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zingy
College Boy Z
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:40 pm Posts: 36662
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Pulp Fiction
Pulp FictionQuote: Pulp Fiction (1994) is an American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who cowrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture; Tarantino and Avary won for Best Original Screenplay. It was also awarded the Palme d'Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. A major critical and commercial success, it revitalized the career of its leading man, John Travolta, who received an Academy Award nomination, as did costars Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman.
Directed in a highly stylized manner, Pulp Fiction joins the intersecting storylines of Los Angeles mobsters, fringe players, small-time criminals, and a mysterious briefcase. Considerable screen time is devoted to conversations and monologues that reveal the characters' senses of humor and perspectives on life. The film's title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue. Pulp Fiction is self-referential from its opening moments, beginning with a title card that gives two dictionary definitions of "pulp". The plot, in keeping with most of Tarantino's other works, is presented out of chronological sequence.
The picture's self-reflexivity, unconventional structure, and extensive use of homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a prime example of postmodern film. Considered by some critics a black comedy, the film is also frequently labeled a "neo-noir". Critic Geoffrey O'Brien argues otherwise: "The old-time noir passions, the brooding melancholy and operatic death scenes, would be altogether out of place in the crisp and brightly lit wonderland that Tarantino conjures up. [It is] neither neo-noir nor a parody of noir". Similarly, Nicholas Christopher calls it "more gangland camp than neo-noir", and Foster Hirsch suggests that its "trippy fantasy landscape" characterizes it more definitively than any genre label. Pulp Fiction is viewed as the inspiration for many later movies that adopted various elements of its style. The nature of its development, marketing, and distribution and its consequent profitability had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema. A cultural watershed, Pulp Fiction's influence has been felt in several other media.
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Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:18 am |
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torrino
College Boy T
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 7:52 pm Posts: 16020
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I'm just going to post what I wrote on BOM, good or not.
I watched this on Saturday, and it didn't take me a second viewing to realize what was groundbreaking about the film. I put it in expecting vulgar and violent scenes, and although they were there, I found much more. Tarantino's use of dialogue is amazing, and one of the reasons I didn't mind the constant profane language was simply because in most movies, scenes involving sex and violence do feature this language, and 90% of the scenes in Pulp Fiction feature sex, violence, or drug usage. Also, the characters Tarantino creates are by far some of the most memorable. Jules is known for reciting Ezekiel 25-17, while Vincent is memorable because unlike other crooks, he's too patient, and is somewhat inane and foolish. Jules is a typical role for Jackson, being he has a grand, old attitude. At first, you'd think he'd stand out between the duo, but really, Travolta does. Butch, on the other hand, is the typical tough, restless, and anxious character we've come to know through film and actual events. And you've gotta admit, the title works, because at the end, I wanted to organize the "pulp" and put the sequences in order.
A+, #16 on my all time list.
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Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:02 am |
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publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18890 Location: San Diego
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Pulp Fiction is probaly one of cinema's strongest highlights of the 90's, if not one of the best. The sequence of the film, the cast, the dialogue, the characters... all of it is great. Samuel L. Jackson (Who I thought did the best job of the cast) is fucking (Will I get banned for that? ) great, especially in the last stick up scene. Travolta, who got "resurrected" from this film, is very good as well, as are Thurman and Willis. Tarantino... while this isn't his best film IMO (I loved Kill Bill as a whole a little better, and Jackie Brown is up there with Pulp Fiction), you have to give him credit for creating a film so different from those released at the time.
- A
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Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:55 am |
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trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm Posts: 19697 Location: ville-marie
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Could be the most profane film ever made, but the swearing never feels forced or unnatural - it just fits the distinctive dialogue. The stories told are nothing special or unique in and of themselves, but it's how they're told that makes this film so groundbreaking. Not only the mesmerizing, magnetic and often hilarious monologues, but the random chronological order in which they are presented. Just trying to figure out the order that everything occurs in is half the fun. And, though the main character is killed off in the film, he still survives at the end - how many movies can say that? Travolta is great in his comeback role, but Sam Jackson owns this film. One of the greatest performances of the '90s. As good as Landau was in Ed Wood, Jackson was even better. Definitely one of the closest Oscar races - for me, anyway - in recent memory. All around, just a visionary and landmark film.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
Last edited by trixster on Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:10 pm |
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sako
Indiana Jones IV
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:07 pm Posts: 1684
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Never seen it but should.
