Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Tarantino has also earned himself a reputation as a major cinephile, which is why it is surprising that he hasn't seen Villeneuve's Dune films, which have been two of the most critically-acclaimed movies in recent years.

Appearing on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast (via World Of Reel), Tarantino joked that he hasn't seen the new Dune movies because he has no desire to see a film which uses the word "spice" in such a dramatic fashion. However, there is actually a much deeper reason why he hasn't watched Villeneueve's Dune films, which speaks to the current state of Hollywood. Read Tarantino's full quote below:

I saw [David Lynch’s] Dune a couple of times. I don’t need to see that story again. I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word 'Spice' so dramatically.

It’s one after another of this remake, and that remake. People ask 'have you seen Dune?' 'Have you seen Ripley?' 'Have you seen Shogun?' And I’m like 'no, no, no, no.' There’s six or seven Ripley books, if you do one again, why are you doing the same one that they’ve done twice already? I’ve seen that story twice before, and I didn’t really like it in either version, so I’m not really interested in seeing it a third time. If you did another story, that would be interesting enough to give it a shot anyway.

Tarantino Hasn't Watched Dune Because Hollywood Remakes Too Many Movies

Three Different Versions Of Dune Have Been Released In The Last 40 Years

Since Tarantino watched David Lynch's Dune movie, which came out in 1984, several times, he doesn't have any desire to watch Villeneuve's newer Dune films. This is nothing against Villeneuve, who has risen to be one of the most acclaimed directors in the world in recent years. Instead, Tarantino is actually criticizing the projects that major Hollywood studios are deciding to finance. In addition to Dune, Tarantino also highlights two series which were released this year, Ripley and Shogun, which he also has no interest in because they are remakes.

In addition to David Lynch's Dune movie and Denis Villeneuve's two Dune films, a television miniseries called Frank Herbert's Dune was released in 2000.

Tarantino's reasons for not watching Villeneuve's Dune movies connect to one of the most common criticisms of Hollywood today. Many filmmakers, writers, and fans point out that Hollywood studios no longer come up with intriguing original stories, and instead rely on remakes of classic movies or adaptations to attract people to theaters. As a filmmaker who has mostly written original movies, it is understandable why Tarantino is frustrated with the current state of Hollywood.

Our Take On Tarantino Not Watching Villeneuve's Dune Movies

As mentioned, Tarantino is actually making an important point about the current state of Hollywood. It is a fact that major studios are relying solely on remaking classics. However, within the world of only remakes and big name IP's being greenlit, there are some examples of truly exceptional work. In the case of Villeneuve's Dune films, they are both extraordinary cinematic achievements, and are a prime example of a filmmaker operating at the highest level to provide fans with a series of science fiction movies that will be talked about for years to come.

Source: The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast