Sad and tragic news this morning as Sally Menke, the celebrated editor and longtime Quentin Tarantino collaborator, was found dead in Beachwood Canyon in Los Angeles. Details are still coming in, but Menke is reported to have gone on a hike yesterday morning with her dog and when she didn’t return, police were alerted. An extensive police search found her body in a ravine.
A graduate of the NYU Film Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, Menke was an editor of more than twenty films, but gained recognition for her longstanding working relationship with Quentin Tarantino. She has edited every one of this films to date, playing an important role in helping Tarantino shape his films. She earned Academy recognition with Best Editing nominations for “Pulp Fiction” and “Inglourious Basterds.” You can watch a video below of Tarantino talking about his relationship with Menke and their work on “Death Proof.”
While tributes will no doubt keep coming in as the day continues, they are sure to follow the sentiments of Edgar Wright who tweeted earlier today, “Rest in peace, Sally Menke. I only met her a few times. She was always lovely to me. A truly amazing editor. Very, very sad.” The film world has definitely lost a unique and individual talent.
Sally Menke was 56. [LA Times]
