All language subtitles for Icons.Unearthed.S13E02.Pulp.Fiction.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-Kitsune_track3_[eng]

Quentin Tarantino's
first movie had opened

the world's eyes and
ears to a whole new style

of moviemaking.

But there was as much mayhem
going on behind the scenes

as on the screen.

You're fucking fired!

Pointed right in his face.

"Reservoir
Dogs" introduced the world

to Mr. Tarantino.

Who is this kid?

But
where would he be now...

What else do you have?
What else do you have?

- If it hadn't been for--
- Everybody be cool,

this is a robbery!

This is the story
of the difficult second album

that completely eclipsed
the breakthrough.

Best picture of the year.
"Pulp Fiction."

Tarantino and Roger
Avary for "Pulp Fiction."

It was "Star
Wars" for independent cinema.

I don't know if any of
us were really prepared

for how huge it was.

But nobody
on this unlikely classic

- was prepared for--
- What was that?

A seemingly
unworkable script.

And that's what's
in the movie?

A cast that
didn't seem to make any sense?

My casting instincts
are going crazy.

Oh, you're pushing it.

Quentin was
fighting the studio.

- I'm sorry.
- A director

with his own language
and customs.

What's going on here?

He broke all the rules.

He's not from film school.

It's different
than what I thought.

Why is that happening?

Just do it for me, please?

So I'm like, "What am I
supposed to do with this?"

Blatant
and graphic drug use.

God damn.

Hyper-realistic violence.

Whoa!

Over-the-top
ODs.

It was like the
ultimate pierce.

Sexual perversion,
rape, and even a gimp.

It was so out there.

I'm not sure that
movie is going to show.

And the audience
running for the exits.

My mom said, "We need to go."

While his
"Reservoir Dogs" debut

gathered notoriety
and popularity,

Quentin Tarantino was
determined to prove

he could do it again,
but better.

You got an idea, spit it out.

After "Reservoir Dogs,"
there's that possibility

of, you know, the sophomore
curse, which happens a lot

with filmmakers trying
to overcome their success

of their first film
that got all the hype.

I remember him
seething.

That's all I'm
thinking about now.

I mean, this guy
wants to make movies

for the sake of he loves movies.

He was willing to
do whatever it took.

He wouldn't go
as far as taking up an offer

to direct "Speed."

- Are you sure?
- Yes.

Or "Men in Black."

I make this look good.

Even though
men in black were his thing.

Is that supposed to be funny?

But Quentin
turned those projects down

because he wanted to
tell his own stories.

And the door of
opportunity was opened

during a chance meeting
with producer Stacey Sher

who introduced Quentin
to her business partner,

Danny DeVito.

- Let me look at you!
- And DeVito

was only too happy to climb
aboard the Tarantino taxi.

Danny DeVito's company
Jersey Films made

a $900,000 development
deal with him.

- I got the money.
- Giving him final cut

and basically make
what he wanted.

Since Quentin
wanted his next film

to really push the envelope,
that suited him fine.

That kind of deal is
very, very rare for someone

who's literally only
ever made one movie.

Yeah, and that was
a fucking miracle.

This unicorn
development deal even came

with a potential studio.

TriStar had first refusal

to pick up the movie.

All Tarantino
needed now was a script.

No problem.

Four years earlier in
Tarantino's formative years

at Video Archives, he'd
been writing up a storm.

He said, "Well, I've got
scripts, you know, in my head.

I'm gonna write them."

But he wasn't alone.

Two Video Archive colleagues,
Adam Rifkin and Roger Avary.

They would spend
time during work

talking about movies together,
rehashing movies together,

giving each other suggestions

for movies they
should check out.

And then it wasn't very long
before they just realized,

"We should just be
partners in writing."

And Tarantino
knew exactly where to start.

His decision was,
he thought, you know,

we'll have three guys write
three different stories

and they'll direct
their own stories.

And Tarantino really
liked the idea of playing

with an anthology type of
story since he's a big fan

of the pulp comics.

At one point, Tarantino
had a short film

and Avary had a short film,

but that kind of never
really materialized.

Four years later,
could those ideas be revived?

I came across that
idea again and go,

"Well, god, that was
kind of a good idea."

Then I actually found
pages from the material

and was like, "This is a
really good idea, man."

Like, "This is what I should
do for my second film."

The writer
Tarantino had his idea,

he had his development money,

and he was away to the
other side of the world.

I've been in
America all my life.

I always want to see what TV
in other countries looks like.

And that
country was Holland.

And then he kind of vanished
for the best part of a year.

So I think there were a
bit of nerves about that.

Like, "Oh no,
what have we done?"

Quentin
hadn't vanished.

He was spending the
great year writing up a storm

in an Amsterdam hotel.

He wanted to do what
Elmore Leonard does,

taking cliche crime stories,

but rooted in a kind of
reality or hyper-reality.

Soon, Roger
Avary would join Quentin

to adapt his famous
contribution.

Which was called
"Pandemonium Reigns."

And that ended up
being the watch section

with Butch, the boxer.

