The *ULTIMATE* Kill Bill referrence guide!!!!
10-30-03, 12:13 AM
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The *ULTIMATE* Kill Bill referrence guide!!!!
Hi guys! Indulge yourselves!
Taken from *HKFlix.com*....
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Quentin Tarantino's fourth film, "Kill Bill", opens nationwide October 10th, 2003. The film features Sonny Chiba and Gordon Liu, as well as a host of references to classic genre films, including some old school martial arts faves. Are you ready?
Just in case you want to go into the theater prepared--or in case you've just seen the film and can't wait to find out more--we've prepared a little study guide to help you out! Let's get to it!
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#1: SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS
The opening of "Kill Bill" features a little something that will warm the heart of any true martial arts movie fan: the Shaw Brothers fanfare and logo. SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS was responsible for nearly all the most highly regarded "old school" martial arts films ever made. Well aware of this himself, Quentin Tarantino even shot portions of "Kill Bill" at the legendary Shaw Bros. Studios in Hong Kong.
During the production of "Kill Bill", Quentin Tarantino insisted on portraying all the "gore" just as it was done in the classic Shaw Brothers martial arts films of the 70s and early 80s. This includes lots of arterial blood spray, as seen in the classic Shaw films by directors such as CHANG CHEH.
"Kill Bill"'s "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad" is a nod to THE VENOMS, a group of martial arts actors working for Shaw Brothers Studios. An entire book could be written on the Venoms' body of work, but their most well-known films are probably THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS and RETURN OF THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS.
Many of the classic Shaw Brothers films are available on DVD in basically two flavors these days: 1) ENGLISH DUBBED VERSIONS (usually full screen); and 2) REMASTERED WIDESCREEN VERSIONS with subtitles and the original Chinese audio. Many of us from the U.S. and Europe have grown up watching these martial arts classics on TV (full screen), with the often laughable but always memorable English dubs. These versions are still available on DVD but are technically out of print and going fast. The newly remastered DVDs are just now being released for the first time on DVD by Celestial Pictures, and offer a very different but equally enjoyable viewing experience. Whatever your preference, we've got 'em all in stock!
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#2: GORDON LIU
GORDON LIU stars in the film as Johnny Mo, the black mask-wearing bodyguard of O-Ren Ishi (Lucy Liu) Before he was crossing swords with Uma Thurman, Gordon Liu (AKA "The Master Killer") was busy shredding up Hong Kong movie screens and blazing a trail as one of the best on-screen martial artists of all time. Best known for his work at SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS, Liu's most memorable role is arguably that of bald-headed Monk San Te in THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN and its sequels.
Gordon appears in "Kill Bill" wearing a "Kato mask", similar to the one Bruce Lee wore in the classic TV series "The Green Hornet" (see #5 below).
If you've browsed through this site at all, you know that Gordon Liu is one of our all-time favorites. You pretty much can't go wrong with any martial arts film starring The Master Killer. We offer a huge variety of Gordon Liu DVDs, including many of his most well-loved, classic Shaw Brothers Studios performances. CLICK HERE to browse the titles!
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#3: THE YELLOW TRACKSUIT
If you've seen the trailers yet, you've seen Uma Thurman kickin' some butt in a yellow tracksuit. No she's not a "special school" bus driver, this is an homage to the identical tracksuit Bruce Lee wore in the film GAME OF DEATH.
There are no fewer than 5 GAME OF DEATH DVDs currently available here at HKFlix.com, take your pick!
Bruce Lee 30th Anniversary Commemorative Box Set [6-Disc Set]
Game Of Death [HK Universe Version]
Game Of Death [Korean Version]
Game Of Death [UK 2-Disc Limited Platinum Edition]
Game Of Death [UK 2-Disc SE]
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#4: SONNY CHIBA
SONNY CHIBA stars in the film as Hattori Hanzo, pissed-off sushi chef by day, retired bad-ass samurai swordsmith by night. Chiba is one of the most memorable icons to have emerged from the martial arts boom of the 1970s, having gone on to star in over 100 films to date in Japan, Hong Kong, and the U.S.--including the infamous STREET FIGHTER films!
