Original Episode: #11 Pulp Fiction (1994) ft. Phillip Martinez (released May 4th, 2020)
New Episode: #227 Pulp Fiction (1994) Revisit ft. Adam Freed (released September 11th, 2024)
Guest:
Adam Freed
Managing Editor and Senior Film Critic at (MovieArcher.com)
Previously on Batman (1989)
Cast:
Quentin Tarantino, Writer/Director
John Travolta as Vincent Vega
Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield
Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace
Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe
Tim Roth as Ringo/"Pumpkin"
Amanda Plummer as Yolanda/"Honey Bunny"
Maria de Medeiros as Fabienne
Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace
Eric Stoltz as Lance
Rosanna Arquette as Jody
Christopher Walken as Captain Koons
Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge
Recognition:
Pulp Fiction was released on October 14, 1994.
After receiving the Palme D'Or at Cannes earlier that year, buzz built for the film critically until its full release. It would go on to win the box office in its opening week, and, on a budget of $8.5 million, gross $213.9 million worldwide in 1994 finishing as the 10th highest grossing of the year and Miramax's biggest film to date.
The film would make a household name out of Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson and reinvigorated the career of John Travolta.
Pulp Fiction would receive a 7 Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director (Tarantino), Actor (Travolta), Supporting Actor (Jackson), Supporting Actress (Thurman), and Film Editing, winning for Original Screenplay.
Pulp Fiction soon became a watershed moment for not only the industry but also the culture at large.
The film has been celebrated since its original release by fans and critics alike with many of them naming it among the greatest films of all-time.
The AFI has recognized Pulp Fiction on the following lists:
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies – No. 95
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Laughs – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Thrills – No. 53
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains:
Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield – Nominated Villains
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movie Quotes:
"Bring out the Gimp" – Nominated Quote
"They call it a Royale with Cheese" – Nominated Quote
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – No. 94
AFI's 10 Top 10 – No. 7 gangster film
In 2013, Pulp Fiction was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Pulp Fiction would also be voted #129 on the Sight and Sound Greatest Movies of All-Time list in 2022.
Pulp Fiction currently holds a 92% among critics on RT, a 95 score on Metacritic, and a 4.3/5 on Letterboxd.
Plot Summary: Pulp Fiction unravels like a jigsaw puzzle soaked in bourbon and blood. It's a dark, gritty L.A., where bad men and worse women cross paths in a labyrinth of crime and fate.
Vincent Vega, a hitman with a penchant for dance floors and bad decisions, is partnered with the philosophical Jules Winnfield, who quotes the Bible before squeezing the trigger. Their boss, Marsellus Wallace, a kingpin with a soft spot for his wife, Mia, tasks Vincent with keeping her entertained; a simple job that spirals into a night of adrenaline-fueled chaos. Meanwhile, Butch Coolidge, a boxer past his prime, refuses to take a dive for Wallace igniting a deadly game of cat and mouse.
In a world where conversations drip with menace and every decision has a bullet attached, the characters' lives intersect with a bang. It's a world where the wrong move means a one-way ticket to the morgue, and redemption is as elusive as the briefcase everyone’s chasing.
Did You Know?: (as performed by Adam Freed)
Samuel L. Jackson was NOT the QT’s first choice to play Jules. He had his eyes on Lawrence Fishburn for the iconic role. Fishburn declined (after much consideration) because his representation felt it was time for him to be a leading man. And playing second fiddle (as they read the script) to John Travolta (who was ice cold) would be bad for him.
Vincent Vega was WRITTEN for Michael Madsen…which is why when Travolta was eventually cast the two characters (Mr. Blonde) from Reservoir Dogs and Vincent are brothers.
Samuel L. Jackson’s wig in the film was purchased by mistake. A production assistant was sent to a wig shop in LA that specializes in wigs for black folks. The script specifically asked for an afro wig, but the assistant returned with a jerry curl wig. QT and Sam Jackson actually loved the look and stuck with it.
Unlike most of the iconic auteur directors, Quentin Tarantino didn’t go to film school. Instead, his encyclopedic film knowledge and unique voice comes from his years of working in a Manhattan Beach video store called Video Archives.
Ask Dana Anything:
Adam Freed (Guest, Managing Editor at MovieArcher.com)
Did the right film win Best Picture for 1994?
The Stanley Rubric:
Original Legacy Score: 9.25
New Legacy Score: 10
Original Impact/Significance Score: 8.5
New Impact/Significance Score: 10
Original Novelty Score: 8
New Novelty Score: 9
Original Classicness Score: 9.25
New Classicness Score: 8.5
Original Rewatchability Score: 8.25
New Rewatchability Score: 7.83
Original Audience Score: 9.6 (96% RT)
New Audience Score: 9.4 (92% Google, 96% RT)
Original Total Score: 52.85 (was #15 on our Master List)
New Total Score: 54.73
In Memorium:
Betty Bridges, 83, American actress (Good Times, Ally McBeal, Different Strokes, E.R., Hill Street Blues) and acting coach
Obi Ndefo, 51, American actor (Dawson's Creek, Stargate SG-1)
Remaining Questions:
What's in the briefcase?
Why does Vincent not check the bathroom?
Were Mia and Vincent going to hook up?
Would you keep as your most prized possession something that had been up two other guys' asses for years?
Where did the gimp come from?
Which weapon would you have picked to save Marsellus?
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