Episode 299: PULP FICTION (1994)

Trylove

It defined an entire era of filmmaking. It recontextualized the tropes and narratives that came before. It festoons college dorm rooms across the world. It played at the Trylon on a newly struck 35mm print in 2024. Quentin Tarantino’s sophomore feature PULP FICTION is still “that movie”, whatever that means.

An all-star cast stretched across three interlocking stories shows people in a period of adaptation, transition, growth, and moving on — or not.

In this episode, we discuss the inimitable style with which editing imbues PULP FICTION’s narrative; its use of violence to simplify characters; the true depth of its pop culture references; and the parallel arcs each character takes to realize truer versions of themselves (whether that’s wandering the earth, getting out of Dodge, or dying in a stranger’s bathtub).

References:

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Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro music: "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield from the PULP FICTION soundtrack.

Timestamps

0:00 - Episode 299: PULP FICTION (1994)

5:09 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary

8:04 - Chaos, genre inspirations, and where PULP FICTION sits with us today

17:00 - A movie with a clear moral stance

20:34 - Choices, moral guidelines, and what drives these characters

29:00 - Heightened style and nonreality

34:55 - Violence, power, and how characters respond to circumstance

50:17 - Americana, references, and pop culture as more than aesthetic

1:01:37 - Dialogue, character-building, and huge performances

1:17:38 - The Junk Drawer

1:25:02 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 1994

1:27:40 - Cody’s Noteys: Pulp Fiction or Pulp Nonfiction?