QT Talks "Kill Bill" dvd (1 Viewer)

[PaulP]

I was surprised by the above that said the black and white was always planned in the script.

In the script it's written to go into B&W and also to go back to color, just like in the final film.

 

[richardWI]

They were probably already in the problem solving stages while writing the script. The first problem would be, how do we do what we want and still maintain an R? No sense in filming it first then fighting the MPAA later which many directors try and fail. Here, QT beat them to the punch, so to speak

 

[richardWI]

Hey can anyone help me here? How can I get a crash course in Shaw Brothers movies? KB got me so excited and I feel like I've been missing out.. are their movies hard to find? It also doesn't seem like I'll be able to rent "Twisted Nerve" at my neighborhood Blockbuster..

 

[Marius W]

Hey can anyone help me here? How can I get a crash course in Shaw Brothers movies? KB got me so excited and I feel like I've been missing out.. are their movies hard to find? It also doesn't seem like I'll be able to rent "Twisted Nerve" at my neighborhood Blockbuster..

The Shaw Brothers movies are currently only available as region 3 (ntsc) releases in Asia. About 120 of them are released in Hong Kong so far. Miramax has aquired rights to selected titles, and I would be surprised if they didn't release them next year to cash in on the interest generated by Kill Bill.

Be advised that the Asian release are far from perfect. While they are great compared to other Hong Kong releases of 20-35 year old movies, there are some problems. They have used PAL non-anamorphic masters to create both non-anamorphic and anamorphic NTSC DVDs.

Some of the more famous Shaw movies have been released as bootleg DVDs in the USA. These have been easly available from respectable stores. So if you find an english language release of a Shaw Brothers movie, it is most likely a bootleg. The Asian releases all have English subtitles.

-Marius

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Welcome to the wacky logic of the MPAA! ... QT said that the MPAA has problems with red blood. (You'll note there has been some movies with green blood, but I can't remember what they were)

I believe Star Trek 6 gave Klingons pink blood for this reason.

And in the trailers, you'll notice she looks like she's been working under her car and has oil all over her. Tha's blood, coloured black for the trailer, in order for the trailer to get the green band.

 

[LarryDavenport]

Scorcese had to desaturate the color in Taxi Driver during the bloody scenes to avoid an X-rating.

Are you reading the actual script or transcript of the movie?

 

[PaulP]

Are you reading the actual script or transcript of the movie?

Actual script, available at tarantino.info

 

[Bill Burns]

Hitchcock stated that at least a part of the reason he filmed Psycho in B&W was the need to show so much blood in the shower sequence -- he felt (and I'm sure the studio pressured him as well, as even Hitchcock couldn't release just anything he pleased in the 1960s) that the blood would be far less overwhelming if it lacked color. I'm sure a much bigger part of his reasoning was aesthetic, but that doesn't make for sensational copy.

As to B&W stocks, I've read that the technology of B&W film hasn't advanced since the 1940's (as mentioned by another member earlier in the thread), but I was under the impression that the reason it hasn't advanced is that true 35mm B&W stocks haven't been used since around that time. Most, perhaps all, B&W feature films of the past few decades, at least (possibly longer, I'm not sure), have been made, so far as I've read (no official publications, just comments from various sources that I've come across), on color negative and chemically treated afterward to achieve B&W. Are there any development labs that still handle feature film stock B&W processing? I'd expect all of the B&W material in Kill Bill was planned from the beginning, but while lit for B&W, that footage would still be shot in color, would it not? This explains why a small shot of Uma on an upstairs landing during the biggest fight in the film appeared as a color shot in an early teaser; the shot appears in the final film, but in B&W.

Anyway, technical questions/observations aside, I saw this a couple of days ago, and loved it. Graphically violent, to be sure, and possibly the most violent film I've seen in years (much more so than something like Terminator 3), but always feeling like a comic book, like something unreal, and therefore never as disturbing as a violent drama might be. I loved this picture (did I mention that earlier?). It's the best film of its kind I've come across in ages -- sly, sleek, energized, and in its way, truly magnificent, a feat of filmmaking to celebrate.

I'm not a Tarentino fan, per se. I hated (and still hate, every time I try to watch it) Pulp Fiction, but I really liked Jackie Brown. I haven't seen Reservoir Dogs. PF, I find, slips into the dehumanizing violence of the real world, the sort that celebrates characters who do horrible, unconscionable, evil things. I can't get past that while watching it. It's too much. But Kill Bill is the opposite pole -- its tone is an exercise in perfection, ringing true throughout. A few moments seem a bit elongated (I think the pop culture "Trix" reference, seen in the trailer, would work better with its first line, "Silly rabbit," intact and the omission of the remainder -- "Trix are for kids"), a bit out-of-pace with the stylings of what surround them, but these issues are minor. I don't mean that the film needs to always move quickly, and certain relaxed moments, such as the Little Piggies sequence or the "presentation of the new sword" sequence, are perfection itself. But if I have a criticism, it would be tiny little wobbles such as the second part of that Trix line.

