Pulp Fiction: Steelbook Edition - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Pulp Fiction: Steelbook Edition



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
I remember having a HUGE argument with my college roommate back in 2003 about which Tarantino film was his best (at the time, since he had only done 4 films...5 if you make Kill Bill Vol 2 it’s own separate title), Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. I’m firmly in camp Pulp Fiction, feeling Tarantino had taken the raw and vicious elements of Reservoir Dogs and smoothed and polished them into a more cohesive narrative, while my roommate thought that the grittiness and rawness was so much more appealing than the more “Hollywood” sophomore effort by the young director. This argument is not exactly unique to myself and my roommate either, as it has been discussed ad nauseam by people much smarter than myself for the better part of 28 years. But no matter what side of the fence you fall on, any Tarantino fan worth their salt will agree that Pulp Fiction is an utterly phenomenal film.

1994’s Pulp Fiction was met with INSANE critical acclaim when it came out. Even as a 12 year old boy I remember everybody and their mother talking about it. Very rarely has a film come down the pipe in the 1990s where the entire nation was talking about the same film at the same time for such a long period of time. It was the perfect blend of “Seven ways from Kevin Bacon” with Tarantino’s trademark flair for loquaciousness in the dialog, and brutal violence. The movie itself really doesn’t even have a POINT, so to speak, but manages to weave a narrative so compelling that the 2.5 hours literally fly by at the speed of a 90 minute film to the audience. It’s witty, sharp, and viciously takes aim at several psychological issues (and even weaves in a discussion about feet, as Tarantino is commonly known to do over the years).

The story is actually multiple stories at once. Opening with a pair of cafe robbers getting ready to do the deed (played by Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer), it quickly segues into our pair of “main” protagonists. That would hitmen Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), whose stories of death and violence wend throughout the story as they come to grips with what they do for a living. Simultaneously Bruce Willis steps into the story as Butch Coolidge, a boxer who doesn’t lay down and take a fight for Vincent and Jules’s boss Marsellus (Ving Rhames), and has to have a coming to god moment with the crime lord.

The stories themselves almost don’t matter. They’re a vehicle for Tarantino to pour out his thoughts on violence, depravity, and the general consciousness of man out on to the table. Each individual vignette features men who seem to be beyond redemption, and in reality, none of the people in the movie are heroes. But again, none of that actually matters as Pulp Fiction is a seedy look at bad people doing bad things, living in a world of normal people just trying to make a go at life. The film sports a complex interweaving of all the vignettes, not exactly sticking to one established time line either (although everything DOES come full circle by the end of the film. The film is exceedingly self aware, but that is primarily the point, as Tarantino is having a complete love affair with classic cinema tropes, and literally indulging in each and every one of them. While this may irk some viewers (Tarantino is a love it or hate him director), Tarantino’s absolute passion and love for cinema is on full display here, with the second time director literally bathing in said joy and adoration of his favorite medium.

Ironically, this is one of the major reasons why Pulp Fiction holds up so well today. It has exquisite dialog, and amazing ensemble casting, but it’s really about how self aware the entire production is, and how much everyone involved is VERY obviously in on the gag. The movie can be poignant, disgusting, yet never boring or uninteresting, and almost 30 years later I can still sit down and watch the entire film in one sitting without ever once checking my watch.




Rating:

Rated R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality




4K Video: Video:

The new 2160p remastered 4K UHD is not going to be a flashy affair that really draws attention to itself, but it improves on the older Lionsgate Blu-ray by very large margins in my opinion. Back in the day people lauded the transfer (some 11 years back) for being so filmic and great, but when comparing the two formats today the Blu-ray just looks so burnished and bleached out that the 4K UHD isn’t in the same ball park. Close ups and textural details are jaw dropping in the new 4K UHD release, and the bleached and burnished look is much more tamed and natural looking. That’s not to say that Pulp Fiction has lost the very stylized parchment and ruddy look that Tarantino lovingly crafted for theaters, but that it looks so much more natural and life like while still maintaining a lovely 35mm layer of grain and beautiful coloring. The film naturally pushes red and sepia, but primary colors pop when needed, and the black levels are superb.

The Dolby Vision color grading offers much more improvements than I expected, tackling the bleached colors and overly ruddy look that the Blu-ray (and the DVD) had for all these years. There’s more depth to the shadows (the scene where Ving Rhames racks that shotgun after being assaulted is just silky dark) and the highlights are more balanced. All in all, this is a PHENOMENAL looking filmic transfer that won’t blow you away ala a modern digital film, but on a technical point is as well done as you could possibly hope for.

According to the press release the included Blu-ray for the combo pack is also remastered, but I have my suspicions that it isn't simply because it appears to be a direct clone of my old Lionsgate disc. Complete with the Lionsgate logo, Lionsgate menus, and the Blu-ray release doesnt' LOOOOOOK remastered to me (although I could be wrong).







