Afterward, Tarantino and I are standing outside, when kids milling about start gathering up the nerve to approach him. After one does, a line forms. Tarantino talks to everyone, his grin never faltering, as fans profess their thanks and gratitude — for his movies, for the theater, for just talking to them. It seems as if he could keep this up all night, but he is hungry and his favorite nearby restaurant will stop serving soon.

Before he heads off, I mention how remarkable the communal experience of watching a movie on a screen with a large and willing audience is — and with an actual print — after seeing so much television alone or renting movies online. Tarantino nods, and uses our last few moments together to rally one more time against the »