1st review of Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 + Robert Harris' thoughts

[krylonman]

I dont' understand how it's good despite film grain.

I found that pretty amusing myself. If he thinks the graininess of the big training flashback in 'Vol. 2' is a technical fault he really needs to see more movies.

[ben1080p]

can't wait! I'll be buying this forsure!

[Eternal Now]

Excellent news..can't wait!

[krylonman]

Any news about whether 'Vol. 1' is the R-rated version or the bloodier one released in Japan? I'm thinking it's got to be the R version, but can't hurt to ask (and this review is maddeningly vague in all departments).

[SBrooks1]

Any news about whether 'Vol. 1' is the R-rated version or the bloodier one released in Japan? I'm thinking it's got to be the R version, but can't hurt to ask (and this review is maddeningly vague in all departments).

99% sure it's the 'R' rated version. The unrated Japanese version has never been released here in any format.

[Josh Z]

Any news about whether 'Vol. 1' is the R-rated version or the bloodier one released in Japan?

Let's be very clear about this:

Disney only owns the American theatrical cuts of the films. That's it, that's all they can release on Blu-ray. That's all they will release on Blu-ray.

The Japanese theatrical cuts are owned by Universal, who only have distribution rights to the movie in that country. At the present time, Universal Japan has made no indication that they plan to release the movie on Blu-ray there.

The "Whole Bloody Affair" version of the movie(s) is still vaporware. If it ever does get released, it will be owned by The Weinstein Company, not by Disney. Weinstein has made no indication of when (if ever) this will be released, or on what formats it may be released on.

[SBrooks1]

Thanks for the info Josh...

[krylonman]

Let's be very clear about this:

Disney only owns the American theatrical cuts of the films. That's it, that's all they can release on Blu-ray. That's all they will release on Blu-ray...

That's the only way it has been released, and I know the rights are sort of complicated for this one, but wouldn't it be usual that Universal has Japanese distribution rights and Disney the U.S., and that each of them could release the pre-rating version in their own territories? It'd be weird if either of them had any cutoffs except the geographical ones, wouldn't it? If Universal had U.S. rights for the uncut version that'd be something.


(But I'm assuming, and if Weinstein can have dibs on a very different version, I guess anybody could have sole rights for anything. Plus I still don't know if the R came after submitting the uncut version for U.S. release, or if each one was made strictly for that country from the start.)

[Josh Z]

That's the only way it has been released, and I know the rights are sort of complicated for this one, but wouldn't it be usual that Universal has Japanese distribution rights and Disney the U.S., and that each of them could release the pre-rating version in their own territories?

The version of Kill Bill Vol. 1 with the color fight scene is not a "pre-rating version". It's a cut of the film that Tarantino prepared specifically for the Japanese market. Instead of the "Ancient Klingon Proverb" at the beginning, it opens with a dedication to 'Battle Royale' director Kinji Fukasaku. That version of the movie is only licensed for distribution in Japan.

As much as people assume that the House of Blue Leaves scene switches to black & white at the demand of the MPAA, that sequence was actually meant as an homage to '70s kung-fu movies such as 'Heroes Two', which aired on American TV with similar transitions to tone down the violence of their action scenes. That's exactly the sort of obscure genre reference that Tarantino thrives on. He plays against the "toning down" effect by making the scene as ridiculously over-the-top violent as he can, such that even in black & white it could never get past a TV censor. It's the conflict between these two opposing forces that gives the scene its dynamic tension.

Since Japanese TV censors never altered those kung-fu movies like that, the Japanese audience wouldn't get the joke, so Tarantino presented the scene in really garish colors, which instead becomes an homage to the B-movie work of Japanese directors like Seijun Suzuki.

[Emoney7]

^^^^ thanks for the info josh... never knew all that.

Is there any other differences between the two? Cuz I can I live with not seeing the japanese version if that's all there is... it would be nice to know that nothing major got cut out of our release.

[james]

Can't wait to see it in High-Def. Thanks for the information, Josh.

[Kyle_D]

The Japanese cut does contain a few extra bits of violence that were specifically excised to appease the MPAA. There are probably 30 seconds added to the House of Blue Leaves sequence, while the anime sequence also has a few extra shots of Boss Matsumoto's disembowelment.

Josh is right, however, about the switch to black and white being as much a stylistic homage as a concession that the fight would never get passed the censors with an R-rating. AFAIK, it was never even submitted to the MPAA in color. Honestly, each version has its plusses. The sequence is much more surreal and visceral in black-and-white, whereas in color, it plays a lot lighter and funnier.

[Elee s]

Japan and NA are the same region so I guess we could wait for a Japanese release of the movie.

[Josh Z]

The Japanese cut does contain a few extra bits of violence that were specifically excised to appease the MPAA. There are probably 30 seconds added to the House of Blue Leaves sequence, while the anime sequence also has a few extra shots of Boss Matsumoto's disembowelment.

The scene where the Bride meets Vernita Green in her kitchen is also edited differently in the Japanese cut. It doesn't amount to much difference and the scene runs the same length, but where one version has a close-up the other will have a medium shot and so forth.

Similarly, Vol. 2 has a scene that runs about 10 seconds longer in the Japanese cut but is just random footage of the location.

[project-blu]

for all the talk, i haven't seen the uncuts, nor do i think it's that much of an issue. sure, it'd be nice, but i ain't gonna double dip on either to get 'em, since these are MUSTS day of release