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TNLakersFanInLA Star Player
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 9657 Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
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LarryCoon wrote: | REPPIN 818 wrote: | PS. Thought that Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump were vastly overrated.
Most movies I don't like I can at least see why others would - those two, not so much. Care to enlighten me? |
I agree with you on Forrest Gump. But I think Pulp Fiction was one of the great works of cinema history.
It's funny -- I was thinking about the recent Off Topic thread on the Beatles. I've had conversations with people who just don't get what was so special about them. Looking at them today you see a band who put out a bunch of good songs, but it's rather mundane to warrant all that fuss. The flaw in this viewpoint, of course, is that it overlooks what a huge musical, cultural and social revolution they represented. It's mundane today because their influence is so interwoven into so many acts that followed them. But take them out of the equation....it's hard to imagine what music would have been like had they never existed.
Pulp Fiction is like that cinematically. The dialog-driven, non-linear & interlocking telling of three stories was dazzlingly original, and has since been woven into our culture. Banal conversations (what do they call a Big Mac in France?) are thrust front & center, and not only do they drive the movie, they provide great richness & depth to the characters -- while being entertaining as hell. All of this juxtaposed on a world where the characters are quirky without ever becoming comically unbelievable, and even the minor characters (Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken) are something special.
Prior to 1994, it would've been hard to imagine Pulp Fiction, and the impact it would have on cinema and culture. Today, it's hard to imagine cinema and culture without it. |
I completely agree LarryCoon, but I'd just like to add a little more.
The soundtrack to the movie is incredible. Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell", Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", Kool's "Jungle Boogie, and Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" are just a few of the tracks that not only bring life to the film, but drives the plot in conjunction with the dialogue. People truly underrate the use and effect of soundtrack selection when scoring a movie.
As a director, Tarantino has a knack for bringing the best out of his actors... Pulp Fiction is no different. Travolta's career was pretty much picked up out of the toilet. Not to mention, Bruce Willis, who was wasn't really having much success at the time. Honestly, I couldn't imagine any other actor playing any of the leads in the movie. The brilliance on paper translates 100% to film. (I suggest you all get a copy of the screenplay.)
Uma Thurman was pretty much discovered by this film. I think the biggest thing she did before this was Robin Hood on TV...? If I'm not mistaken, all of the above, except Bruce, were nominated for Oscars. Tarantino, as you know, took home the screenplay award.
Quick fact..., Michelle Pfeiffer was supposed to be cast as Mia Wallace, but Uma won the role instead. Weird huh??
The camera work itself is a style that truly makes the movie what it is. We follow people through rooms at knee level, we shoot from the inside of a car trunk, etc.... The framing and shot position by the camera are AMAZING. There is such a wide variety of angles and shots used, but they all fit together perfectly. Sometimes I'll watch a movie and notice that something seems out of place, but in Pulp Fiction, everything seems to have a purpose.
Red Apple's. Period.
Sorry for rambling. _________________ Monta Ellis: "Kobe is #1, I'm #2, LeBron is #3." |
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vanexelent Retired Number
Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 30081
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:52 am Post subject: |
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Resevoir Dogs was better imo, both in film and soundtrack. Jacki Brown is also a very good movie. |
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vanexelent Retired Number
Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 30081
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:53 am Post subject: |
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Sub question: Which is the better movie from the 90's, Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas? |
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TNLakersFanInLA Star Player
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 9657 Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:58 am Post subject: |
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vanexelent wrote: | Sub question: Which is the better movie from the 90's, Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas? |
Can't really compare them. I have them both in my top 5. Goodfellows was brilliant for several reasons, as was Pulp Fiction. Personally, I like Pulp Fiction better, but it's not a better movie. _________________ Monta Ellis: "Kobe is #1, I'm #2, LeBron is #3." |
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TNLakersFanInLA Star Player
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 9657 Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:58 am Post subject: |
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vanexelent wrote: | Resevoir Dogs was better imo, both in film and soundtrack. Jacki Brown is also a very good movie. |
In terms of soundtrack, I think Jackie Brown was the best. _________________ Monta Ellis: "Kobe is #1, I'm #2, LeBron is #3." |
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vanexelent Retired Number
Joined: 17 May 2005 Posts: 30081
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:37 am Post subject: |
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TNLakersFan wrote: | vanexelent wrote: | Resevoir Dogs was better imo, both in film and soundtrack. Jacki Brown is also a very good movie. |
In terms of soundtrack, I think Jackie Brown was the best. |
I think "The Big Chill" was one of the first movies to be recognized for it's great soundtrack, that reflected the times. |
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rchanou Star Player
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 5463 Location: Long Beach
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:38 am Post subject: |
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Tarantino has a knack for picking the perfect music for his movies. |
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TACH Retired Number
Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 28461 Location: Chillin on the Delaware.. from the Jersey Side
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:13 am Post subject: |
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vanexelent wrote: | Sub question: Which is the better movie from the 90's, Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas? | I love both,.. but I would have to go with Pulp Fiction... |
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Skate Star Player
Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 1899
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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vanexelent wrote: |
While I agree that Pulp Fiction was original in it's dialogue and characters, Tarentino was not the first director to weave many stories & characters together. Robert Altman had already put out The Player and Short Cuts in the early 90's that did this.
