Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Finally!

Finally! a movie that doesn't involve superheroes or CGI! We interrupt our Animé frenzy to review the ninth film from Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (OUTH from here on). While it is true we didn't quite like his previous film, this new entry succeeds where the other failed: Delivering interesting characters and a cohesive plot. If you've been  a reader of our reviews you know we gave up reviewing superhero films a long time ago because we felt they became derivative and sadly, swallowed all the good films that weren't about superdudes, pushing the industry into a linear cash grab that has audiences simply forgetting about what makes a film, a good film. 

However, OUTH will not be everyone's cup of tea because it simply isn't like all of Tarantino's previous films, and it's not like any modern film either. OUTH is a melancholy, slow burning, comedic love letter to an age of Hollywood that we find ourselves disconnect from nowadays. Moreover, most of the reviews from actual websites with actual experts tend to title their articles with the "a love letter to Hollywood" phrase which I think it's the most accurate way to illustrate the film in a few words.

Rick Dalton, the legend.

Cliff Booth, the stuntman.

The point of this movie isn't to be just like Pulp Fiction and tell stories that have no meaning. In fact, I would argue that Tarantino wants each and every story to have a meaning. Rick Dalton (masterfully played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is a faded action star struggling to hold onto his career and fame. Every scene he was in was enjoyable, as he internally argues with himself to be better than he is. He can't find work except for as a typecast villain, and turns down an offer to go overseas initially because he thinks it's too far a step down from his past career. Dalton's story was not as fun to me as his stunt double, Cliff Booth's (Brad Pitt in his best role to date), but I will get to that in a minute. Dalton's story, some will say, was boring, overdrawn, and pointless. I say it was the most important and interesting storyline in the movie. Rick is an alcoholic, and deals with a lot of anger towards himself, particularly in his trailer (you'll see what I mean), and the long scenes showing him act out his part as the villain in the western are extremely entertaining as DiCaprio does some brilliant work letting us see Dalton as an actor without losing touch with him by slipping into acting of his own. He finally decides to go overseas, but most of that time is spent in a montage. When he returns, he dons a new Italian wife and an entirely new fashion straight from Europe. He doesn't do much towards the end, except for burn a Manson follower alive in his pool, and then he finally becomes friends with his neighbors. I'll also get to that when I talk about Sharon Tate. Rick is representative of Hollywood at the time of 1969, and unless you are familiar with film history, that will be lost on you. In 1969 movies like Easy Rider, Bonnie and Clyde, and The Graduate were changing the face of Cinema by eroding censorship codes and finally getting the studios to hand the reigns to directors, thus entering the age of auterism. Actors like Rick were becoming obsolete in film for a number of reasons, but mainly that they hadn't had to search for work whilst under the studio system, they just signed a contract and found work immediately. Roman Polanski, his neighbor, was one of the directors that was now given a lot of free reign in this age, . Dalton's character expressed the frustration many probably felt at the time, and Tarantino built a character that was beautifully acted by DiCaprio.

Sharon Tate.

Bruce Lee.

Cliff Booth on the other hand, was the most Tarantino character in the movie. I think he'll be the fan favorite, because he requires no historical context or empathy to understand. He's a stunt double who lives much worse than his star, Dalton, and is a no-no sense badass with a muddled past. His scenes were incredibly fun, as Pitt brought a certain energy to each scene that glued you to the screen waiting for his next move. Particularly at the end, when Tex had him at gunpoint and he was tripping on acid. Obviously he had the situation under control, but we as the audience have no idea until he sicks the dog on them. Booth was a character you expect to see in a Tarantino movie. None of his storyline was used for what people will say is "pointless", mainly because he is the most involved with the Manson clan.

Interestingly, the Manson clan is hardly shown in the movie. Charles himself only shows up twice, and only says a few words. I actually like this choice, because it left a lingering thought that perhaps Manson was a danger at all times, and didn't play to the audience the way we thought it would. It wasn't a story about the Manson murders. Manson just happened to be going on at the time Dalton and Booth were having their struggles, and it intersected.

The Manson girls.

Charles Manson.

