Pulp Fiction (1994)
8.486 /10
29759 Reviews
Rate This Movie:
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Vincent Vega
... Jules Winnfield
... Mia Wallace
... Butch Coolidge
... Marsellus Wallace
User reviews
***The cream of the crop of quirky crime thrillers***
RELEASED IN 1994 and written & directed by Quentin Tarantino, "Pulp Fiction" is a drama/thriller/black comedy about two hit men in Los Angeles (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), their mob boss & his wife (Ving Rhames and Uma Thurman) and a champion boxer who incurs the wrath of the boss (Bruce Willis).
The lurid, droll tale is told in a non-linear fashion, but it's easy to follow and the final act ties everything up nicely. The dialogue's witty and the story maintains your attention, despite its 2 hour and 34 minutes runtime. The film's stylish and pulsates with energy and innovation; it understandably influenced many 90's films and beyond.
I put off seeing this iconic picture until almost twenty years after its release because the protagonists are all big city gangsters or somehow involved with 'em. These are lawless people who would kill a person without batting an eye. Their god is money or hedonism. Let ’em shoot each other to smithereens for all I care. But if you can look beyond this and the constant profanities, the film's worth your time. What redeems it for me, besides the all-around entertaining movie-making, is that it's a tale of redemption and the high price of stubborn folly: The wise person recognizes God’s grace and responds accordingly while the fool doesn’t and blithely goes on his (doomed) way. Once a person receives grace they naturally extend it to others. There are additional gems spiced throughout.
Both Travolta and Jackson shine here. There are several other celebrities on hand, like Harvey Keitel, with many in cameos, e.g. Christopher Walken; not to mention several formidable females, like curvy Julia Sweeney (Raquel), cutie Maria de Medeiros (Fabienne), Angela Jones (Esmarelda) and voluptuous Susan Griffiths (Marilyn Monroe).
BOTTOM LINE: If you're in the mood for a quirky crime drama/thriller you can't go wrong with "Pulp Fiction." It's top-of-the-line in every way, including the subtext.
THE FILM WAS SHOT in the Greater Los Angeles area. ADDITIONAL WRITER: Roger Avary.
GRADE: A
Director:
Release Date:
1994-09-10
Run Time:
154 min
MMPA Rating:
R
Reviews of
Pulp Fiction
***The cream of the crop of quirky crime thrillers***
RELEASED IN 1994 and written & directed by Quentin Tarantino, "Pulp Fiction" is a drama/thriller/black comedy about two hit men in Los Angeles (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), their mob boss & his wife (Ving Rhames and Uma Thurman) and a champion boxer who incurs the wrath of the boss (Bruce Willis).
The lurid, droll tale is told in a non-linear fashion, but it's easy to follow and the final act ties everything up nicely. The dialogue's witty and the story maintains your attention, despite its 2 hour and 34 minutes runtime. The film's stylish and pulsates with energy and innovation; it understandably influenced many 90's films and beyond.
I put off seeing this iconic picture until almost twenty years after its release because the protagonists are all big city gangsters or somehow involved with 'em. These are lawless people who would kill a person without batting an eye. Their god is money or hedonism. Let ’em shoot each other to smithereens for all I care. But if you can look beyond this and the constant profanities, the film's worth your time. What redeems it for me, besides the all-around entertaining movie-making, is that it's a tale of redemption and the high price of stubborn folly: The wise person recognizes God’s grace and responds accordingly while the fool doesn’t and blithely goes on his (doomed) way. Once a person receives grace they naturally extend it to others. There are additional gems spiced throughout.
Both Travolta and Jackson shine here. There are several other celebrities on hand, like Harvey Keitel, with many in cameos, e.g. Christopher Walken; not to mention several formidable females, like curvy Julia Sweeney (Raquel), cutie Maria de Medeiros (Fabienne), Angela Jones (Esmarelda) and voluptuous Susan Griffiths (Marilyn Monroe).
BOTTOM LINE: If you're in the mood for a quirky crime drama/thriller you can't go wrong with "Pulp Fiction." It's top-of-the-line in every way, including the subtext.
THE FILM WAS SHOT in the Greater Los Angeles area. ADDITIONAL WRITER: Roger Avary.
GRADE: A
Insane movie!
One of the bests(if not the best) Tarantino's movies!
