But this rumor has been being whispered about (minus the Cannes part) and given the location (that I must protect) that my source claims to have heard it... well... That's why I raised it to 5 & 11/23% chance of being true... Though I must say, I've almost talked myself into totally believing it... (that's the wishful thinking part of me).
UPDATE
Talked with a fella at MADE tonight that actually approached Tarantino about 40 LASHES at the last Quentin Tarantino Film Festival here in Austin, and apparently Quentin told him something to the degree of:
"Well I've just been..." He smiled and said, "I don't want to talk about this right now," and moved the conversation into a totally different direction which was allegedly thoroughly entertaining.
NOW... This doesn't mean a damn thing... Could be he didn't want to talk about it because he was really jazzed about the film he just screened and would rather talk about that.... Or it could mean that.... AH HELL, HE'S MADE IT! WE ALL KNOW IT! Ahem... Sorry, brainfart... Anyone notice the gap in his PULP FICTION cinematographer's schedule at IMDB? Can anyone trace any of his other old crew members? The mood amongst folks I've been talking with is that... it is a very real possibility... But I've had no solid sources on this and everything seems up to interpretation regarding... the scenarios... Thus the minor increase in the percentage.
Stay tuned for further updates... I've got several calls out to people.... that should have a clue. So far NO calls back, and usually the calls get returned pretty quickly... Once again though... non-communication does not lend credence, merely suspicion and paranoid conspiracy fuel.
If nothing else I think we're all learning exactly how much we want Quentin to shoot or release another of his films!
Back to the trail of breadcrumbs...