Which brings me to my last point, and that is of Sharon Tate (gorgeous bombshell Margot Robbie). Her role, while a tad less utilized than I expected, was Central because the real life Tate was murdered by the Manson clan. If you go in as an audience member with that knowledge, you go the whole movie waiting for something to happen to her, and it never does. Tate herself was a happy, blooming actress who spent time with friends and danced (a lot). This carefree manner was underlying a want to be famous, as she tells people who she is and is clearly disappointed when they don't recognize her. Tate plays a role in this story of showing the era of actors now replacing Rick Dalton, and also showing special to Hollywood, the silver screen's allure. As this is essentially a long love letter to Hollywood, Tarantino pens what drew him to the screen through Tate.

With all of its references, obscure or in your face, there is a delicious amount to absorb, especially for connoisseurs. Tarantino has the viewer to sit back, eat up the screen, and imagine we are right there with the characters in a wonderfully painted portrait of a Hollywood long gone. This movie will be misunderstood because of the expectations for the Manson murders, and because audiences nowadays expect action on every corner, which Tarantino's name can be attached to in some capacity. Without any crazy special effects to speak, simply a fantastic script and acting, I think this film will be enjoyed thoroughly by educated audiences, and what I mean by educated is that the more you know about the history of Hollywood & American television, the more fun you will have. Especially, if the late 50's & 60's have room in your heart. I'm a 37 year old loser who loves old movies and old TV shows as much as I like listening to vinyl records on a daily basis. However, some of you may have a connection to this long gone Hollywood through your parents or other family members. In my case, my dad is a huge fan of Westerns, he practically owns every DVD set of every cowboy TV show and has seen, and still does, hundreds of films from those decades and is a big lover of Spaghetti westerns, so thanks to him I felt home when enjoying this film in the theater. No wonder, why many retired people were there too. There's nothing more beautiful than transcending generations through the things you liked and cherished in the good old days.

The original Spider-Man baby!

Shit's about to get real.

Now, a great movie deserves  its trivia section, and we deserve to die (ring any bell?) So here's my list I probably googled before you did it yourself:

Actual Jewelry.

 

Margot Robbie, who portrays Sharon Tate, wears some of Sharon Tate's real jewelry. Sharon Tate's sister, Debra, gave Robbie the jewelry to wear. 

  

Farewell Luke.

 

This is Luke Perry's last film. Perry suffered a massive stroke in late February 2019, and died March 4th. Scott Lancer is a homage to Wayne Maunder and his role in Lancer (1968). Maunder died on November 11, 2018, ten days after filming wrapped on this movie.  

 

Party for real.

 

The party sequence at the Playboy Mansion was actually filmed there, Tarantino having been a guest of Hugh Hefner on a number of occasions. 

 

Improvise!

 

Very rare for a Quentin Tarantino film, some scenes contained improvisation, particularly when Rick Dalton forgets his lines in "Lancer" and rants to himself privately in his trailer afterwards. Leonardo DiCaprio had a very difficult time playing Dalton's roles as Dalton would, rather than how he himself would, especially since Dalton is supposed to be an actor of hidden range, so he suggested Dalton forgetting his lines mid-scene to ironically help him stay in character as Dalton. The following scene in the trailer was also unscripted. 

 
The real deal.

 

When Sharon goes to a showing of her movie The Wrecking Crew (1968) the filmmakers chose to use the actual film, rather than recreating the scenes with Robbie. The real Sharon Tate briefly appears onscreen.  

 

From TV hero to zero?

a very expensive Hollywood handshake.

 

Dynamic duo.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio & Brad Pitt got along so well during the production that they confirmed at the film's Cannes premiere that they would love to team up again on another film. 

 
Don't spoil it asshole!

 

Before the film's world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Quentin Tarantino begged of Cannes crowds to avoid spoilers for later audiences in a statement made on social media; "I love cinema, You love cinema. It's the journey of discovering a story for the first time. I'm thrilled to be here in Cannes to share 'Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood' with the festival audience. The cast and crew have worked so hard to create something original, and I only ask that everyone avoids revealing anything that would prevent later audiences from experiencing the film in the same way. Thank you."  

 

Good ol' TV.

 
On Sunday night, Rick and Cliff sit down to watch "Rick's episode" of The F.B.I. (1965). The audience is later told that the episode is The F.B.I.: All the Streets Are Silent (1965). That is a real episode of the television show, and the ensuing clip is the actual opening to that episode, with one important difference - Rick Dalton has been edited into the place of the guest star villain, "Michael Murtaugh." In reality, the role of Murtaugh in the episode was played by Burt Reynolds (likely explaining why Rick and Cliff refer to the gum chewing as "strong"). Knowing Quentin Tarantino's penchant for making obscure references, it may not have been coincidence that Burt Reynolds was actually set to play the part of George Spahn in the movie, but he unfortunately died before he could take the part, which was then given to Bruce Dern. 