- This watch--
- And sort of folded

that in with his
own other ideas.

Tarantino would finally
emerge from the canals

with the three distinct
stories woven together

in a non-linear narrative.

We were laughing
so hard and Quentin

was getting great joy
out of watching us

reading the script and laughing.

Some found the
script funny, as in farcical.

Nobody was gonna
see it.

It was so out there, I thought,

"Oh my god, who's ever
gonna watch this?"

Well,
people into heroin abuse,

a leather-clad gimp and a
rape scene, all zero of them.

We read the script
and we had no clue,

like how it was gonna
come together. You know?

If Hollywood
and TriStar Pictures

had their way, it wouldn't.

They weren't too
keen on the drug usage.

There was one scene in
particular which was showing

the character Vincent
Vega shooting up heroin.

And it's described
in some detail.

The studio didn't really
want to include this.

They thought it was
glamorizing drugs.

And of course,
that confusing script.

There were kind of
emergency meetings held

and Tarantino went in and
tried to reassure them.

But they couldn't be reassured,

so they didn't end
up backing the film.

It
seemed "Pulp Fiction"

was too lurid for Hollywood.

We got a major situation here.

Tarantino went
back to Miramax.

Where he knew

he might get a more
sympathetic ear.

Because they'd
not cut his films.

As in allowing
this particular cut

in Quentin's first film.

Hey, what's going on?

Quentin is a loyal cat

and Harvey Weinstein
believed in him

from the very beginning.

Miramax
could be perfect partners.

- However...
- Miramax had been bought

by Buena Vista, which
was part of Disney.

So how could
family-friendly Disney,

famous for movies like this...

♪ Circle of life ♪

...deal with unsavory
things like this.

Even though it is
an independent movie,

if you follow the chain up,
it's a Disney movie as well.

But Miramax boss
Weinstein wasn't concerned

- because--
- He knew

that Quentin
Tarantino was gifted

because of "Reservoir Dogs"

and wanted to work with
him and his scripts.

Harvey
also had a plan.

Knowing "Reservoir Dogs"
was a European hit,

he quickly presold
foreign distribution rights

for "Pulp Fiction"
for $11 million.

Making 4 million profit
even before casting.

As one of the Weinstein
brothers put it,

"We're now in the Quentin
Tarantino business."

But how to
credit who for the writing?

Roger Avary thought
he and Quentin

should be listed as co-writers.

Avary did say that he
worked on the whole film,

so they kind of
did collaborate

on how to weave the stories
together and everything.

It was a firm
Taranti-"no."

Quentin threatened to drop
Roger's boxer storyline
altogether.

So Tarantino paid
Avary for his script.

The
princely sum of $25,000.

And Tarantino's
credit would say...

...just like his first film.

Quentin, he makes it his project
and his voice gets on the page.

And that voice
would find a sympathetic ear

and a "Reservoir" returnee,
producer Lawrence Bender.

Lawrence really left
the creativity to Quentin.

And despite
critical differences

on their debut, Tarantino's
DP was also back.

You stick to director.

You're like playing in casino

when you have lucky
time, you know,

you should just toss
your bet on everything.

And new casting
director, Gary Zuckerbrod,

could now work with Quentin
to find their ensemble cast.

When you have a director
that has a vision, it's magic.

And Tarantino
had a whole pack of dogs

to whistle up,
including Harvey Keitel.

- He begged me to do it.
- Tarantino felt a great deal

of respect, but
also that, you know,

he may owe Harvey Keitel.

Because Harvey Keitel
obviously is the main reason

he got his first movie put out.

I'm here to help

If my help's not appreciated,
lots of luck, gentlemen.

For the
lead role of Vincent,

Tarantino only had
eyes for one man.

Yet another dog.
Mr. Blonde.

Well, he wrote
it thinking of me.

I wouldn't say he
wrote it for me,

but I was at the
top of his list.

Except
Blonde had gone west.

Larry Kasdan was
gonna make "Wyatt Earp."

And walking down the
street to the O.K. Corral

is like a boy's dream.
You know?

I thought, "Yeah, man,
goddammit...

...I'm gonna walk down the
street to the O.K. Corral."

And even Dennis
Quaid said to me,

"This is why we're doing the
film," and I go, "I know."

I want your guns.

But Quentin
wanted Michael's guns.

"I wanted you to
do 'Pulp Fiction.'"

Man, could you
believe Mr. Blonde?

And I said, "Man, it's
just another gangster movie.

It's the same as
'Reservoir Dogs.'"

And he goes, "Okay,
okay, okay, I get it."

While Madsen
went off to be a gunslinger,

strangely, Quentin's next
choice was more of a singer.

♪ I wonder why? ♪

He was a fan of
John Travolta's, you
know, growing up.

Quentin loved him
as Billy Nolan in "Carrie."

Get her done,
man, get her done.

And Jack Terry

in Tarantino's all-time
favorite "Blow Out."

And Tarantino knew just how
to get Travolta on board.

I collect board games

that have to do with
TV shows and movies.

