The Twist in 'Pulp Fiction' | Top 10 Movie Dance Scenes | TIME.com Top 10 Movie Dance Scenes By Claire Suddath Dec. 02, 2010 Everett Get This Movie We already knew John Travolta could dance. He discoed and hand-jived his way to stardom in Saturday Night Fever and Grease. But in the 1980s Travolta’s career fizzled and we sort of forgot about him because — let’s be honest, here — we have pretty short attention spans. But in 1994, Travolta made his comeback in Quentin Tarantino’s stylized crime film Pulp Fiction. His smooth, understated twists to Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” were so cool, we hardly noticed his weight gain and thinning hair. If we were coked up Uma Thurman, we’d let our Mob-boss boyfriend set us up with John Travolta any day. What makes the dance sequence from Pulp Fiction so iconic? - Movies & TV Stack Exchange What makes the dance sequence from Pulp Fiction so iconic?

up vote 10 down vote favorite Various sources say that John Travolta and Uma Thurman's dance sequence is "now-famous" and "iconic", some compare it to how Travolta danced earlier in movies like Grease and Saturday Night Fever. But what is it exactly about this scene that makes it iconic and noteworthy compared to other scenes in the film? I think it's mostly because this was Travolta's "come-back" movie and they had to go that far back to compare it. It's all a matter of opinion. To me the scene is annoying. The bar and dialogue were interesting, then the too-long-for-me dance number. It snapped me out of the movie and reminded me I wasn't watching Vincent Vega, I was watching that guy from Boy in the Plastic Bubble and Saturday Night Fever. ;) – Meat Trademark Mar 15 '14 at 2:26 @MeatTrademark I understand that it snapped you out of the movie since that scene seems like a postmodern take on Travolta's career, not his character. I would like to see someone knowledgeable clarify that though. Regardless of what one may think about the merit of the scene, it is hard to argue that it's not iconic.

– Sid Mar 15 '14 at 3:02 2 That's why I left it as a comment not an answer. And "iconic," like "brilliant," is thrown around too much these days. It only sullies any importance the word used to carry. When I think of that movie, at least five other scenes pop into my head before that one. I acknowledge that it resonated with a lot of people, I just don't think it deserves the respect it got. It seems like fluff to me and doesn't further the narrative in any meaningful way than any other "bonding" experience could have. It's too "LOOK! Travolta dancing!" for my tastes. (Plus I blame this movie for Battlefield Earth.) – Meat Trademark Mar 15 '14 at 3:16 @MeatTrademark "(Plus I blame this movie for Battlefield Earth.)" That's a large heaping load of 'blame' for any movie to have to carry!

;) – Andrew Thompson Mar 15 '14 at 8:14 1 @MeatTrademark I came upon a discussion by Ebert of this particular scene: rogerebert.com/reviews/be-cool-2005 (see the first four paragraphs). He also agreed with you that seeing Travolta dancing reminds you immediately of the man from Saturday Night Fever, but "then we forget it, because the new scene is working on its own." I thought this was interesting but of course different people see it differently. – Sid Apr 20 '14 at 19:47 up vote 14 down vote accepted I'll attempt an answer to this question, but I warn you in advance that you're not going to get any single reason. The question isn't really answerable in that way and as such is only open to subjective reasoning.

The first thing to note is that the scene was always meant to be in the movie, regardless of John Travolta's casting (as this article shows): Many have assumed that the dance sequence at Jack Rabbit Slim's was intended as a reference to Travolta's star-making performance as Tony Manero in the epochal Saturday Night Fever (1977); Tarantino, however, credits a scene in the Jean-Luc Godard film Bande à part (1964) with the inspiration. According to the filmmaker, Everybody thinks that I wrote this scene just to have John Travolta dancing. But the scene existed before John Travolta was cast. But once he was cast, it was like, "Great. We get to see John dance. All the better."... My favorite musical sequences have always been in Godard, because they just come out of nowhere. It's so infectious, so friendly. And the fact that it's not a musical, but he's stopping the movie to have a musical sequence, makes it all the more sweet. Tarantino's comments show what he was aiming to achieve. A fun, friendly and infectious dance scene that comes out of nowhere. That's exactly what he achieved.