We carry a wide array of Chiba films, including the highly recommended 10 FACES OF SONNY CHIBA 10-disc box set (a great way to get caught-up fast!). CLICK HERE to browse them all!
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#5: THE MUSIC
Any Quentin Tarantino fan can tell you, the man's movies have soundtracks that can't be beat. From funky-as-hell '70s tracks to obscure cult film and TV theme songs, every Tarantino film offers an unforgettable listening experience to go along with all his tasty visuals. "Kill Bill" is no exception to this rule, including several references to classic martial arts-related pieces of music. Aside from the Shaw Brothers fanfare (mentioned above), there are a couple other items of note...
Of particular note is the theme song to THE GREEN HORNET. THE GREEN HORNET, as you'll no doubt remember, was the 1966-67 TV series that co-starred the late, great Bruce Lee as Kato, the mask-adorned sidekick to The Green Hornet. This theme song is instantly recognizable by the quick succession of trumpeted staccato 16th notes that make up its melody.
Several GREEN HORNET TV episodes were compiled into two feature-length films between 1974 and 1976, clearly edited with Bruce Lee's star power in mind. Representing two of the last unreleased Bruce Lee feature films, both titles are now available on DVD at HKFlix.com
Another martial arts music reference to be found in "Kill Bill" is the infamous MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE theme. Martial arts fans know all about the FLYING GUILLOTINE, a weapon very similar to the one Go Go Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama, of BATTLE ROYALE fame) uses to fight The Bride (Uma Thurman) in the "House Of Blue Leaves" scene from "Kill Bill".
Yet another prominent piece of music is the theme from Lucio Fuli's "Sette Note In Nero" (AKA "Murder To The Tune Of Seven Black Notes", AKA "Seven Notes in Black", AKA "The Psychic"). This film is not yet available on DVD.
----------------------------------------
#6: TOKYO MINIATURES & MORE...
Next is a relatively obscure little bit of information about the Tokyo miniatures from "Kill Bill". Apparently, these miniatures were left-over from the 2001 Japanese production of GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (AKA "GMK").
GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK was a very well-received installment in the Godzilla series, and is available on DVD here at HKFlix.com. Check it out and see if you can spot some of the buildings and streets seen in "Kill Bill"! And, while we're on the subject of Godzilla, listen up for the giant lizard's trademark roar when Uma does a backflip in the "House Of Blue Leaves" scene! There are also some short Godzilla monster screams inserted just before this.
Also featured in the "House Of Blue Leaves" scene is a beautiful sequence where Uma takes on the Crazy 88 in silhouette against a blue background. Anyone who's seen SAMURAI FICTION will agree this scene looks strikingly familiar to the SAMURAI FICTION poster art and opening sequence, with a blue background instead of red. Just before this sequence in "Kill Bill" is a very quick bit where Uma slices a guy across the mouth...remind anyone else of Kakihara from ICHI THE KILLER?
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#7: LADY SNOWBLOOD
Perhaps the most striking of all the references in "Kill Bill" are the liberal imitations of the 1973 Japanese film LADY SNOWBLOOD. The story centers around a female child whose mother dies in jail, who then goes on to receive martial arts training to avenge her mother's death. Replete with blood sprays a plenty, titled chapters, a wide variety of musical styles, and even some animated sequences, the similarities are far too many to go into. But suffice it to say that LADY SNOWBLOOD seems to have been Tarantino's primary influence for "Kill Bill".
It's an excellent film, too, very highly recommended viewing for "Kill Bill" fans and anyone else who can dig a classic vicious revenge flick. It's no wonder Quentin Tarantino took such an apparent liking to it--we have, too! (By the way, the UK DVD even features the same exact multi-colored subtitles (yellow and green) as "Kill Bill"!)
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#8: THE VIEWERS SPEAK!
