Movie - 5.0
The first time I saw this I was like, 12 years old, and it was on VHS. It looked cool at the time, but my teenage brain couldn't handle anything past the loud voices and constant cussing, but kudos for style points. The second time I saw it (maybe another 12 years after the first) I believe it was supposed to be a DVD rip, but the sound encoding was atrocious, so I only enjoyed it in part. The the third time I saw it (about 3 months ago) was off of Netflix streaming with decent enough audio, but not so great video. Ironically enough, the one time I finally get to see and hear the darn thing with quality A/V is on Blu-ray. That being said, it should go without question by user vote on IMDb, critic appraisal, or any number of awards and accolades given to this film that Pulp Fiction has cemented itself as a true game-changer in the halls of cinema legend. Be it the achronological storytelling, the sassy script, the dark humor, the quirky characters, or just the amazing level of star power involved from every which way, there's a lot to like about this film. For me, personally, it's the method. I don't mean the cut-up timeline (which is enjoyable in itself and keeps you on your toes), but how so much of the dialogue is "just there" from a purely jovial or character-developing perspective. Talks of Amsterdam and their legalization of drugs, the differences between European and American culture, the frivolous comparison between a foot massage and going down on a girl, the significantly comedic monologue of a P.O.W. storing his best friend's watch up his anus for years only to deliver it to his son, and all kinds of other seemingly random stuff "capped off" by a stride at redemption would make you think otherwise about this being nominated for seven Oscars, right? Well, as most people often say about Quentin Tarantino films, "you should just see it for yourself to know what I mean." And the result after almost 20 years? It's a part of our modern day pop culture with all kinds of quotable lines, a beacon of entertainment and inspiration within the industry,and, for all intents and purposes, one really fun movie to watch. Is it for everyone? Of course not. But most would say it is.
Video - 5.0
- Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
- Video resolution: 1080p
- Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
- Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
The front and back of the slipcover and the back of the cover art says that this transfer was supervised by Quentin Tarantino himself and even has a copy of his signature on the slip, so what you see here was what the director intended. And I have to say, after 3 very poor video outings (VHS, a crappy DVD rip, and Netflix streaming), I have to say I've never seen the movie look this good (literally). The production budget was only $8 million, which by today's standards would still only be about $12 million. But wow, am I glad Tarantino used some quality film stock. First and foremost, I have to commend the black levels. All the tiny little details, linings, reflections, and textures look absolutely pristine on this presentation. Particularly, the wetness of Jules' Jheri curl, as laughable as the look is intended to be, adds a nice aesthetic sense of throwback to the Blaxploitation genre that Mr. Jackson's character is portraying. And then you have the hallmark scene where Vincent is taking Mia to Jack Rabbit Slim's, which is FULL of dark lighting, and yet still manages to display an amazing amount of detail around the restaurant itself, its patrons, on Thurman's hair, and in Travolta's suit in addition to the smoke he's blowing. Colors, while somewhat muted from an art direction standpoint, are surprisingly bold. The scene where Butch is taking money from Marsellus in the bar is full of red light, but in comparison to other brightly red-lit backdrops (which isn't many), I'm pleased at how a lot of the detail still remained intact. Then, of course, is the blood. Maybe it was more so the stuff they used to be the blood, but when it splatters, it looks great. Not real per se, but it's one of those artistic subtleties that Tarantino does well in his films. I am also happy to report that there is very little, if any, hints of dirt or artifacting. There's a fine layer of grain (and I mean very fine), but it doesn't seem like any DNR was added. Edge Enhancement? Not too sure, I'm typing this review with only 4 hours of sleep and might've seen a tiny little bit, but it's hard to say when I'm not all there. Regardless, though, I can tell you everything else looks superb, especially for its age.