 

What's not to love about her!

♥♥♥.

This is a tribute.

 

The title is an homage to Sergio Leone, who directed both Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and Once Upon a Time in America (1984). Quentin Tarantino has cited Leone as one of his favorite filmmakers and an influence throughout his career.  

 
Masterpiece.

 

According to Quentin Tarantino, whenever he referred to the project of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, he referred to it as his "Magnum Opus". 

Stuntman & Stuntwoman.

 

The casting of Kurt Russell and Zoe Bell as the man and wife stunt coordinators on The Green Hornet is a double inside joke to Tarantino's films. Russell previously played "Stuntman Mike" in Death Proof, in which Bell, a real-life stunt performer, also appeared playing herself. Zoe Bell served as Uma Thurman's stunt double in the Kill Bill series. 

 

Michael's ride.

 

The Cadillac in this movie belongs to Michael Madsen. It also appeared in Reservoir Dogs written by Quentin Tarantino and driven by Madsen.  

Quentin's multiverse.

One of the Italian films that Rick stars in is directed by Antonio Margheriti; in Inglourious Basterds (2009), "Antonio Margheriti" is the alias used by Donny Donowitz to sneak into the premiere of "Nation's Pride".

 

Everyone's new favorite character.

Everyone's new favorite heroine.

 
Your friendly neighbor. 

 

Actor Nicholas Hammond, who plays Rick's director Sam Wanamaker on his episode of Lancer, played Spider-Man/Peter Parker on the The Amazing Spider-Man television series (1977-1979). 

Italy's tough guy.

 

When Sharon goes to the Bruin theatre to see the film she is in, a poster of "The Mercenary" can be seen. "The Mercenary" starred Franco Nero who sat alongside Jamie Foxx at the bartop in Django Unchained. Franco Nero was the original Django.  

  

Like mother, like daughter.

 

Maya Hawke's mother, Uma Thurman, has starred in three movies directed by Quentin Tarantino: Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004). 

 

Surrender the city to Tarantino.

 

In an unprecedented film production move, a section of L.A.'s Hollywood Freeway (US-101) was completely shut down from 12pm to 2pm for a sequence populated with period cars. No VFX were used to create this sequence.  

The bandit.

Burt Reynolds was originally cast as George Spahn, the ranch owner, but he died before he was scheduled to shoot his scenes. Bruce Dern replaced him in the role.

The teaser.

The heroine.

Before we close our review with the usual video section, let me go back to what I said in the first paragraph. OUTH comes with a variety of characters that are both equally interesting and connected to the main plot. While The Hateful Eight (2015) took 168 minutes to state its point, it failed to offer a connection between the viewer and the 10 or 12 characters that movie had. Sure, there were plenty of quality dialogs and the usual graphic violence at the very end but, did we care about the plot?, the bounty hunter? his prey? or any of the remaining characters? No, we didn't, and I'm sure Tarantino learned the lesson and went for a more less is more approach that works wonders this time.

Music wise, and curated by Tarantino himself, the soundtrack’s a love letter to the music of 1960s-era Hollywood, and features everyone from Paul Revere & The Raiders, to Deep Purple, to Simon and Garfunkel, to Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. It’s a wild ride, alright. Also included are a number of jingles that should send you straight back into the picture. By the way, the album was released today in digital & CD. The vinyl is coming later this fall. However, some very limited edition vinyl will be on sale at Amoeba Records & Tarantino's New Beverly Cinema along with several indie vinyl stores.

Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Tracklist:
01. Roy Head & The Traits – “Treat Her Right”
02. The Bob Seger System – “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”
Boss Radio feat. Humble Harve:
03. Deep Purple – “Hush”
04. Mug Root Beer Advertisement
05. The Village Callers – “Hector”
06. Buchanan Brothers – “Son of a Lovin’ Man”
07. Chad & Jeremy – “Paxton Quigley’s Had the Course” (from the MGM film Three in the Attic)
08. Tanya Tanning Butter Advertisement
09. Paul Revere & The Raiders – “Good Thing”
10. Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Hungry”
11. The Box Tops – “Choo Choo Train”
12. Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels – “Jenny Take a Ride”
13. Deep Purple – “Kentucky Woman”
14. Buffy Sainte-Marie – “The Circle Game”
Boss Radio feat. The Real Don Steele:
15. Simon & Garfunkel – “Mrs. Robinson”
16. Numero Uno Advertisement
17. Los Bravos – “Bring a Little Lovin’”
18. Suddenly / Heaven Sent Advertisement
19. Vagabond High School Reunion
20. KHJ Los Angeles Weather Report
21. The Illustrated Man Advertisement / Ready For Action
22. Dee Clark – “Hey Little Girl”
23. Summer Blonde Advertisement
24. Neil Diamond – “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show”
25. Robert Corff – “Don’t Chase Me Around” (from the MGM film GAS-S-S-S)
26. Paul Revere & the Raiders (feat. Mark Lindsay) – “Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon”
27. Jose Feliciano – “California Dreamin’”
28. I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni – “Dinamite Jim (English Version)”
29. Vanilla Fudge – “You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Quentin Tarantino Edit)”
30. Maurice Jarre – “Miss Lily Langtry (cue from The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean)”
31. KHJ Batman Promotion.

  

The soundtrack album cover art.

"I'm not falling for that shit kiddo".

One more thing before I go, there has also been some criticism towards the depiction of Bruce Lee in this film. The thing is, with every Tarantino movie, you need to look under water before saying he made a mistake. While I won't spoil what happens specifically, When Cliff Booth meets Bruce Lee, he refers to Lee as a dancer. This is probably a reference to the fact that in addition to his martial arts prowess, Bruce Lee was an accomplished dancer, and was the Cha Cha champion of Hong Kong in 1958. So, once again the internet has got it wrong by thinking "Tarantino mocked the martial arts legend". The internet can do a lot of good, just make sure you use it before giving your misinformed opinion.Nevertheless, Shannon Lee, daughter of legend Bruce Lee, was most disappointed with the way her father was portrayed by actor Mike Moh under Quentin Tarantino's direction. She felt he was sorely misrepresented as an arrogant blowhard who was full of hot air. To each his own.

Overall, a unique film in times where disposable is the new trend.

Here's the teaser trailer:

Here's the first trailer:

Here's the second trailer:

Here's the international trailer:

a full interview with the cast & director:

 Quentin Tarantino on "mocking" Bruce Lee:

 

The Hateful Eight

The Boring Eight.

Quentin Tarantino stated a few days ago that he's planning to make 10 movies and then retire. I guess his decision is boldly based upon the difficulty he's having when releasing new movies. Such difficulty is no other than producing extremely long films that are not entertaining from start to finish. You can't make a 3 hour film just to entertain your viewers in the last 30 minutes. Also, you can't exploit uninteresting dialogs uttered by uninteresting characters. Everyone knows Tarantino's talent for creating interesting characters with even more interesting dialogs. The Hateful 8 just proves he's lost it forever. If Django Unchained already had a few filler moments, this new western is 100% filler moments. If you were hoping for a film about eight notorious killers holed-up in a cabin where the intensity is slowly ratcheted up until everything comes to a head and inevitably explodes into a gunfight of epic proportions and consequences...this isn't that movie.

First, let's be positive and focus on what this rare non action western gets right:

The cinematography at the beginning of the film was beautiful. The panoramic landscapes were stunning as was a slow motion close up of two horses in full gallop, especially with the Ennio Morricone score playing in the background. It seemed like this film was well on it's way to being a western of epic proportions.

Jennifer Jason Leigh can do no wrong. For most of the film she just reacts to the other characters and the situations, and does it brilliantly. Her sly winks, her laugh, her voice and anything she does makes her character truly memorable. Towards the end of the film her character Daisy Domergue finally opens up and Leigh is very good. It's too bad her character wasn't given a back story, because Leigh could have easily won a trophy or two this awards season if Daisy was a more fleshed- out character.

The boring as fuck team.

The most talkative Western cowboys in the whole world.

Tim Roth is good for what little he is also given. He can take a throwaway line, (which there are plenty of in the film), and deliver it in a funny, memorable way. It's too bad his character doesn't do much other than fill up a space so the title can have the number eight in it.