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Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:20 pm |
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insomniacdude
I just lost the game
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:00 pm Posts: 5868
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I saw this late one night a few weeks ago. It was on IFC. I didn;t even know I had IFC until I accidently pressed the wrong button.
I saw it two times that night....the original, and the encore, and I'm still trying to make sense of it.
I THINK I give it an A+. But this is one of those movies you have to see like 20 times before you realize how you liked it.
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Sun Oct 24, 2004 2:32 pm |
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BigMoviePimp
Speed Racer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 3:54 pm Posts: 198 Location: The Real World
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A
Truly amazing. Not one of my all time faves, but still great! Amazing cast and great direction. Way to go, Tarantino!
_________________ How did you find me?
I'm the man.
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Fri Oct 29, 2004 7:08 pm |
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Optimus_Prime
Okay, I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 7:34 pm Posts: 816
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One of the greatest films of all time. I am not going to repeat the glowing reviews that has already been said about the acting, direction and writing, above me. I will just simply say, has a spot in my top 5 ,and will most likely be there forever.
_________________ "Do we look like the type of store that sells "I Just Called To Say I Loved You," go to the mall."
I HATE MICHAEL BAY
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Mon Nov 01, 2004 9:55 am |
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xiayun
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 3:41 pm Posts: 25109 Location: San Mateo, CA
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A+. Not much to add. I have never seen a film quite like it, not before or after. The dialog just blew me away. My No. 1 film of the 90's and one of my all-time favorites as well.
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Mon Nov 01, 2004 3:38 pm |
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Algren
now we know
Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 9:31 pm Posts: 67057
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Pulp Fiction - B+
Brill movie. Bruce, Ving, Uma, John, Samuel and Eric all in one movie? and directed by Tarantino? DAMN THATS BOUND TO BE A GOOD MOVIE!!!
_________________STOP UIGHUR GENOCIDE IN XINJIANG FIGHT FOR TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE FREE TIBET LIBERATE HONG KONG BOYCOTT MADE IN CHINA
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Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:09 am |
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Levy
Golfaholic
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:06 pm Posts: 16054
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Brilliant. All around well-acted and amazingly directed by Tarantino. I know it is much hipper to say that Reservoir Dogs or Kill Bill or whatever is your favorite Quentin, but I still stick with Pulp Fiction. (A)
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Sat Jan 22, 2005 5:48 am |
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Riggs
We had our time together
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:36 am Posts: 13270 Location: Vienna
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I love to see this every now and then but I feel it's a bit overrated. A-/B+
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Wed Feb 09, 2005 1:47 pm |
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Jeff
Christian's #1 Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:25 pm Posts: 28110 Location: Awaiting my fate
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Somewhat overrated, but still an excellent film. 7.6/10 (B+)
_________________ See above.
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Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:41 pm |
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Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
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B
I must be one of the very few not praising the heck out of this movie here. Frankly, I think it was overrated. Certainly its style was innovative and the dialogues were great, but I didn't find the characters to be all that interesting and the plot to be very involving. Tarantino is a good director, but he has done it better with Kill Bill and Jackie Brown, in my opinion.
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
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Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:20 pm |
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Chris
life begins now
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:09 pm Posts: 6480 Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Really, really good. I forget where it is in my top 100, but it's in there.
A/A-
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Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:26 pm |
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Maximus
Hot Fuss
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:46 am Posts: 8427 Location: floridaaa
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Definately a favorite.
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Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:28 pm |
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Plot
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:40 pm Posts: 2987 Location: Free Country, USA
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Everyone's already said what I was going to say. I'll just give it an A and get out of here.
_________________ "How you uh, how you comin' on that novel you're working on? Huh? Gotta a big, uh, big stack of papers there? Gotta, gotta nice litte story you're working on there? Your big novel you've been working on for 3 years? Got a, got a compelling protaganist? Yeah? Gotta obstacle for him to overcome? Working on, working on that for quite some time?"
Battle of the 2005 movies - Vote Now!