The film gets my very highest rating -- to date, it's the best of the year (I have high hopes for a few still due before year's end). But it's strictly for adults, and among adults will only appeal to those who synch up with its vibe. If you're looking at the violence as violence, it's going to turn your stomach; in this sense, it's the most violent picture Tarentino has made, and that's saying something. But if you treat the violence as a component of the film's overall style (something I never found possible in the violence of Pulp Fiction, which seemed far too rooted in the real world for a variety of reasons too extensive to get into now), I think you just might find yourself outgrinning chesire cats from beginning to end, as I was. If you've seen a lot of anime, particularly the violent breed of anime that includes the likes of Ghost in the Shell, the images here are going to ring very true, aesthetic rather than grotesque. This is also the case if you've seen some of the more violent Japanese sword fighting and/or martial arts offerings, and even dramas such as Ran. Tarentino has said that he wanted to make a film embodying the best of what anime, Japanese martial arts pictures, and westerns had to offer -- the western element here is a soft touch, not as keen as the others (I have a feeling we'll see a lot more of the western influence in Volume II), but overall, I'd say he succeeded in spades. Rare is the film that delights and impresses me to this essentially unqualified, unhesitant extent. But while I was watching it, three adults, without children, walked out of the film and never returned. One of the managers came in before it began and said to a patron he spotted and obviously knew (one of those who later left), "I hope you can make sense of this one." The picture won't appeal to everyone. I, however, loved it. I was expecting I'd enjoy it, given what I knew about it going in, but I loved it. This is a great motion picture, hilarious in its way, even moving, because it really is art. There are arguments on both sides of the "quality" aisle about PF and other ultra-violent motion pictures, but QT has hit a perfect chord with KB -- it really is art, and it's great art. This is Tarentino's first masterpiece, I'd say, though there are masterful elements in Jackie Brown. Those who find it difficult to watch films with wall-to-wall foul language (like Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown) will also appreciate the more subdued language of KB -- characters use their fair share of expletives from time to time, but you never have to weed through the profanity to decipher what they're trying to say. I'm eager to see KB V2, but a little hesitant, as well, because it's difficult to believe it could be this good.

Now if I could only shake the uneasiness left by the title ...

 

[Dan Rudolph]

while lit for B&W, that footage would still be shot in color, would it not?

That's how Schindler's list, and the handful of other big B&W productions in the past few years have been done, so that's what I'd expect. These days they'd probably turn it B&W digitally rather than chemically, but otherwise, it'd be about the same.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Hey can anyone help me here? How can I get a crash course in Shaw Brothers movies? KB got me so excited and I feel like I've been missing out.. are their movies hard to find? It also doesn't seem like I'll be able to rent "Twisted Nerve" at my neighborhood Blockbuster..

I don't know if you're interested in movies that influenced Kill Bill that aren't Shaw Bros., but one of the movies that strongly influenced Tarantino is Master of the Flying Guillotine, and that movie got a special edition release last year, IIRC. Barring an anamorphic transfer, it's probably about as good a release as a film like that will ever get. Features a lot of odd characters in a fighting tournament, including a "yoga master" with the ability to extend his limbs like Plastic Man (probably where the video game people got the idea for Dhalsim in Street Fighter 2), and the bad guy wields a buzz-saw-like weapon attached to a chain, similar to Go-Go's weapon. The theme music is also briefly heard in Kill Bill.

 

[Chris Clark]

Director Zhang Cheh's Vengeance! would probably be a good starting point, but you're choices in watching it are limited (VCD or Region 3 dvd). Think Point Blank with some incredible many-against-one fights. Cheh was in the credits for Kill Bill, amongst Charles Bronson, in the Special Thanks section.
There was a great roadshow film series of the Shaw Brothers, Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film. It's probably done with its tour, but I can tell you that there were some incredible films on display.
If you thought the Johnny Mo, General of the Crazy 88, was a formidable fighter, you should check out Gordon Liu in The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (sometimes known as Master Killer) and Return to the 36th Chamber (hilarious, but not a sequel). He looks almost the same after all these years.
If you want to get into the tasteless-yet-still-great, check out Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan. The less you know about the plot, the better. It's exploitation done in the Jack Hill vein. Well done, wildly violent, and it has a finale that sort of reminds me of the Crazy 88 finale in Kill Bill (I doubt it was the starting point for that scene). Your choices for it are the same as Vengeance (VCD or R3dvd).
I'll also second Andy's suggestion of Master of the Flying Guillotine. I was surprised to hear the Master's theme on the soundtrack for Kill Bill.

 

[Vickie_M]

Bill Burns, great post!! Have you posted that in the Reviews thread in the Movies section? (I'll go check, but I wanted to give you before I left this thread)

Unlike you, I liked PF, but I understand your problems with it. Jackie Brown has been my favorite Tarantino. It isn't that I think it's the "best" because I love them all, but it's my favorite.

I LOVED KILL BILL! My husband did too. We've seen it twice so far and will certainly see it more.

I'm there for Vol. 2. (I have no doubts I'll love it too)

I'm there for the Vol. 1 DVD release.