I said, "John, I have the
'Welcome Back, Kotter'
board game.

Would you like to
come down to my house

and we'll play the game?"

And he said yes and he won.

So as the night gets going,

Tarantino hands him
"Pulp Fiction."

Travolta's thinking in his mind,

"This guy wants me
to play this role?"

And Travolta realized, "Wow,
you know, this is great.

I need this."

And why
would he need this?

His career was,
for some reason,

it just looked bleak. You know?

I got an emergency!

He was still doing
movies, you know.

But he wasn't starring in
the big, amazing drama stuff

like he had been back
in the earlier days.

I mean, you know how it
is, rocking and rolling.

At that point, he started
doing the baby-talk movies

and other things that I thought,
you know, weren't great.

You know that's breast milk?

While Tarantino
s tempting Travolta,

another actor started
showing interest.

I said, "Quentin,
Daniel Day-Lewis

had gotten a copy of the script.

You should probably
meet with him."

He said, "Hmm...

...I don't think so."

No, to Lewis.

Yes, to Travolta.

What in the name of
the father is going on?

John Travolta.
"Welcome Back, Kotter."

This thing is a stupid idea.

Daniel Day-Lewis, Oscar winner
from "My Left Foot."

I am not alright.

My casting instincts are
going crazy and I may explode.

Tarantino ct
yesterday's man, John Travolta,

instead of Oscar winner
Daniel Day-Lewis...

What a gyp.

...for Pulp Fiction's
lead role of Vincent.

Quentin wanted somebody
rougher around the edges.

But was
the Travolta idea

about to go down the toilet?

Without Tarantino
knowing, Harvey Keitel

had passed along the
script of "Pulp Fiction"

to Bruce Willis.

Bruce loved it and he really
wanted to play Vincent Vega.

John Travolta's part.

Willis was
at least as desirable

as Daniel Day-Lewis.

Been doing this for 11 years.

That's not how Quentin saw it.

Oh well, well.

It's freaky,
but it happens.

So then Bruce was like, "Okay,

what about the
character of Jules?

You know, I know he's supposed
to be a black character,

but what if he's a white
hippie-type of guy?"

What Bruce was
talking about was something

like Gary Oldman's
character in "True Romance,"

a Tarantino tale that
had impressed him.

I know I'm pretty.

Obviously, Tarantino
wasn't really sold on it.

Didn't really want to
change that character.

Yet again,
the casting agent
was lost for words.

Would Bruce be interested
in another character?

Say, Butch?
No, not that one.

The older one.

Bruce calls Tarantino
in the morning

and tells Tarantino
that he is in.

It was a really
well-written piece of film.

I just, I want to be in it.

I wanted to be a
part of the story.

You looking
at something, friend?

You ain't my friend, palooka.

Willis wins Butch.

Travolta takes Vincent.

Now, who plays Jules?

That story begins when
Jackson bumps into Tarantino

at the 1992 Sundance
Film Festival,

where Quentin said,

"Hey, how do you like the guy

who plays
your part, Holdaway?"

This better not be some
kind of friggin' joke, man.

Because Jackson had
auditioned for that role

in "Reservoir Dogs,"
but didn't get it.

Tarantino says, "Don't worry,
we're gonna work together.

I'm writing something new, and
I have a part for you in mind.

Obviously in Hollywood,
that's probably said

a thousand times a day.

Well, lo and behold, a script
shows up to Samuel L. Jackson,

it's "Pulp Fiction."

He saw the character of
Jules, he loved the script.

But
according to some,

the part of Jules was
essentially a hand-me-down.

It was originally
supposed to be

me and Lawrence Fishburne.

But he rejected
the glam take on heroin.

And so along came Sam.

Who was now walking

into a classic
Hollywood runaround.

What he didn't realize was
that he was still expected

to audition for it.

And he's kind of
confused by this

because he's been
told this is his role.

And he wasn't prepared for
it and by his own admission,

he didn't do very well.

But Tarantino decided to give
Samuel L. Jackson
another chance.

Hey kids.
He has to come back in

and read for it again.

How you boys doing?

For a part that is
supposed to be his.

I just want you to know--

So this infuriates
Samuel L. Jackson.

So he actually uses
the anger from that

to deliver the
Ezekiel 25:17 speech.

And I will strike down
upon thee with great vengeance

- and furious anger--
- And blew everyone away.

Tarantino, Bender, and the
rest turned to each other

and were like, "That is
definitely our Jules."

This was divine intervention.

That was really Quentin's
thing of taking two actors

that you never would think
would be in this movie

in a million years.

And saying this is gonna
change their careers,

but this is really gonna work.

We should have
fucking shotguns.

But Quentin
was keen to explore

the entire spectrum
of acting talent.

Quentin simply
went back to school

at the Groundlings Theater.

We did an improv
show together,

and it was pretty amazing
to see the film director

who had done that
movie, "Reservoir Dogs,"

be funny on stage.

I know how good it is.

Another casting
would be equally magnetic

and not because of her
on-screen metallic features.

