In the scene where Vincent buys his heroin, the dealer said "I'm all out of balloons". Mia snorted the heroin like cocaine because she didn't think it would be heroin, because it wasn't in a balloon.
Oh wow, I never knew that! There's so much specific little drug detail in this film! Like apparently heroin use can cause constipation, which is why Vincent is always in the bathroom. So I'm told.
One of my favourite details in this movie is the way Vincent angrily drops Mia's unconscious body onto the ground to argue with Lance. Tarantino is a master at creating comedy out of serious situations. As for whether this movie had a point, the way I see it is that it's a story about redemption. We see various people living the life of crime. Some manage to get out of it alive, some don't, some succeed, some don't. The pattern among those who had a better ending is that they showed positive traits like humility, honour, forgiveness. This applies to even minor characters. For example, Marvin is assumed to have ratted out his friends to Marcellus, which is why Vincent and Julius took him with them, and he ends up accidentally dying. Pretty much all major characters are faced with a trial, and their stories are about whether they succeed or fail that test. Those who fail don't get a good ending.
I have to comment about the Christopher Walken scene as it played out in the theater. When I saw it on opening week, the theater was full. Not a huge theater, but still, definitely packed. And that opening monologue of Christopher's was SO compelling. His face literally took up the ENTIRE screen. So you had this GIANT Walken head, looking down at you, making you feel like a little child. And his delivery of the history of the watch, with so much weight and gravitas. When he had those moments of silence, while he was collecting himself, to hammer home how important this watch was to Butch's father, the entire theater was dumbstruck. And then, when he suddenly cut in with "he stuck it up his ass!" and the frame pulls out to show his whole body, just, the entire theater lost their shit, bursting out laughing. It was SO wonderfully executed, this momentous buildup of tension and emotion, of legacy, war, and loss, and then to instantly burst that bubble, on purpose with this entirely ridiculous anal watch bit, was just fantastic to experience. One of my favorite theater experiences ever xD
The thing about that story - who knows how much of it is even true. It's a childhood memory - or even just a dream of a childhood memory that Butch had when he was like 6 years old or something. And being a boxer, he's been hit in the head a bunch of times too... :P So who can say what parts actually happened. :)
Pulp Fiction was a shoe-in to win best picture in 1994 - and then they released Shawshank Redemption, Quiz Show and Forrest Gump. That was a crazy year for film.
The problem was Pulp Fiction was *not* the kind of movie Oscar voters voted for for Best Picture at the time. Gump and Shawshank were both always going to beat out Pulp for the award, which is very frustrating for me. I think Pulp Fiction is maybe one of the most influential movies in the history of film, while Gump, which won, was a fairly standard biopic (although of a fictional character.) Shawshank is a better movie than Gump and Pulp Fiction was more influential (even back then in its immediate aftermath), but they didn't do Ranked Choice voting at the time which almost certainly would have seen Gump finish behind either of those two for the top prize that year. On a side note, Clerks also came out in '94, as did Leon: The Professional. If you go back and look at that year, it is just a wildly stacked year. Yeah, there are some real junk films; there are every year. But the sheer number of top notch films, either historically or just within their genre, is incredible.
I saw "Pulp Fiction" the weekend it opened. The following Saturday I went back and saw it again to make sure. The next morning my Aunt Pat got home from church and I asked her if she had any plans. She didn't. I asked if she wanted to go see a movie? She responded in the affirmative. Then she asked me what we were going to see. I told her it was a secret. She was intrigued, we went. I ran ahead once we got out and got the tickets so she wouldn't know what we were seeing. We got into the auditorium and sat down and I said, "Auntie, you are about to see some of the most heinous footage ever filmed. You will see people doing terrible things to each other and you will find yourself feeling filthy because you are laughing your ass off at the carnage". "What movie have you brought me to" she asked? "Auntie, this is 'Pulp Fiction'". "OH!!! I've been wanting to see that!!!! How do you know so much about it"? "I've seen it twice already". My auntie was born on St. Patricks Day, 1925. When we first saw "Pulp Fiction" she was 69 years old. When Mia got the needle in the chest she roared with laughter. I kept an eye on her throughout the movie. She was entranced. She loved it. When it was over she asked, "You are getting it on Laser-disc when it comes out, right? Copy it onto VHS for me so I can watch it and take it to share with friends". I did so. She raved about the movie to everyone. This tiny little old Irish-American woman known for her Texas Baked Beans and her Christmas cookies was encouraging everyone to experience the glory of "Pulp Fiction". She died in June of 2018. I hadn't watched the movie in probably 10 years or more at that point, and I haven't watched it since that I can think of. But I know that when I finally get around to it... I'll be thinking of her. Love your reaction.
@Charles Ballard I also saw the movie on opening weekend. My experience was a bit different. Right after Butch hits Marsellus with the car the film broke at the theater (Yes, Kids it used to be real film back then). So after a 15 minute delay the film resumed and the first scene was Butch killing Vincent at the apartment. I was convinced that the projectionist had mixed up the order and put the wrong reel on. I had to go back the next day and see it again and then it all made sense.
@@adnap Yes, RCA OUT jacks to RCA IN jacks. Gotta pause the tape when it comes time to flip or change the disc. But this is moot since almost no one has the players anymore, and discs have not been produced for well over 20 years now.
I like that the first scene of this movie is the couple saying "Man.... why doesn't anybody rob restaurants?" and they make such a strong case you think "Yeah... seems like a good idea!".... then the final scene provides you with the answer, because you have no clue who could be in there.... maybe 2 stone cold assassins who've already capped 4 dudes that day, and have no problem making it 6 lol
Seeing this in the theater in '94 when I was a teenager is what made me want to make a movie and inspired me to take screen writing classes in college. Still a very personal favorite movie 👍
The other great postmodern film that bookended the 90s: "Memento". It not only breaks the time line, it deliberately shapes it to attain a particular effect. If you haven't seen it, you must. It is so much your cuppa, dear. :)
The stories are more connected thematically, with the primary theme being salvation. Vincent saves Mia, Butch saves Marcellus and is in turn saved from Marcellus, Vincent and Jules are saved from the bullets, and Jules “saves” the diner robber. Jules accepts his salvation from the bullets and quits, Vincent denies it, hence why he is at Butch’s apartment alone the next day and ends up being killed. And while Tarantino has always been vague about what was in the briefcase, one of the most compelling theories is that it’s Marcellus’s soul (the combination is 666).
Well put. You could make the case that this is a very Biblical movie in its way, the most obvious example being the recurring Ezekiel passage. Here's one perspective. Marsellus is a God-type character. The briefcase is something like sin and its theft is akin to the Fall - trying to steal power from God, the consequence of which is death. Jules starts out as the angel of death but then becomes a Christ-like character, "The Good Shepherd" who redeems the souls of sinful humanity (I'm buying something with that money...Your life) cleaning the dirty laundry if you will.
The bandaid on Wallace's neck is because the actor had a scar that Tarantino wanted to cover up. The suitcase is merely a Macguffin - the contents are nebulous and irrelevant.
Glad, you finally got this up. I really enjoyed the full length reaction so I’m looking forward to see how it is when edited and tricked out with all the bells and whistles.
In Tarantino’s defense: the part for Jimmie was originally offered to Steve Buscemi, but he had to turn it down (can’t remember why). In this case, it was just Tarantino stepping into shoes someone else didn’t fill more than just giving himself a cameo in his own movie.
There is a common thread I've noticed between Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch. Their stories truly take place in the mind of the author. They're not even remotely concerned with realism. They're just telling a story exactly the way they want to tell it and they let nothing get in the way. Whenever people get confused watching Twin Peaks, for instance, I think they're missing the fact that it's really just a slice of totally liberated artistic expression. It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to be honest. We as people constantly contract ourselves because we're always changing and evolving. These kinds of films are an expression of a mind accepting that fact and running with it.
For whatever it's worth, Jacqui, I love hearing your analyses come through in the form of film history lessons (like you did with Pulp Fiction). I hope all your post-reaction commentary has an element of this. I feel like I'm getting a film degree through your words, thank you!
It's always great to watch a first time reaction from someone who has studied (or is studying) film and pop culture. This was extremely enjoyable. There's so much lore about the making of this film, I'm sure you read some in the comments e.g. the plaster on the back of Marcellus's neck, Vincent being on the shitter all the time etc. Glad you caught the 'news' about the Jack Rabbit Slims trophy on the radio. The first Tarantino flick I saw was his breakout one, Reservoir Dogs. Saw it on a whim since the movie we were going to see originally was sold out. It blew my mind and remains one of my all time favourites. My Sunday afternoon comfort film though is Jackie Brown. Great soundtrack. Superb and original reaction!
The radio voice doesn't even *mention* the trophy. All it is, is an advertisement for Jack Rabbit Slims. The story that Mia & Vincent stole the trophy is just an urban legend. And it's an UL that's untrue.
