... How will she get on? Watch Kill Bill to find out!
As I say, lots of people were talking about this film at the time, and even now people seem to be very opinionated about it, not necessarily in a good way. A lot of people felt that there was just too much blood and that the fight scenes ... Read review
Proudly billed as "the fourth film by Quentin Tarantino",Kill Bill, Volume 1is actually ... more
half of it (if you include his chunk ofFour Roomsit's really the fourth and a quarterth). IfJackie Brownachieved a certain maturity beyond callous cool, then this i...
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Proudly billed as "the fourth film by Quentin Tarantino",Kill Bill, Volume 1is actually ... more
half of it (if you include his chunk ofFour Roomsit's really the fourth and a quarterth). IfJackie Brownachieved a certain maturity beyond callous cool, then this i...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
The acclaimed fourth film from groundbreaking writer and director Quentin Tarantino, KILL ... more
BILL VOLUME 1 stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu and Vivica A. Fox in an astonishing. action-packed thriller about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta! Four years after...
Kill Bill Volume 1, the critically acclaimed film from groundbreaking writer and director ... more
Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), now packs even more of a punch in high definition on Blu-ray Disc!Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels, Chicago) and Vivica A. Fox (Two Can Play That Game) star in this astonishing, action-packed motion picture about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta. Four years after taking a bullet in her head at her own wedding, The Bride (Thurman) emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback... with a vengeance! Determined to finish the kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start, she hunts down her former boss, Bill (David Carradine), and the deadly squad of international assassins who perpetrated the bloody attack.With outrageous humour and pulse-pounding action - now enhanced by 1080p high definition and finely tuned audio quality - Kill Bill Volume 1 explodes off the screen on Blu-ray High Definition!
Soundtracks have always been an integral part of Quentin Tarantino's films, sometimes ... more
playing as big a role as the actors, and the soundtrack to his kung-fu exploitation flick Kill Bill Vol. 1 is no exception. Who can forget the marvellous ear-splitting use of Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You" in Reservoir Dogs, or Dusty Springfield's sublime "Son of a Preacher Man" in Pulp Fiction? Tarantino is the executive producer for the Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack and considering his penchant for the wilfully obscure and talent for dusting off old gems, it's not surprising this overtly eclectic collection makes fascinating listening. Along with the jarring--if, thankfully, few--dialogue excerpts, comes delightful gems such as Santa Esmeralda's masterful "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". There's the slide guitar-fuelled rockabilly cool of Charlie Feathers' "That Certain Female", Spaghetti Western atmospherics from Luis Bacalov, and Wu Tang Clan rapper RZA belting out "Ode to Oren". Not for the faint eared then, but despite breaking every continuity rule in the book, it makes for marvellous listening. --Christopher Barrett
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Soundtracks have always been an integral part of Quentin Tarantino's films, sometimes ... more
playing as big a role as the actors, and the soundtrack to his kung-fu exploitation flick Kill Bill Vol. 1 is no exception. Who can forget the marvellous ear-splitting use of Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You" in Reservoir Dogs, or Dusty Springfield's sublime "Son of a Preacher Man" in Pulp Fiction? Tarantino is the executive producer for the Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack and considering his penchant for the wilfully obscure and talent for dusting off old gems, it's not surprising this overtly eclectic collection makes fascinating listening. Along with the jarring--if, thankfully, few--dialogue excerpts, comes delightful gems such as Santa Esmeralda's masterful "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". There's the slide guitar-fuelled rockabilly cool of Charlie Feathers' "That Certain Female", Spaghetti Western atmospherics from Luis Bacalov, and Wu Tang Clan rapper RZA belting out "Ode to Oren". Not for the faint eared then, but despite breaking every continuity rule in the book, it makes for marvellous listening. --Christopher Barrett
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Advantages: Good acting, 70's style if you like it Disadvantages: Unlikely story, 70's style if you hate it
...trip of revenge, ready to kill each perpetrator one by one, leading up to the top dog, Bill. How will she get on? Watch Kill Bill to find out!
As I say, lots of people were talking about this film at the time, and even now people seem to be very opinionated about it, not necessarily in a good way. A lot of people felt that there was just too much blood and that the fight scenes dragged on too much. However, The Bride ... ...