The one with all
the shit in her face?

No, that's Jody.

That's my wife.

I got the phone call to
meet Quentin in Swingers.

We had a milkshake and hung out

and then the next thing I knew

like he wanted me
to do the movie.

All my piercing,
18 places on my body.

Every one of 'em
done with a needle.

But there
was one critical piece

of the "Pulp Fiction"
puzzle missing.

- Mia.
- Mia Wallace.

It needed somebody
who had that chemistry.

Vincent.

We were going
all over the place.

Gwyneth Paltrow to everybody
else who was hot at that time.

An agent called me up about
a young female comedian.

Ellen DeGeneres. Quentin, he
didn't even know who she was.

I said, "She's a comedian."

He said, "Oh, that
sounds interesting.

Why don't you read her, and
if you think she's right--"

So Ellen DeGeneres came
and read for me on that role.

Could Julia
Louis-Dreyfus break the drought?

There was no way
to do it because--

No, thank you.

Not right now.

She was doing "Seinfeld."

I'm a day person.

We just kept going back and
forth and back and forth.

It was a
complete casting dead end.

And sometimes somebody
comes out of the blue.

Or
out of their shell.

Hello.

Uma Thurman, she had been
in the Terry Gilliam film,

"The Adventures of
Baron Munchausen"

as the Love Goddess, Venus.

She was
a goddess, all right.

Had Tarantino finally
found his muse?

I am overwhelmed.

It was going to be magic.

Except
for one tiny problem.

Another diamond.

Uma had
already discarded the idea.

She's turning it down
like two or three times.

Tarantino finally calls
her home and says, "Please,

let me read this to you.

And if you still don't
want to do it, then fine."

He reads it, and of course,

if you've ever
had an opportunity

to see Tarantino
reading a script--

He'll do it in a voice,
he'll act it out.

So I can only imagine
the theater that it was

on the phone with going
through all the parts.

By the time he was done,

Uma Thurman was
cast as Mia Wallace.

But before
he could even press play,

Tarantino found he had a
major issue on his hands.

Quentin was
fighting the studio.

his diverse ensemble
cast of actors, r

but the studio were
asking questions such as,

"What had their leading
man been eating?"

The studio was trying to
say he needed to lose weight

and he could drop at least
10 pounds and tighten it up.

They were on it and they
didn't like the ponytail

and he was jowly.

Don't be rude.

And Quentin was
fighting the studio.

"I want this guy to
look a little has-been."

All Quentin
Tarantino's team could do

was try to make
everyone look the part.

What do they look like, Jimmie?

Dorks.

Quentin is always present
at the first costume fitting

because for Tarantino
costume is the character.

We were fitting Marsellus
with the suit on,

and he had come in with a
Band-Aid behind his neck.

Cut himself shaving
because he's bald.

He said to Quentin,
"Don't worry about it.

It'll be fine,
but when we go to camera.

and Quentin was looking at it,

going, "You know,
I kinda like this.

I think we need to keep this."

Night of the fight, you
may feel a slight sting.

And it really worked.

It was like another little
character statement.

We don't want to think.

We want to know.

Miramax
was far from cool

about Travolta's
unfashionable greasy hair.

Luckily, they didn't find out
about Samuel L. Jackson's.

- Take care of her?
- No.

I mean, who would send
a PA out to get a wig?

I mean, oh my god.

What?

Tarantino
had ordered an afro.

What he got was a Jheri curl.

Say "what" again!

Say "what" again!

But
once Sam tried it on,

he thought it was in character

and convinced his
director to keep it.

He ended up with
this Jheri curl.

The only problem--

It was cheap.
It was an issue.

You know, once you've
got a cheap wig

and you're gonna see the
netting and the this.

They were really
struggling to make it work

- at the last minute.
- Does he look like a bitch?

With Art Department
and Wardrobe complete,

"Pulp Fiction"
could start filming

the opening breakfast scene at
California's Hawthorne Grill

on September 20th, 1993.

Put the extras where
they were sitting.

But everyone
would need to step up

and adjust to Tarantino's
unconventional methods.

He's not from film school.

He broke all the rules.

You see, that
shit don't matter.

He was sure that he would
get the shots he needed.

That's why I always say
I'm always right too.

It was really just up to
us to just follow suite.

Let him make his movie.

Everybody be cool,
this is a robbery!

You could feel
immediately the difference

of any movie that I had been on.

Any of you fucking pricks move--

The energy and
excitement was palatable.

It's cool, baby!

It's cool!

The script
flew off the pages

as the actors delighted
in every mouthful.

By that rationale, if a
pig had a better personality,

he would cease to
be a filthy animal.

Is that true?

Well, we have to
be talking about

one charming motherfucking pig.

He's a master of dialogue,

and he's a master of
taking that dialogue

and putting it into
particular character's mouth.

We're all gonna be like
three little Fonzies here.

And what's Fonzie like?

- Cool.
- Correct-amundo!

