#95 - Pulp Fiction

AHHHH! So I haven't posted in a while. The reason, you ask? BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE! Finally last night I "screwed my courage to the sticking place", as it were, and watched it. And let me tell you, I half wish I hadn't.

Pulp Fiction, made in 1994 and starring John Travolta, Samual L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and many other well known actors, was quite the cinematic experience. I already had had an idea of the director's (Quentin Tarantino) reputation for gore, so I anticipated some violence. BUT NOT THIS BAD OH MY GOSH. It got to a point in watching it where I was desensitized to the cussing, drugs, and violence because THAT'S ALL THERE WAS. It had moments of dark humor, and even bits that I entirely enjoyed, but there were also moments where I was entirely disturbed.

In one scene Travolta and Thurman go out for burgers, and decide to enter a twist competition, which they win. At that moment I admired Thurmon's grace and cool, in particular mesmerized by the methodical way she moved her fingers and legs. I wanted to BE her, so smooth and tuff. In the next scene she nearly dies from a cocaine over dose. UNDERSTAND HOW HORRIFYING THIS WAS PEOPLE.

What particularly sticks out to me was how casual it all was. The opening scene is of a married couple who have a small marital bicker while having breakfast in a diner. They finally come to terms and gush how much they love each other. After exchanging a few passionate kisses, they stand up and scream that this is a robbery, and everybody better calm the f down.

Next there is a scene of two hit-men casually discussing weather a foot massage is an intimate action or no big deal. They hold this discussion before shooting three men to death. In the same way, one of the hit-man accidentally shoots an accomplice in the head, and is far more concerned that he is now covered in the guy's brain bits.

All this aside though, I do think it's construction is genius, as well as it's script. If that means anything to you, then by all means, watch it! It is so often referenced and well respected that, all in all, I'm ok that saw it. But SERIOUSLY, if you have a delicate soul, or are just sensitive to suffering and unnecessary killing, PLEASE.... PLEASE pass this one up! SO MUCH DISTURBED SO MUCH OH NOOO!

#96- The Searchers

The Searchers, made in 1956 and staring John Wayne, is about as classic western as you can get (this is John Wayne, after all). Classic or not, it is still in pretty stark contrast to The Unforgiven (#98) style western, that is more bloody and dark. I didn't particularly like it, not being a fan of westerns, but it wasn't bad. My feelings about it can be summed up in my first reaction: The screen pans across a beautiful but desolate desert, with a woman facing it, so you cannot see her face. I think that this is looking like it will be pretty accurate (Her costume boded well)... and then I saw her face. RED LIP STICK. Nuff said. One thing that I really loved, and now will try and quote as often as possible, is Wayne's response to anything that try's to threaten Him. No matter what potentially injuring thing confronts him, he scorns it with a, "That'l be the day!"

The movie follows Wayne's character, who swears to hunt down the Indian tribe that killed his family and kidnapped his niece, and to kill them as well as to save the girl, all the kin he has left. He is helped, or rather, hindered by an eager young man who seems to want nothing more then to put off his wedding date as well as to save the girl (who's like a sister to him)... of course!

There are funny bits, and John Wayne is freaking sexy, but mostly it was longer then it had any business being, and perpetually racist: Racist of Mexicans, but especially of Native Americans. To me it evoked the image of a boy in the '50's playing cowboys and Indians, after an outing to the theater to see this movie. By making hooting and grunting noises to portray their language, and layering himself with gaudy paint and feathers, he embodies more about his generation then he knows. Now I know you're all, "Come on Kelly, calm the heck down. It's just a movie, and a classic at that. Just embrace the time and the simplicity." And to that I would say... Ok! Because, after all, I would take this somewhat inaccurate classic over it's more serious and disturbing opposite (The Unforgiven). So there you have it, one less western to think about!