Pulp Fiction 30th Anniversary Limited Edition (1994, 4K UHD Blu-ray) Review
Paramount Pictures
Release Date: 12/3/2024
Rating: R
Film Grade: B+
The Story: Two unsophisticated robbers discuss their next job, a pair of hit men chat about the metric system on the way to their next assignment, a boxer agrees to take a fall in exchange for cash, and other assorted characters all intertwine in a series of vignettes over the course of a few days.
My Take: I intentionally skipped this movie when it first came out. Director Quentin Tarantino was the newest darling of cinema, but I didn’t find the subject matter appealing or interesting. Viewing his other movies since then, some have worked for me, but others not so much. Reservoir Dogs was great, Once Upon a Time. . . in Hollywood was good, but Inglorious Basterds was a miss. I was happy to find Pulp Fiction falls firmly in the hit category.
Like so many of his other films, the dialog is such an interesting and vital part of the varied characters. He and cowriter Roger Avary display a great feel for creating interesting ways for them to interact just by the spoken word. Each exchanges ideas and evolves their thoughts with clear and distinct voices. Some of it is just fun, chit-chatty banter, but others build suspense while leading to consequential events. In either case, they’re often trying to outmaneuver each other verbally. They’re miniature chess matches waged with words, making each move entertaining as the audience follows along.
Built around all of that are distinct little worlds that are carefully crafted for each story. From dumpy apartments to classy homes, gritty basements to suburban drug houses, and shady entertainment outlets to colorfully nostalgic pop culture eateries, each has its own personality and feeling. The settings, characters, and situations are adeptly woven and intertwined throughout the movie, with unexpected twists and shocking events.
All of this works quite well, with the viewer trying to guess what might come next but never succeeding. And, as well as that works, the movie ends up feeling a bit shallow. The dialog is great from an interest standpoint, but little of it gives us insight to the inner life of the various characters, sometimes feeling more like a monolog. With only a couple of exceptions, they don’t evolve much beyond where they started, leaving them feeling incomplete. For the characters that do change, we have an idea of where they may end up, but who can say in Tarantino’s universe? That’s a minor knock on a film that is based on and inspired by those early pulp fiction novels that weren’t exactly known for character depth or development, and the movie clearly stands above those old tales, based on the strength of dialog alone.
Speaking of those characters, the film features a plethora of talent, with not a bum performance from any of them. Even supporting roles, like Christopher Walken, are given life in what’s an essentially expository role. Time was spent rehearsing before filming started and it really shows with the smooth way familiar characters interact with each other.
This special collector’s edition comes with an assortment of extra goodies. My wife is a sucker for pop-up stuff and found the Jack Rabbit Slims diorama artwork delightful. It begs to be used as part of a centerpiece for a themed movie night with friends. The mini lobby cards feature some of the iconic images from the film, as does the photo select sheet. The sticker set also features fun images and a couple of phrases from the movie. Paramount has been finding ways to add some additional value to their classic packages, and this is another fine example.
Visuals: Comparing the 4K disc to the HD Blu-ray, I picked up some changes to the colors, some increases in resolution, and extra detail in highlights. Examples include the chrome on the cars when they walk towards Jack Rabbit Slims, details of the sidewalks and roads with some establishing shots, and the back seat of the car as they’re driving around with Marvin. The Blu-ray looks good, but the 4K looks even better. Thankfully, grain is still visible, as one would expect for a film of that time, especially considering how much of it is captured in low light. Interestingly, the two discs sport different Miramax logos, with the 4K using the older bluish worded version that would have been seen 30 years ago, and the Blu-ray showing one of the later city skyline and lights style.
Audio: The DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix is heavily focused on the front three speakers, with occasional help from the surrounds. As one might expect with a film that leans so heavily on dialog, it’s nice and clear throughout, bringing in the nuance and intonations of each word, handling barking inquisitions as easily as philosophical and spiritual discussions. An eclectic mix of popular music serves as the film’s score, including country, rock, soul, and even surf tunes, some used prominently and others as extra background atmosphere. It’s a clear soundtrack, if not exceptionally immersive.
Special Features: This set is loaded with them, apparently repackaged from earlier releases. It was interesting to watch how some background stories changed a bit from the earlier recordings to the later ones, with details added or altered. The interview with Charlie Rose was surprisingly insightful as he and Tarantino discuss the young filmmaker’s early days and successes. It was somewhat shocking to hear what was and wasn’t bleeped out during the clips Siskel and Ebert used for their special episode focused on the film and director. They also mention how films have become formulaic, partially because of computer programs that guide writers through the scripting process. One can only wonder what their thoughts would have been at today’s dawning age of AI, but I think we can guess. And no, we don’t find out what’s in the briefcase.
4K Ultra HD
- Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
- Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
- Enhanced Trivia Track
Blu-ray
- Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
- Here Are Some Facts on the Fiction
- Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Behind the Scenes Montages
- Production Design Featurette
- Siskel & Ebert "At the Movies"- The Tarantino Generation
- Independent Spirit Awards
- Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'Or Acceptance Speech
- Charlie Rose Show
- Marketing Gallery: Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots, Pulp Fiction Posters, Academy Award Campaign and Trade Ads
- Still Galleries
- Enhanced Trivia Track
Final Verdict: Looking back, I should never have waited this long before taking in this film, as I would have found it just as enjoyable decades ago. On the plus side, waiting until now allowed me to see it in 4K, which is a step above what it would have looked like at any of our local theaters. Even though I was familiar with some of the movie’s dialog through the osmosis effects of pop culture, there were still plenty of surprises. Some of those touchstones include memes and quotes that I can now appreciate and properly attribute to the movie. I had no idea who Zed was until now, for example, but I knew he was dead, baby.
Like the other sets that Paramount has put together this is another winning package, and I’m happy to see them continue the trend. Highly recommended. If you only own the Blu-ray, it may be time to upgrade to the 4K disc or consider it as a gift if you know someone like me, who’s somehow missed it over all these years.
Fun Quote: “Would you give a guy a foot massage?”
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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