One minute we're watching these tough gangsters mixed up with drugs like cocaine and heroin and then all of a sudden - dancing! Out of nowhere. On top of that, their type of dancing is very peculiar. Their bodies appear to get more and more into the routine, whilst their faces (and Uma Thurman's in particular) remain so expressionless. That alone makes the scene both enticing and appealing, as it immediately stands out as being "out of place" in the film (and therefore memorable). However, the fact Travolta is in the scene, especially given his performances in Saturday Night Fever, make it even more special. Quoting again from the above article: Jerome Charyn argues that, beyond "all the better", Travolta's presence is essential to the power of the scene, and of the film: Travolta's entire career becomes "backstory", the myth of a movie star who has fallen out of favor, but still resides in our memory as the king of disco. We keep waiting for him to shed his paunch, put on a white polyester suit, and enter the 2001 Odyssey club in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he will dance for us and never, never stop.

Daniel Day-Lewis couldn't have woken such a powerful longing in us. He isn't part of America's own mad cosmology.... Tony Manero [is] an angel sitting on Vince's shoulder.... [Vince and Mia's] actual dance may be closer to the choreography of Anna Karina's shuffle with her two bumbling gangster boyfriends in Bande à part, but even that reference is lost to us, and we're with Tony again.... Similarly from the above article: Estella Tincknell notes that while the "diner setting seems to be a simulacrum of a 'fifties' restaurant...the twist contest is a musical sequence which evokes 'the sixties,' while Travolta's dance performance inevitably references 'the seventies' and his appearance in Saturday Night Fever....

The 'past' thus becomes a more general 'pastness' in which the stylistic signifiers of various decades are loaded in to a single moment." She also argues that in this passage the film "briefly shifts from its habitually ironic discourse to one that references the conventions of the classic film musical and in doing so makes it possible for the film to inhabit an affective space that goes beyond stylistic allusion." Time Magazine listed the dance as one of their top 10 movie dance scenes ever , saying: We already knew John Travolta could dance. He discoed and hand-jived his way to stardom in Saturday Night Fever and Grease. But in the 1980s Travolta’s career fizzled and we sort of forgot about him because — let’s be honest, here — we have pretty short attention spans. But in 1994, Travolta made his comeback in Quentin Tarantino’s stylized crime film Pulp Fiction. His smooth, understated twists to Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” were so cool, we hardly noticed his weight gain and thinning hair.

If we were coked up Uma Thurman, we’d let our Mob-boss boyfriend set us up with John Travolta any day. So you can see a recurring pattern in all the comments. It appears to be the fact that the scene is so unusual and different from the rest of the movie, making it instantly memorable, coupled with the fact it was a revival of sorts for John Travolta, reminding the world of his dancing talents and evoking memories of his earlier role in Saturday Night Fever. up vote 4 down vote As said in other answers, this question is hard to answer because it's open to subjective reasoning. I'm still going to try :) This scene is about constrast, as are lots of scenes in the movie. The whole story goes back and forth from very violent situations to very common day to day stuff. For example the conversation about fast food in foreign countries. The dance scene is particularly quirky on various levels. All of a sudden, these two people stop a gangster reunion to hit the dance floor and twist together. They do this as normally as they take hard drugs and kill people. Hence the quirkiness.

In addition, the fact that Travolta is in this scene (even though the scene was written before he was casted for the role, as said by Andrew Martin on his answer) adds more quirkiness, as he is famous for impressive dancing skills, and is seen here simply twisting casually, without any particularly impressive moves whatsoever. He's just a ganster being cool having a not-feverish saturday night fun. As the success of the movie seems to be due to it's quirkiness, and this scene is particularly unexpected, it is a powerful sample of Pulp Fiction. up vote 0 down vote You see, I think this scene plays a much more significant role in the events that play out than previously described. During this scene, you can see their infatuation with each other grow to the level of sexual attraction. You can tell with how close their bodies get to one another, and you can also see it in their faces. You notice again when they waltz back into Mia's house and share their "comfortable silence". This is what prompts Vincent to go "take a piss", and have his self reflection of remaining loyal to Marcellus and not trying to sleep with Mia before he leaves.