Before Kill Bill, I have to admit I knew very little about Uma Thurman, in fact I had probably been guilty of seeing films with her in but never really remembering her specifically (e.g. Pulp Fiction!). Well, this was definitely the film for her because after seeing Kill Bill, I could recognise this lady anywhere! Uma plays The Bride, the woman who refuses to remain a victim for long, suffering this horrible ordeal only to put all ... more
This came out while I was in my first year at University, and I remember it well, because everyone was talking about it. Whether it was the massive death count (about 95 - fictional deaths of course) that the film was meant to have, the gore, the use of Japanese Samurai swords or the fact this was a Quentin Tarantino film, expected to be violent even for his standards, it was a must-see. It's weird because I still remember going to the cinema with only one other person, and to a very quiet cinema too (I think the football or something was on because there had been a bloody fight outside when we finally left!). In spite of the turnout, I could understand why so many people were talking about this film. Before I say any more, I hadn't realised, and nor it seems had many others, that the name of "The Bride" - our main character, is actually mentioned at the beginning of this film, so is not kept secret until the next film – unless I just saw another version. I had thought the name mentioned was a pet name, but actually it is her real name, however, I will not mention it here anyway since there may be people who’d regard it as a spoiler.
Story
The thing that thrilled me most about this film was going in knowing absolutely nothing about it, so of course I feel sort of bad if I am now going to write a plot summary that will tell you exactly what to expect, because it would have spoiled it for me! I am bearing in mind though, that this film was out in 2003 - six years ago - and by now you are bound to at least know people who've seen it and know something about it. Plus it was on telly just before I wrote this review! Nevertheless, for the few of you who know nothing, and for those who want to avoid knowing everything, I will keep it simple!
The Bride is out for revenge. All we know in Vol 1 (there is a Vol 2, by the way) is that her wedding was gatecrashed by Bill and his "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad," who murdered her 9 guests and put a bullet in her head. Worse still, she was pregnant at the time. Miraculously, The Bride wakes up 4 years later from a coma and sets out on a brutal relentless and unforgiving trip of revenge, ready to kill each perpetrator one by one, leading up to the top dog, Bill. How will she get on? Watch Kill Bill to find out!
As I say, lots of people were talking about this film at the time, and even now people seem to be very opinionated about it, not necessarily in a good way. A lot of people felt that there was just too much blood and that the fight scenes dragged on too much. However, The Bride narrates her own story, as well as the stories of the people she is after (particularly O-Ren Ishii) and we do learn quite a lot from this, even if not particularly intelligent, it is certainly interesting. The film is broken into chapters, which seems to add in suspense and a kind of Frasier-like expectation of what might come next. Coupled with the narrations, you might easily think you stumbled upon a video-book!
Unfortunately films like this can never be free of fault, and being so drastic can only mean that there will be the potential for plot holes, errors and things that simply could never happen - and this film does not appear to claim to be a fantasy in any way. The truth is that this is a film that is not interested in minor details and sometimes common sense, maybe even has intentional errors but if you can choose not to care about its flaws, it could still be worth watching.
The only other thing to point out here is that you must not be misled into thinking that this is, an intelligent film. It is really only aimed to surprise us in new and mostly violent ways. The glorification of revenge is not something to be encouraged, and the emphasis on this in the film was a bit of a shame, because it made it seem like there was really no other way. Most people will be sensible enough not to be influenced by this sort of thing, but may still be disappointed by it.
Acting/Characters
This first volume features some interesting characters, well, some more than others I suppose.
Before Kill Bill, I have to admit I knew very little about Uma Thurman, in fact I had probably been guilty of seeing films with her in but never really remembering her specifically (e.g. Pulp Fiction!). Well, this was definitely the film for her because after seeing Kill Bill, I could recognise this lady anywhere! Uma plays The Bride, the woman who refuses to remain a victim for long, suffering this horrible ordeal only to put all her energy into getting her revenge. She is passionate and shows different sides to her personality, often misleading us in our estimations of her, then taking us by surprise. It's the variety in her display of emotions that makes her so special, and also something about her appearance always seems to fit. Perhaps another actress could have played this role well, but personally I think Uma played it brilliantly.
The other key character that stood out well to me was O-Ren Ishii, played well by Lucy Liu. I've heard people say she has a constant fierce expression, but to the contrary in this film, she is quite unpredictable. Her actual scenes are only small but effective and the tension between her and Uma is powerful.
