Quentin Tarantino Says This American Classic Filmmaker Made One of the "Worst Movies Ever"

Quentin Tarantino burst onto the scene in the 1990s as the hot new voice of postmodern, new-wave American cinema that spoke profoundly to an entire generation of budding cinephiles. If you were in your early 20s when you first saw Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, they were transformative experiences. The die-hard movie buff, who can be heard on podcasts and read in print as a critic, seems to be more passionate about the things he detests, including his needlessly harsh comments about Brewster McCloud, an overlooked gem by one of the masters of American cinema, Robert Altman.

Quentin Tarantino Wrote Harsh Words About 'Brewster McCloud'

Approaching seven years since his last feature film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, Tarantino is forcing eager audiences to wait patiently for his 10th and supposedly final movie. In the meantime, he's been an active figure in the film community as the co-host of the Video Archives podcast and author of a novelization of Hollywood and film criticism essay collection, Cinema Speculation, where he reminisces about seeing blaxploitation movies in theaters and re-examining classics like Dirty Harry and Taxi Driver.

The 1970s were a formative era for a young Tarantino, but not everything was gold. One particular film from the decade's dawn left a bad taste in his mouth. "Brewster McCloud is one of the worst movies to ever carry a studio logo," wrote the Kill Bill director in Cinema Speculation. He saw Altman's quirky dramedy about a lonely oddball living in Houston's Astrodome who builds a pair of wings and flies across the city as part of a double feature with his family, who were equally disgusted by the film. Piling it on even further, Tarantino eloquently wrote that Brewster was "the cinematic equivalent of a bird shitting on your head."

Robert Altman's 'Brewster McCloud' Is a Bold Swing That Only Could've Been Made in the 1970s

You'd think Tarantino's affection for '70s cinema and the anti-establishment movement reflected on screen would translate into at least mild appreciation for Brewster McCloud, a film that could've only been made in one era. Released in the same year as Altman's breakout film, M*A*S*H, it is a beguiling cinematic curio that won't entirely make sense to everyone, but it has enough charm and unorthodox energy to be admired. Starring Bud Cort in the titular role alongside Altman staples Sally Kellerman, Michael Murphy, and Shelley Duvall in her debut performance, the film defies all narrative and tonal conventions in mainstream filmmaking. Like the title character sailing across Houston, only to become the primary suspect in a string of bird killings, the film operates at its own methodical pace. The blend of high-end farce, outlandish fantasy, and tender drama is pure Altman, a filmmaker so naturalistic that his movies resembled documentaries.

On one end, Brewster McCloud could be an impressionable experience for children, as the prospect of growing wings and sailing across the sky is a dream for many kids. On the flip side, the film engages with sexuality and the social upheaval of America in the '70s. Nothing about this synopsis should work — and it doesn't for at least a handful of viewers, notably Quentin Tarantino — but Altman's knack for unique outsiders and dissecting American life is unparalleled. Being the uncompromising visionary he was, Altman packs Brewster McCloud with a litany of ideas and character beats, and he dares viewers to follow on his wavelength. This B-side to the more pointed and loud M*A*S*H sees the director at his most experimental.

It's a shame that Quentin Tarantino, a director who broke all the rules in the 1990s, can't appreciate Robert Altman's iconoclastic vision. Perhaps if he would give it a re-watch, something the film demands for any bewildered viewer, then Brewster McCloud would leave a more positive imprint on his mind. In the end, however, Altman's strange screwball comedy and lonely character drama are just a little too earnest for Tarantino's taste, at least from what's reflected in his movies, which are filled with sardonic wit, hip subversion of genre conventions, and white-knuckle intensity. Brewster McCloud is designed to mystify most viewers and profoundly touch a niche audience. At the very least, it is certainly not the equivalent of being on the opposite end of bird defecation.