Viewing Thread:
"What was all the fuss about Kill Bill for?"

Sure it was made by Tarantino, but isn't that like buying trainers because they're made by Nike? What I saw (and remember, kids, this is my opinion, so you don't have to froth over your keyboard) was a bog-standard revenge plot, from an A-list Hollywood director, shot as a B-movie. How can it ever be a B-movie if he's got the backing and funding of everyone in "the industry"? And for that reason, it was also never going to be a bad movie. Tarantino can afford the crew, equipment, locations, sets, and actors to rip-off...sorry, "pay homage"...to all the Kung Fu films he watched as a kid. And how come when Tim Burton "pays homage" to Planet of the Apes he gets villanised? Sure it was a God-awful dogshit of a movie, but still...

My main gripe with the film was the protraction of every movement the characters made. No wonder they had to split the film into two parts - he hung on every shot, as if it would make the scene look more arty. He was wrong, it didn't. The use of nearly every already-over-used camera gimmick in the book didn't help either. I'm no film-making expert, but if you gave me a camera, I'd be able to come up with more or less the same results, on a smaller scale, but I wouldn't have the TarantinoTM tag to promote it. I mean, we're talking tricks and techniques they use on Hercules every week - no flair or inventiveness.

The whole concept of releasing the film in two parts stank of a marketing man's wet dream. Imagine the new TarantinoTM film, complete with the ability to double your cinema and DVD receipts. What a fantastic idea. There's no reason it couldn't have been released as one 3-4 hour film, except that he saw how well the Matrix and LOTR trilogies did, and wanted a piece of the multiple-release pie. I don't think it was a creative decision at all.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the film. Like I said, he can't make a bad film, but this one seemed to lack the replay value of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. They are true classics, creating unique and memorable scenes, not just in Western cinema, but the World over. The fact that he did lift so many scenes from martial arts films is both good and bad. If you haven't seen many Kung Fu films, then you're in for a visual treat of blood and colour. But if you have seen a fair few, then you know how unoriginal it was. Tarantino just claimed he was "paying his respects", or some other nonsense quote that gives him right to claim to be a master of the genre, and take what he wants.

But it was watchable. I, like so many other people, will be seeing the sequel - even though I have no pulsating urge to do so. I'll be seeing it for the same reason I buy a new pair of Adidas Campus every year: it's a comfy ride. A compentent film maker with an endless bucket of money, making films of people chopping each other up with swords. It has a certain entertainment value, but it is limited. Like the recent Dawn of the Dead film. It couldn't really be faulted, but it didn't really hold much presence outside the hour and a half you spend watching it. But if you argue that that is what the films are intended to do, then why can't Tarantino take his head out of his own chuff-tunnel and see that too?

Monkey_man's verdict: Good, but flawed.

gunman wrote:
> I`ve just got Kill Bill through the post from SR and I`ve already
> watched it twice once after the other.
> I think it`s an excellent film,I can`t wait till volume 2 comes out
> on dvd.
> Most of the music was good but the music by the 5,6,7,8`s was pretty
> crappy.
> The scene with sword being handed to the bride really boring nothing
> much happened there.
> One of my favourite parts was when the bride was fighting with all of
> O-ren`s fighters and when you got to see her brain.
> What annoyed me was that you never got to see Bill just hear his
> voice. :(

First point - Why wait until the DVD, go to the cinema. Films like these are much better at the cinemas.

Second Point - The handing over of the sword was to show the importance of the weapon and I didn't find it dull at all. Especially as it has that fantastic piece of music playing over it.

Your Honour wrote:
> I really liked the first one, and am seeing the second at 6.30
> tonight.
>
> I heard on the radio this morning he has cut together one film, from
> parts 1 and too (obviously), which will be on display at the Cannes
> film festival.
>
> Make of that what you will...

Indeed, and aparantly it will have the full colour version of the House of Blue Leaves fight rather than the black and white version used to get passed the american censors...

$nickelback$ wrote:
> WWW.FREEWEBS.COM/NICKELBACK$

go away

not as good as resevior dogs or pulp fiction, but still a brilliant film. best bit about vol 2 was the buried alive scene

I saw this today and found it very disappointing.

There's absolutely no suspense whatsoever, and the Crazy 88 fight scene was a massive let-down. Why put it in black and white? It was as though Tarantino was trying to be original for the sake of it. Many compared it the the hundred-Smith fight in Reloaded but personally, I wouldn't say it came close.

Oh, and what was with the fountains of red blood? Ridiculous. As someone has already pointed out - if this was anyone other than Tarantino, it wouldn't have gotten half its praise. I hope that Volume 2 will be better.

If you read some of the replies, you'll see an explanation for why some of the film was in black and white...

To get past the censors, eh?

He could have got past them by not squirting gallons of blood all over the place when somebody got cut.

Just watched it for a second time this week (purely because I'm seeing it early tomorrow morning) although I skiped the Hattori Hanzo chapter *yawns*

Still enjoyed the film muchly though even though it was my 4th time of seeing it...I'm thinking this might just edge it's way onto my top ten favourite films

I liked it.

So screw you and your opinions.

Auf deutsch wrote:
> Still enjoyed the film muchly though even though it was my 4th time
> of seeing it...I'm thinking this might just edge it's way onto my top
> ten favourite films

Mine too.
It's like a should I or shouldn't I watch it... Watch it. Want more.