(born 1963) Charismatic and creative independent director/ actor/screenwriter/producer whose films show wide knowledge of popular genres and global cinema even as he has transformed them. Emerging from his experience as a video clerk alternating with acting, Tarantino’s eclectic sensibilities became apparent in Reservoir Dogs (1992), before gaining global accolades with Pulp Fiction (1993). He continues to be both the creator and subject of mass media attention; meanwhile, his Jackie Brown (1997) revitalized blaxploitation films across racial lines.