Kill Bill

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[The Wrenster]

Hi guys, I thought you may be able to provide some further info... I was watching a film review program on TV the other day. (For those in the UK, it was Johnathon Ross Film 2003)On it, at the very ending, there were shown clips of up and coming films. One of the clips was entitled 'Kill Bill'. It is a martial arts type thing, with the actress (forgive my ignorance) who starred as Chow yun Fats friend in Crouching tiger, and also in one of the bond films. Anyway, there were fight scenes, "samurai" swords and the rest, but also a clip of O'Sensei!!! Im sure it was, training someone to use a sord (I think) and balancing on the end of their sword and doing a backflip off it. I thought about posting before, but I wasnt sure it wasnt my imagination, so when I saw the repeat today, I thought to mention it. I was hoping it might have already been released in Japan or America?? What are your views? Has anyone heard of it??

THanks, ADAM

[Erik]

I've seen the clip. You are way off on this one. The actor on the sword is just some guy with a beard, or, the usual mystical Asian martial arts master archetype. The actress is Lucy Liu of Charlie's Angels fame not Michelle Yeoh or Ziyi Zhang of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

I think the movie is being released in two parts with the first coming later this year and the second early next year.

[batemanb]

Kill Bill is the new film from Quentin Tarantino. It`s an homage to the old seventies martial arts films. Stars Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Tarantino, Daryl Hannah, Sony Chiba and a few more. The film has now been split into two, part 1 released in the Uk next month, part 2 released in February. the trailer is quite cool, can be viewed here.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/killbill.html

Regards

Bryan

[Jeff Tibbetts]

I don't think this movie looks that good, honestly. It does, however, give a nod or two to the Japanese cult hit "Battle Royale." Someone even said that one of the actresses (the catholic schoolgirl with the ball and chain) is one of the actors from B.R., but I couldn't tell from the trailer. I work at a movie theatre, so I watch these all the time. The poster isn't too bad, though. It's got a pretty nice looking sword on it, if it weren't for the "stamped on" shishi dog. The Japanese behind the sword spell out "Kiru Biru" in Katakana, which is kind of interesting. I'm actually more excited about the new trailer for Last Samurai, even though I'm still not sure that I'm going to like the movie. It looks a LOT better, this time around. At the very least, it's looking positively beautiful. At any rate, Kill Bill looks like more confused "I don't know what's Chinese and what's Japanese" garbage. I'm so sick of Hollywood putting ANY Asian person in the role of someone from ANYWHERE in Asia. Lucy Liu, while hot, is not Japanese. I'd be shocked if she played a Chinese woman who happens to wear kimonos and carry samurai swords. It's more likely that she is supposed to be Japanese. COME ON! Oh, and the guy in the trailer who looks a (very little) bit like O Sensei, he's Chinese. In that scene, Uma's (funny name in Japanese) character is learning some Chinese swordwork from what we must assume is a master, yet throughout the rest of the trailer she's using a samurai sword. Again, I suppose it's possible that she just cross trains like many of us in the martial arts community do, but it's still a shame that they rarely point out that they are different arts. I think this just adds to the idea that many people have that all "that stuff" is the same. Most people don't care at all whether it's Japanese, Chinese, or any other Asian nation. Now I know Tarantino is a big Japanophile. It's not outside the realm of possibility that the differences are explained, but I'm banking on Not based on Hollywood's confusion on these topics in the past. Who knows, though... I'll suspend final judgement untill I have a real synopsis on the story or I see it. Sorry to go off on a tirade, I don't get to talk about this with the people I work with. They all think it's the same stuff, too.

[PhilJ]

Oh Jeff, you're such a purist. :) It's Hollyweird, man, they just don't get it sometimes.

*Phil

[jducusin]

It does, however, give a nod or two to the Japanese cult hit "Battle Royale." Someone even said that one of the actresses (the catholic schoolgirl with the ball and chain) is one of the actors from B.R., but I couldn't tell from the trailer.
That's what I thought --- she looked awfully familiar...not too sure which BR character she played though --- will have to watch it again!

[The Wrenster]

Cool stuff guys, though I must hang my head in shame at the mistakes, but, it was on past midnight, and was a very short clip. and, i cant remember names very well, I hope I am excused. :blush: Anyhoo, about that Last Samurai movie... looks good, but with the cruiser, hmm, dunno. I'm gonna have to go and see it because I like all that kind of swashbuckling type of movie, and playing SHogun:Total War, to compare with/un-reality. Do you guys have any more information on the Last Samurai, or indeed that one with Russel Crowe and the shipseses. THeres going to be lots of good films out very shorty!! HEy hey, inc. Matrix, and LoTR. Im so sad. Cheers, I'll see you at the cinema ;)

[Jeff Tibbetts]

Well, I guess I have more info, like release dates and whatnot since I work at the theatre. What did you want to know? If I were you, I would look up the movies on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com.) It's a great site, lots of technical info. The Russel Crows movie you're talking about is called "Master and Commander," in case you were wondering. Anyway, one thing I thought was cool about Last Samurai that us Aikidoka may appreciate... There's a place in the US that makes custom bokken and jo, called Kingfisher. I read an article, I can't now remember where, but the guy who founded Kingfisher was talking about how he scored the contract to make the training swords used in the movie. He knew that it was a period film and he was shooting for accuracy. I don't think they asked him to do it, but he decided to do some more research into how those weapons were made and from then on has made all swords in the traditonal manner. He no longer uses any sandpaper, just various planes and hand-tools, which makes for a very different looking bokken. If you check out the website, you can see each tiny cut that makes up the curves, and the grain stays open, so the wood looks absolutely beautiful. I thought that this was a very cool gesture, as he must have known that you really won't be able to see it in the movie. I think it may make the actors think about that stick that their holding in a different way, though, so if he did it for no other reason it would still be awesome. Little things like that go a long way in my opinion, but the flip side is that Kingfisher weapons are quite expensive. They really have to be under the circumsances. Cool, though, very cool. Reading that gave me hope for the movie, as the producers could easily have just purchased a bunch of on-the-market bokken, I doubt it was any cheaper to have them made just for the movie. I'll shut up, now. You guys shouldn't get me started on this stuff, it's no good for you to have to read through my posts.