The verdict is in! You love "Kill Bill"! You saw it three times during the opening weekend, and you've noticed a hell of a lot of references that we didn't even mention! Here's your chance to share...
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Another Bruce Lee reference: House Of Blue Leaves fight scene where the Bride is on the floor slicing off legs is dead on to nunchaku scene in FIST OF FURY right down to looking back and seeing groaning victims (even though the Bride has a fight with O-Ren Ishii before going back to look at her handiwork).
Perhaps a rather obscure reference to "Francis": Scene where Buck brings in a customer to rape the comatose Bride is real close to the rape scene in "Francis" were Farncis Farmer is in a mental institution and an orderly brings in men to gang bang her.
Submitted By: John A. (10/12/2003)
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The movie "They Call Her One Eye" (aka: "Thriller") is a Swedish film about a girl whose life is ruined--her "pimp" even goes so far as to remove one of her eyes (a la Daryl Hannah) before she studies to seek revenge on them all. In the "Cinescape" with "Kill Bill" on the cover, Tarantino mentions this as one of his favorite films, and it shows in Kill Bill. Thought I would mention this, the movie is VERY hard to find, I know its not an HK film, but very influential nonetheless.
Submitted By: Nathan H. (10/13/2003)
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You forgot DUEL TO THE DEATH. Check out the last 10 minutes of that movie. QT basically took the main parts of "The Bride Wore Black" and "Thriller: A Grim Picture" (AKA "They Called Her One Eye").
"The Bride Wore Black" has the same concept:
A woman's life is shattered when her husband is murdered on their wedding day. She tracks down the five men responsible and she kills them in five different ways wearing five different outfits. She even writes their names in a notebook and crosses them off after she kills them. She's even called "The Bride" throughout the picture.
"Thriller: A Grim Picture" is about a woman who is brutally beaten and left for dead by her pimp/boyfriend and his cronies. She recooperates and learns how to kill people by using her bed money to track down and kill her ex-pimp.
Submitted By: Joseph U. (10/14/2003)
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Not really a reference, more like a kudos if you will. The Anime sequence in "Kill Bill: Volume 1" was done by none other than Production-IG. To most, that name means nothing, but to the anime fan like me, it means a lot.
Production-IG is responsible for such huge hits as: BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, JIN-ROH, PATLABOR 1 + 2, FLCL, and Ghost in the Shell, to name just a few. Selecting this group is a major nod to one of the studios that helped make modern anime what it is today, and shows that Quentin Tarantino is a true anime fan.
Submitted By: Marcel A. (10/13/2003)
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While Uma is riding the motorcycle across the bridge in Japan, the night lights are green while the GREEN HORNET music is playing.
The music from FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (AKA "King Boxer") plays all through this film.
Submitted By: June D. (10/14/2003)
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Another TV theme that even I didn't catch (but a friend did) is the theme to "Ironside". The theme was by Quincy Jones and is most memorable for the rapid up-down, up-down slide at the beginning.
The theme is particularly interesting in that the series featured Raymond Burr ("Perry Mason") as a retired police commissioner who, as the victim of a snpier attack, was paralyzed from the waist down. There is definitely a connection, with "The Bride" initially being similarly affected.
Submitted By: Terry O. (10/14/2003)
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When Uma spanks the boy it reminded me of the scene in YOJIMBO when he sends the young boy back to his mother after nearly getting killed for working for gangsters (yakuza).
Submitted By: Kent L. (10/14/2003)
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The shots of Daryl Hannah walking down the hospital corridor with a big purse are right out of the beginning of HITCHCOCK's "Marnie" with Tippi Hedren. (Also DePalma who was quoting Hitchcock.)
Inside the pickup truck, Uma concentrating and talking to her big toe reminds me of John Wayne as the real life character Frank "Spig" Weed in John Ford's "Wings Of Eagles."
Another reference: the overhead shots of Uma at Vernita Green's house are similar to the final shot of Claude Chabrol's "The Champagne Murders".