Audio - 5.0
Languages
- English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Subtitles
- English, English SDH, Spanish
Another big part of Tarantino's films outside of its aesthetic and literary homages is the sound, particularly the music. As soon as Surf Rider starts playing it's easy to tell that this DTS-HD MA 5.1 track will do its job and do it well. LFEs are at their most prominent when any of this great soundtrack starts playing. Even as the radio switches to Jungle Boogie in the opening sequence, there's not a discrepancy to be heard. But how do the rest of the sound elements hold up on this seemingly quaint sound design? I mean, how can 230 pages of script possibly earn a 5 point rating? Oddly enough, this film's sound scape has a LOT of immersion. Shortly after the credits have done their thing we get a great audio treat in the first scene where Pumpkin and Honey Bunny are contemplating their change in venue for an upcoming robbery. I actually wouldn't even know this if I hadn't accessed all the extras, but the trivia track says that even in this very first scene, despite the achoronlogical plot structure, if you listen hard enough during Pumpkin and Honey Bunny's conversation you can distinctly hear Jules talking to Vincent in the background from a scene to be shown later on in the film. How cool is that? And while the weak point of the sound effects may be in the meager gunshots, the sheer sense of engulfment that every other crowded scene has to offer is sonic gold. Directionality and separation sound wonderful during these parts putting you right there in the thick of things. Meanwhile, high and low ends still manage to be very well-calibrated, specifically in the scene where Mia is getting her adrenaline shot between all the paper raffling around and the eventual thump on her chest. Oh yeah, and the dialogue couldn't be any clearer. From Jules' intimidating preacher vibrato to Fabienne's sweet and sexy accented-English, the movie has never looked OR sounded better. My favorite scenes to test the audio would be the aforementioned robbery attempt at the beginning of the film and the always-exalting trademark scene of Vincent and Mia going to Jack Rabbit Slim's (when they walk to their table and when they start dancing).
Extras - 5.0
Wow, I should really have taken a nap before work instead of trying to rush this review out for everyone to get a fresh take on the product, but I'm glad I at least got to learn a lot of things despite my soon-to-be headache at the crap hole at which I work. At any rate, this BD is loaded with extras. Most of them are DVD ports, but I'd never seen this on DVD anyway, and thus, am just seeing all of this for the very first time.
- Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat (HD; 43:01)
A new HD retrospective with most of the film's actors discussing how they were cast, how the shooting went, and all of the things that ensued after the film came out. There's a lot of information here about the movie itself, its writing, and how a lot of the actors felt working with Tarantino.
- Here are Some Facts on the Fiction (HD; 20:37)
Another newly-produced featurette that shows a roundtable discussion with critics and their thoughts on how Pulp Fiction has affected the industry, their favorite parts, and some of the things that make the movie so good.
- Pulp Fiction: The Facts - Documentary (SD; 30:31)
Is from the Special Edition DVD (as is everything else from here on out) and is something of a mishmash of the pre-production, filming, and reception of the movie up to 2001.
- Deleted Scenes (SD; 24:30)
Feature commentary for 4 out of the 5 scenes by Tarantino and are enjoyable, if you want to at least take a one-time look.
- Siskel & Ebert At the Movies: The Tarantino Generation (SD; 16:00)
Is a short look at the quick rise of Tarantino's status and whether or not they think he was legit at the time. It comes off rather pretentious, though, so I wouldn't recommend it.
- Charlie Rose Show (SD; 55:27)
Features a GREAT interview with Tarantino and discusses a lot of his film-making roots, his philosophy as a movie-lover, and what he believes makes a good film.
- Independent Spirit Awards (SD; 11:29)
- Cannes Film Festival - Palme D'Or Acceptance Speech (SD; 5:20)
- Marketing Gallery (SD; 16:13)
Lots and lots of trailers/teasers.
- Still Gallery
- Enhanced Trivia Track
A trivia track that pops up all sorts of tidbits of information in the subtitles telling you all the quirks about the film itself, if any of you like that sort of thing (and some of it being very funny).
Overall - 5.0
As fervid as my review sounds, I'm actually not that big a fan of Tarantino. Aside from seeing this and Inglorious Basterds more than two times each, I've only seen his other films once. I didn't really get into Reservoir Dogs and the Kill Bills were stylish enough, but keep in mind it's been nearly five years since I've seen those, and five years is a lot of time for my brain to better develop.
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