And the dialogue
between Vincent and Jules

- in this scene...
- So tell me again

- about the hash bar.
- Okay, what you want to know?

...was inspired by
Quentin's Amsterdam experience.

Basically Jules is
Tarantino returning

from his time in Europe.

It's legal to buy it.

It's legal to own it.

And if you're the
proprietor of a hash bar,

it's legal to sell it.

And discussing with a
friend the differences

of Europe and America to them.

They don't call it a
Quarter-Pounder with cheese?

They got the metric system.

They wouldn't know what the
fuck a Quarter-Pounder is.

And what do they call it?

They call it the
Royale with Cheese.

Royale with Cheese.
That's right.

His dialogue was
very important to him.

Very important.

But would
that dialogue be too much

of a good thing?

Gave her a foot massage.

The foot massage
walk from the elevator

down that hallway.

If you play with
matches, you get burned.

That took a while.

It was a foot massage.

A foot massage is nothing.

A corridor
that was too short.

And dialogue that was too long.

They arrive, still, and they
have couple of pages left.

- This is the door.
- What to do?

Can they walk a
little bit slower?

- Just laying your hands--
- Could slowing down

- to a shuffle work?
- No.

Would
trimming the dialogue help?

No.

Every sentence was
very important.

Classically
trained Sekula

and self-taught Tarantino,
put their heads together

and came up with an elegant
on-the-spot solution.

What time you got?

So they look here,
arrived too early.

Oh, what what about the
cameras stay in the place?

Only just swing
them and let them go

to the other part
of the corridor.

A little bit exchange
a few sentences and--

Just because I wouldn't
give no man a foot massage--

They return now,
is good time.

And actually this worked
really well dramatically.

Not as
dramatic as this.

And one shot.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Did I break your concentration?

Where Quentin would
set up Jackson's terrifying

iconic monologue.

Quentin sees it beforehand.

You know, it's like, "So Sam,

I want you to grab
the drink here."

Why is that happening?

"Just do it for me, please."

That hit the spot.

It was incredible to
watch Sam play Jules.

Ezekiel 25:17.

The prayer talk.

The path of the righteous
man is beset on all sides--

It's delivered as if it
was melted off the page

into his mind.

he is truly his
brother's keeper--

Being on set with him, wow,

I'm getting paid to take
a masterclass in acting.

Those who attempt to poison
and destroy my brother.

You were frightened
if you were behind

the third wall of the set.

And you will know
my name is the Lord!

And hiding
behind the wall of the set

was none other than
Rosanna Arquette's brother.

Alexis Arquette was
my trans sister,

but is a boy in the movie
and is behind the door

when he's doing the preaching
and he comes out shooting.

Die, you motherfuckers!

That's Alexis.

The object of
Jackson's righteous fury

was Frank Whaley.

He stole the briefcase.

But in fact, Tarantino
had already stolen it

from yet another movie.

The case that the
hit men came to get,

that was something similar
to some like '50s movie.

Called
"Kiss Me Deadly."

And I was like, oh,
I haven't seen that.

Another
test for the true fans.

But the contents
of the briefcase--

What is it?

Whatever the audience wanted.

It was funny because
people watching the movie

had other ideas.

Is that what I think it is?

Gold revolver or something?

- I don't know.
- That's his soul inside.

- Vincent!
- I mean, I never got

an answer out of Quentin.

What do you think it
was? Gold or whatever?

I said, "No, it was
a piece of light

which my gaffer put inside."

- We happy?
- Yeah, we happy.

Case
closed on that scene.

But now, Marvin's head
was about to get opened.

To blow all the brains
out and hit the windshield.

We only got one take at that.

I didn't mean to do it.
It was an accident.

"Pulp Ftion"
was halfway through shooting,

but the minor role of Marvin

was about to come
to a sticky end.

Our scene in the car,
originally it was written

that Vince would
shoot Marvin twice.

Once an accidental shot in
the throat, and then second,

"Let me get him
out of his misery."

And then they would kill him
shooting him in the head.

Jesus Christ.

Quite reasonably,

Travolta thought shooting
Marvin on purpose

might be too extreme because...

"The audience will hate me."

Marvin, what do you make
of all this?

Quentin agreed with him.

He was like, okay, yeah,
we'll just make it one shot.

The accidental shot just
kills the kid in the back.

But it turns
out having one's head blown off

is easier said than done.

As Quintin always says,
"There was no digital effects

in the '70s, so we're
not doing them now.

He wants you to
think, use your brain,

and come up with something
that isn't the easy solution.

You gotta call some people?

Well, then do it!

So we built a
full body puppet.

The whole back of
the head was stuffed

- with blood and brains.
- Man, I don't even

- have an opinion.
- Well, you gotta have

- an opinion.
- It was rigged

with an air mortar fire, you
know. One, two, three, boom.

Oh! Fuck's happening?

- Oh man!
- Oh shit, man?

Oh man, I shot
Marvin in the face.

We only got one take at that.

The cleanup was too messy,
so it was one and done.

Yeah it was a fun scene and
like getting them all bloody

and all brain matter
and all that stuff.