Vincent is at Butch's place waiting with Marcellus for Butch. That's why Vincent is (as always) reading in the restroom while Marcellus is near, coming back with TWO drinks!
I was in second year of uni when this came out. All my dorm mates loved this movie and I "had to" watch it many times before parties. I hated it at the time. I thought it was weird, disturbing and I didnt get the story. It probably took me at least 15 years for me to start to love it. Now I just enjoying the style, dialog, music etc...
Amen. Similar situation...I hated Tarantino my first few experiences with him, to the point that I was dreading having to study his films. Then we watched Inglourious Basterds for one of my classes, and it was the first time I truly understood and appreciated him. He's an acquired taste for some, it seems 😄
@@movienightwithjacqui I'm one of those who remembers when this came out too. Brilliant. No one is safe. The gloves are off. Anything can happen. Tarantino treats his audience like adults---trusting us to be able to handle adult topics and extreme situations. It leaves us never knowing what to expect next. The dialogue is so over the top and yet so spot on and credible that it rings true. I was floored by Reservoir Dogs--Pulp Fiction was a true masterpiece in film making. I didn't care for the Kill Bill series because it was just too cartoonish.
@@movienightwithjacqui -- Now that you've seen Pulp, you have to watch Reservoir Dogs which has two of the finest, most creative flashback scenes I have ever seen.
It’s interesting that it was only his second film. For that reason alone it is genius. But it’s surely not without its flaws which are glaring if you know anything about film. No one ever seems to notice the biggest mistake and that is the start and the end don’t match up. Honey Bunny doesn’t say the same line as she does in the beginning. A massive mistake, especially considering how important it is. The script supervisor really messed up. And they could have fixed it if they’d wanted to by taking the audio from the beginning and dubbing it over and editing around it. It really bugs me to this day it’s not been fixed. Only real film makers notice this lol.
@@brucecsnell Don't forget his other gem of a movie, Jackie Brown. Practically a love letter to Pam Grier's career. She was one of my top 10 crushes🥰, ranked in at number 3. The film just fits so damn well. And the lines are endlessly quotable.
Yeah, good review and great summation. Your point about the movie being more about the craft is spot on. At the time, i was finishing college and Art history - dealing with Fauvism really rammed home the idea in painting of "colour for the sake of colour", whilst movies like this were very apparent in being "film for film's sake"... it was the whole celebration of art for it's own sake, which i loved and still love. Oh, My God. To be a young adult in the 1990s... what a time to be alive! It was Amazing. Thanks for reviewing this masterpiece with serious intelligence and please keep on enjoying & absorbing art & influences and developing new ideas & opinions and don't ever stop, really.
When I first saw this movie, it blew me away. I was 16 and never saw anything like this before. That's why Pulp Fiction has cemented a spot in my favorite movies list forever.
I heard that some movie theaters in Lebanon thought that they accidentally received the movie out of order and so they re-cut it and put it back together in chronological order, which defeats the purpose and takes away all the stylistic points of this masterpiece, in my opinion.
@@movienightwithjacqui Speaking of out of order... In case you didn't notice (and nobody else in the comments pointed it to you) : in the opening diner scene with Honey Bunny and whatsherface, you can actually see the back of Vincent retreating during their conversation as he leaves to have his opiates-constipated book reading session. Of course you don't immediately recognize him when you see him again in the immediately following "Royale with cheese" scene in the car, because he's now wearing entirely different clothes, due to said out of order thing... :) The movie is full of little details like that, which shows the level of attention which was paid during writing and shooting. Was interesting back in the day when this movie first came out to see the immediate (and insane) impact it had. All the snobs in the arts and culture pages in all the magazines (which we still had at that point of course) were waxing lyrical about this movie I'd never heard of (but which sounded really pretentious to young me), from this movie director I'd also never heard of before. It was crazy. Well, I too ended up watching it, and loving it. Actually saw it twice at the movies. :) I also hope I've learned to not be so judgmental about unknown things in the years since... :) The 1990s - quite possibly the greatest movie-making decade there ever was in Hollywood. Just droves and droves of absolute classics made during this decade, many of them proving to be timeless even as the years roll on by. The diner robbery scene in "Pulp" you of course couldn't have today because of the ubiquity of mobile phones, which still weren't a mass market thing back then - now, cops would be swarming in long before Jules would even have had the chance to utter the words "Ezekiel 25:17"... lol Still, nothing can change it's a timeless movie.
QT’s direction was focused on the INTERCONNECTIVITY of multiple storylines. This was a theme introduced by Stoppard’s Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead (with Hamlet). The early 90’s were fixated on the multifacicity of truth that the 80’s covered up.
Yeah Kurosawa did this in Rashomon from 1950. The story of a rape/murder of a bride and her Samurai husband from four different perspectives and overlapping time frames.
I would LOVE to see Jacqui react to Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It is an amazing movie with some of the best wordplay I can bring to mind, and seeing how it all fits in with Hamlet delights me every time.
By far my favorite movie of all time and i watch it once a year between Christmas and New Year... This movie for me personaly is ART and a masterpiece. There is no other movie like Pulp Fiction!
Although there was a trove of edgy, experimental film-making in the 90's, film-makers with enough clout were already trying new and edgy things with big studio resources at least since the fifties, and the post Hays-code auteurs of the 60's were pushing all kinds boundaries. The mother of non-linear storytelling in cinema is of course Kurosawa's "Rashomon" (1950) but Tarantino was more directly inspired by Kubrick's "The Killing" (1956) about a heist at a racetrack, told several times from beginning to end but from each time from a different participant's POV. (That influence will be much more apparent when you see "Resevoir Dogs") Meta-self awareness punctuated by text and graphics on-screen was a big part of the style and humor of 60's Batman. The "don't be a"-drawn-square-with-fingers gag was a direct reference to an episode of original 60's Flintstones. "It's Quentin, of course it's bloody as 'hell" You saw "Inglorious Basterds" and that's not the only time he opts for "burnt to a crisp" for the most satisfying kills.
I saw it 3 times in the cinema. My friend saw it 5 times in the movie. We spent days afterwards trying to figure out how the film all fit together. The best part is the film gets better the more you see it. Have fun!
My brother was into him so I saw Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, but I was way too young to appreciate those films at the time. When I was in high school, Kill Bill 1&2 came out and those movies blew our collective minds. Everyone in my friend group was obsessed with it. I went back and watched his older films and have been a fan ever since.
Pulp Fiction has post modern elements, but the reason why it's so profound and so hard to pin down by film archivists is because it is one of the few films whose central theme is serendipity. When you have robbers and hitmen as main characters everything is heightened. The serendipity they toy with can be their end. The random conclusions also makes for a gripping tale. Serendipity as a theme traditionally is used with comedies, since it makes for good punchlines or curiosities like in Alice in Wonderland. But in a crime saga the punchline is death. Pulp Fiction also owes its origin to Goddard's 60's film Vivre sa vie ('To Live Her Life: A Film in Twelve Scenes') which is broken into episodes and even has a dance scene in a bar.
Tarantino assembles his movies like a chatty person that sporadically recalls tidbits and interrupts the story flow in order to insert it so at the end everything falls together.
Seeing his interviews over the decades (I enjoy them; he's extremely interesting to me!) makes what you said ring very, very true: he thinks, talks, gestures, and enthuses exactly as you said, and he makes his movies authentically, in that his creations present themselves exactly the same way. It's a sign of honesty that, even if he wanted to, he can't NOT have his own voice, personality, and idiosyncrasies dripping through-- and from-- from his works.
Ving Rhames, who plays Marcellus Wallace, has a rather prominent scar on the back of his neck. Since the back of his neck was going to be so prevalent in that first shot, Rhames asked if he could cover it with a band aid. It certainly has led to some wild theories though. Some speculate the mystery glowing contents of the briefcase are Marcellus Wallace's soul, and the band aid covers the mark where it was snatched out lol
From what i heard, he showed up for filming with the band aid already in place because he had a cut from shaving his head. Tarantino just liked the look of it and had him keep it there. Rumors abound, could be anything
I saw pulp fiction in a small-town movie theater when it came out. What a blast. For me, Tarantino is also an actor's director. More than that, he takes a gamble with one actor every time and makes him "bleed," and a new career is there for the actor. In Pulp Fiction, it was the case of Vincent, John Travolta, Tarantino directs its actors. And take one from the shadow and make it shine again. The French Movie Director Eric Besson is also like that. Fun fact: Pulp Fiction and The Fifth Element both share the fact that they are using Bruce Willis as the star who signed for the movie to sell it to the studios.
Something I think people miss in this movie is that Butch's girlfriend Fabienne is probably pregnant. That's why she's trying to break the news to him by alluding to "pot bellies" etc. She also walks to the side of the bed after he passes out as if she's going to tell him, and then says "never mind". I don't know if Butch has already guessed as much though, as it would definitely explain why he freaked out about the watch as if he needed to pass it on in order to truly honor his father.