Also good were the other members of the assassination squad, and some really creepy or crazy characters. The other squad members to notice are the cold blooded Elle Driver, played by Daryl Hannah and Bill’s younger brother Budd, played by a sly looking Michael Madsen. Also look out for 17 year old Gogo Yubari, played by Chiaki Kuriyama - she is intriguing. Then there's the nasty Buck, by Michael Bowen.
Film qualities
It stood out more to me the second time, than the first time I saw this film, how much had been put into this film to make it look totally 1970s, yet I'm really not sure if it was meant to have been set in the '70s, or that was just an idea to make it look different. This includes the use of a lot of bright colour, as props, costume and also random flashes of colour across the screen.
The narration of O-Ren's life story by The Bride is completely illustrated by cartoons, rather than real actors. I thought this was really clever, and seemed to keep an element of mystery about O-Ren's past, whilst still making it easy to relate to the drawn on characters.
Alongside some really amazing music on the soundtrack (my favourite was Spanish-style music during a fight with O-Ren), there were suddenly '70s-style sounds thrown in. First time I saw the film, the soundtrack seemed pretty random, but on a second viewing I suppose I appreciated it more. I hate old-fashioned stuff, and in my opinion things left in the past are left there for a reason! However, this was actually quite good and at least I was able to appreciate, if not enjoy the '70s bits.
The fighting choreography is impressive, particularly on the first viewing when you have no idea what to expect! The moves often seem much too fast and in too many different directions to be real, but following it with your eyes is where the fun lies anyway.
There is a hell of a lot of blood in this film, and for some, even though it looks like bright red ketchup, blatantly, watching it spurt from wounds could be off-putting still! There are too many, erm, severances in this film, and after a while it actually gets a bit tired. Blood does spurt rapidly from the biggest arteries, but the 70's style used here means it looks completely fake, and personally I didn't like this effect. I suppose you can't just go halfway with the '70s style.
Classification
The rating could not have been any less than 18 and the reason is pretty clear. This is one bloodthirsty movie, filled with crude imagery, swearing and although no sexual scenes, ideas about them that would make a porn star cringe. So to give a lower rating would not just be wrong or irresponsible, it would be crazy. As I said above, most people would not be easily influenced by this kind of film, but the exception probably is younger audiences, and before you accuse me of exaggerating I was once unfortunate enough to meet someone who thought threatening people with fake Samurai swords was clever (he remained a stranger, thank God). This film definitely makes violence and revenge look clever and sexy, and that means people who can't think of any other way to look clever or sexy will pick up the wrong principles.
Conclusion
Whether you watch this film or not is going to depend mostly on whether you like violent action films and lots of blood (ketchup) or not. The acting is good and amusing first time, and there are some really funny moments, but funnier the first time. You might also enjoy it for the choreography, but even this gets tiresome after a while, whether reflective of how determined this woman is and how well she needs to hold out, I don't know and am past caring. I've seen the film twice now, and second time around I was probably only half as impressed as viewing number 1. I probably won't want to see this film again, and if I do see it, I'll be flicking through channels on the telly! This film was like a raging fire when it was released, but now the flame is dying. My advice - it's a shame if you missed it on telly - is to just rent or watch once, and just enjoy it for what it is. Probably lots of people just see it for the sake of saying 'yes, I've seen Kill Bill'.
Advantages: Bloody, violent, action-fest Disadvantages: Limited plot, part 1 of 2 films
...Quite simply, she intends to Kill Bill.
I’m not a fan of Quentin Tarantino films. For me, Pulp Fiction was grossly over-rated and Reservoir Dogs bored me senseless. You can imagine my surprise, therefore, when his 4th film, Kill Bill, entertained me more than any film I can recall in the last twelve months and beyond. I don’t think that Kill Bill could purport to be a masterpiece, but it does come pretty damn close and I have to say ... ...Kill Bill apparently came from a conversation between Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman (The Bride) on the set of the last Tarantino film, Pulp Fiction. Thurman had an idea about a woman who, apparently murdered on her wedding day, rises from the dead and exacts her terrible revenge on those who were responsible. It was such a simple premise that at face value, you wouldn’t imagine that it could be turned into such an entertaining film. At ...