So why isn't
Marvin's puppet face

seen exploding on screen?

Quentin had a really
interesting idea.

"These rating people
are gonna want me

to take something out.

So I'll take out
one violent thing..."

Well, look at this
fucking mess, man!

...and replace
it with something

a little less confronting.

Quinton said, "Hey,
I want to do a shot

from outside the
car of it driving,

and then we can see the
blood on the back window."

Courtesy
of the air mortar cannon

full of fake blood.

We were on the camera
truck with the pyro guy

and follow it down the street.

God came down from
heaven and stopped--

It worked a treat.

And Marvin's puppet head
wasn't even in the shot.

Whatever Quentin wants to do,

that's gonna be the
right way to do it.

It was great, and I
trust him so much.

But the puppet
wouldn't go to waste.

Neither would all those
lessons Tarantino took

back in drama school.

- Jimmie.
- Uh-huh?

He does have a
thing for acting.

He loves that.

You an oak man?

Oak's nice.

You can just see
the joy in him.

He's not the best actor
in the world.

- Knock it off, Julie.
- What?

But he loves the process.

Get 'em up there a little bit.

Nowadays when people see
Quentin act, a lot of them say,

"Oh, he's not very good."
But really what it is,

when you see Quentin
acting, you see Quentin.

I don't need you to tell me

how fucking good
my coffee is, okay?

I'm the one who buys it.

You're so overwhelmed
by his presence

because everybody
knows who he is.

You know what's on
my mind right now?

It ain't the coffee
in my kitchen.

That's right.

It was the dead
body in the garage.

'Cause Quentin's like, "No,
no, just make it all,

put tons of shit and like
John has to get in there

and like pluck off brains
off the ceiling."

And, you know, he's
laughing the whole time.

He's hysterical laughing.

Oh man, I will never forgive
your ass for this shit.

Sometimes
it was hard

to believe different scenes
were from the same movie,

with Tarantino switching
from hyper-realism...

We gotta get this
car off the road-

...to
comic subtlety.

You were in that fight.

Quentin, he has
a couple of grips

like shaking the taxi.

And I'm like, really Quentin?

You're gonna sit here and
like shake the taxicab now?

We can't even get out on
the street and put a camera

in the cab and let
them like drive.

I don't feel the
least bit bad about it.

He turned around
to me and he goes,

"You don't understand.

I want my audience to remember

that they're just in a movie."

Just bring them
back to, you know,

poor man's process, it's called.

"This way, they'll get
relaxed and be calm

and they'll just remember
they're just in an easy movie

so later on I can
hit them again."

Because on one hand, you're
doing hard real life.

And then on the other hand,
you're doing stylized moments.

So you're constantly
playing that out.

He's genius and he's a master

and he's editing it in his head.

Quentin's energy
is infectious.

We're all having a good time.

It permeates through everybody.

It's incredible kind of
atmosphere at his film set.

We would go to
dailies to watch rushes

at the end of the day.

And it wasn't just
heads of department.

Grips were showing up.

The lighting guys
were showing up.

- And they had beer.
- What you doing?

I'm calling my partner
in Toluca Lake.

We would lay down on the
floor in front of Quentin

and Sally Menke and
listen to them talk

about what we had
shot the day before.

You know, Quentin
laughing at his own work,

but Sally talking
really technical.

Then it just made it feel

like we were all
doing this together.

It was a big party.

It was Camp Tarantino.

But
what would happen

if one of the party
members was unable

to continue making the movie?

Everybody went
away for three days.

Andrzej and his girlfriend
had taken a little trip

to New Mexico.

While I was driving
I fell asleep

and was a horrendous
car accident.

Polish directorf
photography Andrzej Sekula

had been involved in
a serious accident

while on a break from
filming "Pulp Fiction."

On that trip, apparently,

Andrzej drove off a
cliff and broke his leg.

I had to sign legal
about amputation of my leg.

I was in hospital.

I was supposed to be back on
the set, so I called Quentin.

I'm in big fucking
trouble, man.

We have a little bit bad luck.

Whoa, hold your horses, man.

Now is huge panic.

Hang up the phone, prank
caller, prank caller.

The company shut
down to figure out

how we can continue shooting.

With Sekula
waiting for surgery,

production worked to finish
the single biggest budget spend

on "Pulp Fiction," the set
of Jack Rabbit Slims,

a Tarantino Labor of Love
with a $150,000 price tag.

I do believe Marsellus,
my husband, your boss,

told you to take me out
and do whatever I wanted.

Now I wanna dance, I wanna win--

The whole idea was to take
those '50s retro restaurants

that are popping up
everywhere and, you know,

create the big mamou
of them all.

But a
set without cameras

is like a restaurant
without a chef.

Where was the DP?

Quintin called me, and
I tell him, "I am fine."

I know, unbelievable.

He got through it.

They saved my leg,
so I says I'm fine.

I'm, I am ready, I will be back.

But there
was one small problem.

This time I was
in a wheelchair.