Audio:

This one lost the lottery, so instead of remixing to a new Dolby Atmos track, Paramount has left well enough alone and just ported over the old Lionsgate 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix. Which in and of itself is not a bad thing as that mix was legendary for how good it was back in the day, and still is an EXCELLENT listening experience. The film is a sonic cacophony of noises ranging from busy Los Angeles traffic, gun shots, wonderfully scored music, and a sense of immersion that Tarantino does sooooooooo well. Bass is powerful and engaging, slamming you into your seat when a gun goes off, or when a car gets hurled across 3 lanes of traffic. Dialog is impressive with a very balanced approach that still feels sort of old school in how the highs are accentuated and there’s an obvious lack of ADR going on. Again, excellent track and highly enjoyable.








Extras:

4K UHD Disc
• NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
• Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
• Enhanced Trivia Track

Blu-ray
• NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
• Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
• Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
• Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary
• Deleted Scenes
• Behind the Scenes Montages
• Production Design Featurette
• Siskel & Ebert "At the Movies" - The Tarantino Generation
• Independent Spirit Awards
• Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'Or Acceptance Speech
• Charlie Rose Show
• Marketing Gallery
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spots
• Still Galleries
• Enhanced Trivia Track
• Soundtrack Chapters

Final Score: ​

Yeah, I’m going to say it. Pulp Fiction is Tarantino’s best work. It may not be as fun as others that came after it, but I love this movie to death and can watch the flick twice a year and never get bored. The casting is on point (at least I didn’t say “on fleek”), the dialog is perfect, and it just flows so effortlessly between the non linear vignettes. The 4K UHD disc is actually a REALLY nice upgrade over the Lionsgate Blu-ray (and supposedly the Blu-ray found in this set is also a remaster, even though it sports all of the Lionsgate logos and menus of the old disc) and well worth picking up. This steelbook edition is the exact same combo pack as the standard edition (also released yesterday), just with the added benefit of collectible packaging for fans. Choose whichever version you want, both are highly recommended.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Phil LaMarr, Rosanna Arquette
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, German DTS-HD MA 5.1, Italian DD 5.1, French, Japanese DD 2.0
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Korean
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 154 Minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: December 6th, 2022

Recommendation: Great Buy

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I disagree, in that I feel like this is a 5-star master class in 4k remasters. The image on the blu-ray was always disappointing to me, but when I watched this update on Kaleidescape yesterday it was simply jaw dropping from the first shot. The details are phenomenal, colors pop out of the screen. I’d honestly give it a 6 stars on a scale of 5. I already want to watch again.

 

[Michael Scott]

I disagree, in that I feel like this is a 5-star master class in 4k remasters. The image on the blu-ray was always disappointing to me, but when I watched this update on Kaleidescape yesterday it was simply jaw dropping from the first shot. The details are phenomenal, colors pop out of the screen. I’d honestly give it a 6 stars on a scale of 5. I already want to watch again.

I should be more clear in that it is a SUPERB remaster. I was simply stating that I feel that the film is one of those films that just might get overlooked as top notch simply due to the aesthetic Tarantino was going for. it just won't look like the newest Transformers movie.

that being said, you are absolutely correct. It tears the new (and old) blu-ray apart without even hesitating. watching them side by side I just can't watch the 1080p image anymore because there is just THAT MUCH of a difference.

 

[Asere]

Thanks for the review. I was not aware a steel book was being released or I would not have bought the non steel book one. Do you know if the non steel book has the exact same transfer?

https://www.amazon.com/Pulp-Fiction-John-Travolta/dp/B0BBHBD4DY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=397ZWLUZIT662&keywords=pulp+fiction+4k&qid=1670508362&sprefix=pulp+f%2Caps%2C224&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEySkJQVzBMR1dKU0pUJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjk2OTkxNTJZODFEVjVRM1NNJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA4MTk5NzBTMzVKS01MSDhQUDcmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

[Michael Scott]

identical discs, just different packaging

 

[Todd Anderson]

I always thought the Blu-ray version looked fine, because it mirrored what I remember experiencing in the small town theater I first saw Pulp in back in the 90s. I get what you're saying, Mike. This film isn't one that was necessarily meant to pop (like Bullet Train, say). I have the 4K copy. Looking forward to experiencing it!

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I never saw this movie. I guess it is time to check it out.

 

[Ralph Potts]

Greetings,

Hey Guys. Yeah, this one is a winner, looking absolutely terrific. Nice review Mike!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Thanks for the review. I never saw this movie. I guess it is time to check it out.

WOW. Tripple... you've never watched Pulp Fiction?

 

[tripplej]

WOW. Tripple... you've never watched Pulp Fiction?

yeah, I maybe in the minority, I guess. Just never had the time and never the opportunity..

Will have to check it out

 

[Jack1949]

You're not the only one in a minority. We rented it when it was first released and shut it off about 30 minutes into it. We didn't find it entertaining so we stopped watching. So I'm in another minority, never watched all of Pulp Fiction.

 

[Todd Anderson]

You're not the only one in a minority. We rented it when it was first released and shut it off about 30 minutes into it. We didn't find it entertaining so we stopped watching. So I'm in another minority, never watched all of Pulp Fiction.

That I can understand... unfortunate because it's a brilliant film. But, if you're not into violence or profane dialogue, it would be a non-starter