Tagarchief: Pulp Fiction

03. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writers: Quentin Tarantino (stories), Roger Avary (stories), Quentin Tarantino (screenplay)
Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

This review is part of the feature:

The 33 Gangster Films You Can’t Refuse

In 1994, a film was released at the Cannes Film Festival that shook the foundations of the industry. Here was a talented 31-year old director who really seemed to understand the language of cinema like no other.

This director was named Quentin Tarantino, and he had debuted two years earlier with the sensational heist movie Reservoir Dogs. That film got excellent reviews, but not a wide release. His second movie made Tarantino a household name.

Although he has made a number of terrific genre movies since, his take on the gangster genre remains his greatest work.

Pulp Fiction famously weaves together four crime stories in L.A. in a tapestry of humor, violence, pop culture references and mystery. Famous for its nonlinear storytelling, Pulp Fiction is a grand exercise in style that is as inimitable as it is brilliant.

It won the award for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival and later the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (shared by Tarantino with his friend Roger Avery who contributed the story The Gold Watch to the script).

In 2013, Pulp Fiction was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant’. It is without a doubt one of the most original and influential gangster movies of all time.

Dungeon Classics #43: Die Hard with a Vengeance

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….


Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995, USA)

Director: John McTiernan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson
Running Time: 128 mins.

The Die Hard franchise built its reputation on a simple yet gripping premise: a tough, resourceful cop trapped in a confined space under siege by terrorists. This formula worked brilliantly in Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2 (1990). For the third installment, however, the creators sought fresh ground. The script was originally titled ‘Simon Says’ and was considered by Joel Silver as the third sequel to Lethal Weapon (1987). When Twentieth Century Fox refused to sell the rights however, the script was reworked into Die Hard with a Vengeance, recasting the villain Simon as the vengeful brother of Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman’s iconic antagonist from the first film). The result is a high-energy, action-packed thriller, and the best sequel to the brilliant original. John McClane (Bruce Willis) and his reluctant sidekick, Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson), race across New York City, completing Simon’s deadly tasks to prevent a series of explosions. The film balances humor and spectacle better than its predecessors, delivering both sharp wit and explosive action. The chemistry between Willis and Jackson is electric, especially with Zeus’s fiery, anti-white rhetoric adding a provocative edge. Their dynamic is further enriched by a clever nod to their previous collaboration in Pulp Fiction (1994), with a humorous reference to “smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo.” Die Hard with a Vengeance proves that even within a familiar franchise, innovation can keep the excitement alive.

Dungeon Classics #40: Killing Zoe

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Killing Zoe (1993, USA, France)

Director: Roger Avary
Cast: Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy, Jean-Hugues Anglade
Running Time: 96 mins.

Before Tarantino and co-writer Roger Avary struck gold with Pulp Fiction in 1994, both had written and directed a feature. Tarantino made Reservoir Dogs in 1992. While searching for locations for that film, its producer Lawrence Bender found a great bank in downtown Los Angeles which, although not suitable for Reservoir Dogs, seemed perfect for a movie set in a bank. Bender called every screenwriter he knew, asking if they had a script set in a bank. Roger Avary lied and said he did, then furiously wrote the first draft in under two weeks. Although the film is supposed to be set in Paris, it was shot almost entirely in L.A., with only the opening and closing road sequences filmed in the actual city. The story follows a criminal named Zed (Eric Stoltz) – two links to Pulp Fiction right there – who joins his old friend Eric (Jean-Hugues Anglade) and his gang to pull off a robbery during Bastille Day. Beforehand, he orders a prostitute named Zoe (Julie Delpy), and the two immediately click. The night before the robbery, the crew goes out on a binge fueled by booze and heroin. This stretch of the movie drags, but once the robbery begins, the film shifts into the right gear. The heist goes spectacularly wrong, leading to a series of twisted and disturbing turns. Avary, whose filmmaking career never really went very far, proves himself a quite capable director here. Is this on the level of Tarantino? No, it’s too flawed for that, but this is still a memorable, exploitation movie known for its nihilistic tone and merciless violence.

Reservoir Dykes: Four Times Tarantino Referenced the Netherlands (VIDEO)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

My first video for Jeppy’s Video Circus in 2025 is another pop culture special.

I’m kicking off the year with another deep dive into pop culture – this time, exploring how Quentin Tarantino has (knowingly or not) woven the Netherlands into his cinematic universe.

Most fans remember the famous Pulp Fiction dialogue about Dutch culture (you know the one). But fewer people realize that Tarantino’s nods to the Netherlands go beyond that. In fact, subtle references pop up in Reservoir Dogs, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 – and I break them down in this video.

Right after wrapping up the edit, I stumbled upon something fascinating: Tarantino once had an idea for a movie set entirely in Amsterdam. The film, The Vega Brothers, would’ve brought together Vic Vega (Michael Madsen’s character from Reservoir Dogs) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta’s character from Pulp Fiction) in a prequel.

In a ReelBlend podcast, Tarantino explained the concept: the film would follow Vincent Vega as he runs a nightclub for Marcellus Wallace in Amsterdam. His brother Vic comes to visit, and – naturally – chaos ensues. Honestly, it sounds like it could’ve been an instant classic.

Sadly, the idea was shelved. Tarantino felt both actors had aged out of the roles and didn’t want to go The Irishman route with de-aging tech. A real shame, because that setting and those characters could’ve made for something special.

Anyway, check out the video below for all the Dutch connections you might’ve missed in Tarantino’s films. Hope you enjoy it!