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Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:13 pm |
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BJ
Killing With Kindness
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:57 pm Posts: 25020 Location: Anchorage,Alaska
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BJs Grade:
A++[/color][color=red]
Im still in awe over this film :mirrorbow:
_________________The Force Awakens
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Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:12 pm |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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9/10 (A)
An excellent film.
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Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:03 pm |
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FILMO
The Original
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 10:19 am Posts: 9808 Location: Suisse
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7,5/10
Overrated in my opinion but very entertaining.
_________________Libs wrote: FILMO, I'd rather have you eat chocolate syrup off my naked body than be a moderator here.
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Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:09 pm |
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baumer72
Mod Team Leader
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:00 pm Posts: 7087 Location: Crystal Lake
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One of the all time greats. Definitely top 20 of all time.
Take 'im down to the kennel and sick the dogs on and we'll find out what he knows!, 15 November 1999
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Warning: does contain spoilers.
Before I go into how great this film is, I have to first tell you something that I know everyone thinks but so few have commented on, and that is the performance of Ving Rhames. For those of you that have seen this film, you all know what I am going to say is the gospel, for those of you that haven't, if you ever see a film for a singular performance, see two films. One is Tombstone because of Val Kilmer and the other is Pulp Fiction for Rhames. His portrayal of Marcellus Wallace is one of the greatest performances in the history of motion pictures. His mannerisms, his dialect, his virility, his coolness and his ruthlessness all should have given him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that year, even over Samuel Jackson. Just think back to some of this lines, some of his actions and some of his facial expressions. This is the epitome of greatness and if I could pick 5 performances in the history of film that are the embodiment of powerful interpretations and believability, this would easily be up there. Just look at the scene when Jules talks to him after the Marvin problem. Jules is freaking out and Wallace calmly responds " I'm on the m*****f***a, go back inside and chill them niggas out, I'm sending in tha Wolf. " As he delivers the line he is serenely sitting in his backyard with his cool shades covering his malicious eyes and he is wiping his mouth with an expensive hanky. His delivery is perfect and when you listen to him you don't think this is a ruthless killer, he is just a guy next door with a very nice house. And what makes it even better is that they are two gangsters talking about alleviating the Bonnie situation before she gets home. These are two bad ass criminals that are in the business of killing people and they are attempting to save a man's marriage by removing a dead body from the garage. That is just dripping with contradictions, but it works because of the writing and because of the delivery, mostly by Rhames. Another scene that demonstrates his grasp of his character is the rape scene. When he finally gets around to his comeuppance against " Billy Boy ", he spits out his dialogue with such venom that while you are cheering his triumph, you are actually worried for Zed and his soon-to-be-living-his-shortass-life-in-agonizing-pain-rapist situation. And then when he talks to Butch, he is fair and thankful for Butch's assistance but cannot forget how Butch betrayed him. " Oh that what now. I'll tell you what now. There is no me and you. You leave town tonight and when you be gone you stay gone. You lost all your L.A. privledges. " Ving Rhames is my favourite part of the film ( besides the ridiculously intelligent and original script ) and quoting him is now a daily regimen at work with my other friends that like the film. I think Tarantino is so smart for casting Rhames in this role and what it makes it that much better is knowing that Rhames is one of the most humble men in Hollywood, remember when he gave back his Emmy to Jack Lemmon as he tearfully said that he hadn't paid enough dues yet and Lemmon was one of his idols? The man can do no wrong in my eyes. He is one of a kind.