Ving Rhames ("Wallace") is the kingpin who provides the loosest of templates for a couple of inter-twining tales that are amusing, bizarre and sometimes down right dangerous before we get a sort of alignment at the conclusion. "Winnfield" (Samuel L. Jackson) and "Vincent Vega" (John Travolta) are a pair of dapper enforcers, despatched to retrieve a stolen briefcase. Though their manner may be precise, the execution of their tasks are usually more hit and miss, definitely messy - and frequently requiring of the specialist clean-up services of "Mr. Wolf" (Harvey Keitel). "Vega" is also charged by his boss with looking after his cocaine-loving wife "Mia" (Uma Thurman) and that flirts with dancing and disaster too. Meantime, ageing boxer "Butch" (Bruce Willis) is supposed to help the boss by taking an early dive in a fight. Instead he manages to kill his opponent! Soon he is intent on fleeing town, well at least he tries before he and "Wallace" end up being the playthings of some interesting characters who keep their own leather-clad gimp locked in a box... It's really difficult to make sense of the narrative in writing. It flows really well, but at differing speeds and in several different directions at once. The stories are violent but delivered in an almost tongue-in cheek way. The dance between "Mia" and "Vega" has become the stuff of cinema legend; there is loads of chemistry - especially between Travolta and an on form Jackson who really does deliver his biblical verses with a puritanical - an lethal - zeal; Willis is as good here as he ever was and you cannot but feel sorry for poor old "Pumpkin" (Tim Roth) and his pal "Honey Bunny" (Amanda Plummer) whose habit of committing petty robberies when they realise that nobody ever thinks to hit a restaurant, all goes awry. The dialogue is cleverly targeted, with wit and pith but also used sparingly when the first rate soundtrack is allowed to let everyone come up for air. Tarantino himself features towards the end as just about everybody gets their just desserts. This is a classy and sharp piece of enigmatic and enjoyable cinema held together well by a creative and visionary director who appreciates how to get the best of a cast that know how to entertain!
Tarantino is the most overrated director of our times, all his films are silly but people say they are masterpieces, perhaps they are but not for the right way, the only good thing about Tarantino is that he isn't afraid of revenge for the sake of making his characters good.
really fun to watch and the attention to detail is great
**One of the unavoidable movies to know Tarantino… but I think it's not as incredible as it is sometimes said to be.**
This was one of the films that consolidated Tarantino's career and made him one of the "superstar" directors who, whenever he releases a film, whether good or bad, attracts a legion to the cinema. I was never a fan of his, and I don't think I will be. He made some films that I liked and others that I hated. I wouldn't call it regular, a “safe bet”, but we can't deny it, it's original, true to his style and doesn't seem concerned about pleasing anyone.
The film follows more than one plot: we have a couple of violent bandits who try to rob a cafeteria, we have a boxer at the end of his career who has to flee after winning a fight he had agreed he would lose, we have a couple of murderers in the pay of a mobster who are tasked with recovering a stolen suitcase, and we also have the capricious girlfriend of that same mobster, whose boredom forces her darling to assign one of his assassins to babysit for her. What unites them all? In addition to the fact that they naturally intersect, they are all part of the same violent, brutal and marginal universe.
For many, this film is one of the best of the 90's. I would never consider it as such, that is, for me, an exaggeration. It's reasonably good, it's gained cult status, it has fans, but it's not a masterpiece, not for me. It's not a boring film, it doesn't tire us out and the various sub-plots are intertwined very well, with skill and elegance. There's a lot of violence, heavy slang and drugs, and that can be really hard at times, I felt that too. However, this heavier language, drugs and violence end up being a natural part of the underworld of crime and marginality where the characters move, so it's something we can count on right from the start. And there are no sympathetic characters who can arouse some empathy, so it doesn't matter to us whether they live or die in the most unpleasant ways (and some of them suffer a lot).
These are all qualities, and will be even more valued by those who are more familiar with the “pulp” literary subgenre. I'm not, it's not part of my culture, and I even had to go look it up on the Internet to understand what it was, and what its characteristics were. Despite that, there are a few things about this film that I really didn't like or felt over the top. One of them is the dialogues. There are scenes with a lot of dialogues, dialogues without any interest, which can dwell on boring topics, just because. One of them, right at the beginning of the film, is about foot massages, just to give a small example. There are many scenes that seem overly drawn out due to these endless dialogues. I also think the film has too many images of bare feet. Tarantino gained fame as a fetishist, but he always said he wasn't… watching this film makes it hard to believe him. And one of the characters, who is a murderer, makes a very long quote from the Bible… it's the kind of “literature” that I think an underworld murderer probably wouldn't know by heart.
The actors are very good, we have several notable names: John Travolta is excellent in the role he was given, with that black suit and his hair soaked in oil. Samuel L. Jackson is not far behind, and Uma Thurman is fantastic. I would say that, at least, Thurman and Travolta achieve performances at the best level of their respective careers in this film. Bruce Willis isn't bad, but he's just not that interesting. I enjoyed seeing my countrywoman Maria de Medeiros in her only major international role, I'm sorry she couldn't go further, but that's life. Tarantino also appears in the film, and it would have been much better if he hadn't. He's a ham as an actor.