Which meant
hiring another set of hands,

well, legs, to operate
Andrzej's camera.

They were carrying me
like I was like Pharaoh.

Lifting me to the cameras,

just looking through
camera, okay.

And "Pulp
Fiction" was back on its feet

just in time for--

The world-famous Jack
Rabbit Slim's Twist Contest.

Right here.

Twinkletoes
himself had to prove

he was at least as good as
Michael Madsen would have been

if he'd taken on the
part of Vincent Vega.

♪ And I'm wondering how
I'll get down the stairs ♪

He'd been Johnny Fever.

He'd been Johnny Danny.

He'd been Johnny Hoedown.

Stepping straight
back into the groove,

Quentin's choice of leading
man was redeemed yet again.

Doing it as a hit man, heroin
addict, overweight thug,

was like a much more
fascinating way to do a twist.

But Travolta's
twist had a twist.

It was thought out.

It wasn't, hey, let's
see what happens.

Quentin had his
specific references
that he wanted to hit.

References taken
from Fellini's film "8 1/2."

And Tarantino asked
Uma to channel Duchess

from "The Aristocats."

But it wasn't just
cats, it was bats.

He had the "Batman" reference.

But one
cultural reference

may have crossed the line
from sublime to ridiculous.

Got the idea from that
episode of "The Flintstones."

Really, a square.

You mean like four corners?

I wasn't planning
on doing that,

but just before we're getting
ready to shoot the shot,

I said, "Uma, make
that distinctive

because if you dare me,

I just might do
it in the movie."

She goes, "I dare ya."

- Don't be a...
- Tarantino was testing

all corners of the box.

But he was about to
push a hyper-realism

that would hopefully not
push the studio too far.

Mind if I shoot up here?

Hey, mi casa su casa.

Quentin
would needle everyone,

thanks to his old friend
from acting school.

What I did
on "Pulp Fiction" was,

it's a little embarrassing,
but I'll say it anyway.

I think a lot of people know.

I used to be a drug
addict in Detroit,

and so I worked
with Uma Thurman.

I told her, a heroin overdose,

you kind of know
you're in trouble, you
can kind of feel it,

but then, the switch
gets turned off.

I told John that when
you're high on heroin,

it feels like you took
a couple hits of tequila

and you're on a raft
floating in a swimming pool

and the sun's beating down.

And I would go out to the set
just to see what's going on.

The overdosing--

Was not a good
day for the studio suits

to show up because remember...

Miramax was part of Disney.

That's very good.

There were times where it
was like, "The suits are here."

And we would freeze.

We wouldn't shoot

because Quentin didn't want
to have to change anything.

Say, "Oh, we're on break.

Yeah, it'll be
another 45 minutes."

He was hoping they'd go.

When the cats
went away, the mice could play.

Help me, pick her up.

With one
playing a pivotal part

in a climactic scene.

Lance! What's
going on down here?

And a woman is OD'ing and going
to die in your living room.

- She's OD'ing!
- Well, get her out of here!

It's pretty much easy
to like go there and--

- Shut up!
- Fuck you!

He let me improvise a little bit

because that's my
favorite thing to do.

Like I did, like, the whole
going, "Pig." That is me.

- Pig!
- And he kept it.

But when
it came to one shot--

In a stabbing motion.

So it's a slam down.

- Ready?
- One...

It just comes alive
because we're doing it.

There's something that happens

when the camera is
like actually filming.

Two...

Rosanna
Arquette found a way

to inject more personality
into the scene.

Her whole thing is about
her piercings, and so for me,

it was like the ultimate pierce
and she gets off on it like,

oh my god, this is
the ultimate pierce.

I played it like that
and he loved that.

I want to be pierced like
that, right in the heart.

But yeah, that scene's
really memorable.

But Quentin was
about to open a Pandora's box

of perversion to make the
overdose scene look PG.

Bring out the gimp.

So I'm like, "What am I
supposed to do with this?"

This guy comes out of
the basement thing.

Kneel down.

So Quentin said to me,

"I want you to watch
these three films.

There's a similar character
in each of these three movies,

and he needs to look like that."

I don't remember them.

I just remember them being
really off-beat weirdo films

from a long time ago.

So I just came up with a
bunch of leather stuff.

A little bit of my own work,
a little bit of Pleasure Chest.

Right on Santa Monica
Boulevard, if anyone knows.

And there was our gimp.

But he was so creepy. All
this, when they producing

this creature from the box.

It
would be Tarantino's

most controversial scene yet,

and it called for a closed set.

No spectators, no exceptions.

We knew what was
happening in there.

What
was going on in there

was similar to what
was going on here.

An homage to the excruciating
rape scene in "Deliverance."

Was Quentin channeling
all those movies

his stepdad took him to?

Movies that he was
far too young to see

such as "Deliverance."

Was Tarantino trying
to outgross "Deliverance"?

He was definitely grossing
out everyone on set.

This was an uncomfortable
couple of days

in that little
dungeon down there.

I think it was so, I
could say, "push envelope."

Quentin takes risks.

