Ever since his name burst onto the big screen in 1994 (for writing the story upon which Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers is based), Tarantino established himself as one of the world's foremost cult figures. Following up this success with Sundance-hit Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994), both of which he wrote and directed (co-writing Pulp with Roger Avary), the Tarantino stamp has become a guarantee of a film's success.

So why is this man's meteoric rise to fame and critical-acclamation (Pulp won the Palm D'Or at Cannes, and received seven Academy Award® nominations), so unusual?

Well, Tarantino's work has always been controversial, violent, unabashedly self-reflexive, and owes a great deal to popular culture. In addition, Tarantino often searches through the realms of television, blaxploitation and 'B' movie archives in order to choose his cast. These factors are all established codes of the cult/'B' movie world, though his films have been greeted so positively at the box-office as to gain mainstream approval.

Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction both draw inspiration extensively from film noir classics and icons of popular culture, lending an intended rawness to the films that is still not seen commonly in Hollywood's exports.

So, is Tarantino a cult director?

Certainly, Tarantino's acting career has aligned itself with the cult circuit, having starred in Robert Rodriguez' two latest films, Desperado (1995) and From Dusk Till Dawn (1995). Similarly, his films often 'feel' like cult films, with their noir-inspired storylines, delving into the world of gangster crime and intrigue, and the inclusion of 'B'-movie actors such as Pamela Grier, Tim Roth and Steve Buscemi in starring roles would suggest so.

Still, Tarantino's multi-million dollar box-office bonanzas have attracted mainstream audiences, and may never be relegated to the '$1/month' section of the video store. His slick direction, a continual focus on the inclusion and integration of popular music into his films, and his mastery of the casting process have, on the other hand, elevated Tarantino into the realms of the 'A'-Team of directors. In fact, his films presently earn more money at the box-office than some of Spielberg's or Scorsese's offerings.

Whatever the case, Tarantino remains a driving force in the American film industry whose influence can be measured in the number of Tarantino-esque films being released of late. His popularity is leading a small revolution within the film industry, which could prove to enlighten Hollywood producers as to the potential for cult/'B'-movie content to blitz the box office as it did during the 1940s and early 1950s.