LostWitness 27.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kill Bill Vol.1 (DVD)
Advantages: Superb martial arts action thriller Disadvantages: You need to like violent action films to enjoy this
...new and hopefully tasty dishes. Kill Bill Vol. 1 is the first instalment of an attempt by king of cool director Quentin Tarantino to create ‘Fusion’ Cinema and he has been very liberal with his ingredients. So is this a recipe for disaster or a gourmand’s dream?
One major criticism of this film, which I have heard again and again, is that it is self indulgent and pretentious. I came to watching this as a huge Tarantino fan but with many reservations ... ...forward to their contribution in Kill Bill 2. Sonny Chiba one of the greats of martial arts movies is excellent as the specialist samurai sword maker while Vivica A. Fox and Lucy Liu provide Thurman with some stylish but deadly opposition.
One final aspect with is certainly worth mentioning is the music. This again was a wonderful fusion of different styles most of the background soundtrack is an oriental sounding Spaghetti western style mix that ...
Mauri 15.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kill Bill Vol.1 (DVD)
Advantages: Thurman is amazing, Tarantino's direction is flawless and the fight choreography is stunning. Disadvantages: Err... well its only half a film.
...this. I've just been watching KILL BILL VOLUME 1 again you see (which would make it about the 100th time since my first cinema viewing) and I'm still quite excited. After the hype has died down, going back to the film is almost like seeing it with fresh eyes, no longer are there expectations, just perceptions and in a strange way they still bring with them surprise. If I loved the film the first time, then I did so even more the second, by the time ... ...sit behind a camera and KILL BILL is an absolute reflection of that.
Through Tarantino's ever original use of plot arrangement KILL BILL VOL 1 flips back and forth in time, uses a large variety of stylistic filmmaking techniques and a whole lot of outrageous bloodletting. It then fuses them together with a sharp, witty and camp-ish script to tell the first of a two part story that depicts one Bride's plan for revenge on the hit squad that shot her, ...
moxon123 14.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kill Bill Vol.1 (DVD)
..."Kill Bill volume 1".
Kill Bill Volume 1
111 minutes
Martial Arts/Action
Rated 18
*Extreme bloody violence/Bad language/Sexual references*
Released October 2003
Cast : Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Darryl Hannah, Vivica Fox, Julie Dreyfus, Sonny Chiba, Chiaki Kuriyama.
In the very first sequence of this film we see in black and white a woman bloodied, bruised, trembling in fear of her life. Footsteps indicate her tormentor is approaching, ... ...great martial arts skills and kill remorselessly. The woman (we never get to hear her name and it is edited when spoke by other characters in the film ?) appears to have been shot at her wedding whilst heavily pregnant after being attacked by her four colleagues BUT amazingly she survives and is given a metal plate in her head at a hospital. Bill at first intends to have her killed whilst she lays in her coma but decides against it as it would be ...
WormThatTurned 05.11.2003 (06.11.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kill Bill Vol.1 (DVD)
Advantages: That yellow jumpsuit and a superb soundtrack Disadvantages: Blood, death, mindless violence, spurting arteries and flying limbs.
...movie of the year – Kill Bill Volume 1. Kill Bill is of course the fourth film to be written and directed by cinema’s one true maverick, Quentin Tarantino. I list Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown in my top ten films of all time, and although the violent aspects of the trailers had worried me, I was looking forward to enjoying those touches that only Tarantino has the balls to pull off. The opening moments didn’t disappoint. Nancy Sinatra singing ‘Bang ... ...fight scene. Move over Matrix, Kill Bill can drag violence out to lengths you can only dream of. The fighting becomes increasingly frenzied and souped-up, with Thurman (recently recovered from a four year coma) clinging to the roof, flying through the air and performing myriad other incredible moves. This all reminded me of the kung-fu programmes we used to watch as kids, where the fighter takes on super powers, and beats everybody. But why! Sorry ...
