Posted on 07/28/2009 4:22:09 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
BTW—Pulp Fiction is one of the most brilliant screenplays ever as well. That sequence with Bruce Willis and Marcellus in the pawn shop is up there too.
Has yerself never heard of “Black Irish”, boyo?
He’s half-Irish but his mother hated white people? Does not compute.
Pardon me but where in the story does it show that Prof. Gates is half Irish? The only thing that is really said is that Gates matches 10 of the 11 DNA markers that are accepted as marking descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages. Current estimates of the Human Gene count are around 30,000, so if I have this right, '1/3000' does not equal '1/2'.
If, as Prof. Gates states, it was a slave ancestress a minimum of 7+ generations back that got the 'Irish Genes'. Now the article says that most people in New York have some Irish genetic heritage but I doubt if that would add up that high. Once again, headlines do not match the facts!
FYI: As I understand it, the most prolific European Ancestor is still considered to be Charlemagne (Charles the Great of the Franks 747-814) which, supposedly. 70% of the people in the world with German, French, Swiss, BeNeLux, Northern Italian or English ancestors are supposed to be able to trace back to him.
There is much truth in what you say. LOL, I used to use this to my advantage with German women when I was stationed there. As did many other Joes. You could really see that some of these chicks got a real charge out of the 'ueber-manly' soldiers. We were, after all, the conquerors.
I'll give him his just deserts for that as well. The scene you mention is unforgettable and very disturbing and bizarrely ironcial (a little white guy raping a big black guy)- it's so incongruous your mind just doesn't even want to accept it at first but it's there on the screen and doesn't go away. The viewer is in the same boat with Bruce Willis when he looks into the room- 'WTF! I can't believe I just saw that'.
There are so many little stories in PF and they are all brilliant. Like the story with the watch as told by Chris Walken. Yeah, that was a masterpiece.
I think he ran off the rails a bit with Death Proof. I'll have to see Inglorious Basterds. If he hits form again with that one maybe I'll be willing to admit he is all that.
You’re welcome.
Yeah, his latest stuff isn’t nearly as good as his 90s work. But, I’ll tell ya, anyone who can crank out instant classics like “Reservoir Dogs”, “True Romance”, and “Pulp Fiction” in rapid fire succession. He did in a four year period what most directors aspire to in a whole career. “From Dusk till Dawn” is pretty good too (just recalled that). “Pulp Fiction” really broke the mold (the time sequencing of the stories was innovative too) and will be studied in film schools for decades to come.
If you can’t tell, I am something of a film buff. Two other movies of note: “Fight Club” and “Freeway” (Reese Witherspoon turns in perhaps the best performance of any actress, ever).
Thanks for the recommend. I just bought that on Amazon and hope to tuck into it pretty soon.
(the time sequencing of the stories was innovative too)
For a film, yes. I have a natural inclination to write this way as well. I don't like to use linear time flow. It's not something I usually plan, it just sort of happens that way. It's like that in my head too though at any given moment- but I think this is normal?
The way I see it, each moment in your life has significance because of something in your past/future but not in a linear sort of way. This present moment's meaning is maybe connected to something from when I was five, the next moment maybe to something that happened yesterday. The next moment is maybe focused on a future that has not come to pass yet (but one that is affecting the present). All your memories and thoughts are like this- a big montage. But this also means you react in each moment in response to the jumbled montage of meanings in your mind and not so much because of a logical, linear progression of moments/reasons.
I think if you view it this way, you have no choice but to try to tell your stories that way too. It is very challenging to do this effectively in the film medium (easiest perhaps in comic books/graphic novels). Tarentino pulls it off with apparent ease. Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, 21 Grams, Amores Perros) tells his stories in a non-linear way as well and does a pretty good job of it.
Thamks again for the recommend.
One warning about “Freeway” is that its intentionally over the top and there are some scenes in there that are kind of....disturbing (especially the ones with her parents). However, once you wade through those, its a great movie. Witherspoon gives a stunning performance and has some unbelievably funny scenes (you’ll see)—you really believe she IS her character. Its too bad she only does “safe” roles now.
I usually preview my movies on Netflix first. I am kind of flattered that you would buy it based on my recommendation, however. Please shoot me an email after you watch it and tell me what you think.
Yeah, if I don’t like it you can give me a refund ;-)
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