If you ever get a chance, look up Tarantino's "wish list" for Pulp Fiction casting. There are some HUGE "what ifs" in casting this film. Including Denzel, Nic Cage and Jennifer Jason Leigh, etc. it's wild
If I remember the story correctly, "Pulp Fiction" was written in chapters out of perceived necessity. Quentin and Roger Avary did not believe they would have the budget to shoot a feature-length film. To work around this potential problem, they broke up the story into individual chapters, then planned to film each chapter as its own short length film. The plan was to eventually shoot each chapter as funding could be found so that the full length film would eventually be assembled. They realized it could take months or longer to film the story in this fashion. Luckily, that limitation never happened but the film was still shot and edited into the format that Quentin and Roger originally devised.
Nick Fury having Jules' bible quote on his gravestone is not the only reference to this elsewhere in Samuel L Jackson's career. In the Star Wars prequels, Mace Windu-Jackson's character-has his lightsaber engraved with the characters B M F in the "aurabesh" script of the Star Wars franchise; this is a nod to Jules' wallet being inscribed with the words "Bad Motherfucker".
It's one of my favourite movies! Also I'm really impressed how you remember little details from other movies like the quote on Nick Fury's headstone and Wiress' actress from Hunger Games!
I saw this on VHS a few months after it hit theaters. I didn't know what to make of it at first. When I watched again a few years later, it sunk in. It's what literary critic Alan Kirby calls "high postmodernism," referring to the apex of the style during the mid-late 90s ("Seinfeld" is another example). As a young man during the time, I recall that it was how we Gen-Xers related to each other, because we were all latch-key kids who grew up on TV reruns and old movies, so the references in Pulp Fiction were stuff we already knew, and dropped in casual conversations anyway!
The radio talking about someone stealing from Jack Rabbit Slim's wasn't about the couple who rob the diner. Mia and Vincent didn't win the Twist Contest, so they stole the trophy, lol
Finally caught one of these as it gets uploaded! Came over from the old channel. Shame you can't do the videos with Sam anymore, he seems fun, but from the reasons given, it sounds like the wisest move to preserve the friendship and possibly work together again later. Let's get to the movie!
It seems weird to me, because the film is what it is - R rated and not pulling its punches on language. Kind of like watching Goodfellas on AMC TV. They censor it, but that means to show it they have to gut the dialogue to the point of ruining the watching experience, But you can tell they also will never choose not to show it at all, because they want all the $$$ from showing a very adult film about nasty people.
especially as much as she talks, it is more like a 40 minute speech with a small bit of movie thrown in....reacting does not mean show us how smart you are and mention everytime you see an actor you might know and remember what other movies they have been in....this was sooo annoying....people do not understand the definition of reacting apparently, you don't even have to speak to react, how hard is this?
the band-aid on Marcellus' neck was there because Ving Rames had a cut from a shaving razor (he has the scar to this day). Tarantino kept it because it looked cool and would keep people wondering what it ment. Or so the story goes...
There's a theory and a fact about Marsellus Wallace's band-aid The in-universe fan theory is that the briefcase contains Wallace's soul and the band-aid covers where it was taken from, the fact is that Ving Rhames cut himself shaving his head Another fact Uma Thurman had an anxiety attack before filming the dance scene because of Travolta's past The not-so subtle reference to Hitchcock's Psycho when Butch is in the car and watches Marsellus walking by is frame by frame identical when Janet Leigh's character watches her boss
I know it's a year old but another crazy thing about this film is that at the time, John Travolta's career was in the crapper. He was doing TV movies. But with Tarantino's love of 70's cinema and nostalgia, he casts him in this film and within the first few scenes has him dancing... completely revitalized him. As casual movie fans we were all like "LOL he got Travolta" and then holy crap his second oscar nomination.
Really enjoyed your reaction to this, so fun. I'm old enough I remember watching this in the theater. For it's time, it was like a bolt of lighting in the Hollywood landscape that changed so much after it - some good, some bad. Saying that, Jackie Brown as the follow up is so different, but showing QT's ability to have a deep character study without all the pizzazz of jumping around like crazy. From the same time period, Fargo by the Coens' was another big moment in the 90s - if you haven't watched or reacted yet, you might dig it.
Well Jackie Brown is from the Elmore "Dutch" Leonard story Rum Punch so it's one of the few times Tarantino is using source material he didn't create. But Leonard's darkly comedic and punchy writing style fits Tarantino so well. His characters often engage in the same type of seemingly banal conversation that Tarantino likes to filter his scenes through. And it has that blend of sex, violence and whip smart dialogue that Tarantino loves.
All the characters in the tale experience pretty extraordinary circumstances, many of which they survive just by the skin of their teeth or seemingly in spite of everything working against them. They react to them in a variety of ways, and each seemingly experience very different results. Contrast between Vince and Jules is pretty obvious. Vince survives: - the Date with the Boss's Wife Gone Wrong - shot at point blank in Brett's apartment - the Bonnie Situation - and the Diner Robbery the last 3 of those (though chronologically the first) he experiences the same with Jules. Vince makes mistake after mistake, repeatedly tempting fate. And he ultimately ends up dead.
I watched this one in the theatres when it came out. I had a really hard time following the dialogue, as I hadn't come to the US yet. But even with that, the movie was a RIDE. I am somewhat of a movie buff, but that was the most different thing I had ever seen.
My first taste was Reservoir Dogs in the cinema. I was laughing in the first ten minutes when the mobsters argued over tipping the waitress and again over who was which colour. The humour in the dialogue set me up for fandom right there and then. Hateful Eight is probs my fave.
The briefcase's contents in this plot is referred to as a cinematic device called a 'McGuffin'- (if I'm not mistaken, this term comes from Alfred Hitchcock, a director you have or will learn about in film school)... it can be anything, & its purpose is to further the plot w/o necessarily having any special significance of its own. Other film watchers smarter or more intuitive than myself have conjectured that it contains Marcellus Wallace's soul- extracted from him through the back of his head (remember the combination '666' & its eerie glow ?) Anyway, a McGuffin need not be revealed, it is simply something of value to the characters whose desire/pursuit of it motivates their actions...
You could take it further and assume the Mcguffin is that people believe that murderers like Marcellus even have souls when clearly their actions are all evil. The "McGuffin" could just be a writing mechanism to trick the audience into believing Marcellus is actually good for having enriched so many different lives, when clearly he isn't anything except a piece of shit who's presence brings nothing but misfortune. The point is driven further home by the fact that he gets the briefcase back early on before you know what happens to Floyd, Butch, Vincent, Jules(his wallet), or Mia.
@@alanela6761 I didn't specifically mention it, BUT I noted that the 'soul removal' was from the back of his head, & the reason for the band-aid would be obvious!
I always thought Wolfe's coffee is one of the most fun little details in this movie. Lots of people order black coffee to look cool or tough or whatever. The Wolfe actually *is* cool though, and he doesn't care what anyone else thinks about his coffee order, so he has no compunction asking for lots of cream lots of sugar. Also the car was an Acura NSX. Somewhat iconic car at the time, but didn't really remain so past the early 90s.
Hey Jacqui, first time watching one of your videos. I think you should watch Kevin Smith's filmography. His first film (Clerks) was made after he dropped out of film school. He got as many credit cards as he could and maxed them all out. It is shot mostly in one location and in black and white. I love it because it is amazing, and watching it, you feel like you could have made it. From there, each movie seems to have a bigger and bigger budget, and you can watch him grow. I just think it would fit your channel very well!
I also went to film school and actually took a class that was dedicated to studying Tarantino movies (my professor was an Italian filmmaker who loves Tarantino) my final project for that class was a video essay that compared the similarities between The Hateful Eight and The Thing.
I've seen the movie back then at the cinema. It was an awesome experience. Half of audience left halfway thru the movie the cinema because they couldn't stand what they saw. The other half laughed their ass off and had a brilliant time. I belonged to the second group. Also the scene with needle is probably the scene in cinema history where the most people closed their eyes. Even if nothing is to see. 😁
I think the fundamental theme of this film is redemption (although not necessarily virtuous redemption) - nearly every significant character in this film is either redeemed by another, or redeems themselves, or seeks to redeem themselves.
The person in the bathroom with the gun @26:56 is Alexis Arquette (then known as Robert Arquette). His/Her sister is Rosanna Arquette who pays "Jody" the wife of "Lance" the Heroin dealer. Their brother is David Arquette known for the "Scream" movies and he is the former husband of actress Courtney Cox (Monica on Friend's).
