Surreal moment Tarantino and Kylie Minogue came to my hometown to star in my new film

Published4 November 2026

Sharing a pint with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino in his local pub was a surreal experience for a Welsh filmmaker.

But this was just the tip of the iceberg for Jamie Adams, who also managed to get singing icon Kylie Minogue and rapper RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan to Porthcawl for his new movie.

The arrival of the stars in the seaside town earlier this year to work on Tangled Up in Blue caused a buzz, and Adams admitted it felt like "an out of body experience" bringing his heroes to his hometown.

It is not the first time he has brought big names to south Wales, having worked with Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey on 2019 film Bittersweet Symphony.

Adams was able to include scenes in locations that mean a lot to him, including the pub his dad used to run.

"It was called the Ship and Castle then and the bar is actually a boat that he brought from Weymouth, which is where I was born," he said.

"So I've got Quentin Tarantino having a pint with me in my dad's old pub, talking to Neil, one of my old pals, who I've known since I was like eight years old.

"It's all very surreal and beautiful."

Tangled Up in Blue follows a talent manager (Tarantino) who has spent 40 years managing legends but finds himself stranded at a hotel bar caught between an old flame and a lost soul.

It all fell into place with the involvement of the superstars after Adams filmed in France in 2025.

He shot a movie there in a week in his usual improv style - which is where much of it is created spontaneously rather than being read from a pre-written script.

Adams said Tarantino thoroughly enjoyed it, and described it as reminding him of French New Wave cinema that emerged from the late 1950s to the late 1960s.

"I said [to him] I'd love to do one that was a little bit more personal to me and actually shot in in my hometown," Adams added.

"He was very excited about coming.

"He'd never been to Wales before."

Getting Minogue, who has described herself as "half Welsh" to be part of the project was even easier.

Her family actually hail from near Porthcawl, with mum Carol Jones and her Welsh-speaking Nain, external Millie Jones emigrating from Maesteg, also in Bridgend county, to Australia in the 1950s.

Despite these strong roots in the country, she told Adams she was rarely able to visit, so jumped at the chance.

The filmmaker likened the project to a small football team going on a cup run, saying it "brought people together in the story".

He explained: "They're still talking about it down my local pub.

"It's like there's still people that would stop me and kind of want to talk about their favourite Tarantino film or Kylie's records.

"I'm sure one day, I'll have time to sit down and actually think about it all properly.

"At the moment, it just feels like this beautiful haze that is the heart of this film."

Adams said it felt right to do most of the filming in Wales' capital Cardiff and his hometown for what was such a personal movie.

He also loved the process of showing what his star cast was capable of but not necessarily known for.

Tarantino is better known for his work behind the camera, while Minogue has become one of the world's most famous pop stars after leaving Australian soap Neighbours in the late 1980s.

Adams also liked the fact his improv approach gave them freedom over their characters in a way that might not be possible on other productions.

While there is no current release date, the director is aiming for summer 2027.

He also hopes Cardiff can play host to a premiere, with his star cast attending.

"I think you've got to be very grateful that you were able to work with them," he added.

"It was about bringing a spirit a joy to south Wales."

Related topics

Wales

Film

Porthcawl

Quentin Tarantino

Kylie Minogue

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