[Bronson]

There's a place in the US that makes custom bokken and jo, called Kingfisher. I read an article, I can't now remember where
Journal of Asian Martial Arts Volume 12 Number 2, 2003
If you check out the website, you can see each tiny cut that makes up the curves, and the grain stays open, so the wood looks absolutely beautiful.

I recently purchased one and it is without a doubt one of, if not the, best bokken I've ever handled. Length, width, weight, balance, texture, everything is superb. If you can afford one do it. If you go to the website and request a catalog it details many styles of bokken. James (Brad) Goedkoop is a good guy to deal with. He made me a custom sized bokken and I had it in two weeks. Oh, if you can afford the cross laminated bamboo tsuba get that too.

Bronson (who doesn't work for Kingfisher :D )

[Jeff Tibbetts]

Thanks for pointed out that article, I knew it wasn't a magazine I normally pick up :) Sounds like a nice piece of work!

[Jeff Tibbetts]

Okay, here's the update... I just watched Kill Bill last night (special screening for employees, one of my only job perks) and it was honestly better than I had thought. I had made the comment that I was upset that Lucy Liu was playing a Japanese character, because she's Chinese and Hollywood always screws this up. That was my bad, she plays a Chinese/Japanese American who wants to be a samurai. Ok, that's better in a way. I was also concerned that there would be a whole lot of Chinese and Japanese mixups, as the trailer seemed to indicate that. I'm happy to say that it really never came up, unless you want to count Yuen Wo Ping doing the fight choreography in an otherwise decidedly Chambara-type film. Most of this first movie takes place in Japan, and there's really nothing Chinese in it at all, so it didn't lost points for getting them mixed up. As far as martial arts stuff, it's pretty Hollywood, didn't strike me as being too real. But then, he was shooting for over the top and that's just where it was. Don't watch this looking for much real martial arts action, unless you're into action films. There's more gore than is normal for these movies, but it's pretty stylistic. Actually, the whole movie is very stylised, which is good and bad. Mr. Tarantino thinks that he's just amazing, and he actually rips himself off in this movie quite a bit. There are some scenes that are very Pulp Fictiony, and there are very many rip offs of other movies, as well. I suppose he thinks it's more of an homage to rip off old chambara movies, but the reference is lost on most people so really it just feels like he's stealing some of their tricks. There are numerous scenes that one of the characters pulls off moves taken straight from old chambara classics, like the blood-whipping tricks from Lone Wolf and Cub (one in particular was when they sort of punch their sword to drip the blood off, it just wasn't done as well by Uma) and others. Anyway, getting off on tangents again. Overall, I was just happy that he didn't do what I feared he would, and throw all the Chinese and Japanese stuff in together, because most people can't tell which is which and end up thinking that it's all the same. It wasn't a masterwork, but it didn't totally suck and that's better than most movies :) Let me know what you think, I have a hard time judging movies objectively anymore.

[Timo]

The fight stuff was much more "anime'ish" than hollywoodish, at least in my opinion. The gushing blood and severed limbs, not to mention the cutting and camera angles. :)

I'd say it was HongKong Kung Fu / Spaghetti Western / Anime mix. Which is just stating the obvious ;)

[Jeff Tibbetts]

Yeah, I think you're probably right on, there. The camera shots were really more like anime during some scenes... ironic, I guess most anime directors direct their stuff more like hollywood action movies, anyway. At least that's what I've read. Apparently, most anime directors really wish they could just do real films, but it's too competetive and expensive, which accounts for anime's cinematic flair. At least, cinematic flair compared to other types of animation.

[batemanb]

That's what I thought --- she looked awfully familiar...not too sure which BR character she played though --- will have to watch it again!
Chiaki Kuriyama plays Go Go Yubari in Kill Bill, she also played Takako Chigusa in Battle Royale. If my memory serves (I`ve only seen it the once), she played the ever so slightly Psycho girlie who did her best to kill as many as possible, even apparently sleeping with the boys to lure them into a false sense of security.

Regards

Bryan

[happysod]

Saw it the other day, it was ok, but still not a patch on the baby cart series. Worth a look, but I wouldn't bother making special plans to see it, it's more of a "catch it when you feel like it" than a "must see". The best bit is definitely the lass from BR, she makes her little ball and chain seem like a believable instrument of death.

[mj]

The film has no plot, no character development or much of anything else.

I loved it. Pure action all the way.

Tarantino said that Kill Bill was the kind of film that the people in Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction would go to see. Can't argue with that.

The girl from Battle Royale was sex on legs.

Can't wait for part 2.

[Bronson]

The girl from Battle Royale was sex on legs.
I gotta go with Lucy Liu. I've never seen a woman look sexier chopping off a head.

Bronson

[stoker]

Lady behind me said, "if she was in a coma for a couple of years, who has been doing her toe nails?"

Her compangion said, "You can't take movies seriously -- ain't like TV"

[mj]

Buck.

[Abasan]

If you want blood and gore to match this, try finding Versus (japanese movie - anime meets resident evil type).

Reminded me of the blair witch project in some respects.

[mj]

Absolutely.

I have Versus in my DVD collection.