Claims his concept was stolen
Independent filmmaker Stephen Tramontana is calling out Quentin Tarantino. Not so much for story thievery, but “concept.” If you take a gander at The Real Grindhouse, Tramontana’s site for his $4,000 feature effort directed in 2003 also entitled Grindhouse, you’ll find a detailed account of why he believes the director of Death Proof (one half of Dimension Films’ Grindhouse) should come clean.
For those looking for an abridged version – Tramontana claims he had approached the director one year to see if he could stir up some interest in his indie effort. Tarantino declined, but that didn’t stop the determined Tramontana from tracking down Tarantino’s production company address and FedEx’ing his film anyway. (This is why you often find directors and writers asking not to be offered to see independent works at conventions, on MySpace, etc.)
“Cut to 2005. I was now working for a production company as a Post Coordinator,” Tramontana recounts on his site. “I picked up an issue of the trade publication Variety announcing: Tarantino was making a film called ‘Grindhouse.’ Not our ‘Grindhouse,’ something he was teaming up with Robert Rodriguez on. I was heartbroken. One of my heroes had ripped us off.” Tramontana further argues that Tarantino “always” talks about what he’s working on far in advance and Grindhouse was never mentioned…until his film supposedly got into the director’s hands. “To me, there’s no way on God’s green earth, that two movies called ‘Grindhouse’ devoted to the idea of those old films, could be released.” No kiddin’?
For more choice quotes such as that one, click the link above where you’ll also be able to purchase Tramontana’s Grindhouse for 99-cents.
Source: Ryan Rotten