The Onion pointed out last week that Quentin Tarantino "made his name by spinning pop-culture trash into arthouse gold..." I think this is exactly how he was able to reach a large audience. Now, as you pointed out, his films have become pop-culture. |
_________________ (\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments in life that take our breath away" |
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Caron1 Star Player
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 2790
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 3:47 pm Post subject: |
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Nice to see there are other cinephiles on here. Great post on Pulp Fiction, Larry. This is hard to do, but I guess my Top 5 would be (in no order)
The Graduate
Citizen Kane
La Strada
Seven Samurai
Do the Right Thing
Other favorites - Chinatown, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Shoot the Piano Player, Annie Hall, There Will Be Blood, Star Wars, Harold & Maude, Sunset Blvd, Network, Taxi Driver, Manhattan, City of God, Doucle Indemnity, Rashomon, Dr. Strangelove, The Godfather, 2001, Some Like It Hot and Pulp Fiction. _________________ 2009 NBA CHAMPIONS!!! |
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BlackMamba Starting Rotation
Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 129 Location: Sylmar, CA
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Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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always making great movies crap _________________ Love Soccer |
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TrueLies Starting Rotation
Joined: 18 Jun 2008 Posts: 357
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Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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return of the killer tomato! |
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Clutch44 Star Player
Joined: 12 Apr 2001 Posts: 3194
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Here's my top 10:
1. Au hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson, 1966)
2. The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1952)
3. Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
4. Late Spring (Yasujiro Ozu, 1949)
5. Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955)
6. Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman, 1957)
7. La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini, 1960)
8. Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa, 1952)
9. In the Mood for Love (Kar Wai Wong, 2000)
10. Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica, 1952) |
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Teamof2000 Star Player
Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Posts: 2292 Location: San Francisco, CA
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Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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Anything by Michael Bay.
Just kidding.
Screw top 5. My personal top 5 changes from week to week. Here's a list of old standbys though. Can't go wrong with any of these flicks.
Pulp Fiction
Punch Drunk Love
The Fog of War
Sideways
Swingers
Manhattan
Capturing the Friedmans
The Big Lebowski
City of God
Goodfellas
Half Nelson
Happiness |
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frijolero01 Franchise Player
Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 13324
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:53 am Post subject: |
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vanexelent wrote: | Sub question: Which is the better movie from the 90's, Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas? |
agh. not fair! Those are def. 2 of my fav. top 5 movies of ALL time _________________ Thank you, Kobe. We love you. |
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angrypuppy Retired Number
Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 32768
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Plan 9 from Outer Space |
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TACH Retired Number
Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 28461 Location: Chillin on the Delaware.. from the Jersey Side
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:57 am Post subject: |
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frijolero01 wrote: | vanexelent wrote: | Sub question: Which is the better movie from the 90's, Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas? |
agh. not fair! Those are def. 2 of my fav. top 5 movies of ALL time |
Pulp Fiction FTW.... |
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Omar Little Moderator
Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 90337 Location: Formerly Known As 24
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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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TACH wrote: | frijolero01 wrote: | vanexelent wrote: | Sub question: Which is the better movie from the 90's, Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas? |
agh. not fair! Those are def. 2 of my fav. top 5 movies of ALL time |
Pulp Fiction FTW.... |
Although neither is top 5 all time... _________________ “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel |
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Bballguru5000 Star Player
Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 8125 Location: Born and Raised in Los Angeles, now living in Manhattan, NY.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:51 pm Post subject: |
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It's hard to name just five of my favorites, but here are some of them in no particular order:
1. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard)
2. La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini)
3. Drugstore Cowboy (Gus Van Zant)
4. A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
5. Red, White, Blue Trilogy (Keislowski)
6. 2046 (Wong Kar Wai)
7. Godfather I and II (Coppola)
8. L' Eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni)
9. The Last Emperor (Bertolucci)
10. City of God |
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easybreeze Star Player
Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 2381
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:48 am Post subject: |
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Apocalypse Now
Saving Private Ryan
Cooley High
A Bronx Tale
Diva
This list is too short. Depending on my mood this list will change. |
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KobeJaws Star Player
Joined: 25 Feb 2008 Posts: 2709 Location: Michigan
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:23 am Post subject: |
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1. Dylon
2. Dylon
3. Dylon
4. Dylon
5. Dylon!!!
I spit hot fire!!! Oops my bad were doing movies not rappers.
1. Goodfellas
2. Training Day
3. Scarface
4. Halloween
5. The Godfather |
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Ko8e8ryant Star Player
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 5562
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:54 am Post subject: |
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Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction = overrated _________________ "I think everybody should like everybody"
- Andy Warhol |
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Chrome Hearts Star Player
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 1444 Location: Formosa
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 12:27 am Post subject: |
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God of Cookery
Forrest Gump
From Justin to Kelly
Days of Being Wild
Old School _________________ RIP mamba |
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LAkers 4 Life Franchise Player
Joined: 12 Apr 2001 Posts: 14629
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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Red, White, and Blue are pretty good films that most people probably have not heard. |
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rchanou Star Player
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 5463 Location: Long Beach
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject: |
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KobeJaws wrote: | 1. Dylon
2. Dylon
3. Dylon
4. Dylon
5. Dylon!!!
I spit hot fire!!! Oops my bad were doing movies not rappers.
1. Goodfellas
2. Training Day
3. Scarface
4. Halloween
5. The Godfather |
Time to stop watching Chapelle. |
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