All has been quiet on the Quentin Tarantino front since Inglourious Basterds hit theaters in August. But you knew that the silence wouldn’t last. Recently, the director turned up in a totally bizarre Japanese commercial for a telephone speaker that’s shaped like a dog.
You read that right. A telephone speaker in the shape of a dog.
While most Hollywood celebrities have no problem shilling for foreign products abroad in exchange for giant sacks of cash (as long as it’s kept hush-hush, of course), you have to at least respect Tarantino’s idiosyncratic endorsement. No Michelob or Subaru for him! After all, if you’re going to feather your retirement nest with stacks of yen, why not do it for a product that no one in America wants…or, for that matter, can even really wrap their heads around? (Again, it’s a phone speaker…shaped like a dog.)
There’s something about the surreal editing of this utterly wackadoo spot (and Tarantino’s talking dog co-star) that makes this thing kind of a nice addition to the QT oeuvre. And frankly, as long as the check cleared, I’m less concerned about Tarantino putting on a silk kimono, speaking choppy Japanese, and busting out some crazy-eyed kung fu moves than I am about why the Japanese are buying phone speakers that look like dogs.
Really, I could go on about this. But maybe it’s best to just check out the video below and tell us what you think.
I am in love with this. Lol.
Just what I needed this afternoon!
This is easily the greatest youtube video I have ever seen.
That sucked. I didn’t understand a word he said.
Cause its Japanese?
if someone could post a translation, thatd be awesome.
He says, “I’m extremely overrated and have made a career making hacky movies that steal from older genres but I say it’s a tribute and everyone thinks I’m great.”
hahahahhahahahhahahahhahahahhahaaaa!!!!!!!!!
Ah, the purity of heaven
Kinda Awesome!
I want one of these doggy things! Can anybody figure out where to get one. My daughter would love it. ruff.. ruff.
Actually, this is from a long line of commercials in a very popular and successful campaign for Softbank, the second biggest mobile phone carrier in Japan (they exclusively carry the iPhone, for example). The “mythology” behind the ads is a little too dense and Japanese to be able to explain here, but basically this is one family, and the dog is the Dad (and company mascot, hence the freebie dog phone speaker being offered to new subscribers in this ad). Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz are amongst the other stars who have appeared in other Softbank commercial in the past, although I think the dog is by far the most popular!