My Best Friend's Birthday

From The Quentin Tarantino Archives

My Best Friend's Birthday is the first movie written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It was was shot on 16mm and made in between 1984 and 1987, and the original version clocked in at about 70 minutes long. The film had caught fire in a editing lab and most of the ending of the film was lost.

Of the remaining footage (34min), you can find a transcript here.

Cast / Credits

Quentin Tarantino: Clarence Pool
Rich Turner: Oliver Brandon
Allen Garfield
Al Harell: Clifford
Brenda Hillhouse
Craig Hamann: Mickey Burnett
Stevo Polyi
Alan Sanborn
Crystal Shaw: Misty Knight
Rowland Wafford: Lenny Otis
Linda Kaye

Written and directed by: Quentin Tarantino and Craig Hamann
Produced by Quentin Tarantino, Craig Hamann and Rand Vossler
Cinematography: Roger Avary, Scott McGill, Roberto A. Quezada and Rand Vossler
Sound: Dov Schwarz
Cameras courtesy of: Fred Olen Ray

Trivia

There is a scene in the film that seems to have inspired the movie poster for Pulp Fiction as an actress poses in the same pose Mia Wallace is in.
K-Billy Radio makes it first appearance here as Clarence Pool is a disc jockey for them. K-Billy also is referenced in Reservoir Dogs.
Tarantino's friend Stevo Polyi later appeared in Reservoir Dogs in Mr. Orange's flashback as a Sheriff in the bathroom story. Brenda Hillhouse appeared in both Pulp Fiction and Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn.
The call girl character Misty Knight is a reference to a Marvel comic book character with the same name.
A scene where Clarence sniffs itching powder thinking it to be cocaine, is kind of a prerequsite of Mia Wallace's sniffing heroin in Pulp Fiction.
A movie poster for Brian DePalma's "The Fury" appears in the film.
Johnny Cash's classic "Walk The Line" is playing in a pool hall scene. One reason why this will probably never be released, it would cost too much money for rights.