"Publicly shame me for never having seen this up to this point" If you insist: WHAAAATTT!?!?!?!?! You're an film student and never seen this!?!?!?!?!?!? WTF?!?!?!?! All jokes aside. The most "Tarantino thing" for me is conversation. I feel like in English classes (at least the ones I took), it was too often emphasized that we should get to the point and always stay relevant to it. I feel like too often that translates badly into bad writing in conversations in both written media and film. Tarantino draws out conversation to feel more real as opposed to most writers who's conversation hit the bullet points of what they want to say than hitting the actual flow of a real conversation. Tarantino will draw you aside from those points into random things (like a debate on foot massages or guessing game for characters in media) to make the conversation feel genuine and yet still feel a part of the story. I'm not much of a writer, only done it for fun. But I will say, I've been most inspired by Tarantino when trying to write conversations. I could go on a whole rant about this but I'll try to keep it succinct. Also, the diner robbers were not the ones who hit Jack Rabbit slims. Mia and Vincent didn't win the trophy. They stole it. That is what the radio was saying. As for Marcellus's bandage. That was because the actor sustained a real injury, so they just kept the band aid for the whole movie. As far as Tarantino movies. Pulp Fiction is my number 1, with Inglorious Bastards being my number 2.
Excellent point! Every single piece of conversation was relevant (which is part of what threw me for a loop, because I was trying to hold on to everything 😅) but absolutely felt natural. A really unique skill. And thank you for sharing the trivia! Though I do have to say, Inglourious Basterds is, and likely always will be my #1 Tarantino film. It's actually just one of my all time favorite films.
@@movienightwithjacqui Well, I can't argue with the choice. Inglorious Bastards is a great movie. It's only disappointing to hear because it means we won't get a first time reaction to the movie from you. But since you're a fan I guess we can forgive it.
All I can think of during Christopher Walken's scene is Eddie Izzard's wonderful impression of this scene "he died of watch in ass disease". Loved the reaction, Jacqui.
The scene that makes me smile is at the very end. Jules and Vincent are carrying full-sized pistols, and stuffing them into the front of elastic waisted athletic shorts. Works as long as you stand still, but walk more than 10 paces, and you're most likely losing either the pistol or the shorts. Ah, Hollywood! 😛 Oh, and btw, love your reactions!
I respect your opinion. I like Reservoir Dogs, but Pulp Fiction is transcendent. It's the film where everything came together just right, lightning in a bottle.
I find it interesting that every time Vincent goes to the bathroom, something bad happens. And he is always going to the bathroom because narcotics users are usually constipated due to nerves being relaxed.
Awesome selection! Possibly my favourite Tarantino film, and Tarantino is very possibly my favourite film-maker. I would highly recommend all of his movies, just brilliant and often bizarre stuff. 👍✌❤ Edit: Loving the running count on "Very Tarantino" elements. 😂
Glad to know I'm not the only former film major that didn't start college worshipping this movie, hahaha. I didn't see it until my "history of film" professor screened it for us once we got to the 1990s portion of the class. Eagerly awaiting your Last of Us ep. 8 video... Was an emotional one 😭
You're the first one who guessed that in a cameo role it's Steve Buscemi!!! I watched the reaction to the film from many people and no one knew who this waiter was, clever girl, you are well versed in cinema and music, it's noticeable and nice to watch people like you! I really like Quentin Tarantino's films.
I remember when it came out, because it wasn't as splashy as Pulp Fiction or even Dogs, it left me and a lot of other people disappointed. But it's aged like fine wine, and I agree is right at the top of the discussion of his best films.
Hi Jacqui -so sorry for your loss. Take the time to get somewhat comfortable with this change in your life and family. I've recently experienced the loss of my closest cousin. I'm a fan. You caught me on Firefly with your first time watching the series. I discovered Firefly about ten years ago, and have continued to be disappointed that so much time has passed in the real world that it would be nearly impossible to continue. The cast was perfectly cast and the writing and acting was great. I enjoyed your reactions and contributions. Today, after driving for over 8 hours to return home after a destination wedding for some nearly-family friends, I looked for some interesting reviews you have done. I took in Die Hard and Pulp Fiction. After your comments about post modern, I realized you may not have watched or reviewed one of my favorites -- and it was genre-changing. From my favorite modern director, Christopher Nolan, I strongly recommend Memento. Brilliant storytelling and filmmaking! It's wow! Hope you haven't seen/done it yet. Good luck and I hope you agree. Take care.
I've loved this movie since I was ten years old (my older sisters could be very irresponsible when it came to which pirated VHSs of theirs I watched). Played the soundtrack to death too, which helped me learn Jules' bible verse all the faster 😁
This is a cinematic masterpiece. Winner of 7 Academy Awards. Including Best Picture, film editing and screen play. Such a good movie and a very typical QT movie. Blood, violence, conversation and the non lineal timeline. And of course FEET. Great movie and fantastic reaction.
The other thing we used to discuss a lot when the film was new was that it was a morality story about Jules and Vincent. Jules is awed and transformed by the divine intervention and begins a new way of life. Vincent takes no note of it, continues his criminal ways, and is destroyed by it the next day.
I don't think I can get through this; 8 words of movie dialog/85 words of Jacqui, 10 words of movie/200 words by Jacqui... every iconic line & moment edited out, but every random thought in your head edited in... Good luck.
I tried to stay with you.. I made it all the way up to the 12 minute mark… I couldn’t take any more of your every four seconds interruptions .. you’re unwatchable
Hi Jacqui - You asked us to tell you what the first Taratino movie I saw was - Pulp Fiction was my first, so when I watched Pulp Fiction i was already familiar with his story telling style - both fantastic films with story lines that keep twisted back and surprising you all the way through
Wow. First time watching a video from this channel. She is so smart. She spends so much time explaining all the things she knows about. It must be hard for her to enjoy a movie when she has to constantly educate a dumb audience like us.
That was fun. PF is one of my favorite movies. Saw it when it was new for the first time and have watched it to thw point that I cam quote pretty much the whole thing. Your reactions leading up to some of the more messed up scenes were great.
Good job. I’ve seen a number of reactions and yours is one of the best. Well edited with good analysis. Please do some classic Hollywood. “The Apartment” for example. I’d be curious to know what you think and if you haven’t seen them before it will add to your education.
"But I I don't want to be a Pirate!" In regards to your post reaction blouse ...Seinfeld lol 😂 What I love about Tarantino movies, outside of how he tells a story, is it's a story you've never heard before or it's a slight alternative to story you have heard before. Either way, he's a MASTER story teller.
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Lets get some love for Bruce Willis. May his final years be full of love.
I hope he doesn't forget the gold ⌚ watch up his ass.
Amen.
Whats wrong with bruce ?
@@sTonedjOshhhh
Dementia
Hopefully the paparazzi will leave him the hell alone
In the scene where Vincent buys his heroin, the dealer said "I'm all out of balloons". Mia snorted the heroin like cocaine because she didn't think it would be heroin, because it wasn't in a balloon.
When Lemmy says to not do heroin, believe it.
GOOD CATCH! Brilliant.
I never caught that. Nice
Yup, some people miss this point. Very pure H too, as the dealer was bragging about it earlier - some nice foreshadowing.
Oh wow, I never knew that! There's so much specific little drug detail in this film! Like apparently heroin use can cause constipation, which is why Vincent is always in the bathroom. So I'm told.
One of my favourite details in this movie is the way Vincent angrily drops Mia's unconscious body onto the ground to argue with Lance.
Tarantino is a master at creating comedy out of serious situations.
As for whether this movie had a point, the way I see it is that it's a story about redemption. We see various people living the life of crime. Some manage to get out of it alive, some don't, some succeed, some don't. The pattern among those who had a better ending is that they showed positive traits like humility, honour, forgiveness. This applies to even minor characters. For example, Marvin is assumed to have ratted out his friends to Marcellus, which is why Vincent and Julius took him with them, and he ends up accidentally dying. Pretty much all major characters are faced with a trial, and their stories are about whether they succeed or fail that test. Those who fail don't get a good ending.
I have to comment about the Christopher Walken scene as it played out in the theater. When I saw it on opening week, the theater was full. Not a huge theater, but still, definitely packed. And that opening monologue of Christopher's was SO compelling. His face literally took up the ENTIRE screen. So you had this GIANT Walken head, looking down at you, making you feel like a little child. And his delivery of the history of the watch, with so much weight and gravitas. When he had those moments of silence, while he was collecting himself, to hammer home how important this watch was to Butch's father, the entire theater was dumbstruck. And then, when he suddenly cut in with "he stuck it up his ass!" and the frame pulls out to show his whole body, just, the entire theater lost their shit, bursting out laughing. It was SO wonderfully executed, this momentous buildup of tension and emotion, of legacy, war, and loss, and then to instantly burst that bubble, on purpose with this entirely ridiculous anal watch bit, was just fantastic to experience. One of my favorite theater experiences ever xD
The thing about that story - who knows how much of it is even true. It's a childhood memory - or even just a dream of a childhood memory that Butch had when he was like 6 years old or something. And being a boxer, he's been hit in the head a bunch of times too... :P So who can say what parts actually happened. :)
Pulp Fiction was a shoe-in to win best picture in 1994 - and then they released Shawshank Redemption, Quiz Show and Forrest Gump. That was a crazy year for film.