I'm there for the Vol. 2 DVD release.

I am SO THERE for an extra special extended whatever, whenever.

I'm glad that some of the people who said they weren't going to see it, saw it and loved it. Good for you!

 

[PhilipG]

Bill Burns, great post!!

I'll second that.

 

[JonZ]

I grew up on the Shaw Bros movies. They used to show them on Fox before it was Fox on Saturdays. I still have each and every VHS tape I dubbed from the early 80s.

"Hey can anyone help me here? How can I get a crash course in Shaw Brothers movies? KB got me so excited and I feel like I've been missing out.. are their movies hard to find?"

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/.../70/shaws2.htm

http://www.shawstudios.com/

There are quite a few of Shaw Brothers DVDs out there for Region 1.I have a Media Play near me and theyre always stocked with Shaw Films.Amazon has them as well.

Heres my recommendations for the best ones:

-Avenging Eagle(My all time favorite martial arts film) (P&S release)
-Invincible Shoalin
-Five Deadly Venoms
-Death Chamber(Not on DVD)
-The Master Killer
-Chinatown Kid (P&S release)

Id avoid titles like Super Ninja,Killer Army and Masked Avengers - they were on a downway slide at that time. They market them as "Venoms" films but theyre not.Theyre some of the worst the studio ever made.

IMHO the Shaw Bros made the best martial arts films ever. Alot of the guys he used were very talented martial artists and choreographers.The films listed above are far better than anything done by the likes of Jet Li or Jackie Chan.

Also recommend The Streetfighter if youve never seen it.


"What I'd like to know is if Miramax will be releasing the Shaw Brothers movies they recently acquired from Celestial as a part of Kill Bill's dvd debut."

http://www.hkcinema.co.uk/shawbronews.html

Im TERRIFIED what Miramax will do with these films,after the way theyve been dubbibg Anime the past few years.

What I heard is new dubs,soundtracks and editing for the Shaw films they got the rights to.

THAT BETTER NOT BE TRUE OR I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS.

If those Shaw releases dont make it to Region 1 by the time I get a new player, Ill be getting a region free player.

 

[PerryD]

I justed checked out Showtime's schedule for November, and they have listed Five Deadly Venoms to be broadcast in High Definition. Plus, I noticed Master of the Flying Guillotine showing in 4x3 standard def also.

 

[Matthew Brown]

HKFLIX.com has a KILL BILL study guide.
http://www.hkflix.com/coupons/hkflix_03-10-10/

Matt

 

[richardWI]

wow, thanks for all the help guys, these are some great leads!

 

[JonZ]

Heres Shaw Bros link focusing on the Venoms group (BTW, If Wei Pai wasnt in it, it aint a Venoms film)

http://greenvenomtheatre.tripod.com/enter.htm

http://changcheh.0catch.com/vpix/vpix.htm

Heres a excellent site complete with screencaps and reviews for each title.Youll have to search by name though

http://www.kungfucinema.com/people.htm

 

[Bill Burns]

Vickie and Philip -- many thanks, gang. I found myself so impressed by the final quality of QT's venture (and his use of violence in such an exceptionally artful manner -- in paying tribute to anime and sword fighting pictures, I dare say he's come dangerously close to perfecting the very elements that lie at their core) that I wanted to toss out a quick recommendation, particularly given some of the negative "why'd he have to go and split it?" ruminations earlier in the thread, but I didn't post anything over in the Movies forum -- I spend too much time as it is haunting software and studio feedback. I didn't intend that earlier post as a full review, just a bit of enthusiastic gushing (I didn't even touch on his fantastic use of music -- something I thought specifically brilliant, and in KB's use of both this and extreme violence perhaps the "positive pole" to what I found negative and wrong with Scorsese's Casino in these areas ... pound for pound, as the violence, the visual stylings, the pop culture references, the eclectic uses of and choices in music ... as everything in KB V1 is considered, I think of so many filmmakers who have attempted similar elements in very different films and, to my mind, failed time and again; QT, at long last, brings these elements together with tremendous success as a whole, but also addresses each with a fresh energy and a quality of excellence, both interpritive excellence and excellence in narrative use, that I've simply never found before, and I try to see just about everything of interest that hits the multiplex .... QT's accomplishments here achieve a mesmerizing quality, all the more so when held against the earlier attempts of other filmmakers, and even QT himself, at addressing and/or using similar storytelling materials, and so my unfettered enthusiasm). But thanks again for the kind words.

To emphasize that we're still in the software forum -- I can't wait to see the DVDs! I may wait for the full "Kill Bill Saga" release, or whatever they choose to call it, but then again I may double dip for any unique features found on the single releases. I rarely double dip when I know a more definitive version is on the horizon, so that also speaks to my enthusiasm for this picture. An enthusiasm I hope will only grow in February with the release of Volume II.

 

[Matt Pelham]

To bring back the whole black and white issue:

This is from Aint it Cool News from someone who has seen the Japanese cut of Kill Bill:



So in Japan the fight scene is in color! Must buy region free player....