The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster & his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

When you witness Pulp Fiction for the first time it is a cinematic experience, unlike anything you’ve seen before. Violent, energetic and completely in-your-face, Pulp Fiction takes its audience on a wild ride and you never see what’s coming next. Exploitational in nature with a hard-edged crime noir narrative, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is an extremely visceral film experience and with its sensational dialogue and striking visuals it completely commands your attention for it’s 154 minutes of screen time. Through his innovative narrative framing, slickly written characters, crazy situations, stunning visuals and one hell of a cool soundtrack, Quentin Tarantino created a film masterpiece that works on every single level and it’s one hell of a fun ride.

Like Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction is a lesson in serious style and its a film that absolutely nails what it means to be cool. From the casts’ stylized wardrobe to it’s collection and use of vintage 60s and 70s cars to the way in which Tarantino uses colour and framing to capture his film, Pulp Fiction is straight crime noir cool. Anyone who watches it is instantly mesmerized by its images and no doubt tries to re-create the idea of being one of these characters through appearance, stance or strut in real life. Everything about Pulp Fiction’s visuals works here, and the film is a beautiful piece of cinema to look at it. Adding to this style is the mismatch of genres and use of narrative that Tarantino brought to Pulp Fiction, and it really amps up its entertainment value.

A large part of Pulp Fiction’s success comes down to Tarantino’s phenomenal casting, and every actor here works. First up you’ve got John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as career hitmen Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield who experience one really bad day at the office. Then there’s Uma Thurman as the sassy Mia Wallace who takes Vincent for a really bad trip that ends at the point of a large needle. And finally, Bruce Willis plays bruising bully boxer Butch Coolidge, who decides its a good idea to double cross mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), but who ends up with him in a situation that both of them would rather forget. All of these performers bring their A-game to the film, and it’s so much fun to watch them work.

Alongside its memorable characters, Pulp Fiction has a perfect narrative to show off and Tarantino’s masterful dialogue is really on display. This film is filled to the brim with scenes and quotes that have entered film legend with the likes of “royal with cheese”, “I think it’s a wax museum with a pulse”, “pretty please, with sugar on top, clean the fucking car”, “I’m gonna get medieval on your ass”, Jules Winnfield’s Ezekiel 25:17 speech and my personal favourite line credited to Bruce Willis’ Butch Coolidge, “Zed’s dead baby. Zed’s dead.” Dialogue like this doesn’t get much better, and Tarantino’s use of it really drives the film forward. What we see with Pulp Fiction is the director building off of the work he began within Reservoir Dogs and it’s a practice he would continue with all of his successive works.

While he first showed his talent for conjuring ultra violence up in film with his debut Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino took it one step further here. Framed through his lens for narrative and extending the reach of his story, the violence of Pulp Fiction is at times viciously brutal and exceedingly funny. Case in point the film’s third act scene revolving around The Bonnie Situation where Vincent’s gun manages to go-off somehow and absolutely ruins Jules’ car in a blood shredded mess. No matter how many times I’ve seen this scene it still sends me into fits of uncontrollable laughter with just how crazy it all is, and there’s some serious entertainment value to boot. There are plenty of scenes like this throughout Pulp Fiction and Tarantino gets a reaction out of his audience time and time again.

Tarantino also provided some serious grooves here with Pulp Fiction’s eclectic soundtrack, and I can’t think of a greater piece of film score ever. Collecting together a host of classic songs that ranged from California surfer cool tracks like Dick Dale’s “Misirlou” to soulful R&B tracks like Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon”. Add in a good helping of “Jungle Boogie” and “Bustin’ Surfboards”, and you’ve got the ultimate mismatch soundtrack that scores one very entertaining film. It’s a soundtrack that to this day remains instantly recognizable to Tarantino’s name and is a major part of the legacy of Pulp Fiction, and it’s always fun to groove out to.

Alongside being one of the coolest, classiest and most entertaining motion pictures ever created, Pulp Fiction is also a love letter to cinema itself. Packed to the brim with delightful homages from Tarantino, Pulp Fiction is a film made by a film buff for film buffs. While there’s the very entertaining narrative that hits audiences on a surface level, packed out in the background detail are references to the long history of cinema and this is exemplified through one of the film’s most pivotal scenes at Jack Rabbit Slim’s, a retro-styled restaurant which is stuffed with classic pop culture and you can just tell that Tarantino was in his element at such a place. There’s just so much passion contained in Pulp Fiction for cinema itself and it definitely leaves an impression on audiences. That’s for sure.