Submitted By: Elizabeth (10/14/2003)
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The Sheriff (Michael Parks) drives up to the wedding massacre with a line of sunglasses on his dashboard--a definite homage to H. B. "Toby" Halicki and "Gone In 60 Seconds".
Submitted By: Brian T. (10/15/2003)
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Two scenes and shots are very similar to the classic American version of SHOGUN ASSASSIN:
1) During the fight in the House of Blue Leaves, The Bride slices one of the Crazy 88 in two with a sword strike to the top of thee head. Ogami Itto does the same to one of the Masters of Death in the final fight in the desert.
2) **SPOILER** When The Bride scalps O-Ren Ishii, she has a death speech that sounds just like the final Master of Death's lines after Ogami Itto nicks his jugular, seconds before full blood spewing.
Submitted By: Gaijin84 (10/15/2003)
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Not sure if this was covered, but in GAME OF DEATH, BRUCE LEE has to acsend five floors and defeat five different enemies. I believe that The Bride having to kill five different, dangerous villans is an homage to GAME OF DEATH.
Submitted By: Daniel B. (10/15/2003)
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Someone already mentioned the HITCHCOCK/"Marnie" reference with Daryl Hannah, but there's something else there, too.
Hannah, in the nurse's uniform, is whistling the score to Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill", and the film's score eventually accompanies her, referencing the evil MICHAEL CAINE nurse at the end of De Palma's movie. In the same scene, there was a split screen, which De Palma frequently employed in his films, including, of course, "Dressed to Kill".
Submitted By: Kent A. (10/15/2003)
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Pardon me if anyone has already mentioned this, but in the film SONNY CHIBA plays Hanzo, which is a reference to Hattori Hanzo, the leading character he played on the Japanese 4-season ninja TV series "Kage No Gunden" ("Shadow Warriors"). .
In Vol. 1, GORDON LIU plays Johnny Mo, which may be a play on the name of THE MISSION and PTU director JOHNNIE TO. Of course, in Vol. 2, Gordon plays Pai Mei, who is the Shaolin traitor in LIU CHIA LIANG's classic EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN, and essentially the character Gordon kills in the LO LIEH-directed sequel FIST OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
Submitted By: Ric Meyers (10/15/2003)
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MEIKO KAJI, who played the lead Yuki in LADY SNOWBLOOD sings "The Flower Of Carnage" used during the credits of "Kill Bill Volume 1" Also, Julie Manase, the first female Crazy 88 to be killed by The Bride, is SONNY CHIBA's daughter and trained all the female actresses in the film.
Submitted By: John P. (10/15/2003)
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When then The Bride and Gogo are table-hopping during their fight, you can make out a sort of organ/synthesizer "wave" sound effect, which I remember hearing in a couple of English-dubbed SHAW BROS. movies. I remember it was in FIVE DEADLY VENOMS during some of the more crazy acrobatics, and in SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA (AKA "Challenge Of The Ninja") when the ninja was onscreen.
Submitted By: Erick K. (10/16/2003)
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Another name that crops up in the film is the name Vernita Green is using in her current life: Jeannie Bell. In real life, JEANNIE BELL was a former Playboy Playmate who appeared in several blaxploitation films in the 70s including "Black Gunn", "Three The Hard Way", and had the starring role as a kick-ass karate instructor looking for her brother's killer in TNT JACKSON.
