But Bender knew somebody who knew the actor Harvey Keitel, and that changed everything. Keitel meets me in a New York diner expressly because, he says, “I want your readers to know there’s great talent out there, and they should be seen and heard. We don’t have to keep repeating the same movies and sequels, ad infinitum. An example like Quentin should be a call to arms. Of course, people say, ‘Oh, so-and-so would have made it anyway.’ That’s almost like saying the world is fair, and the cream will rise to the top. That’s bullshit.”

I respect Harvey Keitel so much.

I got my dad to take me to see it when I was in middle school (he had no idea what it was). Around about the ass rape scene, he seemed to regret that choice.

A very enjoyable read. Like most people of my generation, I recall how much this film impacted everything from style and music to our expectations as to what a movie can be. I must have watched this film 100 times back in the day.

Much like the Blues Brothers post that you made, I really enjoy getting the insider perspective on what it takes to green-light a film and how the process works. Really interesting stuff.