Technically, the film has many qualities, starting with the excellent cinematography, with vivid colors and good lighting. There are excellent action scenes, for all tastes, and the soundtrack makes good use of several musical themes that we know very well.
Cast & Crew of
Pulp Fiction
Cast
... Vincent Vega
... Jules Winnfield
... Mia Wallace
... Butch Coolidge
... Marsellus Wallace
... The Wolf
... Lance
... Pumpkin
... Honey Bunny
... Fabienne
... Jimmie Dimmick
... Captain Koons
... Jody
... Zed
... Maynard
... Esmarelda Villalobos
... Marvin
... Buddy Holly
... Trudi
... Waitress
... Brett
... Roger
... Paul
... Ed Sullivan
... Page for Phillip Morris
... Ricky Nelson
... Marilyn Monroe
... James Dean
... Dean Martin
... Jerry Lewis
... Mamie van Doren
... Hold Hands You Lovebirds (archive footage)
... Mrs. Coolidge - Butch's Mother
... Young Butch
... Klondike
... Sportscaster #1 - Coffee Shop
... Sportscaster #2
... Wilson's Trainer
... Dead Floyd Wilson
... Gawker #1
... Kathy Griffin
... Pedestrian / Bonnie Dimmick
... Shot Woman
... The Gimp
... Fourth Man
... Raquel
... Long Hair Yuppy Scum
... Winston Wolfe's Girlfriend at Party (uncredited)
... Bar Tender (uncredited)
... Drug Dealer (uncredited)
... Woman in Bathroom (uncredited)
... Diner Patron #2 (uncredited)
Crew
... Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Director of Photography
... Editor
... Casting
... Casting
... Production Design
... Art Direction
... Set Decoration
... Costume Design
... Gaffer
... Production Manager
... Special Effects Technician
... Special Effects Assistant
... Co-Executive Producer
... Co-Executive Producer
... Music Supervisor
... Music Supervisor
... Makeup Artist
... Wigmaker
... Key Hair Stylist
... Post Production Supervisor
... Stunt Coordinator
... Casting Associate
... Casting
... Costume Supervisor
... Assistant Costume Designer
... Set Costumer
... Thanks
... First Assistant Camera
... Assistant Editor
... Electrician
... Sound Editor
... Color Timer
... Editorial Staff
... Hairstylist
... Art Department Coordinator
... Assistant Art Director
... Construction Coordinator
... Construction Foreman
... Lead Painter
... Leadman
... Painter
... Set Designer
... Camera Operator
... Key Grip
... Grip
... Steadicam Operator
... Hair Designer
... Set Dressing Artist
... Carpenter
... Craft Service
... Driver
... Makeup Effects
... Post Production Assistant
... Property Master
... Security
... Set Production Assistant
... Sound Recordist
... Special Effects Coordinator
... Stand In
... Stunts
... Transportation Coordinator
... Unit Publicist
... First Assistant Director
... Script Supervisor
... First Assistant Editor
... Best Boy Electric
... Rigging Gaffer
... Production Coordinator
... Boom Operator
... Assistant Sound Editor
... Music Editor
... Production Sound Mixer
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Sound
... Assistant Music Supervisor
... Assistant Music Supervisor
... Co-Executive Producer
... Stand In
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Thanks
... Story
... Story
... ADR Voice Casting
... Costumer
... Second Assistant Director
... Second Second Assistant Director
... Assistant Decorator
... Assistant Property Master
... Graphic Designer
... Swing
... ADR Mixer
... Foley Artist
... Foley Mixer
... Supervising ADR Editor
... Special Effects Assistant
... Stunt Double
... Best Boy Grip
... Camera Loader
... Dolly Grip
... Second Assistant Camera
... Post Production Coordinator
... Assistant Location Manager
... Location Assistant
... Music Consultant
... Music Coordinator
... Assistant Accountant
... Assistant Craft Service
... Assistant Production Coordinator
... Charge Scenic Artist
... Key Rigging Grip
... Production Secretary
... Director
... Writer
... Stunts
... Special Effects Makeup Artist
Similar Movies To
Pulp Fiction
Deceiver (1997)
5.97/10
The gruesome death of a prostitute brings suspicion on one of her clients, James Wayland, a brilliant, self-destructive and epileptic heir to a textile fortune. So detectives Braxton and Kennesaw take Wayland in for questioning, thinking they can break the man. But despite his troubles, Wayland is a master of manipulation, and during the interrogation, he begins to turn the tables on the investigators, forcing them to reveal their own sinister sides.
Release: 1997-08-31
Death Wish II (1982)
6.233/10
Paul Kersey is again a vigilante trying to find five punks who murdered his housekeeper and daughter in Los Angeles.
