Tarantino’s deep and abiding love of cinema is a proven fact, and his most recent venture is another expression of that love. THR reports that Tarantino recently bought the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angles. The New Beverly has been the Torgan family business since 1978, but if not for the intervention of the director with an encyclopedic knowledge of film, it would be just another chain franchise.

Tarantino says "It was going to be turned into a Super Cuts, I'd been coming to the New Beverly ever since I was old enough to drive there from the South Bay -- since about 1982. So, I couldn't let that happen."

The theatre was originally built in 1929 and served as a first-run movie house until 1978 when the Torgan family moved into the property and turned it into a 200-seat venue for classic, independent and foreign films. They fell on hard times in the mid-2000s as the DVD market took its toll on ticket sales. Sherman Torgan, the operator of the theater, was facing serious financial troubles. Being involved in the print collection hobbyist world Tarantino caught wind of the theater’s financial troubles and gave a call to Trogan asking him how much he would need to keep the theatre up and running. "The answer was about $5,000," Tarantino said. "So, I just started paying him that per month. I considered it a contribution to cinema."

The future of the theater was once again in doubt when Sherman Torgan unexpectedly passed away in 2007. "Within a week of my father's death, the landlord had a buyer bidding for the theater space," said Michael Torgan, Sherman's son. "Fortunately, I found a copy of our original lease, and it said that the family had the right of first refusal if we could find another buyer." Michael went on to say "My father had just died, so it wasn't a good time for our family, we thought we might lose the theater. My mother reached out to Quentin and explained to him that we were in trouble."

Tarantino decided to buy the space outright and he says "I always considered the New Beverly my charity -- an investment I never wanted back. I already had a good relationship with the family and the theater, so it was a natural step."

The purchase for QT was anything but a smooth process. According to Torgan, the original landlord and prospective buyer moved to block Tarantino's bid. The sides haggled for months, but eventually a deal was created that set the stage for a buyout. Quentin is now the owner, but allows Michael and his family to run the theater's daily operations, with his occasional input.

Since taking over the property, QT has made it possible for the New Beverly to undergo badly needed renovations such as new light fixtures, seats, and a digital projection system. But he doesn't want the place to change too much. The theater’s 35mm projector is still the preferred screening method, popcorn and sodas remain cheap and the Torgans are still in charge. Tarantino says of the theater, "As long as I'm alive, and as long as I'm rich, the New Beverly will be there, showing double features in 35mm.” Mark this down as another of the many reasons why QT is the man.