Kill Bill

[Loki]

Uma's making a killing
By Luke Leitch, Arts Reporter, Evening Standard
24 September 2003

The most hotly anticipated film of the year is about to burst onto our cinema screens.

Kill Bill is the first film from Quentin Tarantino since 1997's Jackie Brown and Hollywood's ultimate maverick director is under huge pressure to score a palpable hit.

Now the first reviews are in - and they are raves.

According to Total Film, which gives it five out of five, Kill Bill is "quite brilliant".

"It's...very much a Tarantino masterpiece, QT's fingerprints being smeared over every inch of this beautiful baby...so good it deserves mention in the same breath as Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction."

More plaudits come from Empire Magazine, which gives it four out of five and also praised its "sly visual wit".

The review, published in next month's issue, also praises Uma Thurman's performance and urges filmlovers to "just sit back and enjoy the splatter".

It goes on: "A worthy addition to QT's canon and one of the most thrilling movies of 2003."

However, Empire does question Tarantino's writing and a decision to split the film into two parts (part two follows next year), saying: "The real question is does it stand alone? To which the answer is - just about. But only Volume 2 will determine if Bill has a heart to go along with all the guts."

Although the movies boast a cast including Thurman, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah, the real reason movie-lovers are clamouring to see this film is Tarantino.

The film follows a bloody path of vengeance taken by The Bride (Thurman), an assassin who awakes from a five-year coma with a bullet lodged in her skull. She sets out to track down her former boss, Bill, who ordered a massacre at her wedding after she tried to quit crime.

According to co-star Liu, who plays Japanese gang mastermind O-Ren Ishii, some of the violence in Kill Bill is so extreme, audiences may be physically sick - hardly a glowing reference.

And Thurman adds to the queasiness when she says of her character: "I get shot in the head, raped, kicked, beaten and sliced by samurai swords - they should have called it Kill Uma."

Tarantino is one of Hollywood's best-known and revered directors but Kill Bill is only his fourth film and after a six-year absence some have questioned whether he could repeat the success of his first three films.

As well as a long sabbatical for Tarantino, the absence was for one other unavoidable delay - a break in production while his star and muse Thurman had her second child.

Tarantino and Thurman conjured up Kill Bill together in 1994 while they were filming Pulp Fiction and the director insisted to studio bosses he would not consider replacing her.

Tarantino said: "It was written for her and I was under pressure to get someone else but I said: 'Uma's the only one who can do it. No one can act pissed-off better than Uma'."

So it was not until Thurman gave birth to her second child, Roan, in January last year, and then had some time to undergo the gruelling sword and martial arts training regime vital for her role, that filming finally began.

We will see for ourselves on 10 October whether Tarantino has come up with the goods when the first instalment is released, before the follow-up arrives next year.

Total Film's editor Matt Mueller said: "The fact that Tarantino doesn't make films that often means that when he does it is an event.

"Kill Bill may not have as wide appeal because it is influenced by forms of film that Tarantino loves - he is going to town on genres like exploitation films and kung-fu films. That could just limit its appeal."

[Big Si]

Can't wait!

But hope it's good as two instalments. When's he doing his men on a m*****n movie?

[Black Shuck]

I can't wait either, but am a tad skeptical about these unanimous fantastic reviews being leaked to the press.
could be studio skullduggery!

He's yet to make a bad film, though. bring it on!

[karin]

Can't wait either er....either. Uma Thurman is in my 'Top 5 most gorgeous women on the planet' List. Tarantino is a supreme talent too but I hope he doesn't try acting again (groan)

[CellThree]

Very much looking forward to this gotta be said! I am going to go see the dodgy vampire flick in the next couple of days. I know it is supposed to be awful, but I need to leave the house at some point this week that doens't involve supermarkets or work :/

[Andy TG]

Very much looking forward to this gotta be said! I am going to go see the dodgy vampire flick in the next couple of days. I know it is supposed to be awful, but I need to leave the house at some point this week that doens't involve supermarkets or work :/

@ Cell Three

That would be Underworld would it?

Or as a friend I went to see it with put it "Underpants" - I would also add Under-written, Under-acted, Under-polished, Under-budget, Under-duress, Under-achieving, Under-Blah Blah Blah - you get the idea

As for "Kill Bill" - I am very much looking forward to it. I may even treat myself to a trip to a very large multiplex

[Loki]

Better late than never ...read an article last weeked in S:2 magazine. Under a rather charming, blood-soaked scene pic of Uma, brandishing her sword, the caption read:

'BLACK COMEDY: Thurman's vanquishes a small army of Japanese mobsters before announcing: "Those of you lucky enough to still have your lives take them with you - but leave the limbs you've lost. They belong to me"

[CellThree]

@Cell Three, how did you get your pet cat to do an Eldritch impression?

