Best known for writing and directing the Oscar winning film Pulp Fiction (1994), Quentin Tarantino is one of the most critically lauded film directors of the 1990s. In Reservoir Dogs (1992) he redefined the primary elements of the pulp genre—murder, drugs, sex, violence, and betrayal—by introducing self-consciously witty dialogue, formal inventiveness, and slick yet casual violence. As a result he raised what had been traditionally judged as a B movie genre to an avant-garde art form. His style has become like a brand name in the film industry. Celebrating popular culture and capitalizing on the political correctness backlash of the 1990s, Tarantino's audiences are served a hearty dose of shallowness, ease, and familiarity combined with as much violence and sex as an R rating can indulge. In addition to writing and directing he also acts, produces, and distributes films.