Quentin Tarantino’s bold and brilliant sophomore effort
Pulp Fiction needs no introduction. More than a film, its a landmark of cinema. It spawned a thousand imitators while also cementing the status of Quentin Tarantino as a standout writer and director. The film is both sprawling and intimate, achieved via interconnected stories unfolding in Los Angeles. A desperate pair robbing a diner, two hitmen and a job gone wrong, a local mob boss and his wife, and a local boxer looking to escape his past. Crime is the connective tissue but that does a disservice to the more nuanced relationships, entwinned histories, trauma, and redemptive arcs that link these tales and their characters.
Pulp Fiction has cemented both its cinematic and pop culture status with a wicked blend of pitch-black comedy, quotable dialogue, needle drops, and good old fashion pulpy genre filmmaking. It’s structure, non-linear in nature, only adds to the films hook, and adds an unpredictability as the various tales twist around each other. The look exudes cool, the tone is compellingly pulpish with a sharp (and often brutal) reality check at times. The film never lets up, even as the rip roaring sequences give way to quieter dialogue driven moments, outstanding performances from the likes of John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson, Bruce WIllis, and Uma Thurman hold the gaze just as easily. Even after 30 years, Pulp Fiction remains visceral and vital filmmaking. It’s a film that comes from a love of cinema, and in itself has kickstarted a love affair between the medium and a new generation of cinephiles.
The Package
As an owner of the earlier Blu-ray release of this film, this 4K is a marked step up. Far less mucky and saturated than the old format, the transfer is clean and revitalized. Blacks impress, colors are natural and strongly represented Image is free of crushing and any glitches, and the retention of a sheen of grain means the film retains much of its cinematic feel. Chatter online suggests this transfer is the same as the previous 2022 release. So if you want to upgrade, do it for the package, not the transfer alone.
The release celebrates the 30th anniversary with a few extra goodies snuck into the package, illustrated below. First, a hard card slipcover encases the movie, and a pop-up artwork card that showcases the Jack Rabbit Slim’s dance scene. Also inside are reproductions of the original lobby cards, contact sheets, and a sheet of stickers inspired by the film. A digital code for the film is also enclosed.
Extra features are hosted over the 4K and Blu-ray disc:
- Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat: A great doc, running nearly 45 minutes, that weaves together interviews with 6 key actors from the film, who delve into their thoughts on Tarantino, the script, experiences on set and in rehearsals, and speak to the films release and legacy
- Here are Some Facts on the Fiction: A 20 min roundtable featuring a selection of film critics who dig into the impact of the film. An interesting and ‘balanced’ addition
- Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary: Interviews with cast and crew that build into a rather promotional ‘making of’
- Deleted Scenes: Running around 25 minutes total, they’re well framed by an introduction from Tarantino
- Behind the Scenes Montages: Each splicing together footage around two of the key sequences in the film, “Jack Rabbit Slims” and “Butch/Marsellus”
- Production Design Featurette: Interview with production designer David Wasco and set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco about putting the films look together
- Siskel & Ebert “At the Movies”- The Tarantino Generation: A fun exchange about Tarantino’s breakout and his impact on cinema
- Independent Spirit Awards: Short interview with Tarantino
- Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech:
- Charlie Rose Show: Nearly an hour in length, it’s an entertaining interview with Tarantino, who opens up about a whole host of topics
- Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots, Pulp Fiction Posters, Academy Award Campaign and Trade Ads
- Soundtrack Chapters, Marketing Galley, and Still Galleries
- Enhanced Trivia track: An overlay feature that adds extra tidbits of info to the film while watching
The Bottom Line
Pulp Fiction was an instant pop culture hit, one that solidified Quentin Tarantino’s standing as a writer/director, and gave him license to build out his vision as a filmmaker with his renowned later works. Even today, the film has impact, captivating with it’s looks, sounds, and performances. This new anniversary set nicely celebrates it’s 30 years on our screens, and the 4K transfer goes down as the best way to revisit the film at home.
PULP FICTION 30th Anniversary Collector’s Edition is available now from Paramount Home Entertainment.
