'BILL' TO GET STAY OF EXECUTION?

[Scott W. Davis]

No doubt about it, Miramax screwed up when they chopped KILL BILL in two. Sure, it was the next Quentin Tarantino film. Unfortunately, they forgot JACKIE BROWN, cool as it was, didn't heat up the box office much. Also, this newest Tarantino film was a homage to all things cult, and hence flew over the head of most people unfamiliar with the liberal narrative structure and extreme imagery found in these films.



KILL BILL underperformed at the box office and alienated some people and thus, things don't bode well for Miramax's KILL BILL VOLUME 2. This may be one reason that Miramax may push VOLUME 2 back until April 16th.



The film was supposed to be one film, clocking in at just over three hours. Miramax balked, saying no one would sit for that (They must not have seen RETURN OF THE KING on the horizon. As a matter of fact, Miramax turned down the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy when it couldn't be condensed into two films.). So they had the brilliant idea of splitting this odd film in two. Not a bad overall effect. As our own poshyface says, the film plays fine as the first part of two and it did give Tarantino the opportunity to insert even more gore into VOLUME 1. What is most shocking about KILL BILL is not so much the violence, but the overwhelming lack of morality contained within the film. It is a violent, remorseless extreme viewing experience, on a par with the work of Takashi Miike and the like. VOLUME 2 does look like it expands this a bit more into something a bit different, but like the ad says, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Oh, and as a postscript, I actually loved KILL BILL: VOLUME 1.



So maybe the new possible date change as reported by the Quentin Tarantino Archives, will allow people to see the original again, since a Region 1 DVD of VOLUME 1 comes out in February, which was originally to be just a few weeks shy of VOLUME 2's premiere. Taking that in mind, the move may be frustrating to the viewer, but a wise decision for Miramax. Still not enough to correct their original sabotage of the project if you ask me. But hey, I'm not working for the House of Mouse, so what are you going to do?



The site also alleges that if Miramax does go ahead with a date change, a premiere at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival is not out of the question.



In the meantime, the Quentin Tarantino Archives has also put up the Japanese teaser and tv spot for KILL BILL: VOLUME 2. There's also action figure pics up on the site if that's your bag. So this should tide you over until they announce whether the date shift is official or not.



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Comment on Miramax, Tarantino and KILL BILL in our FORUMS!

[DevilMan]

I've got two KILL BILL questions and / or observations...

First, as much as I enjoyed the first volume of KILL BILL, I honestly thought the story could have easily stayed in one two and half hour movie, and not spread out over two ninety minute individual films. In my opinion, there was just alot of wasted screen time in the first movie, alot of slow motion pans and scans and some rather overly long talky sequences that never advanced the story.

Maybe a "To-Be-Released-Later" extended edition DVD (ala PETER JACKSON's LOTR trilogy) would have been a better idea than two seperate movies? Besides, who really needs a two-part movie based on a revenge premise anyway? And who other than Asian film fans will be able to enjoy KILL BILL as much as QUENTIN would like them to? But then again, hell, who cares if the general public doesn't "GET" KILL BILL as long as we do, ya know.

Secondly, speaking of DVD's, I've read somewhere that the Japanese R2 DVD release will have the extended anime sequence featuring O-REN IISHI's history included. But most importantly, it's rumored that UMA's final sword battle with the CRAZY 88 will be in COMPLETE BLOODSOAKED COLOR instead of black & white! Does anyone know if there's any truth to this?

-Steve

[Scott W. Davis]

Originally posted by DevilMan@Dec 28 2003, 08:53 PM
I've got two KILL BILL questions and / or observations...

First, as much as I enjoyed the first volume of KILL BILL, I honestly thought the story could have easily stayed in one two and half hour movie, and not spread out over two ninety minute individual films. In my opinion, there was just alot of wasted screen time in the first movie, alot of slow motion pans and scans and some rather overly long talky sequences that never advanced the story.

Maybe a "To-Be-Released-Later" extended edition DVD (ala PETER JACKSON's LOTR trilogy) would have been a better idea than two seperate movies? (little snipping here)

Secondly, speaking of DVD's, I've read somewhere that the Japanese R2 DVD release will have the extended anime sequence featuring O-REN IISHI's history included. But most importantly, it's rumored that UMA's final sword battle with the CRAZY 88 will be in COMPLETE BLOODSOAKED COLOR instead of black & white! Does anyone know if there's any truth to this?