To this day Pulp Fiction remains as one of the coolest films ever made, and decade after decade audiences continue to discover its greatness. The word masterpiece firmly applies to Pulp Fiction and it’s a film that needs to be watched again and again and again.

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Security guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis) uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb  (James McAvoy), a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities.

Comic book characters. They play an integral part in our society and the multi-coloured stories that collect their adventures of courage and heroism continue to inspire us and help lead us to reach our own true potential. These characters and stories are archetypal in nature and they have long served as a source of inspiration for Shyamalan. Following the birth of both hero and villain we are now at the final stages of this saga and in Glass, the director gives his final statement on just what it means for superheroes to exist in our real world.

Possessing a learned knowledge of both the superhero genre and the comic book medium Shyamalan takes this art form and presents it to us in a completely original take here in Glass. Using his film’s real world Philadelphia setting to great affect, Shyamalan employs the idea of reality to inform his narrative and frame the notion of how the extraordinary exist among the mundane. With Glass he throws away the blockbuster spectacle of traditional superhero fare and instead focuses his attention on this heightened normality, and just how these archetypal characters would act in our 2019 real world setting. While the characters of Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) are all superior beings in there own right, Shyamalan keeps them as grounded as possible which really makes their individual abilities even more fascinating to behold. He takes his audiences inside the minds of his characters and works to make you understand how each of them tick and how with the passage of time they have all grown to accept their abilities, and question just how their existence plays out in our world.

James McAvoy is far and away the star of the show here in Glass and as the conflicted villain Kevin Wendell Crumb, also known as The Horde, he builds on the masterful performance we first saw in Split. McAvoy’s chameleon performance really shifts up a notch here as we bear witness to 20 of his 24 personalities and his inventiveness and ease of transition between each of them really commands your focus. His physical transformation is also something to be admired here as he’s packed on a healthy dose of muscle mass to become a legitimate threat as the ferocious Beast and his howling, animalistic rage as this shadow-side villain will leave you gripped with fear. You never know whats going to happen next with McAvoy and his unexpected shifts in performance really keep you on edge.

Making a return to the Eastrail 177 trilogy is Hollywood veteran Bruce Willis as David Dunn and his heroic journey has been a long one since Unbreakable. Dunn has now accepted his abilities as a hero and takes his vigilante crime fighting seriously as he protects the innocent and seeks to punish the corrupt in a guise that becomes known as The Overseer. But every hero needs to be tested by the ultimate villain and Dunn finds his test in The Beast. What struck me with Willis’ performance in Glass was that we were watching a man who is committed to doing good and has this old-guard stoicism about him. Where as he was once a man of doubt, Dunn is now a man of action and has readily accepted his responsibilities as a hero and a father. Coupled with the film’s real world setting, Dunn’s presence is a much needed one and his penchant for heroic acts will have you cheering on as he takes the fight to the bad guys in a world that can sometimes feel so empty of any kind of real hero.

Finally rounding out Glass is the titular character himself, Samuel L. Jackson’s Elijah Price, a twisted genius whose belief in the extraordinary has led him to commit despicable acts in order for him to come to terms with who he is as a man and his archetypal nature. Jackson once again channels his characters twisted intelligence to good use here, and even though he may be the least threatening character, his mind and it’s cognitive ability make him the most dangerous person on screen. Jackson’s intelligence is on display here as Elijah and his determination to prove that the superior do exist leads to many frightening moments.

Walking in on this superhuman trinity is Sarah Paulson’s Dr. Ellie Staple, a psychiatrist specializing in cases involving delusions of  grandeur and her introduction throws a wild card into the mix. While Glass’s three main characters represent ideas of the possible and the miraculous, Staple’s character is a far more clinical persona and her presence is one that will really unnerve you. While on the surface their is nothing superior about Staple, the audience will come to learn that she herself carries her own ‘super-power’ in her ability to get inside the minds of her patients and how she very ably deconstructs their personas. Paulson’s sense of calm and composure within the film is completely unsettling and is a real credit to the actresses control of her craft.

As an exercise in worldbuilding, Glass is a piece of cinema that is extremely visually striking. As he did in both Unbreakable and Split, Shyamalan continues to utilize his unique colour palette with the prominent hues of green, yellow and purple to symbolize his characters and their motivations. These prominent visual references command your attention and help to pull you deeper into the arcs of the characters as an audience member. This use of defined colour, which is blended with the desaturated cinematography of Mike Gioulakis, and his use of framing, transforms the cinema screen into that of a literal moving comic book and makes for a unique visual aesthetic.