Kurt Russell did 'good'. Now I put that in quotes because he's done better, and in some scenes his lines fall flat and almost seem forced, but being a Russell fan myself, I think he did pretty good for the most part. It's too bad he's not acting as much as he should be.

Now let's go for the bitter taste this flick delivers by dozens

CHAPTER 1 ... Chapters in these films are no longer needed. Normally, I kind of look forward to these because we usually find out something new or shocking, either way you know something is about to happen. In this movie, however, they actually distract from the story.

Narration by some unknown person is also no longer needed in his films. The narrations seem like an after-thought that were added in during the editing process.

The out-of-sequence chapter is pretty standard fare when it comes to Tarantino's films. In this film, the sequence just makes you say. 'Oh. Okay.' and doesn't work at all.

Not even my music can save this film.

I'm the only character worth watching.

Michael Madsen is 100% a throwaway character. He's given no good lines and could have been left out of the film entirely.

Channing Tatum is a another wasted character and was basically used for a laugh, (depending on your sense of humor).

No other actor's talents were wasted more in The Hateful Eight than Bruce Dern's. Dern is given nothing to work with and I feel bad for him and disappointed in Tarantino for not giving him a more deserving part.

Walton Goggins WASN'T BAD. He is listed under the bad section because his character's motivations were all over the place. His cool confidence is what makes him an interesting actor and he wasn't given any of that here.

Samuel L. Jackson. Make no mistake - this was his movie. He is the main character. Forget the title. Out of the Hateful Eight, only four of them were actually given enough material for them to be fleshed-out characters. The rest of the characters are merely bit players to push the story forward.

Let's get inside so we can have a talk.

Even characters Yawn at this film!

There were a lot of throwaway scenes I don't even want to get into because it might spoil the story for anyone who hasn't seen the film yet.

People are comparing this movie to Reservoir Dogs, which is laughable. Reservoir Dogs did a lot more with a lot less. The Hateful Eight is bloated with a lot of unnecessary scenes and dialogue.

The violence is way over the top and unrealistic. Some of it can be seen as an attempt at dark humor. While some of it works, some does not and is needlessly gratuitous.

The Hateful Eight was unrealistic in general and most serious westerns try to play as true to historically correct as possible. 

Now I will say that Django Unchained was definitely an exception to the rule. You had to suspend disbelief because that was part of the fun of the film. The thought of Django actually being real and doing the things he did and said back in those times was really fun to watch. The hip hop music during the shoot out, for example, put a big smile on your face and had you cheering him on.

However, The Hateful Eight is a serious western with a small bit of comedy relief thrown in, and is pretty far from historically factual in terms of characters and their interactions. 

The movie is actually about me playing myself.

Great actor with a wasted character.

This brings me to the last part of my review...the ugly.

Tarantino has always been given a free pass when it comes to using the n-word, and boy he lets it fly here. Not a little bit, not a lot, not a bit much, but way too much. Subtle is not a word in Tarantino's vocabulary. Everything has to be loud and in your face. He's been known for being hip and cool, neither of these words describe this film.

Nobody in this film, aside from Minnie, Sweet Dave or even O.B., were likable at all. Every character was flawed and none of them seemed to live by any kind of code or morality or immorality for that matter.

At the end when you see who is left standing, you really don't care. That was the biggest disappointment for me. 

I'm going to be a Sheriff.

Overall, a sad experience for the viewer. I love spaghetti westerns, they're filled with action and just the right amount of plot to develop a minimum consistency for each character, but here there's not enough action. Almost two hours and a half go by when something western like actually happens. I also love Quentin Tarantino, I think he is my definite film maker. Nevertheless, I don't review films from a biased point of view. The Hateful Eight is clearly the worst film Tarantino has ever filmed. Let's hope his two remaining ones leave The Hateful Eight as a minor misstep on his already brilliant career.

PS: Bring some pills to keep you awake throughout the film, or maybe get high before hitting theaters.

Here's the movie trailer:

 

Kill Bill, Volume 2

Vengeance comes to its end.

Continuing with the great movie Kill Bill is,  it is time to close the curtain with part 2, AKA Kill Bil, Volume 2.  In the first volume, released only a few months before "Vol. 2" in the tail end of 2003, we met The Bride (probably Uma Thurman's greatest impersonation ever) one deadly woman trained in the arts of killing. "Vol. 1" is all about the killing the unnamed bride has to go through to meet her final worst enemy: Bill. Volume 1, had a lot of blood, violence, and wisecracks, and raged across the screen like a mad V8 engine.