Release: 1982-02-20
Romanzo Criminale (2005)
7.162/10
After serving prison time for a juvenile offense, Freddo gathers his old buddies Libano and Dandi and embarks on a crime spree that makes the trio the most powerful gangsters in Rome. Libano loves their new status, and seeks to spread their influence throughout the underworld, while the other two pursue more fleshly desires. For decades, their gang perpetrates extravagant crimes, until paranoia threatens to split the friends apart.
Release: 2005-09-30
Double Whammy (2001)
5.442/10
Ray Pluto has many problems. He is satirized in the tabloids as the "loser cop." His partner is starting to seem suspiciously attracted to him. A pair of screenwriters across the hall keep bugging him for help. The superintendent of his building is stabbed by hoodlums hired by his own rebellious daughter. To top it off, a sexually aggressive chiropractor may just be Ray's undoing.
Release: 2001-10-17
Code Name: The Cleaner (2007)
5.17/10
Cedric the Entertainer plays Jake, a seemingly regular guy who has no idea who he is after being hit over the head by mysterious assailants. When he finds himself entangled in a government conspiracy, Jake and his pursuers become convinced that he is an undercover agent.
Release: 2007-01-05
Body Heat (1981)
7/10
During an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband.
Release: 1981-08-28
Bottoms Up (2006)
3.119/10
Small-town bartender Owen Peadman goes to Los Angeles to raise money to help save his father's Minnesota restaurant. He tries to find a way into Hollywood society, where he meets socialite Lisa and her uptight actor boyfriend. Can he balance his growing feelings for Lisa with surviving the sordid lifestyles of the Hollywood elite?
Release: 2006-09-12
Fletch Lives (1989)
6.025/10
Fletch is a fish out of water in small-town Louisiana, where he's checking out a tumbledown mansion he's inherited. When a woman he flirts with turns up dead, he becomes a suspect and must find the killer and clear his name.
Release: 1989-03-17
Eating Out (2004)
5.64/10
After getting dumped by his slutty girlfriend, Caleb falls in love with Gwen. However, thanks to Caleb's roommate, Gwen thinks he's gay and sets him up with her roommate, Marc.
Release: 2004-02-14
The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974)
5.1/10
Fritz, now married and a father, is desperate to escape the domestic hell he now finds himself in. Lighting up a joint, he begins to dream about his eight other lives, hoping to find one to provide a pleasant distraction. The drug-induced journeys he takes include spells as an astronaut, Hitler's psychiatrist, a courier travelling in hostile territory during a race war, and as a pupil of an Indian guru in the sewers of New York.
Release: 1974-09-18
The Wyvern Mystery (2000)
4.8/10
After precipitating the death of a tenant with whom he has been feuding, Squire Fairfield brings the dead man's young daughter to live in Wyvern Manor. Alice grows up thinking the squire is her kind benefactor, and falls in love with one of his two sons.
Release: 2000-10-12
Storm Warning (2007)
5.5/10
A couple becomes lost in a massive storm and seek refuge at a nearby farmhouse, only to be captured by deranged killers.
Release: 2007-10-19
Used Cars (1980)
6.395/10
When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the owner's ruthless brother and used-car rival.
Release: 1980-07-11
Clubbed (2008)
6.8/10
An underworld drama set in the early 1980s, about a lonely factory worker whose life is transformed when he becomes a nightclub doorman.
Release: 2008-10-02
Bachelor Party Vegas (2006)
4.8/10
A planned evening of debauchery in Las Vegas to celebrate their best friend's wedding goes horribly -- but hilariously -- wrong for five average guys.
Release: 2006-04-25
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
6.965/10
An account of Baron Munchausen's supposed travels and fantastical experiences with his band of misfits.
Release: 1988-12-07
American Crude (2008)
4/10
Quite a bit can happen over the course of a single day in L.A., and when smooth-talking scam artist Johnny decides to throw a bachelor party for his best friend Bill the events of the day take a bizarre turn. As the festivities get underway, the appearance of a transvestite prostitute, a trigger-happy ex-con, and a notorious porn king signal that this isn't going to be a typical night out.
Release: 2008-06-03
Drugs, Inc.: Dealer Pov (2014)
0/10
Drug crews in New York, Atlanta, and Portland take us on a journey through their daily lives.
Release: 2014-09-03
The Pink Panther 2 (2009)
5.709/10
When legendary treasures from around the world are stolen, including the priceless Pink Panther Diamond, Chief Inspector Dreyfus is forced to assign Inspector Clouseau to a team of international detectives and experts charged with catching the thief and retrieving the stolen artifacts.
Release: 2009-02-06
Gotti (1996)
6.468/10
John Gotti, the head of a small New York mafia crew breaks a few of the old family rules. He rises to become the head of the Gambino family and the most well-known mafia boss in America. Life is good, but suspicion creeps in, and greed, rule-breaking and his high public profile all threaten to topple him.
Release: 1996-08-17