In discussing Glass, and Shyamalan’s process as a filmmaker I can also not go past his use of the unexpected and here it really keeps you on your feet. There is absolutely nothing predictable about Glass and Shyamalan takes his audience through plenty of zigs and zags and the result is a piece of cinema that is one of the most original narratives I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness in terms of superhero structure. I can’t go into specifics without leading to any notion of spoilers, it’s something that makes for a very interesting narrative.

If you’re seeking a superhero story with an intellectual twist then Glass is a film you need to see. Clever and meticulous in its characterization and visuals, Glass is something truly unique and is a fitting conclusion to the Eastrail 177 trilogy.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Following the same non-linear narrative introduced in the first film, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For follows four interconnected stories through the harsh streets of Basin City. The film’s primary focus is on Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin) who is contacted by his former lover, the beautiful Ava Lord (Eva Green), who wishes to escape her abusive husband, billionaire Damien Lord (Marton Csokas). But a love struck Dwight soon learns that Ava’s cry for help might hide far darker intentions.

Brolin is perfect as the pugilistic Dwight, a hard man who has had his share of vices and now ekes out a living as a private investigator. While he’s capable of dispensing a good dose of pain, he also puts himself in the position to receive a fair bit of it himself. Brolin is an absolute beast of man who commands the attention of the screen, and the audience will really be rooting for him to survive and get his payback. The incredibly seductive Green has this definite feminine feline grace and sexuality, which she uses as a razor sharp weapon. This goddess is one bad girl, and the former Bond girl has a lot of fun with her seductive personality. Green was definitely the right choice for the role as she also has the look of a 1940s starlet (which is in keeping with the film’s noir material), and she’s a ball of energy up on screen. The absolutely stunning Rosario Dawson also returns as the tough talking Gail, and brings a dash of smoking sexuality to the film, while Dennis Haysbert takes on the role of the vicious Manute from Michael Clarke Duncan, and is well up to the task.

‘A Dame To Kill For‘ is bookended by two very different, but interconnected stories: ‘Nancy’s Last Dance’ and ‘The Long Bad Night’. “Nancy’s Last Dance” follows Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) as she tries to cope in the wake of John Hartigan’s (Bruce Willis) death, while plotting to kill Senator Roark (Powers Boothe) while “The Long Bad Night” sees Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a cocky gambler, who wants to destroy the biggest villain in Sin City at his own game, until he beats the wrong man and events take a turn for the worse. The film also features “Just Another Saturday Night” which finds Marv (Mickey Rourke) back on the streets, waking up on a highway overlooking the Projects, surrounded by several dead young men and unable to remember how he got there.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is front and centre in ‘The Long Bad Night’ portraying a character that plays to Levitt’s strengths as an actor. Johnny is a brash, arrogant, slick hustler who makes no attempt to hide his incredible skill and luck at the poker tables, and his smart-aleck charm will take him along way with audiences. He’s pitted against corruption incarnate with Powers Boothe returning as the sinister Senator Roark. The scenes where these two battle it out at the tables are pretty incredible to watch, and things do get intense. Also keep your eyes open for a surprise cameo from Christopher Lloyd.

Finally, ‘Nancy’s Last Dance’ follows Nancy Callahan as she struggles through the death of John Hartigan, and makes a move to avenge his death. This part of the film was definitely my favorite as its fun to watch Nancy completely fall to pieces, and then go crazy. Nancy’s battling some demons this time around, and her reliance on the bottle isn’t helping. Alba’s commitment is frightening, particularly with the extremes that she goes to in her performance. Again, she has to contend with Powers Boothe’s vial Senator Roark, but she gets some help from Mickey Rourke who returns as the ever lovable Marv, and who has a lot of fun doing what he does best: wrecking absolute havoc.

Miller and Rodriguez were absolutely groundbreaking with the first ‘Sin City’, and the two co-directors were literally ahead of their time with this mind-blowing film through the power and capability of their special effects. With this return trip to the infamous Basin City however, they’ve truly raised the bar with an epic avant garde approach.

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For is violent, brutal and scintillating with every frame, and audiences are sure to lap it all up. So remember to walk down the right back alley in Sin City, because you can find anything….

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