It is of course at this moment Mia overdoses on Vincent's heroin, which leads to the climax of this part of the story. That's just what I think. Dancing at Jack Rabbit Slim's - Pulp Fiction (5/12) Movie CLIP (1994) HD - YouTube Dancing at Jack Rabbit Slim's - Pulp Fiction (5/12) Movie CLIP (1994) HD Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Sep 28, 2011 Pulp Fiction movie clips: BUY THE MOVIE: Don't miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: CLIP DESCRIPTION: Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) convinces Vincent Vega (John Travolta) to twist with her on the dance floor. FILM DESCRIPTION: Outrageously violent, time-twisting, and in love with language, Pulp Fiction was widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s.

Director and co-screenwriter Quentin Tarantino synthesized such seemingly disparate traditions as the syncopated language of David Mamet; the serious violence of American gangster movies, crime movies, and films noirs mixed up with the wacky violence of cartoons, video games, and Japanese animation; and the fragmented story-telling structures of such experimental classics as Citizen Kane, Rashomon, and La jetée. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, in the role that single-handedly reignited his career, as hit men who have philosophical interchanges on such topics as the French names for American fast food products; Bruce Willis as a boxer out of a 1940s B-movie; and such other stalwarts as Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman, whose dance sequence with Travolta proved an instant classic. CREDITS: Cast: John Travolta, Uma Thurman Director: Quentin Tarantino Producers: Lawrence Bender, Danny DeVito, Richard N.

Gladstein, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein Screenwriters: Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary WHO ARE WE? The MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. Made by movie fans, for movie fans. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MOVIE CHANNELS: Cannes 2014: Uma Thurman, John Travolta Reunite for 20th Anniversary of Pulp Fiction Cannes 2014: Uma Thurman, John Travolta Reunite for 20th Anniversary of Pulp Fiction By Priya Joshi May 24, 2014 00:27 BST John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Quentin Tarantino were reunited for the 20th anniversary of Pulp Fiction.AFP / Getty Images The 20th anniversary of Pulp Fiction was commemorated at the 67th Cannes Film Festival on Friday.

(May 23) The cast from the cult film including Uma Thurman and John Travolta were reunited on the red carpet at The Palais des Festivals, along with the film's director Quentin Tarantino. 44-year-old Thurman, who played Mia Wallace in the 1994 hit, was the picture of Hollywood elegance in a flowing yellow gown with plunging neckline, a slit revealing her long legs and a sheer detail on the back of the dress. Uma Thurman was a world away from Mia Wallace in a flowing yellow gown.AFP / Getty Images The actress was seen reminiscing with Travolta about the movie which was credited with reviving the actor's then waning career and was the launch pad for Thurman. She was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar and was instantly catapulted into the celebrity A-list with the film. The famous dance sequence at Jack Rabbit Sim's with Thurman as Mia Wallace and Travolta as Vincent Vega.Miramax One of the most famous sequences in the cult film featured Thurman and Travolta dancing the twist at Jack Rabbit Slim's, a 1950s-themed restaurant.

But while the two stars of the movie declined the opportunity to recreate their famous moves, it fell upon director Quentin Tarantino to take the floor, much to the amusement of Thurman. The quirky director had no inhibitions as he showed of his best moves while Thurman and 60-year-old Travolta looked on. Quentin Tarantino showed off his moves on the red carpet.AFP / Getty Images The Saturday Night Fever star, famed for his dance skills was accompanied by his wife Kelly Preston. Pulp Fiction, which also starred Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis, tells the story of two hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife and a pair of diner bandits whose lives intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. Share Stay up to date with our daily newsletter YOU MIGHT LIKE THISSponsored Content by Taboola IBT Video Story Notes for Pulp Fiction – AMC Pulp Fiction (1994) was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Pulp Fiction won the Palme d’Or – the festival’s top prize. Samuel L. Jackson was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Jules. John Travolta got his second Oscar nomination for this movie. His first was for Saturday Night Fever.