Submitted By: Rick L. (10/17/2003)
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Alert Reader MPM pointed out this INTERVIEW WITH QUENTIN TARANTINO, in which he goes into detail about many of the references (and mistaken references!) from "Kill Bill". Movies and people discussed include:
MOVIES / TV SHOWS:
Battle Royale
Black Lizard
Black Sunday
The Bride Wore Black
Chinese Boxer
Dead And Buried
The Doll Squad
Fudoh
Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell
Green Hornet
Hannie Caulder
Honey West
Ichi The Killer
Lady Snowblood
Master Of The Flying Guillotine
Modesty Blaise
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Shaolin Master Killer
Shogun Assassin
Silent Flute
They Call Her One Eye
War Of The Gargantuas
PEOPLE:
Lisa Blount
David Carradine
Sonny Chiba
Robert Culp
Alexander Fu Sheng
Kenta Fuaksaku
Kinji Fukasaku
Katsuhito Ishii
Sogo Ishii
Takashi Ishii
Teruo Ishii
Chiaki Kuriyama
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Bruce Lee
Christina Lindberg
Gordon Liu
Takashi Miike
Uma Thurman
Francois Truffaut
Jimmy Wang Yu
Raquel Welch
Simon Yuen
Yuen Wo Ping
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If you go to Kill-Bill.com (the official site) and click on PRESS NOTES you will be able to print out a 42 page document giving the complete history of the shoot, references to past films that influenced Tarantino and complete cast and crew biographies all in printable format.
Submitted By: John P. (10/17/2003)
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Well, that just about wraps up our Kill Bill Study Guide for now! Hopefully you've found some of this information interesting! If you'd like to add any thoughts or additional references to the list, DROP US A LINE, we'd love to hear from you!
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Great stuff 'eh? Now I have a question...Was that really Sonny Chiba's Daughter as that one member of the crazy '88?
Is that also Gordon Liu that we see in the Vol.2 trailer who is sparring with Uma and jumps on top of her sword?
Woah...is this true? Is this Ironside theme the same as the siren theme in 5 Fingers of death? Does this mean Quincy created that infamous siren sound we hear in 5FoD? Whcih came first...Ironside or 5FoD?
Taken from *HKFlix.com*....
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Quentin Tarantino's fourth film, "Kill Bill", opens nationwide October 10th, 2003. The film features Sonny Chiba and Gordon Liu, as well as a host of references to classic genre films, including some old school martial arts faves. Are you ready?
Just in case you want to go into the theater prepared--or in case you've just seen the film and can't wait to find out more--we've prepared a little study guide to help you out! Let's get to it!
--------------------------------------------
#1: SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS
The opening of "Kill Bill" features a little something that will warm the heart of any true martial arts movie fan: the Shaw Brothers fanfare and logo. SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS was responsible for nearly all the most highly regarded "old school" martial arts films ever made. Well aware of this himself, Quentin Tarantino even shot portions of "Kill Bill" at the legendary Shaw Bros. Studios in Hong Kong.
During the production of "Kill Bill", Quentin Tarantino insisted on portraying all the "gore" just as it was done in the classic Shaw Brothers martial arts films of the 70s and early 80s. This includes lots of arterial blood spray, as seen in the classic Shaw films by directors such as CHANG CHEH.
"Kill Bill"'s "Deadly Viper Assassination Squad" is a nod to THE VENOMS, a group of martial arts actors working for Shaw Brothers Studios. An entire book could be written on the Venoms' body of work, but their most well-known films are probably THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS and RETURN OF THE FIVE DEADLY VENOMS.
Many of the classic Shaw Brothers films are available on DVD in basically two flavors these days: 1) ENGLISH DUBBED VERSIONS (usually full screen); and 2) REMASTERED WIDESCREEN VERSIONS with subtitles and the original Chinese audio. Many of us from the U.S. and Europe have grown up watching these martial arts classics on TV (full screen), with the often laughable but always memorable English dubs. These versions are still available on DVD but are technically out of print and going fast. The newly remastered DVDs are just now being released for the first time on DVD by Celestial Pictures, and offer a very different but equally enjoyable viewing experience. Whatever your preference, we've got 'em all in stock!
----------------------------------------------
#2: GORDON LIU
GORDON LIU stars in the film as Johnny Mo, the black mask-wearing bodyguard of O-Ren Ishi (Lucy Liu) Before he was crossing swords with Uma Thurman, Gordon Liu (AKA "The Master Killer") was busy shredding up Hong Kong movie screens and blazing a trail as one of the best on-screen martial artists of all time. Best known for his work at SHAW BROTHERS STUDIOS, Liu's most memorable role is arguably that of bald-headed Monk San Te in THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN and its sequels.