However, Volume 2 (fortunately) doesn't repeat  what happened in Volume 1 giving fans more expectation instead of the "oh, yeah, she's gonna kill again" It makes sense it's a separate movie; the tone is such a departure from "Vol. 1" in two ways. One is style. Director Tarantino has fun stylistically quoting Sergio Leone (kill yourself now if you don't know who this man is) and chop-fu cheapos from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Cinematic sampling is something he's good at and enjoys, but in "Vol. 2" he doesn't go as overboard as he does in "Vol. 1." He pulls back and lets the plot breathe, rather than filling every spare second with a homage-cum-parody that maybe a dozen lucky fans will get. Maybe some here wish he'd pile it on a bit more, but they have to make do with the goofy Pei Mai sequence, which is a flashback and hence not jarring in its "Vol. 1"-style comic-book treatment. Throughout "Vol. 2" the emphasis is on storytelling and character-building, which is where it should be given we are now being asked to deepen our commitment of interest to these people. "Vol. 1" is okay for what it is, but its flash and action are no match for the depth and nuance of "Vol. 2."

In part II we learn how Pai Mei trained the bride.

Bud won't be so happy to see the bride again.

Elle Driver, a tribute to Thriller, a Cruel Picture.

This gets to the second different tonal difference between the films, which is emotional. It all comes back to the characters. They don't quite become real people here, but they get close enough to get under your skin. Admittedly, the opening part of "Vol. 2" tests the viewer's patience a bit, there's some long bits that show the director hasn't really mastered self-discipline, like with Thurman's graveyard struggle, but the meandering usually has a purpose. Tarantino is building toward something here that has its payoff when Thurman's character finally has her face-to-face showdown with Carradine's Bill.

From that moment forward to the end, this is the best Tarantino has ever been.

Carradine and Thurman dominate the proceedings with two of the finest performances I've seen, certainly the best Tarantino has directed, playing off the mythology we've been taught in "Vol. 1" and developing resonances with the viewer both together and apart which will surprise those expecting a casual butt-kicking affair. We finally find out what Carradine means in the first line of "Vol. 1" where he tells a whimpering victim he is being masochistic, not sadistic, and its a powerful revelation, that this sinister baddie may have a heart buried under that cold exterior. Carradine is perfect in his phrasing, his pauses, the tired glint in his eye, or the way he says "Kiddo." You can't ask for a better veteran performance. For her part, Thurman presents a brilliantly conflicted character who can not stop either hating or loving Bill, and brings us not into a world of cartoon anguish, but real human pain.

a Hattori hanzo katana.

Bill is the man.

Bill, your time has come.

"Kill Bill Vol. 2" is slow-moving, and needs "Vol. 1" in a way few sequels do, since it assumes you know nearly all the characters coming in. That's a weakness. So are some undeniably pointless bits, including the entire sequence with Bill's father figure, Esteban Vihaio, and some business at a bar involving Michael Madsen, who plays a former assassin now gone to seed.

Madsen's good, though, and so's Daryl Hannah as another rather mouthy assassin, Gordon Liu as Pei Mei, and especially Perla Haney-Jardine as a girl named B.B. The nice thing with Tarantino is for every scene that strikes a bum note, there's four or five that hit the right mark, and some manage to do much more. My favorite scene involves a Mexican standoff in an L.A. hotel room between Thurman's character and an anonymous hitwoman, at once grippingly suspenseful, hilarious, and life-affirming. Still, it's the final moments of this film that will stay with you, as Bill and his former pupil work out their "unfinished business" and we are left to ponder the results of their decisions and actions.

BB lives!!

The final battle.

"Kill Bill Vol. 2" should definitely be considered as a masterpiece, it deserves it.  Why these kind of films never enter the serious arena of master pieces is beyond me. Remember Kill Bill is just one movie, splitted for the convenience of the movie making industry, and be careful cause volume 3 will arrive sooner than later, as Tarantino has already stated.

