Pulp Fiction

Dir: Quentin Tarentino, 1995 (8.4*)

Palm d'Or (Cannes )

AFI Top 100

Inspired by Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai’s trilogy in two films, Chungking Express and Fallen Angels, this film is in three parts, with connected characters, and is a new wave crime film, "pulp noir" or "punk pulp", if you will. Samuel L. Jackson (Oscar nomination)- who reportedly got the part when Denzel said the script was "racist" to him - and John Travolta (Oscar nomination) play hit men for a drug kingpin, and two segments feature them. Boxer Bruce Willis is featured in another segment, in which we get to meet the kingpin himself, in a scene of utter degradation.
There’s a good bit of humor and some very squeamish scenes, especially one where Travolta has to save an overdosing Uma Thurman (Oscar nomination) with an adrenaline shot to the heart – yeowww! (I think I was hiding behind the seat in front of me this point, cowering like a 5 yr old in Jaws!) Harvey Keitel has a juicy turn as a "cleaner" (body removal), but you’d have to say that Tarentino is the star of this film, now a cult classic. It lost the big Oscars to the timid Forrest Gump, this likely scared the crap out of Hollywood! 7 nominations (incl. Picture and Director), One Oscar (Screenplay)