Police boycott won’t affect Tarantino’s popularity

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Michael Moore Defends Quentin Tarantino Against Police Boycott
"I think millions of us not only stand with Tarantino, we're going to make sure we go see his next movie," documentarian writes.
by Daniel Kreps
November 7, 2015


Michael Moore has come to the defense of Quentin Tarantino following the director's remarks about police brutality at an October rally EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP

As more police unions across the country join the boycott against Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film The Hateful Eight, fellow filmmaker Michael Moore has pledged his support for the director. Tarantino drew the ire of law enforcement after sharing his views about police brutality at a Rise Up October rally in New York on October 20th, and the documentarian has now defended Tarantino on Instagram, writing, "They're just frightened and in shock that a well-known and respected white guy would dare to speak out."

"Quentin Tarantino, a brave and good American, standing with families who've lost loved ones to police violence," Moore wrote in the caption of a photo of Tarantino at the rally. "Now certain police, the same ones who defend the cops who've killed unarmed innocent black citizens, are out to get Tarantino. They've called for a boycott of his movies. I think just the opposite. I think millions of us not only stand with Tarantino, we're going to make sure we go see his next movie! Who's with me? Stay strong Quentin."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Moore criticized Tarantino's Hollywood brethren for not standing up with the director amid mounting boycotts from police unions. "Has any white person in this town, in the industry, stood up for Quentin Tarantino?" Moore said. "The white guy stuck his neck out there and they're trying to chop it off."

However, Real Time host Bill Maher similarly came to Tarantino's aid during the director's appearance on the show Friday night, saying that the police unions were twisting Tarantino's quote out of context.



While Tarantino has received a lack of support in Hollywood, the ACLU of Southern California applauded the director for his stance on the deaths of unarmed black men like Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice. "He has given voice to the frustrations of millions of Americans who stand for justice," the ACLU said in a statement. "And we raise our voice with his, speaking up as we have for decades to make it very clear that we condemn not the police, but police brutality and challenge the conspiracy of silence around police abuse."

Speaking to MSNBC, Tarantino said he was surprised by the outcry following his appearance at the rally, adding that he was just exercising his First Amendment rights. In an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter, Chuck Canterbury, the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation's largest law enforcement labor union, responded to Tarantino's claims that police unions are unfairly reacting to his freedom of speech.

"We revere the right to freedom of speech. After all, police have sworn to uphold all laws, and to protect the rights of those who act within the law, whether we agree or not," Canterbury wrote. "Conversely, we also have a Constitutional right to disagree. That's where we find ourselves with Tarantino. His comments reflect more than just a glimpse into the mind of a very strange man, they reflect a growing misunderstanding of the administration of public safety policy in this country. He spoke publicly and with great publicity; we have reacted. He's promoting a movie; our only weapon in response is to endeavor to reduce that movie's revenue."

Canterbury added that, despite the police unions' efforts, The Hateful Eight will "probably do better than it deserves" at the box office because of all the publicity Tarantino has "ginned up" from this ordeal. The Fraternal Order of Police previously promised a "surprise" for the filmmaker.

Quentin Tarantino, a brave and good American, standing with families who've lost loved ones to police violence. Now certain police, the same ones who defend the cops who've killed unarmed innocent black citizens, are out to get Tarantino. They've called for a boycott of his movies. Really? I think just the opposite. I think millions of us not only stand with Tarantino, we're going to make sure we go see his next movie! Who's with me? Stay strong Quentin. They're just frightened and in shock that a well-known and respected white guy would dare to speak out.
A photo posted by Michael Moore (@michaelfmoore) on Nov 5, 2015 at 10:32am PST

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Quentin Tarantino Has 'Surprise' Coming, Says Fraternal Order of Police
Nation's largest cop union plans action against 'Hateful Eight' director over remarks about police brutality
By Jon Blistein
November 5, 2015


The nation's largest police union say they are planning a "surprise" for Quentin Tarantino, in response to his comments about police brutality Kena Betancur/Getty Images

"We'll be opportunistic," Pasco said, adding: "Tarantino has made a good living out of violence and surprise. Our offices make a living trying to stop violence, but surprise is not out of the question."

The Hateful Eight director has been embroiled in a back-and-forth with police departments and unions after condemning police brutality and the frequent killings of unarmed civilians — often black men — at the RiseUp October protest in New York's Washington Square Park.

While departments in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New Jersey have called for boycotts of The Hateful Eight, Pasco said the Washington D.C.-based Fraternal Order of Police — which represents over 330,000 officers — is planning a different kind of action.

"Something is in the works, but the element of surprise is the most important element," he said. "Something could happen anytime between now and [the premiere]. And a lot of it is going to be driven by Tarantino, who is nothing if not predictable."

Though Pasco offered no specifics, he said the the FoP will "try to hurt [Tarantino] in the only way that seems to matter to him, and that's economically."

Pasco went on to deny he was threatening Tarantino, at least physically. "Police officers protect people," he said. "They don't go out to hurt people." (While neither police departments nor unions keep statistics for the number of civilians killed by officers, The Counted, a database organized by The Guardian, places the current number for 2015 at over 960 people.)

Police organizations took particular umbrage with Tarantino's remarks about the lack of action being taken to deter killings and brutality, and his statement, "When I see murders, I do not stand by … I have to call a murder a murder, and I have to call the murderers the murderers."

Amidst the backlash, the director has clarified his remarks on several occasions, telling MSNBC most recently, "I'm not a cop hater," as he's been labeled.

Regarding his initial comments, Tarantino said: "We were at a rally that was dealing with unarmed people – mostly black and brown – who have been shot and killed or beaten or strangled by the police, and I was obviously referring to the people in those types of situations. I was referring to Eric Garner, I was referring to Sam DuBose, I was referring to Antonio Guzman Lopez, I was referring to Tamir Rice ... In those cases in particular that we're talking about, I actually do believe that they were murdered."