Uma Thurman was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and a Golden Globe for playing Mia. Tarantino directed her to Golden Globe nominations for both Kill Bill movies too. The dance with Mia (Thurman) and Vincent (Travolta) won an MTV Movie Award for “Best Dance Sequence.” Quentin Tarantino earned his first Best Director Oscar nomination for Pulp Fiction. He was nominated again in 2010 for Inglourious Basterds. Editor Sally Menke has worked on all of Tarantino’s movies. She was nominated for an Oscar for Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Pulp Fiction. Tarantino later won another Original Screenplay Oscar for Django Unchained (2012). After accepting the Oscar for co-writing Pulp Fiction, Roger Avary said he had to “take a pee.” He was referencing Forrest Gump, which won six Oscars that night. Backstory Note Vincent was in Amsterdam to run a club for Marsellus. Beauty Note Mia (Thurman) wears Chanel Vamp nail polish. It sold over $1 million after Thurman wore it in this movie.

Biographical Notes From 1990 to 2000, Samuel L. Jackson was in 49 movies – almost five per year. In 2011, he was named “The Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time” by the Guinness Book of World Records. After the huge success of Grease (1978) and Urban Cowboy (1980), Travolta hit a slump in the ’80s. Pulp Fiction revitalized his career, leading to starring roles in Get Shorty (1995) and Face/Off (1997). Tarantino played an Elvis impersonator on The Golden Girls. It was one of his first acting gigs. Tarantino spent three months in a one-room apartment in Amsterdam writing the first draft of Pulp Fiction. John Travolta won a Twist contest when he was eight years old. Uma Thurman is named after the Hindu goddess of light and beauty. Quentin Tarantino was born in Knoxville, TN. there are a few references to the city in the movie. Harvey Keitel (The Wolf) plays a similar character, Victor the Cleaner, in Point of No Return (1993).

At their first meeting, Keitel asked Tarantino how he knew so much about tough guys. Tarantino replied, “I watch movies.” Amanda Plummer’s father is Christopher Plummer from The Sound of Music (1965). Jackson went on to work with Tarantino on four more movies: Jackie Brown (1997), Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and Django Unchained (2012). Casting Notes Tim Roth played Mr. Orange in writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s first movie Reservoir Dogs (1992). Amanda Plummer is also in The Fisher King (1991). Tarantino had wanted to work with John Travolta since seeing him in Brian DePalma’s Blow Out (1981). It’s on a list of Tarantino’s favorite movies, along with Rio Bravo (1959) and Taxi Driver (1976). Samuel L. Jackson had just been in True Romance (1993), which was written by Tarantino. Frank Whaley (Brett) starred in Swimming With Sharks the same year as Pulp Fiction (1994).

Bruce Willis was introduced to Quentin Tarantino by Harvey Keitel. Willis’ and Keitel’s kids are friends. Willis met Tarantino at a barbecue at Keitel’s house and was offered this role. Paul Calderon (Paul/English Bob) auditioned to play Jules. He was so impressive he almost stole the part from Jackson. Jackson had to come in for a second audition to secure the role. Marsellus is played by Ving Rhames from Out of Sight (1998) and the Mission: Impossible movies. Rosanna Arquette is also in Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and The Whole Nine Yards (2000). Her brother Alexis has a small role later in the movie, and her sister Patricia starred in True Romance (1993). Eric Stoltz (Lance) was introduced to Tarantino by Tim Roth at the Sundance Film Festival. Uma Thurman initially didn’t want to play Mia. Tarantino convinced her over a 3-hour dinner. Thurman: “No one could believe I even hesitated in any way. Neither can I, in hindsight.” The guy in the Zorro costume is Pulp Fiction producer Lawrence Bender.

ender has produced most of Tarantino’s movies. Steve Buscemi (“Buddy Holly”) played Mr. Pink in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992). Tarantino offered Eric Stoltz the choice to play either Lance or Jimmie (the character Tarantino plays later). Tarantino told him, “There are two parts you can do, and they both wear bathrobes.” Christopher Walken had just been in the Tarantino-penned True Romance (1993). Tarantino saw Angela Jones (cab driver) in a short film called Curdled (1991) at a film festival in Italy. Tarantino later helped make the short into a feature-length movie, serving as an executive producer. Angela Jones’s character in Curdled was obsessed with violence and death just like the cab driver in Pulp Fiction. Maria de Medeiros (Fabienne) starred in Henry & June (1990) with Uma Thurman. Matt Dillon was originally going to play Butch. After Bruce Willis expressed interest, Tarantino asked Dillon if he was definitely on board. When Dillon took a night to “sleep on it,” Tarantino said he was out and gave the part to Willis.

Comedian Kathy Griffin plays herself. Duane Whitaker (Pawn Shop Guy) later wrote From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999). Tarantino wrote the original From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and was an executive producer on the sequel. Peter Greene (Zed) played the villain in The Mask the same year as Pulp Fiction (1994). Phil LaMarr (Marvin) joined the cast of MADtv right after this. He’s also a voice-over actor (Futurama). Quentin Tarantino was an actor before he was a director. He appears in most of his own movies. Harvey Keitel (The Wolf) played Mr. White in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1993). His involvement played a huge part in getting that movie made, which started Tarantino’s career. Raquel is played by Julia Sweeney, who had just finished a four-season run on “Saturday Night Live.” Crew Note “Big Jerry Cab Co.” is a nod to Tarantino’s friend and Pulp Fiction graphic designer Gerald Martinez. The two met working at Video Archives, the video store where Tarantino developed his film knowledge.

Finance Note Pulp Fiction was made for $8 million and ended up making over $200 million at the box office. Location Note The Hawthorne Grill was torn down shortly after the coffee shop scene was filmed there. Music Notes After Pulp Fiction‘s release, many songs on the soundtrack were rediscovered by a modern audience. Tarantino wrote the scene where Vincent picks up Mia at the house with the song “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield in mind. He said he would have cut the scene if he couldn’t use this song. Tarantino: “I’ve always loved surf music, but I’ve never had a… clue what the hell it had to do with surfing… To me, it sounded like rock ‘n’ roll Spaghetti Western music. Tarantino on featuring “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” by Neil Diamond (1967), performed by Urge Overkill (1992): “I’ve always loved Neil Diamond’s version of that song, but I like their version even better.” Plot Notes Though Pulp Fiction has been criticized for being overly violent, there are only seven deaths in the movie. The Wolf is introduced without showing his face, just like Marsellus and Mia.

Something bad happens every time Vincent goes to the bathroom. Pop-Culture Notes “Royale with cheese” was chosen by Premiere magazine as one of the “100 Greatest Movie Lines.” Vincent and Jules were #29 on Entertainment Weekly‘s “Top 100 Characters of the Last 20 Years.” In 1999, Pulp Fiction executive producer Danny DeVito starred in a movie called The Big Kahuna. A Flock of Seagulls was the ’80s new wave band that sang “I Ran (So Far Away).” The singer had floppy bangs. Fans have a lot of theories about what’s in this briefcase, including an Elvis suit and gold bricks. Tarantino has refused to say what’s inside: “You think you want me to tell you… but you don’t.” Jules’ speech is inspired by Sonny Chiba’s Shadow Warriors TV show. Sonny Chiba plays a ninja that would usually give a lecture to the bad guy before killing him. Chiba reprises that character in Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies. Then line “Can you dig it? I knew that you could” was a line in Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever.

It was originally the catchphrase of a Billy Crystal character in the ’70s. Douglas Sirk is one of Tarantino’s favorite directors. He made brightly-colored melodramas in the ’50s. Durward Kirby was a TV host and announcer. He co-hosted Candid Camera in the ’60s. Travolta starred in Urban Cowboy (1980) and Thurman starred in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993). Fox Force Five inspired the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad in Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies. Tarantino and Thurman started developing Kill Bill while making this movie. Mia’s shake is named after the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Mia’s hair is modeled after Anna Karina in Jean Luc Godard’s Bande à Part (1964). Tarantino, a huge Godard fan, named his production company A Band Apart after that movie. The Ed Sullivan Show ran from 1948 to 1971. Many of the characters at Jack Rabbit Slim’s were guests.

The Beatles’ appearance on the show in 1964 marked the beginning of the “British Invasion.” The dance competition was inspired by a scene in Bande à Part (1964). The famous “eye dance” was taken from an episode of the Batman TV series. It’s called the Batusi. Some of Mia’s dance moves are inspired by Duchess in Disney’s The Aristocats (1970). When the movie first screened in the U.S., an audience member fainted from watching Mia’s resuscitation scene. The cartoon that Young Butch watches is Clutch Cargo from 1959 that uses live-action human lips over animation. Sgt. Winocki (mentioned in Captain Koons’s speech) is the same name as a gunner in Howard Hawks’ Air Force (1943). Hawks is one of Tarantino’s favorite directors. Walken met a fan in a steam room in Europe who recited the whole Koons speech to him verbatim. The Zed sequence part of the movie is a nod to Deliverance (1972), which Tarantino saw when he was in fourth grade.

The “pliers and blowtorch” and “medieval on your ass” lines are from the movie Charley Varrick (1973). Maynard, the pawn shop clerk, is named after the character who said those lines in Varrick. In 2013, The Guardian ranked “Zed’s dead” as the best moment of Bruce Willis’ career. Lash LaRue acted in B-movie Westerns in the ’40s. He got his nickname from being a master of the bullwhip. Caine from Kung Fu (1972-1975) is played by David Carradine, who is Bill in Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies. In 2012, Complex.com ranked Jules the No. 2 “Most Badass Character in a Quentin Tarantino Movie.” Uma Thurman’s Bride from Kill Bill was No. 1. A parody of this movie called Plump Fiction came out in 1998. The suitcase in that movie holds a “Welcome Back, Kotter” lunch box and orange glow sticks.

In 2013, Entertainment Weekly named Pulp Fiction one of the “20 Greatest Movies of All Time.” EW: “Tarantino creates a dizzying spectacle of life at its darkest, only to release us, with a wink, into the light.” Press Notes Roger Ebert called it “the most influential” movie of the 1990s. Roger Ebert called Tarantino “the first director who’s a rock ‘n’ roll star.” Gene Siskel said Generation X was “The Tarantino Generation.” Rotten Tomatoes gave Pulp Fiction a 94% “fresh” rating, meaning most critics liked it. Pulp Fiction was on more critics’ Top Ten Lists than any other movie in 1994. Entertainment Weekly called Jules “the soul and spirit of Pulp Fiction — fury reined in by order.” Production Notes After the success of that movie, Tarantino got a $900,000 advance to write Pulp Fiction. The “trunk shot” is one of Tarantino’s signature camera angles. He’s used it in almost all of his movies, from Reservoir Dogs (1992) to Django Unchained (2012).

Travolta had the idea for Vincent to have long hair. He added extensions to give himself “a Euro haircut.” Jules was going to have an afro, but a crew member brought back a Jheri-curl wig and Jackson loved it. A former heroin addict who was friends with Tarantino made sure all the drug use in the movie was accurate. When Tarantino met Travolta, he happened to be living in Travolta’s first L.A. apartment. Between takes, Christopher Walken would sip hot sauce to keep his saliva flowing for his long speech as Captain Koons. Bruce Willis, and most of the other actors, took a big pay cut to make this movie. Willis: “I don’t think it was ever about the money for anyone.” Tarantino showed Willis the film noir movie Nightfall (1957) to help him get into character. Other actors passed on the role of Marcellus because they didn’t want to play a rape victim. Ving Rhames embraced it. Rhames: “Because of the way I look, I don’t ever get the opportunity to play many vulnerable people.” Tarantino also had “Mexican standoffs” in Reservoir Dogs and Inglourious Basterds.

Hong Kong director John Woo, a big inspiration for Tarantino, is known for his use of the “Mexican standoff.” Samuel L. Jackson auditioned for the movie with what became the final scene. Tarantino didn’t know how the movie was going to end until he saw Jackson’s audition. Prop Notes Fruit Brute was the first of the “monster” cereals (Frankenberry, Count Chocula) to be discontinued. Tarantino, who loves cereal, had kept the box used in the movie for years. He also used it in Reservoir Dogs. A samurai sword, or katana, is The Bride’s weapon of choice in Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies. In the coffee shop scene, Vincent is reading Modesty Blaise, a good example of the kind of Pulp Fiction the movie is based on. Tarantino kept “the wallet” after the movie to use as his own. Quotation Notes Tarantino has said that if he was watching the movie, the story he’d want to know most was Mia’s.

Tarantino on Thurman: “We’ve always kind of felt she was my actress and I was her director.” Rosanna Arquette called Jody “a cranky old bitch who was just fed up with her husband’s shenanigans.” Quentin Tarantino said Bruce Willis was “the only contemporary star to evoke the actors of the fifties.” Tarantino saw Butch as a bully, “like Ralph Meeker as Mike Hammer in Kiss Me Deadly (1955).” Bruce Willis: “Love conquers all. [Butch is] tamed by his love for Fabienne.” Tarantino said if he made the movie just about Butch’s story, Vincent wouldn’t have had a name. “He would have been called ‘Thug Number 1’ and he would have entered a room just to get killed.” Tarantino: “Harvey had been my favorite actor since I was 16 years old… I’d seen him in Mean Streets and Taxi Driver and other stuff.” Script Notes Pulp Fiction gets its title and tone from the pulp crime novels and magazines of the 1920s and ’30s. True Romance and Natural Born Killers, both written by Tarantino, also feature criminal couples.

Big Kahuna burgers are also discussed in Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Death Proof (2007). Red Apple cigarettes are a brand that Tarantino made up. He also used them in Four Rooms and Kill Bill. “Bava” is a shoutout to Mario Bava, the director of Black Sabbath (1963). Black Sabbath‘s three-story plot inspired Tarantino when he was writing Pulp Fiction. The scene where Mia interviews Vincent on video is not in the theatrical version of the movie. Tarantino cut it because he thought camcorder interviews were being overused in movies at the time. Tarantino named Vincent after Suzanne Vega (“Luka”), one of his favorite singers. Vic Vega was the name of Michael Madsen’s character in Reservoir Dogs. When Madsen wasn’t available to reprise his role in this movie, Tarantino changed the part to Vic’s brother. The speech given by Captain Koons (Walkens) is inspired by the actor’s Oscar-winning role as a P.O.W. in The Deer Hunter (1978). In the original script, Butch gets out of the car and debates whether to go after the watch.

He says: “When I took Marsellus Wallace’s money, I started a war. This is my World War II.” In Natural Born Killers, written by Tarantino, Mallory uses “eeny, meeny, miny, moe” to choose a victim. “Honor among thieves” is a theme in most Tarantino movies – even bad guys can have a moral code. Tarantino based the movie’s unconventional, non-linear storytelling method on the structure of novels. In the theatrical version of the movie, they say the “f-word” 271 times. Honey Bunny is named after a friend’s rabbit that died while Tarantino was supposed to be watching it. Tarantino wrote Pumpkin and Honey Bunny specifically for Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer. Jules’ speech isn’t exactly Ezekiel 25:17. Tarantino said, “Typical writer: ‘It doesn’t work that well. I gotta make [it] a little better.'” Set Notes The bandage on Marcellus is there to cover a scar on the back of Rhames’ neck. For the snorting heroin scene, Thurman snorted sugar.

She called it “disgusting.” Cinematographer Andrzej Sekula’s leg was shattered in a car accident halfway through production. He had to shoot the rest of the movie from a wheelchair. Symbolism Notes In the resuscitation of Mia scene, the board games Operation and Life appear on the table to the left. It says “Grace” on Zed’s motorcycle. Butch is one of several characters that are “saved” in the movie. On one take of that “cab ride” line, Keitel did it like Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone (1983). Trivia Notes Bora Bora’s official language is French, so Fabienne actually does speak “Bora Boran.” According to research studies, people forget about 95% of their dreams. In 1994, Cops had only been on for five years. As of 2013, it’s still running. The phrase “according to Hoyle” comes from a rule book for card games written by Edmond Hoyle. Wardrobe Notes The main protagonists in Reservoir Dogs (1992) also wore black suits and black ties.