As for the rest of Pulp Fiction, this is a film that will often be imitated but never duplicated. That is an old cliche but it is so true in this case. It is completely original and without a doubt, what makes it so original and so great is simply the writing. What other film can have gangsters talking about foot massages and the importance of them just before they are about to perform a hit. What other film can describe in great detail what a pilot for a film is and then talk about a man that fell through a four story window and develop a speech impediment, all before entering into a room to ramble on about the Bible and how tasty the burgers are before executing them with extreme prejudice. There is a simple and definitive answer to that question, no film. Pulp fiction takes violence and surrounds it with every day conversations with people that seem to be in a different world yet they jump through some strange porthole and into ours by discussing things like blueberry muffins, how good coffee is, cleaning a blood smeared car with domesticated products that are located under Jimmy's sink, oral pleasure, speaking Bora Bora, getting day jobs as opposed to robbing banks, being cool like Fonzie and five dollar milkshakes. How and where Tarantino thought of this script is beyond me, all I know is that my film life and even my life is richer now that I have seen Pulp Fiction. I can understand why this film was passed over at the Oscars for Forrest Gump, but in most people's opinion this was the best film of 1994. I loved Gump and Shawshank Redemption but I also loved Pulp Fiction and if it would have won Best Picture that year I would have been just as happy. Pulp Fiction is one of the best films ever made and it will be remembered into the new millennium and my bet is that when film people are talking about the best films of the last 200 years ( when it is about to turn 2100 ) Pulp Fiction is going to be one of them mentioned. When you can have Christopher Walken talk with a straight face about hiding a watch in a place that was not meant to store medal, have Amanda Plummer and Tim Roth talk seriously about robbing a restaurant, have Travolta and Jackson talk about walking the Earth like Kane in Kung Fu, have Eric Stoltz shout at his wife to find his little black medical book before he gives a shot to an O.D-ing Uma Thurman, have Harvey Keitel appear in a full tuxedo at 8:00 AM and then appear on the scene to "solve problems" have Tarantino appear himself as a guy that knows the difference between gourmet coffee and the crappy stuff his wife buys, have Bruce Willis decide what weapon he is going to use to stop the bad guys, have Ving Rhames talk about having a guy pop out of a bowl of rice and "pop a cap" in someone's ass if he shows up in Indo-China and have it all make sense, well you have something special. Pulp Fiction isn't a movie, it is an experience, it is a gift to true film fans. This may not be for everyone as some people forget this is a film and they think it is a documentary on life and they get offended because it is not about love and honesty and morals and all that other crap that exists in some Hollywood films. This is a film that takes all that you have ever known about film and bludgeons it to death with a pen and paper. It redefines what is acceptable and what is off beat and all it asks you to do is enjoy this film for 2 and a half hours. I did, immensely, and I think most people will, and have. If you really have not seen this, then you are robbing yourself of one of the best cinematic experiences in the history of film. This is easily one of the best films ever made. How anyone can disagree is beyond my understanding and I can't see how you can truly call yourself a film fan if you can't see the brilliance of this film.
_________________ Brick Tamland: Yeah, there were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a trident.
Ron Burgundy: Brick, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. You should find yourself a safehouse or a relative close by. Lay low for a while, because you're probably wanted for murder.
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Tue Mar 22, 2005 8:10 pm |
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misutaa
je vois l'avenir
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:33 pm Posts: 3841 Location: Hollywood/Berkeley, CA
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This is a fun film, I loved it, Kill Bill is just as good. Jackson rules.
A
_________________ "Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."
----Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Le Petit Prince)
A Lonely Person is at Home Everywhere.
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Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:48 pm |
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are-why-a-en
MISSING IN ACTION
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 7:42 pm Posts: 4292 Location: The Beautiful Islands of San Diego
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Misutaa Supaakoru wrote: This is a fun film, I loved it, Kill Bill is just as good. Jackson rules.
A
It took me a while to process through my mind that you were talking about Samuel Jackson.
I was about to tear you apart, I thought you thought Peter Jackson directed the movie. :-$
_________________ We know you have a choice in travel and we thank you for choosing our airlines...
...burn, die, and go to hell bizznitch.
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Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:53 pm |
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Maverikk
Award Winning Bastard
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:03 am Posts: 15310 Location: Slumming at KJ
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This is a top 20 film for me, with perhaps the best dialogue ever put in a script. Samuel L. Jackson gave one of the best performances in the history of cinema, and didn't even get a nomination. (if my failing memory serves me right)
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Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:01 pm |
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misutaa
je vois l'avenir
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 3:33 pm Posts: 3841 Location: Hollywood/Berkeley, CA
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are-why-a-en wrote: Misutaa Supaakoru wrote: This is a fun film, I loved it, Kill Bill is just as good. Jackson rules.
A It took me a while to process through my mind that you were talking about Samuel Jackson. I was about to tear you apart, I thought you thought Peter Jackson directed the movie. :-$
Wait... Peter Jackson didn't direct it. :wink:
_________________ "Voici mon secret. Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."
----Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (Le Petit Prince)
A Lonely Person is at Home Everywhere.
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Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:03 pm |
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