I mean, all very good
directors take huge risks.

But he
didn't want to risk

the ratings board
cutting the scene,

so he added a sacrificial lamb.

When Bruce samurais him,

and we did a more elaborate,
grosser version in there.

We made a spring-loaded
chest splitting rig.

It pops open so it
looks like it splits.

And we did a version
where it was just

a red line down his
shirt, like he got slashed.

But even
with the safety shot,

was it all too much?

That was not easy for Bruce.

- You okay?
- It wasn't easy for Ving.

- No, man.
- I don't know

how that movie is going to show.

"Pulp
Fiction" wrapped

its most controversial
scene and finished the shoot

with a more family-friendly one.

Christopher Walken's
famous monologue.

I carried this watch.

This watch was on
your daddy's wrist

when he was shot
down over Hanoi.

You know, you just,
just get goosebumps.

Walken handed over
the watch and "Pulp Fiction"

would be handed over to
"Reservoir Dogs" editor,

Sally Menke.

Sally, she knows
when to make a cut

that is most impactful.

Brilliant in terms of suspense.

Just stretching out a moment,

like just until the
rubber band would snap.

And just
as predicted, the
censors only removed

Tarantino's built-in
fail-safe shots.

Perfect. We couldn't
have planned this better.

The
Censors were happy.

"Pulp
Fiction," rated R.

Roger Avary wasn't.

He still felt a
bit hard done by.

Avary felt that he
wasn't given as much credit

as he should have been due.

He obviously contributed
to the watch strand,

but from Tarantino's side,
he was more like, "No, no, no.

Roger just wrote that
bit, I wrote all the rest.

I paid him for it,
and it's my script."

Creative
beefs were paused

as Pulp Fiction opened
October 14, 1994,

on its first weekend
grossing over $9 million,

making it the box office number
one and a critical success.

This is a tasty burger.

It blew up so quickly.

Spend the hour with the writer

and director, Quentin Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino.

I don't know if any of
us were really prepared

for how huge it was.

"Pulp Fiction"
exploded and went global.

Another film
from Quentin Tarantino.

Making
$213 million worldwide

on its $8 million budget.

"Pulp Fiction."

It was "Star Wars" for
independent cinema.

But Quentin
was about to make the jump

to hyperspace.

Best picture of the
year. "Pulp Fiction."

Best achievement in
directing, Quentin Tarantino.

John Travolta
in "Pulp Fiction."

With
seven nominations at
the Academy Awards.

Quentin Tarantino and
Roger Avary for "Pulp Fiction."

Oscar goes to Quentin Tarantino

and Roger Avary
for "Pulp Fiction."

Then he got an Oscar.

Well, Tarantino
and Avary shared an Oscar.

Thanks.

The Academy saw it that way.

Maybe Quentin did not?

This has been a
very strange year.

I can definitely say that.

But there was that moment
and it was uncomfortable

during the Oscars.

Maybe I should just say a
whole lot of stuff right here,

right now, just get
it all out of my system--

They looked uncomfortable
with each other.

And I really have to
take a pee right now,

so I'm gonna go.
Thank you.

But it was
still everyone's night.

"Pulp Fiction" was a
shared experience

and a victory for everyone
in Tarantino's orbit.

If I had been
in "Pulp Fiction"--

Instead
of this actor,

or perhaps even this one--

It would have been a
completely different movie.

And part of the reason why
it was taken the way it was

is because of John.

John had been nowhere.
He was doing movies

about talking babies.

And all of a sudden
he's got long hair

and he's got a gun and--

"Pulp Fiction" kind of
revitalized his career,
you know?

Travolta, along
with most of the leading cast,

was basking in
the halo of acting

in an award-winning
movie, and all the career

and financial
success that follows.

Everyone apart from
Rosanna Arquette,

who had previously encountered
producer Harvey Weinstein

in his hotel room.

The incident happened
before "Pulp Fiction."

My heart was racing.

As soon as-- It was
like, "Danger, danger."

So I knew not to
go in that room.

And after firmly

rejecting Weinstein's
advances...

And he said, "Rosanna, you're
making a very big mistake."

Arquette's
rejection of Harvey Weinstein

clearly came at a cost,

but one she would
never regret paying.

I'm the only person
in all of "Pulp Fiction"

because everybody
worked for scale,

but they all had a
piece of the back end.

Not me.

And you know what, like,

as much as... poor guy has
obviously had some real issues,

like he had great taste
in films and directors.

One of those,
and the most prestigious,

was Quentin.

And his next film could move

in a completely
different direction.

What the fuck is
up with this shit?

Adapting
someone else's script.

"Jackie Brown" is ultimately
a middle-aged love story.

After
relaunching one career...

To be continued.

...Tarantino
was going to try again.

He's like, "Who's that guy?"

You're taking a
hell of a chance, kid.

But could these
two down-and-out actors carry

the now mainstream
director's third film?

What was I supposed to do?

Or would his
run of hits come to an end?

How are you
doing, Miss Jackie?

Come on in.