-Steve

Well, to answer your first question and this comes from my buddy Austin, who reviewed VOLUME 1 under his alias poshyface: Tarantino's original cut of the film would have been around 184 minutes or therabouts (am I getting that right? :huh: ) So, if they had split it in two it would have been two 92 minute films. When Miramax cut it though, it allowed Tarantino to put in more stuff. What this stuff is, I'm not sure. He undoubtedly put in more violence but he may have expanded some of the dialogue scenes as well. I'm not sure.

There WILL be a frustrating amount of DVDs if all goes to plan. Frustrating because we will get separate VOLUME 1 (to come out in R1 in February) and VOLUME 2 DVDs, followed by one complete KILL BILL like the Peter Jackson films.... and they will all have different extras. :rant:

As for the R2 DVD, who knows? Although I can say that when the screen goes black and white and then back to color once she blinks her eyes, that was not a censorship issue. Rather it was actually in the script. I've had a lot of theories about this. Maybe (1) He just wanted to do some black and white fun (like some of the classic Asian films from the 50s and 60s).
(2) Or maybe a homage to the drive-in trailers of the 70s - many of those, like at Corman's New World Pictures were printed in black and white to save costs or something. In one case, Joe Dante and Alan Arkush were doing the trailer for either BIG BAD MAMA or CRAZY MAMA and they thought it was boring, just people walking around in some dark clothes. They were refused by the MPAA because they didn't realize the people were actually wearing white and their clothes were covered with blood.
(3) Kind of a juvenile reach for me here, but it reminded me a little of those old first-person shooters like DOOM when you go into berzerk mode. By that point in the film, Uma certainly was that. :afro:

[DevilMan]

Originally posted by Scott W. Davis@Dec 28 2003, 10:20 PM
There WILL be a frustrating amount of DVDs if all goes to plan. Frustrating because we will get separate VOLUME 1 (to come out in R1 in February) and VOLUME 2 DVDs, followed by one complete KILL BILL like the Peter Jackson films.... and they will all have different extras.
Okay, just so I get this right...

KILL BILL V.1 will be released on DVD first. Then after the second part finishes it's theatrical run, KILL BILL V.2 will hit DVD next.

Then there's going to be a KILL BILL "Special Edition" (or whatever it's called) that's going to contain BOTH movies with added scenes in one package?

Or will there be a KILL BILL V.1 "Special Edition" DVD (with new scenes) followed by a KILL BILL V.2 "Special Edition" (with new scenes), each sold seperately?

Any idea where more info on this subject can be found? I'd hate to buy a bunch of different DVD's before getting the "Ultimate Edition", ya know.

-Steve

[DevilMan]

Originally posted by Scott W. Davis@Dec 28 2003, 10:20 PM
I've had a lot of theories about this.

Maybe (1) He just wanted to do some black and white fun (like some of the classic Asian films from the 50s and 60s).

(2) Or maybe a homage to the drive-in trailers of the 70s - many of those, like at Corman's New World Pictures were printed in black and white to save costs or something. In one case, Joe Dante and Alan Arkush were doing the trailer for either BIG BAD MAMA or CRAZY MAMA and they thought it was boring, just people walking around in some dark clothes. They were refused by the MPAA because they didn't realize the people were actually wearing white and their clothes were covered with blood.

(3) Kind of a juvenile reach for me here, but it reminded me a little of those old first-person shooters like DOOM when you go into berzerk mode. By that point in the film, Uma certainly was that.
Good insights. Even though I gotta agree with you that it was probably done for "film noir" reasons, I would have rather had the blood splatter in my face in bright vivid red than downplayed in black & white. But hey, that's just me and I dig gore and grue in my movies.

-Steve

[Scott W. Davis]

Just an update here. Miramax has OFFICIALLY delayed KILL BILL: VOLUME 2 until April 16th in the U.S.

One thing though, remember how I said it might be a decent idea if they still release the VOLUME 1 DVD in February, thus allowing people who didn't see the film in theatres (there were quite a few) the chance to catch up? Well, forget it, they are also delaying the DVD of KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 until April 13th... three days before the release of VOLUME 2. Sure that will make that whole "catch up" theory work, right? NOW do you guys understand why I complain so much? Why am I constantly baffled and angered by the pracitces of Miramax?!? :rant: