Kill Bill Vol2

[SilverZ]

Got the R2 DVD this morning. The HOBL is all in color, but there's a lot of restored bits in it as well, mostly gore. Here's what I've noticed so far:

-"Revenge is a dish best served cold. (-Old Klingon proverb)" card before credits has been replaced by "This film is dedicated to master filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku, 1930-2003"
- Origin of O-Ren anime has several inserts of Matsumora's death; katana slicing up torso, exposed intestines, about 4 inserts.
- Go-Go's Intro has an extended shot of the disembowelment of her "friend", showing intestines hitting the floor.
- House of Blue Leaves is obviously in color, but also includes several additional shots, more than I could keep track of. Of note, a reaction shot by Sophie to a dismemberment of a Crazy 88, and several additional gore shots, as far as I can tell so far.
- Sophie's interrogation has the addition of The Bride hacking off her right arm, blood hits camera.

This qualifies the Japanese version as an entirely unique version of the movie.

There's also a ton of additional supplements that aren't on the US DVD, including a lot more making-of material on the anime sequence, and a behind the scenes video, unnarrated about the HOBL.

[JoshEEE]

I thought Kill Bill one sucked, and had very low expectations for volume two. I went to see it on opening night with a bunch of friends at the best theater (which is always half the experience in itself) and must admit that volume 2 is a far better movie than the first. It also has the character development and dialog that in retrospect makes Volume 1 "good".

My only big beef is that this WASN'T released as one long movie, edited a little differently. Seeing this movie made me realize how many parts KB1 is missing, and what a shame it is that Tarantino thought the American public couldn't stomach the whole thing. I know I would have much rather seen this in a theater all at once  (maybe with intermission a la' Dances with Wolves).

Overall, the movie itself gets a thumbs up from me....and I can't wait to see if he'll do a big special edition DVD where the whole thing is edited together the way it should be.

[Rob]

I thought Kill Bill one sucked, and had very low expectations for volume two. I went to see it on opening night with a bunch of friends at the best theater (which is always half the experience in itself) and must admit that volume 2 is a far better movie than the first. It also has the character development and dialog that in retrospect makes Volume 1 "good".

My only big beef is that this WASN'T released as one long movie, edited a little differently. Seeing this movie made me realize how many parts KB1 is missing, and what a shame it is that Tarantino thought the American public couldn't stomach the whole thing. I know I would have much rather seen this in a theater all at once  (maybe with intermission a la' Dances with Wolves).

Overall, the movie itself gets a thumbs up from me....and I can't wait to see if he'll do a big special edition DVD where the whole thing is edited together the way it should be.

It had nothing to do with Tarentino - and everything to do with the studio.  They wouldn't allow it out as one film to do length and they wouldn't allow it with all the gore due to the fact that movies with any rating worse than R do crap at the box office.

In theory - the two films should be edited together - because it is only one movie - in a directors cut version with everything QT wanted for release on DVD eventually.  I'm holding out my purchasing until then.

People who liked one KB more than the other should really say "I liked the ending more than the beginning."

[JoshEEE]

In theory - the two films should be edited together - because it is only one movie - in a directors cut version with everything QT wanted for release on DVD eventually.  I'm holding out my purchasing until then.
 

Yeah. I borrowed KB1 to watch the other day before KB2 (to refresh my memory, and give it a second try). I still thought it sucked, but at least I remembered who O-Ren Ishii was when I went into the theater for V2.

But I definitely would not buy the DVD of either movie until it had some sort of cool "watch it all together" feature. Otherwise, it's a netflix at best for me.

People who liked one KB more than the other should really say "I liked the ending more than the beginning."

Exactly. Seeing V2 really helped me to understand just how much better this would have been as one big movie. It made the first movie (which was really just an idiotic kung fu fest) actually have some coolness factor to it. I mean, you understand a little more about who "The Bride" is and why she's on her rampage. Plus...you get the "kiddo" joke.  

Anyway...I realize you're right, and it was probably the studios who didn't think this would play as one big movie...but again, I hope to have that option down the road with DVD>

[Force Guy]

Kill Bill Volume 2 was incredible. At first, I thought it wouldn't match up to the first, but ultimately, I liked it much better than Volume 1.  Volume 2 was more character-driven, which was great.  We finally got an in-depth look at Bill's character and a look at Beatrice's background (especially her martial arts training with Pai Mei).  I thought that the fight scene between Elle and Beatrice was awesome & it met my expectations.  I'm curious on whether or not the Bride kept Budd's Hanzo sword or Bill's Hanzo sword, to keep as trophies or keepsakes.    

[Rob]

I"m tellin' you man - she didn't keep mementos.  They were secondary and of no importance.

The only thing she took with her other than her own sword for any sentimental reason would be her daughter.

Other than that anything she took along (like the pussywagon) was for functional use only.  Her motives weren't possession-based, not even a little bit.

[Force Guy]

I"m tellin' you man - she didn't keep mementos.  They were secondary and of no importance.

The only thing she took with her other than her own sword for any sentimental reason would be her daughter.

Other than that anything she took along (like the pussywagon) was for functional use only.  Her motives weren't possession-based, not even a little bit.

I realize that the Bride wasn't possession-oriented, but you have to put a Samurai sword in its proper context.  The Samurai regarded their swords as the "soul" of their warriorship.  The Samurai held their swords in the highest regard, and even named them.  Their swords were spiritual.  So considering that a Hanzo sword was the best type of sword in the world and not just given to anyone, it's interesting to flirt with the idea that, at the very least, the Bride kept Bill's Hanzo sword.  Maybe I'm just crazy.    

[Rob]

Fair enough.  I doubt it's more than an interesting thing to ponder though - I didn't notice anything in the film that made me think she'd kept either one of them.  I believe I specifically remember her not keeping the first sword...

[Angry Ewok]

Tiny Spoiler

I'll bet she kept her sword - as its been said there is a bond between a swordsman and his/her sword... Which is why what's his face didin't really pawn off the sword like he said he did.  . I didn't believe that for a second.

Did anyone notice how, in the credits, they put a question-mark over the one-eye bitch?

[Scott]

You know, I really didn't mind the whole House of Blue Leaves fight being in Black and White, maybe I'm in the minority on that one but I really didn't need to see her dismembering and inviscerating 88 hired goons.  MY favorite scene of Vol1 is right before she goes in to face Ishii she tells everyone to leave their body parts...and all of the guys are moaning as they walk out the door.  Classic

I haven't seen Vol 2 yet...I've heard nothing but glowing reports on it though from everyone here and people I have talked to,

[Angry Ewok]

You know, I really didn't mind the whole House of Blue Leaves fight being in Black and White, maybe I'm in the minority on that one

I like it in black and white, its artistic looking. Also blends w/ scenes in Vol.2 that way.

[Rob]

You know, I really didn't mind the whole House of Blue Leaves fight being in Black and White, maybe I'm in the minority on that one

I like it in black and white, its artistic looking. Also blends w/ scenes in Vol.2 that way.

I'm kinda a purist and want it to be in color - and not because I dislike the way it looked - but because it was intended to be in color and was changed to B&W to avoid an NC-17 rating.

[Angry Ewok]

I can't decide I want it the way it was released, or the way it was intended. There's purists on both sides of the fence.

[Rob]

I can't decide I want it the way it was released, or the way it was intended. There's purists on both sides of the fence.

In the end, for me it comes down to the artist.  I trust Tarentino to make a movie more than I trust a studio - who's main motive is profit.

Of course, George Lucas and his wretched Special Editions have thrown this all out of whack.  But the SE wasn't so much an editing decision as it was a reworking of a previous film - so I'll stick with the Director's cut as being the 'real' version of a film - IMO of course...

[SilverZ]

Yeah, preferring B&W is entirely valid. That is the way it was presented in US theaters, with the decision to do so made by the director, and makes sense that the DVD is a reflection of that. It's not like the studio chopped the movie up after the fact. I'd actually be annoyed if it was altered for home video. I tend to keep theatrical versions of movies/DVDs even when SE's or "Director's Cuts" come available, to preserve what was seen theatrically.

The color Vol1, to me, along with its other edits/changes, is a great example of a director making adjustments to his work to consider audiences tastes and tolerances in different parts of the world. (There's probably a few guys in Japan salivating over the US release of Showgirls, so they don't have to see pubic regions mosaic'ed out).

It doesn't make one version better than the other, and what makes the difference in debating who likes what better, is that BOTH versions are readily available for the viewer to decide what he prefers. That's a choice that's been taken away with the Lucas revisionist mentality.

I believe that's the first time I've ever used the phrase "pubic regions" in a post, anywhere. Hurray!