The problem was Pulp Fiction was *not* the kind of movie Oscar voters voted for for Best Picture at the time. Gump and Shawshank were both always going to beat out Pulp for the award, which is very frustrating for me. I think Pulp Fiction is maybe one of the most influential movies in the history of film, while Gump, which won, was a fairly standard biopic (although of a fictional character.) Shawshank is a better movie than Gump and Pulp Fiction was more influential (even back then in its immediate aftermath), but they didn't do Ranked Choice voting at the time which almost certainly would have seen Gump finish behind either of those two for the top prize that year. On a side note, Clerks also came out in '94, as did Leon: The Professional. If you go back and look at that year, it is just a wildly stacked year. Yeah, there are some real junk films; there are every year. But the sheer number of top notch films, either historically or just within their genre, is incredible.
I saw "Pulp Fiction" the weekend it opened. The following Saturday I went back and saw it again to make sure. The next morning my Aunt Pat got home from church and I asked her if she had any plans. She didn't. I asked if she wanted to go see a movie? She responded in the affirmative. Then she asked me what we were going to see. I told her it was a secret. She was intrigued, we went. I ran ahead once we got out and got the tickets so she wouldn't know what we were seeing. We got into the auditorium and sat down and I said, "Auntie, you are about to see some of the most heinous footage ever filmed. You will see people doing terrible things to each other and you will find yourself feeling filthy because you are laughing your ass off at the carnage". "What movie have you brought me to" she asked? "Auntie, this is 'Pulp Fiction'". "OH!!! I've been wanting to see that!!!! How do you know so much about it"? "I've seen it twice already". My auntie was born on St. Patricks Day, 1925. When we first saw "Pulp Fiction" she was 69 years old. When Mia got the needle in the chest she roared with laughter. I kept an eye on her throughout the movie. She was entranced. She loved it. When it was over she asked, "You are getting it on Laser-disc when it comes out, right? Copy it onto VHS for me so I can watch it and take it to share with friends". I did so. She raved about the movie to everyone. This tiny little old Irish-American woman known for her Texas Baked Beans and her Christmas cookies was encouraging everyone to experience the glory of "Pulp Fiction". She died in June of 2018. I hadn't watched the movie in probably 10 years or more at that point, and I haven't watched it since that I can think of. But I know that when I finally get around to it... I'll be thinking of her. Love your reaction.
Aww man you put a smile on my face
@Charles Ballard I also saw the movie on opening weekend. My experience was a bit different. Right after Butch hits Marsellus with the car the film broke at the theater (Yes, Kids it used to be real film back then). So after a 15 minute delay the film resumed and the first scene was Butch killing Vincent at the apartment. I was convinced that the projectionist had mixed up the order and put the wrong reel on. I had to go back the next day and see it again and then it all made sense.
You can copy a Laserdisc onto a VHS? 🤔
@@adnap Yes, RCA OUT jacks to RCA IN jacks. Gotta pause the tape when it comes time to flip or change the disc. But this is moot since almost no one has the players anymore, and discs have not been produced for well over 20 years now.
I like that the first scene of this movie is the couple saying "Man.... why doesn't anybody rob restaurants?" and they make such a strong case you think "Yeah... seems like a good idea!".... then the final scene provides you with the answer, because you have no clue who could be in there.... maybe 2 stone cold assassins who've already capped 4 dudes that day, and have no problem making it 6 lol
For sure. Just like Zed and his pal picked the wrong guys to mess with. Oh, a killer boxer and a mobster...whoops
Pretty much the case example of "fuck around and find out."
To be fair, that could be true in a bank. You never know who is going to be in any public space.
@@seraiharper5553 yeah but certain places, like a bank, people are much less likely to be packing hand cannons like that lol
@@KS-xk2so Hm. Good point.
Seeing this in the theater in '94 when I was a teenager is what made me want to make a movie and inspired me to take screen writing classes in college. Still a very personal favorite movie 👍
The other great postmodern film that bookended the 90s: "Memento". It not only breaks the time line, it deliberately shapes it to attain a particular effect. If you haven't seen it, you must. It is so much your cuppa, dear. :)
The stories are more connected thematically, with the primary theme being salvation. Vincent saves Mia, Butch saves Marcellus and is in turn saved from Marcellus, Vincent and Jules are saved from the bullets, and Jules “saves” the diner robber. Jules accepts his salvation from the bullets and quits, Vincent denies it, hence why he is at Butch’s apartment alone the next day and ends up being killed. And while Tarantino has always been vague about what was in the briefcase, one of the most compelling theories is that it’s Marcellus’s soul (the combination is 666).
Well put. You could make the case that this is a very Biblical movie in its way, the most obvious example being the recurring Ezekiel passage. Here's one perspective. Marsellus is a God-type character. The briefcase is something like sin and its theft is akin to the Fall - trying to steal power from God, the consequence of which is death. Jules starts out as the angel of death but then becomes a Christ-like character, "The Good Shepherd" who redeems the souls of sinful humanity (I'm buying something with that money...Your life) cleaning the dirty laundry if you will.
Yup. People were saying this since back in my day and I saw it when it premiered. I was 17.
Very well put.
Also the band-aid on the back of Marsellus neck would represent where his soul was removed.
The bandaid on Wallace's neck is because the actor had a scar that Tarantino wanted to cover up. The suitcase is merely a Macguffin - the contents are nebulous and irrelevant.
Saw this in the theater when it came out; blew my mind. As far as I'm concerned, one of the top 5 movies of all time.
Glad, you finally got this up. I really enjoyed the full length reaction so I’m looking forward to see how it is when edited and tricked out with all the bells and whistles.
When that 'uncomfortable foreshadowing' came up I nearly spit my coffee out on the screen laughing.
My theory about why Yolanda shouts something different in the two scenes is to do with how witnesses often have different memories of an event.
In Tarantino’s defense: the part for Jimmie was originally offered to Steve Buscemi, but he had to turn it down (can’t remember why). In this case, it was just Tarantino stepping into shoes someone else didn’t fill more than just giving himself a cameo in his own movie.
Tarantino was originally gonna play the drug dealer, but he decided he wanted to be behind the camera for that scene instead.
Great reaction. Love your laugh. I love how much you appreciate this movie as a viewer and a film student.
There is a common thread I've noticed between Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch. Their stories truly take place in the mind of the author. They're not even remotely concerned with realism. They're just telling a story exactly the way they want to tell it and they let nothing get in the way. Whenever people get confused watching Twin Peaks, for instance, I think they're missing the fact that it's really just a slice of totally liberated artistic expression. It doesn't have to make sense, it just has to be honest. We as people constantly contract ourselves because we're always changing and evolving. These kinds of films are an expression of a mind accepting that fact and running with it.
For whatever it's worth, Jacqui, I love hearing your analyses come through in the form of film history lessons (like you did with Pulp Fiction). I hope all your post-reaction commentary has an element of this. I feel like I'm getting a film degree through your words, thank you!
It’s a lot of fun listening to you explain something a lot of us watched 29 years ago. Haha.
C’mon, film student! You know exactly what is in the briefcase. A MacGuffin.
It's always great to watch a first time reaction from someone who has studied (or is studying) film and pop culture. This was extremely enjoyable. There's so much lore about the making of this film, I'm sure you read some in the comments e.g. the plaster on the back of Marcellus's neck, Vincent being on the shitter all the time etc. Glad you caught the 'news' about the Jack Rabbit Slims trophy on the radio.
The first Tarantino flick I saw was his breakout one, Reservoir Dogs. Saw it on a whim since the movie we were going to see originally was sold out. It blew my mind and remains one of my all time favourites. My Sunday afternoon comfort film though is Jackie Brown. Great soundtrack. Superb and original reaction!
The radio voice doesn't even *mention* the trophy. All it is, is an advertisement for Jack Rabbit Slims. The story that Mia & Vincent stole the trophy is just an urban legend. And it's an UL that's untrue.
wrong about the trophy... 100% urban legend.. the radio spot was just an advertisement
Vincent is at Butch's place waiting with Marcellus for Butch. That's why Vincent is (as always) reading in the restroom while Marcellus is near, coming back with TWO drinks!
I was in second year of uni when this came out. All my dorm mates loved this movie and I "had to" watch it many times before parties. I hated it at the time. I thought it was weird, disturbing and I didnt get the story. It probably took me at least 15 years for me to start to love it. Now I just enjoying the style, dialog, music etc...
Amen. Similar situation...I hated Tarantino my first few experiences with him, to the point that I was dreading having to study his films. Then we watched Inglourious Basterds for one of my classes, and it was the first time I truly understood and appreciated him. He's an acquired taste for some, it seems 😄
@@movienightwithjacqui I'm one of those who remembers when this came out too. Brilliant. No one is safe. The gloves are off. Anything can happen. Tarantino treats his audience like adults---trusting us to be able to handle adult topics and extreme situations. It leaves us never knowing what to expect next. The dialogue is so over the top and yet so spot on and credible that it rings true. I was floored by Reservoir Dogs--Pulp Fiction was a true masterpiece in film making. I didn't care for the Kill Bill series because it was just too cartoonish.