Tarantino called it their “suit of armor,” like Clint Eastwood’s poncho in Sergio Leone’s Westerns. Jules’ shirt features the cartoon character Krazy Kat. The UC Santa Cruz mascot on Vincent’s shirt is called Sammy the Slug. Daniel Day-Lewis almost danced the twist with Uma Thurman in ‘Pulp Fiction’ Daniel Day-Lewis almost danced the twist with Uma Thurman in ‘Pulp Fiction’ bryanenk Tweet Share Believe it or not, Harvey Weinstein didn't want the guy from the "Look Who's Talking" movies to be in "Pulp Fiction." No, not the guy who did the baby's voice -- Harvey definitely wanted him. We mean the other guy, the one who hadn't had a hit that didn't have a talking baby in it in several years. It's hard to imagine anyone besides John Travolta playing the role of Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's undisputed masterpiece, "Pulp Fiction." Travolta brought an easy, laidback charm to the half-wit hit man who didn't learn that he shouldn't ever go to the bathroom until it was too late.

[On Vanity Fair: The Pulp Fiction Oral History -- Uma Thurman, Quentin Tarantino, and John Travolta Retrace the Movie's Making ] "Pulp Fiction" ended up giving Travolta a much-needed career comeback, but before cameras rolled on his philosophical musings about foot massages and him accidentally shooting poor Marvin in the face, he wasn't someone any studio wanted to touch -- especially Miramax. "John Travolta was at that time as cold as they get," said Mike Simpson, Tarantino's agent at William Morris Endeavor, in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. "He was less than zero." Simpson had given Weinstein a list of Tarantino's demands, which included final cut, a two-and-a-half-hour running time and approval on casting. Quentin had provided a wish list of actors, all of which received Weinstein's blessing -- except Travolta. Weinstein claimed he could get Daniel Day-Lewis, Sean Penn or William Hurt -- and by that point both Day-Lewis and Bruce Willis were interested in the part of Vincent Vega. Weinstein eventually relented on the Travolta issue, mostly because Willis' interest -- and later involvement -- in the project relieved his concerns that the film lacked bankable stars.

Tarantino had offered the role of boxer Butch Coolidge to Matt Dillon, though after Dillon hesitated, the part went to Willis. "Once I got Bruce Willis, Harvey got his big movie star, and we were all good," said Tarantino. "Bruce Willis made us legit." There's more to the "What If?" version of "Pulp Fiction." Uma Thurman took some convincing to take the role of mob trophy wife Mia Wallace, though mostly due to a scene she wasn't even in. "[Tarantino] wasn't this revered demigod auteur that he has grown into. And I wasn't sure I wanted to do it, because I was worried about the Gimp stuff," said Thurman, referring to the infamous sequence in which Mia's husband Marsellus (Ving Rhames) is raped by his captors. "We had very memorable, long discussions about male rape versus female rape. No one could believe I even hesitated in any way. Neither can I, in hindsight." And finally, that almost wasn't Samuel L.

Jackson in the iconic role of Jules Winnfield, as he almost lost the part to Paul Calderon, who ended up having a cameo as Paul the bartender ("My name's Paul and this is between y'all"). Jackson, who was under the impression that the role was his, flew to L.A. for a now-notorious last-minute audition. "In comes Sam with a burger in his hand and a drink in the other hand and stinking like fast food," recalls Richard Gladstein, then head of production at Miramax. "Me and Quentin and [producer] Lawrence [Bender] were sitting on the couch, and he walked in and just started sipping that shake and biting that burger and looking at all of us. I was scared shitless. I thought that this guy was going to shoot a gun right through my head. And he just stole the part." Well, of course he did. Then he walked the earth, like Caine in "Kung Fu." Quentin Tarantino discusses casting John Travolta in 'Pulp Fiction': Reblog

Question: Which actress danced the twist with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction
Answer: Uma Thurman