He naturally has a pissed off scowl impression on his face...usually cause he's pissed off with us about something. Believe it or not he was quite happy that day. It was the first day we'd let him outside in the new house. He was only supposed to have a sniff round the garden, not find the first hole in the fence and leg it across two neighbouring gardens. He won't wear a collar so until he realises that unless he has a collar then he won't be going outside he isn't leaving the house again.

He has 3 teeth (a result of him being kicked in the face when he was younger, he's a rescur cat), 7 toes on the front feet and 6 on the back, he's scared of the slightest little thing and will get his arse kicked by the neighbourhood cats hence another reason why we don't want him to go outside. The Kitty will have to deal with it!

[Big Si]

The posters are up on all the bus stops in Glasgow, and they look fantastic!

[dee902]

I'm looking forward to it myself! But knowing me, I'll probably wait until it comes on cable.

[Jim]

Just popped over to the website and checked out the trailer. Looks a lot of fun.

[Andy TG]

Mrs Goth and Myself went to a UCG Multiplex last night (Saturday) to see Quentins 4th film "Kill Bill" - and it was F***ing Brilliant:eek:

The acting was great, the visuals were out of this world, as was the sound track. The story is fantastic - IMHO the best work that Tarantino has done thus far.

Hope to go and see it again asap and will be first in the queue for tickets to see Volume 2!

My advice - Go And See It!

[RicheyJames]

i hate to agree with people. so i'll concur. now get your sorry asses to the local multiplex pronto before i come over all crazy 88...

[Padstar]

Saw this the night befor last and really enjoyed it! Its a testamony to Tarentino that he can produce such carnage and balance that with wit, editorial savvy and interesting characters. Its a juxtoposition that so many other directors try and fail at.

I have to say in fact that visually i found the whole thing stunning..... oddly colouful and cartoonesque (Sorry Richey if thats not a word ). Ide advise anyone but the squeemish to try it out.

Paddy.

[CellThree]

Finally got to see this the other night. What a fantastic film.

Also went to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre as well. What a waste of two hours. Bad horror-by-numbers. You could tell the order of who was going to die/survive etc within the first 10 mins. I like bad horror movies, but there is a big difference between bad-enjoyable and bad-wondering-how-to-get-your-money-refunded! Just watched the original. At least that was creepy.

[Angelchild]

Finally got to see this the other night. What a fantastic film.

Also went to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre as well. What a waste of two hours. Bad horror-by-numbers. You could tell the order of who was going to die/survive etc within the first 10 mins. I like bad horror movies, but there is a big difference between bad-enjoyable and bad-wondering-how-to-get-your-money-refunded! Just watched the original. At least that was creepy.

Ah ha.Wondered about the remake as a fan of the original.My suspicions are now confimed. Thanks CellThree for the tip off.
BTW I like your groovy avatar you have at the mo.

[zigeunerweisen]

Although i'm not the hugest fan i've seen all Tarantino's previous movies and very much enjoyed all of them, and so i was at least a little bit curious to see what would come out of his newest one. I haven't seen it yet, all i've seen was a special they had on tv the other day where they showed images of the movie for 15 or so minutes and then interviews with the actors and Tarantino himself.
All i can say, and please, i'm not trying to be obnoxious here, especially after so many people posted about how they liked the movie, but from what i saw it was bloody awful and even a little bit ridiculous. I know a special is not the same as the whole movie, and believe me, i'm very much expecting and hoping to be wrong once i see the whole thing, but... it was too stupid to be true. What the hell is that supposed to be? A cartoon with people? The matrix with colours? And Uma Thurman, besides looking like a boy is anorexic, is that supposed to be atractive at all? And why the hell as Lucy Liu been casted for every single asian female role in the US for the past 3 years or so? Aren't there like a billon other female asians out there?
If they make a stupid movie and sell it as a parody or something, i'm ok with that, but all the hype, the excitement and fuss about what they say is supposed to be such a brilliant movie? I think i'm getting old.

And yes, i'm having a bad day

[mugabe]

Watched "Kill Bill vol.1" last night, and I really don't understand the hype. Go see "Shogun Assassin" instead. Or "Finding Nemo".

[randdebiel²]

what?! kill bill is probably the coolest movie ever (admittedly not one of the best....but the coolness is so huge it doesn't matter....actually I went for a second time the next day )