Here's the movie trailer:

Kill Bill, Volume 1

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

I left Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction as the final Tarantino movies to review in purpose, cause I just love these films too much and I don't want to spoil the review in the sense of some "sucky dicky guy" praising these movies as the ultimate of the ultimate greatest of the greatest movies of all times. Kill Bill is my wife's favorite Tarantino film and I don't blame her, cause here women do get the place they deserve as strong heroic/evil characters. Now, do I think this movie is absolutely brilliant? Absolutely. Do I think this is the all time greatest movie ever made by Quentin Tarantino? maybe, just maybe. If you checked IMDB, cinema websites and awesome cult movies blogs (yeah such as my humble blog) you definitely found the neverending battle between people who either hate this movie or people that think it's the greatest film ever made. Even more interesting (or stupid if that's your point of view) is the apparently pointless battle between fans of Volumes 1 and 2. If I was asked I would say that discussion is as stupid as thinking you can make a war for the cause of peace. Why? because Kill Bill is just one movie! Quentin Tarantino always said it was one movie, and due to its running time it had to be splitted into two chapters, AKA volumes, you know no movie theaters in the world would have showcased almost four hours of a single movie, that's worth two tickets dudes!  So, the Volume 1 and Volume 2 is simply a matter of the industry of film making rather than an act of art.

If you were to find a tribute film, probably this one would be the number one tribute movie ever made. Quentin Tarantino pays homage to his favorite genres, movies, characters, music and almost to everything he considers worth spending time on. Some fans reacted to Kill Bill in a very bad mood, stating this movie is a rip off of many other obscure cult films and that it just doesn't deserve a single positive opinion. Not my opinion. To state someone is fraud cause he's paying homage to other films isn't fair. New culture is built around past culture, as well as cool music and great gadgets, so we do need to look at the past from time to time to build even greater cultural manifestations, so please don't be squared! think before you act.

I'm gonna cut you in two you piece of shit.

The deadly assasination viper squad.

Now, let's get down to business, Kill Bill involves a nameless woman (gorgeous Uma Thurman) who is slowing seeking revenge on her former hit squad the Viper Squad and her boss Bill (David Caradine, master of martial arts, living legend) Her former hit squad wronged her by gunning down her closest friends and family during her wedding and putting her into a coma while being pregnant. A few years later she awakens in a hospital, without her apparently unborn child, and tries to track down each member of the squad. As the story progresses (through this film and the sequel), you find out who she really, why Bill wanted her dead and the fate of her daughter.

The movie is really a combination of Tarantino's love for the 70's over-dramatized Kung-Fu movie era and story of revenge with rich dialog. Yes, this movie is violent, but in a cheesy way. This created some controversy and really had audiences stirred up, failing to realize it was supposed to be over the top without no sense of realism. Like I said, it was supposed to be a tribute more so than a gruesome action flick. With all cheesiness aside, I can understand how some people could feel a little woozy after seeing someone lose an arm and having 4 gallons of Kool-Aid red blood shoot out of the body like a whale's blow hole. What really makes this movie is Tarantino ability to make bad to mediocre actors seem like good ones, a smart and hilarious dialog and a good storyline. Of course, this is what he does in pretty much in all of his movies.

Japanese School Teen.

Yes, there is an anime portion in the movie.

O Ren Ishii.

There are various plot holes in the story, but we are really meant to ignore them unlike most movies. Just like the gory scenes, come to grips to the fact that the most of the implausibilities are there just to fill in the gaps of the movie. The movie also features a couple of classic Tarantino showdowns, including an unforgettable one with the Japanese infamous crime lord, O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Lui.) Once again, Tarantino puts his imagination at work again in his story telling by using some of his old techniques like jumping timelines and some new ones like adding Japanese animation for character backgrounds.

I wouldn't really recommend this film to someone who is really not from the Pulp Fiction era or a connoisseur of the world of the 70's exploitation films. This film is really just homage to flicks that frequently appear on Sunday Samurai Showcase, revenge and Tarantino's continuous fascination with Uma Thurman. This film contains extreme violence and sometimes strange dialog coupled with some pretty good acting and directing. If you're not a fan of Tarantino's films, you should pass on this one because it doesn't stray too far from his other stuff. If you like his other works, this is a must see due to its originality and quality. And, if you just don't like Tarantino himself, and find him annoying like everybody else, I don't blame you but, fuck you!

The Final Battle.

Bill, the mean guy.

Here's the movie trailer, and wait for the upcoming volume 2 review: