Pulp Fiction - Blu-ray Review

4.4 Stars (out of 5)

Synopsis                             

A pair of low-rent hit men, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), are sent out to collect a stolen briefcase for their mob boss employer, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames).  Having proven himself worthy, Wallace then entrusts Vincent to entertain his wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), while he is out of town.  Meanwhile, Wallace has paid off aging boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) to throw his next fight.  The lives of these wildly entertaining characters intertwine with unexpected and violent consequences. Buy Now $14.99

Starring:

John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi

Director:

Quentin Tarantino

Blu-ray Release Date:

October 4, 2011

Subtitles:

English, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

• Subwoofer – 3.0 Stars
• Dialog – 5.0 Stars
• Surround Effects – 4.0 Stars
• Dynamic Range – 4.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Dialog is of utmost importance to this movie, and it is presented perfectly. Every wise crack, every witty comment is heard without a hitch. Surround speakers are utilized mostly for ambiance. The scenes in the dinner, at Jack Rabbit Slims, and even just driving around in cars fill the room and place you in the film. The subwoofer is not used often, except to deliver heft to gunfire, a car crash, and to bring the iconic musical soundtrack to life.

Video  4.9 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

• Color Accuracy  - 5.0 Stars
• Shadow detail – 4.5 Stars
• Clarity – 5.0 Stars
• Skin tones – 5.0 Stars
• Compression – 5.0 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1

This 17 year old film has been transferred to Blu-ray with delicate hands and the utmost care to deliver superior video quality. Pulp Fiction has outstanding clarity and nothing can hide from it. Razor bumps, pimples, wrinkles, hairy arms, clothing textures, and Jules’ Jeri Curl are all displayed with superb detail. Colors are natural and film grain is low. I’ve heard that some edge enhancement was used, but I don’t see any artifacts from its use. Some dark shadows lose a little detail, but other than that this Blu-ray is tip top.

Bonus Features 4.0 Stars (out of 5)

• “Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat” Cast Interviews
• “Here Are Some Facts on the Fiction” Critic’s Retrospective
• “Pulp Fiction: The Facts” documentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind-the-Scenes Montages
• Production Design featurette
• Siskel and Ebert “At the Movies” – The Tarantino Generation
• Independent Spirit Awards – interviews
• Cannes Film Festival – Palm d’Or Acceptance Speech
• Charlie Rose Show – Interview with Quentin Tarantino
• Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
• Enhanced Trivia Track
• Stills Gallery
• Soundtrack Chapters

Movie – 5.0 Stars (out of 5)

Review

I first saw Pulp Fiction in 1994, and I left the theater bewildered. I had never seen anything like it, and I didn’t know what to make of it. But I couldn’t stop talking about it. As soon as it came out on VHS I bought it and watched it, and realized I loved it. I watch this movie at least once a year and I have memorized almost every line of dialog. I feel strange admitting this because this movie is not for everyone. There’s lots of cursing, drug use, bloody violence, and rape. Some people say that the movie is ultra violent, but I disagree. The violence not just for the sake of violence, it affects the plot and the movie isn’t about the violence. However, it anyone were to ask me what the movie is about, I would have to say it’s a crime comedy. It’s almost an unintended comedy. Things aren’t done for laughs, but it earns grins and giggles because of the cleverness of the dialog and the outstanding performances of the actors.  

This filmed has earned it’s place in cinema history. It rejuvenated John Travolta’s career, made Samuel Jackson a superstar, redefined what a movie script can and can’t be, and made Quentin Tarantino a household name. It’s a bold movie with a different look and is full of unusual characters that have interesting conversations about everyday things. This may seem a little boring, but the way Tarantino writes makes you hang on every word. Pulp Fiction is easily one of my favorite movies of all time, and I’ll continue to watch it every year until I have the whole script memorized.