@@movienightwithjacqui -- Now that you've seen Pulp, you have to watch Reservoir Dogs which has two of the finest, most creative flashback scenes I have ever seen.
It’s interesting that it was only his second film. For that reason alone it is genius. But it’s surely not without its flaws which are glaring if you know anything about film. No one ever seems to notice the biggest mistake and that is the start and the end don’t match up. Honey Bunny doesn’t say the same line as she does in the beginning. A massive mistake, especially considering how important it is. The script supervisor really messed up. And they could have fixed it if they’d wanted to by taking the audio from the beginning and dubbing it over and editing around it. It really bugs me to this day it’s not been fixed. Only real film makers notice this lol.
@@brucecsnell Don't forget his other gem of a movie, Jackie Brown. Practically a love letter to Pam Grier's career. She was one of my top 10 crushes🥰, ranked in at number 3. The film just fits so damn well. And the lines are endlessly quotable.
Yeah, good review and great summation.
Your point about the movie being more about the craft is spot on. At the time, i was finishing college and Art history - dealing with Fauvism really rammed home the idea in painting of "colour for the sake of colour", whilst movies like this were very apparent in being "film for film's sake"... it was the whole celebration of art for it's own sake, which i loved and still love.
Oh, My God. To be a young adult in the 1990s... what a time to be alive! It was Amazing.
Thanks for reviewing this masterpiece with serious intelligence and please keep on enjoying & absorbing art & influences and developing new ideas & opinions and don't ever stop, really.
When I first saw this movie, it blew me away. I was 16 and never saw anything like this before. That's why Pulp Fiction has cemented a spot in my favorite movies list forever.
I heard that some movie theaters in Lebanon thought that they accidentally received the movie out of order and so they re-cut it and put it back together in chronological order, which defeats the purpose and takes away all the stylistic points of this masterpiece, in my opinion.
😂😂😂 Yeah, the point is definitely that it was told out of order, but that story is still funny! Thank you for sharing!
I thought I heard they recut it because they thought it didn't make sense.
@@movienightwithjacqui Speaking of out of order... In case you didn't notice (and nobody else in the comments pointed it to you) : in the opening diner scene with Honey Bunny and whatsherface, you can actually see the back of Vincent retreating during their conversation as he leaves to have his opiates-constipated book reading session. Of course you don't immediately recognize him when you see him again in the immediately following "Royale with cheese" scene in the car, because he's now wearing entirely different clothes, due to said out of order thing... :) The movie is full of little details like that, which shows the level of attention which was paid during writing and shooting.
Was interesting back in the day when this movie first came out to see the immediate (and insane) impact it had. All the snobs in the arts and culture pages in all the magazines (which we still had at that point of course) were waxing lyrical about this movie I'd never heard of (but which sounded really pretentious to young me), from this movie director I'd also never heard of before. It was crazy. Well, I too ended up watching it, and loving it. Actually saw it twice at the movies. :) I also hope I've learned to not be so judgmental about unknown things in the years since... :)
The 1990s - quite possibly the greatest movie-making decade there ever was in Hollywood. Just droves and droves of absolute classics made during this decade, many of them proving to be timeless even as the years roll on by. The diner robbery scene in "Pulp" you of course couldn't have today because of the ubiquity of mobile phones, which still weren't a mass market thing back then - now, cops would be swarming in long before Jules would even have had the chance to utter the words "Ezekiel 25:17"... lol Still, nothing can change it's a timeless movie.
QT’s direction was focused on the INTERCONNECTIVITY of multiple storylines. This was a theme introduced by Stoppard’s Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead (with Hamlet). The early 90’s were fixated on the multifacicity of truth that the 80’s covered up.
Yeah Kurosawa did this in Rashomon from 1950. The story of a rape/murder of a bride and her Samurai husband from four different perspectives and overlapping time frames.
I would LOVE to see Jacqui react to Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It is an amazing movie with some of the best wordplay I can bring to mind, and seeing how it all fits in with Hamlet delights me every time.
By far my favorite movie of all time and i watch it once a year between Christmas and New Year... This movie for me personaly is ART and a masterpiece. There is no other movie like Pulp Fiction!
I watch it during thanksgiving dinner, this and planes trains and automobiles, thanksgiving feel good films.
Although there was a trove of edgy, experimental film-making in the 90's, film-makers with enough clout were already trying new and edgy things with big studio resources at least since the fifties, and the post Hays-code auteurs of the 60's were pushing all kinds boundaries.
The mother of non-linear storytelling in cinema is of course Kurosawa's "Rashomon" (1950) but Tarantino was more directly inspired by Kubrick's "The Killing" (1956) about a heist at a racetrack, told several times from beginning to end but from each time from a different participant's POV. (That influence will be much more apparent when you see "Resevoir Dogs")
Meta-self awareness punctuated by text and graphics on-screen was a big part of the style and humor of 60's Batman. The "don't be a"-drawn-square-with-fingers gag was a direct reference to an episode of original 60's Flintstones.
"It's Quentin, of course it's bloody as 'hell"
You saw "Inglorious Basterds" and that's not the only time he opts for "burnt to a crisp" for the most satisfying kills.
One of my favorite scenes ever is when they are walking out oh the diner and stop look both ways before putting their guns away.
I saw it 3 times in the cinema. My friend saw it 5 times in the movie. We spent days afterwards trying to figure out how the film all fit together. The best part is the film gets better the more you see it. Have fun!
My brother was into him so I saw Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, but I was way too young to appreciate those films at the time. When I was in high school, Kill Bill 1&2 came out and those movies blew our collective minds. Everyone in my friend group was obsessed with it. I went back and watched his older films and have been a fan ever since.
Pulp Fiction has post modern elements, but the reason why it's so profound and so hard to pin down by film archivists is because it is one of the few films whose central theme is serendipity. When you have robbers and hitmen as main characters everything is heightened. The serendipity they toy with can be their end. The random conclusions also makes for a gripping tale. Serendipity as a theme traditionally is used with comedies, since it makes for good punchlines or curiosities like in Alice in Wonderland. But in a crime saga the punchline is death.
Pulp Fiction also owes its origin to Goddard's 60's film Vivre sa vie ('To Live Her Life: A Film in Twelve Scenes') which is broken into episodes and even has a dance scene in a bar.
Tarantino assembles his movies like a chatty person that sporadically recalls tidbits and interrupts the story flow in order to insert it so at the end everything falls together.
Seeing his interviews over the decades (I enjoy them; he's extremely interesting to me!) makes what you said ring very, very true: he thinks, talks, gestures, and enthuses exactly as you said, and he makes his movies authentically, in that his creations present themselves exactly the same way. It's a sign of honesty that, even if he wanted to, he can't NOT have his own voice, personality, and idiosyncrasies dripping through-- and from-- from his works.
Ving Rhames, who plays Marcellus Wallace, has a rather prominent scar on the back of his neck. Since the back of his neck was going to be so prevalent in that first shot, Rhames asked if he could cover it with a band aid.
It certainly has led to some wild theories though. Some speculate the mystery glowing contents of the briefcase are Marcellus Wallace's soul, and the band aid covers the mark where it was snatched out lol
people make pretty wild theories sometimes
pretty hilarious tho lol
From what i heard, he showed up for filming with the band aid already in place because he had a cut from shaving his head. Tarantino just liked the look of it and had him keep it there.
Rumors abound, could be anything
@@alanela6761 I too read where Ving Rhames (Marcellus) had cut himself shaving his head.
I saw pulp fiction in a small-town movie theater when it came out. What a blast.
For me, Tarantino is also an actor's director. More than that, he takes a gamble with one actor every time and makes him "bleed," and a new career is there for the actor.
In Pulp Fiction, it was the case of Vincent, John Travolta,
Tarantino directs its actors. And take one from the shadow and make it shine again.
The French Movie Director Eric Besson is also like that. Fun fact: Pulp Fiction and The Fifth Element both share the fact that they are using Bruce Willis as the star who signed for the movie to sell it to the studios.
Something I think people miss in this movie is that Butch's girlfriend Fabienne is probably pregnant. That's why she's trying to break the news to him by alluding to "pot bellies" etc. She also walks to the side of the bed after he passes out as if she's going to tell him, and then says "never mind". I don't know if Butch has already guessed as much though, as it would definitely explain why he freaked out about the watch as if he needed to pass it on in order to truly honor his father.
Doesn't he say he would punch her pot belly? What if that's his way of saying he doesn't want a baby😬
@@kennyfleck8630 I think that's just his way of trolling. He seems to know without her saying it directly.
@@-C64- yeah. Lol. I would agree. He says it jokingly.
If you ever get a chance, look up Tarantino's "wish list" for Pulp Fiction casting. There are some HUGE "what ifs" in casting this film. Including Denzel, Nic Cage and Jennifer Jason Leigh, etc. it's wild
If I remember the story correctly, "Pulp Fiction" was written in chapters out of perceived necessity. Quentin and Roger Avary did not believe they would have the budget to shoot a feature-length film. To work around this potential problem, they broke up the story into individual chapters, then planned to film each chapter as its own short length film. The plan was to eventually shoot each chapter as funding could be found so that the full length film would eventually be assembled. They realized it could take months or longer to film the story in this fashion. Luckily, that limitation never happened but the film was still shot and edited into the format that Quentin and Roger originally devised.
One of my all time favorite movies. Went to see it TWICE in the theater back when it was first released.
Nick Fury having Jules' bible quote on his gravestone is not the only reference to this elsewhere in Samuel L Jackson's career.
In the Star Wars prequels, Mace Windu-Jackson's character-has his lightsaber engraved with the characters B M F in the "aurabesh" script of the Star Wars franchise; this is a nod to Jules' wallet being inscribed with the words "Bad Motherfucker".
I was in film school ( didn’t finish) when Pulp Fiction came out. It was so much fun to go and see it in the theater
It's one of my favourite movies! Also I'm really impressed how you remember little details from other movies like the quote on Nick Fury's headstone and Wiress' actress from Hunger Games!
I saw this on VHS a few months after it hit theaters. I didn't know what to make of it at first. When I watched again a few years later, it sunk in. It's what literary critic Alan Kirby calls "high postmodernism," referring to the apex of the style during the mid-late 90s ("Seinfeld" is another example). As a young man during the time, I recall that it was how we Gen-Xers related to each other, because we were all latch-key kids who grew up on TV reruns and old movies, so the references in Pulp Fiction were stuff we already knew, and dropped in casual conversations anyway!
The radio talking about someone stealing from Jack Rabbit Slim's wasn't about the couple who rob the diner. Mia and Vincent didn't win the Twist Contest, so they stole the trophy, lol
"so pretty please, with sugar on top, [insert task here]." is just one of many quotes on the daily list.
Finally caught one of these as it gets uploaded! Came over from the old channel. Shame you can't do the videos with Sam anymore, he seems fun, but from the reasons given, it sounds like the wisest move to preserve the friendship and possibly work together again later. Let's get to the movie!
I subscribed the moment I heard you say, "...you kill it you clean it." Awesome!
I truly admire your dedication and ability to consistently not swear.
Even when watching a movie with tons of swearing and violence
It seems weird to me, because the film is what it is - R rated and not pulling its punches on language.
Kind of like watching Goodfellas on AMC TV. They censor it, but that means to show it they have to gut the dialogue to the point of ruining the watching experience, But you can tell they also will never choose not to show it at all, because they want all the $$$ from showing a very adult film about nasty people.
especially as much as she talks, it is more like a 40 minute speech with a small bit of movie thrown in....reacting does not mean show us how smart you are and mention everytime you see an actor you might know and remember what other movies they have been in....this was sooo annoying....people do not understand the definition of reacting apparently, you don't even have to speak to react, how hard is this?
the band-aid on Marcellus' neck was there because Ving Rames had a cut from a shaving razor (he has the scar to this day). Tarantino kept it because it looked cool and would keep people wondering what it ment. Or so the story goes...
There's a theory and a fact about Marsellus Wallace's band-aid
The in-universe fan theory is that the briefcase contains Wallace's soul and the band-aid covers where it was taken from, the fact is that Ving Rhames cut himself shaving his head
Another fact Uma Thurman had an anxiety attack before filming the dance scene because of Travolta's past
The not-so subtle reference to Hitchcock's Psycho when Butch is in the car and watches Marsellus walking by is frame by frame identical when Janet Leigh's character watches her boss
I know it's a year old but another crazy thing about this film is that at the time, John Travolta's career was in the crapper. He was doing TV movies. But with Tarantino's love of 70's cinema and nostalgia, he casts him in this film and within the first few scenes has him dancing... completely revitalized him. As casual movie fans we were all like "LOL he got Travolta" and then holy crap his second oscar nomination.
Really enjoyed your reaction to this, so fun. I'm old enough I remember watching this in the theater. For it's time, it was like a bolt of lighting in the Hollywood landscape that changed so much after it - some good, some bad. Saying that, Jackie Brown as the follow up is so different, but showing QT's ability to have a deep character study without all the pizzazz of jumping around like crazy. From the same time period, Fargo by the Coens' was another big moment in the 90s - if you haven't watched or reacted yet, you might dig it.
Well Jackie Brown is from the Elmore "Dutch" Leonard story Rum Punch so it's one of the few times Tarantino is using source material he didn't create. But Leonard's darkly comedic and punchy writing style fits Tarantino so well. His characters often engage in the same type of seemingly banal conversation that Tarantino likes to filter his scenes through. And it has that blend of sex, violence and whip smart dialogue that Tarantino loves.
All the characters in the tale experience pretty extraordinary circumstances, many of which they survive just by the skin of their teeth or seemingly in spite of everything working against them. They react to them in a variety of ways, and each seemingly experience very different results. Contrast between Vince and Jules is pretty obvious. Vince survives:
- the Date with the Boss's Wife Gone Wrong
- shot at point blank in Brett's apartment
- the Bonnie Situation
- and the Diner Robbery
the last 3 of those (though chronologically the first) he experiences the same with Jules.
Vince makes mistake after mistake, repeatedly tempting fate. And he ultimately ends up dead.
I watched this one in the theatres when it came out. I had a really hard time following the dialogue, as I hadn't come to the US yet. But even with that, the movie was a RIDE. I am somewhat of a movie buff, but that was the most different thing I had ever seen.
Really appreciate your explanation of post modernism in film and Tarantino’s role in bringing it to the mainstream.
My first taste was Reservoir Dogs in the cinema. I was laughing in the first ten minutes when the mobsters argued over tipping the waitress and again over who was which colour. The humour in the dialogue set me up for fandom right there and then. Hateful Eight is probs my fave.
The car Winston Wolf was driving was a 1990 Acura NSX. Interestingly, the engine was behind the driver.
The briefcase's contents in this plot is referred to as a cinematic device called a 'McGuffin'- (if I'm not mistaken, this term comes from Alfred Hitchcock, a director you have or will learn about in film school)... it can be anything, & its purpose is to further the plot w/o necessarily having any special significance of its own. Other film watchers smarter or more intuitive than myself have conjectured that it contains Marcellus Wallace's soul- extracted from him through the back of his head (remember the combination '666' & its eerie glow ?) Anyway, a McGuffin need not be revealed, it is simply something of value to the characters whose desire/pursuit of it motivates their actions...
You could take it further and assume the Mcguffin is that people believe that murderers like Marcellus even have souls when clearly their actions are all evil. The "McGuffin" could just be a writing mechanism to trick the audience into believing Marcellus is actually good for having enriched so many different lives, when clearly he isn't anything except a piece of shit who's presence brings nothing but misfortune. The point is driven further home by the fact that he gets the briefcase back early on before you know what happens to Floyd, Butch, Vincent, Jules(his wallet), or Mia.
@@joepermenter7228 ... interesting POV!
@redcaddiedaddie you left out that this particular fan theory could also explain the band aid
@@alanela6761 I didn't specifically mention it, BUT I noted that the 'soul removal' was from the back of his head, & the reason for the band-aid would be obvious!
@redcaddiedaddie for many it would. Fair enough
I always thought Wolfe's coffee is one of the most fun little details in this movie. Lots of people order black coffee to look cool or tough or whatever. The Wolfe actually *is* cool though, and he doesn't care what anyone else thinks about his coffee order, so he has no compunction asking for lots of cream lots of sugar.
Also the car was an Acura NSX. Somewhat iconic car at the time, but didn't really remain so past the early 90s.
Hey Jacqui, first time watching one of your videos. I think you should watch Kevin Smith's filmography. His first film (Clerks) was made after he dropped out of film school. He got as many credit cards as he could and maxed them all out. It is shot mostly in one location and in black and white. I love it because it is amazing, and watching it, you feel like you could have made it. From there, each movie seems to have a bigger and bigger budget, and you can watch him grow. I just think it would fit your channel very well!
Yep. Another writer/director that you'd probably like. He also puts himself in his movies. Funny enough, he could have a major part without speaking
I also went to film school and actually took a class that was dedicated to studying Tarantino movies (my professor was an Italian filmmaker who loves Tarantino) my final project for that class was a video essay that compared the similarities between The Hateful Eight and The Thing.
I've seen the movie back then at the cinema. It was an awesome experience. Half of audience left halfway thru the movie the cinema because they couldn't stand what they saw. The other half laughed their ass off and had a brilliant time. I belonged to the second group. Also the scene with needle is probably the scene in cinema history where the most people closed their eyes. Even if nothing is to see. 😁
I think the fundamental theme of this film is redemption (although not necessarily virtuous redemption) - nearly every significant character in this film is either redeemed by another, or redeems themselves, or seeks to redeem themselves.
she was doing coke, he was doing heroin. you dont snort heroin
You can. I have, many times. That was just very pure heroin & she did a healthy line, since she thought it was blow.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 i have also done this in my younger, stupider days!
The editing of this video was fire. Good job both of you!
I love how horrific yet like.... wholesome? Heartwarming? It is when Butch and Marcellus make amends.
The person in the bathroom with the gun @26:56 is Alexis Arquette (then known as Robert Arquette). His/Her sister is Rosanna Arquette who pays "Jody" the wife of "Lance" the Heroin dealer. Their brother is David Arquette known for the "Scream" movies and he is the former husband of actress Courtney Cox (Monica on Friend's).
"Publicly shame me for never having seen this up to this point"
If you insist:
WHAAAATTT!?!?!?!?! You're an film student and never seen this!?!?!?!?!?!? WTF?!?!?!?!
All jokes aside. The most "Tarantino thing" for me is conversation. I feel like in English classes (at least the ones I took), it was too often emphasized that we should get to the point and always stay relevant to it. I feel like too often that translates badly into bad writing in conversations in both written media and film. Tarantino draws out conversation to feel more real as opposed to most writers who's conversation hit the bullet points of what they want to say than hitting the actual flow of a real conversation. Tarantino will draw you aside from those points into random things (like a debate on foot massages or guessing game for characters in media) to make the conversation feel genuine and yet still feel a part of the story. I'm not much of a writer, only done it for fun. But I will say, I've been most inspired by Tarantino when trying to write conversations. I could go on a whole rant about this but I'll try to keep it succinct.
Also, the diner robbers were not the ones who hit Jack Rabbit slims. Mia and Vincent didn't win the trophy. They stole it. That is what the radio was saying.
As for Marcellus's bandage. That was because the actor sustained a real injury, so they just kept the band aid for the whole movie.
As far as Tarantino movies. Pulp Fiction is my number 1, with Inglorious Bastards being my number 2.
Excellent point! Every single piece of conversation was relevant (which is part of what threw me for a loop, because I was trying to hold on to everything 😅) but absolutely felt natural. A really unique skill. And thank you for sharing the trivia! Though I do have to say, Inglourious Basterds is, and likely always will be my #1 Tarantino film. It's actually just one of my all time favorite films.
@@movienightwithjacqui Well, I can't argue with the choice. Inglorious Bastards is a great movie. It's only disappointing to hear because it means we won't get a first time reaction to the movie from you. But since you're a fan I guess we can forgive it.
All I can think of during Christopher Walken's scene is Eddie Izzard's wonderful impression of this scene "he died of watch in ass disease". Loved the reaction, Jacqui.
You do the best reactions, you are passing on your knowlege about movies very entertaining, learning alot.
Thank you! I appreciate that!
The scene that makes me smile is at the very end. Jules and Vincent are carrying full-sized pistols, and stuffing them into the front of elastic waisted athletic shorts. Works as long as you stand still, but walk more than 10 paces, and you're most likely losing either the pistol or the shorts. Ah, Hollywood! 😛 Oh, and btw, love your reactions!
Reservoir dogs was my favourite Tarantino film (worth watching if you haven't seen it), but pulp fiction was great.
Enjoyed your film school insights
I respect your opinion. I like Reservoir Dogs, but Pulp Fiction is transcendent. It's the film where everything came together just right, lightning in a bottle.
I find it interesting that every time Vincent goes to the bathroom, something bad happens. And he is always going to the bathroom because narcotics users are usually constipated due to nerves being relaxed.
Awesome selection! Possibly my favourite Tarantino film, and Tarantino is very possibly my favourite film-maker.
I would highly recommend all of his movies, just brilliant and often bizarre stuff. 👍✌❤
Edit: Loving the running count on "Very Tarantino" elements. 😂
"I'm going as Go-Go"
"Because you have the school girl outfit?"
"And no other ideas."
It wasn't cocaine she snorted. It was heroin.
I love that we're basically in The Good Place watching this with the "shirt" and "forks".🤣
Glad to know I'm not the only former film major that didn't start college worshipping this movie, hahaha. I didn't see it until my "history of film" professor screened it for us once we got to the 1990s portion of the class.
Eagerly awaiting your Last of Us ep. 8 video... Was an emotional one 😭
You're the first one who guessed that in a cameo role it's Steve Buscemi!!! I watched the reaction to the film from many people and no one knew who this waiter was, clever girl, you are well versed in cinema and music, it's noticeable and nice to watch people like you! I really like Quentin Tarantino's films.
Watched all his films and Jackie Brown is my favourite.
Same, Jackie Brown is wonderful.
Jackie Brown is a masterpiece and I'm certain her near namesake will love it.
I remember when it came out, because it wasn't as splashy as Pulp Fiction or even Dogs, it left me and a lot of other people disappointed. But it's aged like fine wine, and I agree is right at the top of the discussion of his best films.
Hi Jacqui -so sorry for your loss. Take the time to get somewhat comfortable with this change in your life and family. I've recently experienced the loss of my closest cousin.
I'm a fan. You caught me on Firefly with your first time watching the series. I discovered Firefly about ten years ago, and have continued to be disappointed that so much time has passed in the real world that it would be nearly impossible to continue. The cast was perfectly cast and the writing and acting was great. I enjoyed your reactions and contributions.
Today, after driving for over 8 hours to return home after a destination wedding for some nearly-family friends, I looked for some interesting reviews you have done. I took in Die Hard and Pulp Fiction. After your comments about post modern, I realized you may not have watched or reviewed one of my favorites -- and it was genre-changing. From my favorite modern director, Christopher Nolan, I strongly recommend Memento. Brilliant storytelling and filmmaking! It's wow!
Hope you haven't seen/done it yet. Good luck and I hope you agree. Take care.
I've loved this movie since I was ten years old (my older sisters could be very irresponsible when it came to which pirated VHSs of theirs I watched).
Played the soundtrack to death too, which helped me learn Jules' bible verse all the faster 😁
"Oh SHART"!! That was a perfect reaction
This is a cinematic masterpiece. Winner of 7 Academy Awards. Including Best Picture, film editing and screen play.
Such a good movie and a very typical QT movie. Blood, violence, conversation and the non lineal timeline. And of course FEET.
Great movie and fantastic reaction.
My fav part is the pov shift on Walken to looking direct to camera after the camera sees the watch closeup
Sorry hate your editing . Not enough of the movie . The reaction to movie ratio is very choppy. Good luck
The other thing we used to discuss a lot when the film was new was that it was a morality story about Jules and Vincent. Jules is awed and transformed by the divine intervention and begins a new way of life. Vincent takes no note of it, continues his criminal ways, and is destroyed by it the next day.
I think you will really enjoy Death Proof when you get to it, Jacqui. It's post-modern through a retro/exploitation throwback lens.
With shout-outs to Big Kahuna Burger.
As a UC Santa Cruz grad, it was a real trip seeing John Travolta wearing a UCSC Banana Slugs t-shirt.
I don't think I can get through this; 8 words of movie dialog/85 words of Jacqui, 10 words of movie/200 words by Jacqui... every iconic line & moment edited out, but every random thought in your head edited in... Good luck.
I think you've cracked the code on what defines a reaction video: the reactions.
"I watched you get them wet" One of my favorite lines ever.
I tried to stay with you.. I made it all the way up to the 12 minute mark… I couldn’t take any more of your every four seconds interruptions .. you’re unwatchable
Welcome to reaction videos. They are supposed to talk.
Hi Jacqui - You asked us to tell you what the first Taratino movie I saw was - Pulp Fiction was my first, so when I watched Pulp Fiction i was already familiar with his story telling style - both fantastic films with story lines that keep twisted back and surprising you all the way through
Wow. First time watching a video from this channel. She is so smart. She spends so much time explaining all the things she knows about. It must be hard for her to enjoy a movie when she has to constantly educate a dumb audience like us.
That was fun. PF is one of my favorite movies. Saw it when it was new for the first time and have watched it to thw point that I cam quote pretty much the whole thing. Your reactions leading up to some of the more messed up scenes were great.
Good job. I’ve seen a number of reactions and yours is one of the best. Well edited with good analysis. Please do some classic Hollywood. “The Apartment” for example. I’d be curious to know what you think and if you haven’t seen them before it will add to your education.
Overtalking
"But I I don't want to be a Pirate!" In regards to your post reaction blouse ...Seinfeld lol 😂
What I love about Tarantino movies, outside of how he tells a story, is it's a story you've never heard before or it's a slight alternative to story you have heard before. Either way, he's a MASTER story teller.
Lore has it that Wallace's soul was in the briefcase... the ultimate MacGuffin. The Bandaid was apparently where his soul was taken out.