Pulp Fiction (1994)

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

Director:

Quentin Tarantino

Writers:

Quentin Tarantino (story), Roger Avary (story),

Stars:

John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

Top 250 #4 | Won 1 Oscar. Another 59 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Vincent Vega
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Jules Winnfield
Tim Roth	...	Pumpkin / Ringo
Amanda Plummer	...	Honey Bunny / Yolanda
Eric Stoltz	...	Lance
Bruce Willis	...	Butch Coolidge
Ving Rhames	...	Marsellus Wallace
Phil LaMarr	...	Marvin
Maria de Medeiros	...	Fabienne
Rosanna Arquette	...	Jody
Peter Greene	...	Zed
Uma Thurman	...	Mia Wallace
Duane Whitaker	...	Maynard
Paul Calderon	...	Paul / English Bob
Frank Whaley	...	Brett

Storyline

Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are two hitmen who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia out a few days later when Wallace himself will be out of town. Butch Coolidge is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are woven together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled-for incidents.

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Plot Keywords:

boxer | restaurant | briefcase | redemption | diner | 

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Taglines:

You won't know the facts until you've seen the fiction.

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Genres:

Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish French

Release Date:

14 October 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Black Mask

Filming Locations:

1525 N. Van Ness Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£4,243,233 (UK) (11 November 1994)

Gross:

£10,734,320 (UK) (24 February 1995)

Company Credits

Production Co:

A Band Apart, Jersey Films, Miramax Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min 168 min (special edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The book that Vincent reads when he goes to the bathroom is "Modesty Blaise" by Peter O'Donnell. "Modesty Blaise" was a popular British comic strip featuring a female secret agent. Tarantino is a big fan of the character and wants to someday make a film based on it.

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Goofs

Butch reads the cab driver's name as "Esmarelda Villa Lobos" then she tells him she is Colombian. The correct Spanish spelling is "Esmeralda" (meaning "emerald").

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pumpkin: Forget it. Too risky. I'm through doing that shit.
Yolanda: You always say that. That same thing every time, "I'm through, never again, too dangerous".
Pumpkin: I know that's what I always say. I'm always right, too.
Yolanda: But you forget about it in a day or two.
Pumpkin: Yeah, well the days of me forgetting are over, and the days of me remembering have just begun.

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Crazy Credits

The coffee shop manager in the robbery scene at the end is credited as "Coffee Shop" because he is cut off as he speaks: "I am not a hero, I'm just a coffee shop--"

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Connections

Referenced in Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Bustin' Surfboards"
Written by Gerald Sanders, Jesse Sanders, Norman Sanders & Leonard Delaney
Performed by The Tornadoes
Courtesy of GNP Crescendo Records

User Reviews

Hands down, the best film of the '90s.

Pulp Fiction, despite borrowing from just about every movie ever made, is the most invigorating cinema experience a filmgoer can ever hope for. Its hodgepodge of violence, mayhem, and generally deviant behavior is an assault on the senses, not to mention political correctness. However, despite all the film's cleverness and style, it hinges on the performance put forth by Samuel L. Jackson as Jules. The fact that he was denied an Oscar is a downright shame. Martin Landau, the best supporting actor winner that year, was terrific and funny in Ed Wood, but Jackson was perhaps the most commanding screen presence in film history as the bible-quoting, godfearing hitman. The last scene in the coffee shop with Tim Roth still sends chills down my spine, no matter how many times I've seen it. Rumors of a prequel involving Jules and Vincent (John Travolta) have been floating around lately. If Quentin Tarantino wishes to regain the fans he lost with the dissapointing (but still pretty good) Jackie Brown, he should get to work right away. I'll be the first in line to see the finished product.