ShoppingGirl 27.10.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Kill Bill Vol.1 (DVD)
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Advantages: Great entertainment Disadvantages: Some might find the films too violent
and will really only appeal to fans of Tarantino films and fans of fast moving action films - not that I am a great fan of either but I am happy to give this film a strong 9 out of 10. I really enjoyed it all for some reason, even if the violence did make me cringe several times. I just found it overall to be quite a well directed and acted film all round with some spectacular action scenes especially in the second half of the first film which was probably my favourite from the two films as a whole.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Run time: KillBill volume 1 & 2 = 242 minutes
Film Release Date(s): KillBill1 = October 2003, KillBill 2 = April 2004
DVD Release Date: Jan 2005
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Producer: Lawrence Bender
Music by: Robert Rodriguez
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Art Direction: Daniel Bradford (both films ...
Advantages: Uma Thurman's performance, an epic movie. Disadvantages: As usual, from Tarantino, none!
as both volumes make up the whole, the consistency they give to each other, even though they?re completely distinct.
The first volume has a frenetic rhythm, defined by the action scenes, whilst the second supports itself on the dialogues that can be as hurtful as the gashes of the sword. The second volume is at times intimate. Both volumes of ?KillBill? make a unique and fabulous movie, being at the same time two great movies themselves. It?s almost inexplicable, because one doesn?t make any sense without the other. And maybe it?s because of that that in the end of the second movie you will see two ending credits, one inspired on Volume 1 environment and the other on Volume 2.
Besides all these details, another key factor for the success of this film is the performance of Uma Thurman; impeccable! At the same time she manages to ...
Advantages: A Quentin Tarantino film with a great plot, and amusing blood Disadvantages: Some people find it boring, but I don't understand it myself...
loaded into the DVD player, there are 4 options; to play the film, Scene Selection, Setup, and Special Features. Each of the 4 menus is really quite self explanatory allowing you to play the film, select specific scenes from the film to play, setup settings for sound etc, and view the special features on the disc. When you select Special Features, a new menu appears listing the special features.
Volume 1 Special Features:
-Making of featurette
-5,6,7,8's perform 'Jayne Mansfield' and 'I'm Blue'
-KillBill Volume 2 teaser
-KillBill Volume 1 teaser
-KillBill Volume 1 trailer
Volume 2 Special Features:
-Making of 'KillBill Volume 2'
-KillBill Volume 2 Premiere Chingon Performance
-Deleted Scenes
Personally, I don't think that the special features in this collection are extremely 'special'. However, I am not, personally ...
The Bride was once part of a group of top female assassins called the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. When she realises that she's pregnant she decides to leave, assume a new identity and get married. This does not sit well with Bill, her former boss. On her wedding day, he along with the other members of the group attacks the wedding party leaving them for dead... The Bride awakes from being in a coma for five years and sets out to get her revenge...
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINM; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Release date
19/04/2004
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
BED 881273
Barcode
5017188812733
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Featurette - 1. Making-of, Music Videos: The 5, Teaser Trailers for KILL BILL VOLS 1
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 DTS
Professional reviews
Review
"...Without doubt one of the greatest films I have ever seen..." (Daily Mirror, )
"...Quentin Tarantino has made the most exciting film of the year..." (The Guardian, )
DVD Description
Quentin Tarantino returns to the director's chair with KILL BILL after a six-year hiatus. The movie proves once again that he is a hyperactive visionary and the master of cinematic coolness. Split into two volumes by Miramax in order to ensure that Tarantino's vision would not be compromised (and presumably to sell more tickets), KILL BILL: VOLUME 1 tells the first half of the sprawling story, which is quite simple at first glance. A female assassin, referred to as "The Bride" (Uma Thurman), is attacked on her wedding day. Dead are her soon-to-be husband and unborn child. However, she doesn't die. Four years later, she wakes up from a coma looking for revenge. Although her ultimate target is her former boss, Bill (David Carradine), it's quite clear that The Bride is saving the best for last. And before she can track him down, she must methodically take out the minions who ruined her life. VOLUME 1's targets include Vernita Green/Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox), Sofie Fatale (Julie Dreyfus), and the heartless O-Ren Ishii/Cottonmouth (Lucy Liu). Using a blessed sword handmade by Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba), The Bride begins her relentless assault. Turning up the style and energy levels that he kept under a threshold with 1997's JACKIE BROWN, Tarantino's obvious glee and reverence for the underground kung fu action pictures of the '70s, and Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, makes for a stunning visual spectacle. Employing split screens, slow-motion, an anime sequence, and his trademark ultra-hip musical selections, Tarantino's film dares viewers to be unimpressed.
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