Leo Tarantino has a great mentor in his father, Quentin Tarantino, who is one of the finest contemporary directors in the eyes of many cinephiles. Perhaps it is appropriate that Tarantino chose the possibly surprise option of Despicable Me 2 as the first movie his small kid has watched, given that Minions: The Rise of Gru is now showing in theatres. The renowned director is beginning a podcast with his friend and coworker, Roger Avary, named Video Archives Podcast, while fans continue to wait to see what his rumored final film will be. Tarantino mentioned the movies he’s been viewing with his son Leo while promoting this new endeavor.
In an interview with Empire for the same issue announcing James Cameron’s Avatar sequel, director Quentin Tarantino remembered how, rather by mistake, he ended up exposing his kid to movies through the movie Despicable Me 2. “[My son is] young, so he’s only watched one movie,” claims Tarantino. When I first thought I had found a Minions cartoon, it turned out I had hit Despicable Me 2. “I initially believed I had struck a Minions animation, but it turns out I had hit Despicable Me 2. I then said, “Okay, I suppose we’re watching Despicable Me Part 2,” because he seems engaged in the opening credits.”
This second movie starring the Minions was not seen all at once, as is typical for a young youngster. He continues to watch TV while getting up and moving behind the couch. When it was time for him to go to the park, we watched it for 20 minutes, and the next day, for another 15 minutes “Tarantino thought back. Despicable Me Part 2 was therefore the first movie Leo had seen, which he did over a week in modest doses.
Of course, Tarantino has been watching more than just the Minions’ exploits with his son. It turns out that Tarantino and his son have been watching Peppa Pig together, which he considers being a less “absorbing experience” than viewing Despicable Me. Tarantino is rather complimentary of Peppa Pig, stating, “I truly enjoy watching Peppa Pig and do it frequently. I’ll say it: Peppa Pig is this decade’s finest British import.”
That’s a lot of praise coming from the director of critically praised movies like Pulp Fiction, which is frequently recognized as one of the finest movies ever produced and maybe the fan favorite when it comes to Best Picture Oscar snubs. However, Tarantino is frequently praised for the diverse cinema and television influences that can be observed in his work, so it may not be strange that a guy with such diverse tastes would enjoy Peppa Pig.