Umbrellas Are For Tourists: 04/05/09

Sunday, April 5, 2009

With Some More Help From My Friends

Becca, this one's for you.

LIKE a BOSS!

Flashback: Pulp Fiction

It's no secret I love oddball Quentin Tarantino.

His best film to date - though Reservoir Dogs competes for the title - was 1994's genre-breaking, Oscar-winning Pulp Fiction. The script was unprecedentedly original, the characters certifiable and complex. The career-making performances reflect several of the actors most daring, if not their best work to date.

Nominated for seven Academy Awards in '95 including Best Director (Tarantino), Best Actor in a Leading Role (John Travolta), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Uma Thurman), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Samuel L. Jackson), the film only took home one at the end of the night. Nothing to scoff at however, the Oscar for Best Writing in a Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen went to the ambitious Tarantino.

Here's what you may or may not know about Quentin. The man surely has a love affair with his own music collection, and I couldn't be more fine with it. Remember when I loved all over Kill Bill? Proof that Quentin knows his music:

Exhibit A: Reservoir Dogs
The choice of Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle With You" for the infamous torture/ear scene. Michael Madsen is almost too good as the psycho Mr. Blonde.

Exhibit B: Grindhouse: Death Proof
The use of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch's only hit "Hold Tight" in this mediocre, if not entertaining film.

Exhibit C: Kill Bill (with help from RZA)
Nancy Sinatra's perfect intro: the sultry "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)."

Exhibit D: Pulp Fiction
With songs from Neil Diamond, the Statler Brothers, Dusty Sprinfield, and Kool & The Gang, the compilation successfully transforms my world into that of Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega. I never thought I'd feel so comforted to be in the company of hitmen, but great dialogue excerpts don't hurt. Hands down, the highlight for me is Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell." Maybe I have a secret desire to be in a dance contest, but everything about this scene was to die for.