Gordon appears in "Kill Bill" wearing a "Kato mask", similar to the one Bruce Lee wore in the classic TV series "The Green Hornet" (see #5 below).
If you've browsed through this site at all, you know that Gordon Liu is one of our all-time favorites. You pretty much can't go wrong with any martial arts film starring The Master Killer. We offer a huge variety of Gordon Liu DVDs, including many of his most well-loved, classic Shaw Brothers Studios performances. CLICK HERE to browse the titles!
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#3: THE YELLOW TRACKSUIT
If you've seen the trailers yet, you've seen Uma Thurman kickin' some butt in a yellow tracksuit. No she's not a "special school" bus driver, this is an homage to the identical tracksuit Bruce Lee wore in the film GAME OF DEATH.
There are no fewer than 5 GAME OF DEATH DVDs currently available here at HKFlix.com, take your pick!
Bruce Lee 30th Anniversary Commemorative Box Set [6-Disc Set]
Game Of Death [HK Universe Version]
Game Of Death [Korean Version]
Game Of Death [UK 2-Disc Limited Platinum Edition]
Game Of Death [UK 2-Disc SE]
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#4: SONNY CHIBA
SONNY CHIBA stars in the film as Hattori Hanzo, pissed-off sushi chef by day, retired bad-ass samurai swordsmith by night. Chiba is one of the most memorable icons to have emerged from the martial arts boom of the 1970s, having gone on to star in over 100 films to date in Japan, Hong Kong, and the U.S.--including the infamous STREET FIGHTER films!
We carry a wide array of Chiba films, including the highly recommended 10 FACES OF SONNY CHIBA 10-disc box set (a great way to get caught-up fast!). CLICK HERE to browse them all!
---------------------------------------
#5: THE MUSIC
Any Quentin Tarantino fan can tell you, the man's movies have soundtracks that can't be beat. From funky-as-hell '70s tracks to obscure cult film and TV theme songs, every Tarantino film offers an unforgettable listening experience to go along with all his tasty visuals. "Kill Bill" is no exception to this rule, including several references to classic martial arts-related pieces of music. Aside from the Shaw Brothers fanfare (mentioned above), there are a couple other items of note...
Of particular note is the theme song to THE GREEN HORNET. THE GREEN HORNET, as you'll no doubt remember, was the 1966-67 TV series that co-starred the late, great Bruce Lee as Kato, the mask-adorned sidekick to The Green Hornet. This theme song is instantly recognizable by the quick succession of trumpeted staccato 16th notes that make up its melody.
Several GREEN HORNET TV episodes were compiled into two feature-length films between 1974 and 1976, clearly edited with Bruce Lee's star power in mind. Representing two of the last unreleased Bruce Lee feature films, both titles are now available on DVD at HKFlix.com
Another martial arts music reference to be found in "Kill Bill" is the infamous MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE theme. Martial arts fans know all about the FLYING GUILLOTINE, a weapon very similar to the one Go Go Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama, of BATTLE ROYALE fame) uses to fight The Bride (Uma Thurman) in the "House Of Blue Leaves" scene from "Kill Bill".
Yet another prominent piece of music is the theme from Lucio Fuli's "Sette Note In Nero" (AKA "Murder To The Tune Of Seven Black Notes", AKA "Seven Notes in Black", AKA "The Psychic"). This film is not yet available on DVD.
----------------------------------------
#6: TOKYO MINIATURES & MORE...
Next is a relatively obscure little bit of information about the Tokyo miniatures from "Kill Bill". Apparently, these miniatures were left-over from the 2001 Japanese production of GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (AKA "GMK").
GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK was a very well-received installment in the Godzilla series, and is available on DVD here at HKFlix.com. Check it out and see if you can spot some of the buildings and streets seen in "Kill Bill"! And, while we're on the subject of Godzilla, listen up for the giant lizard's trademark roar when Uma does a backflip in the "House Of Blue Leaves" scene! There are also some short Godzilla monster screams inserted just before this.
Also featured in the "House Of Blue Leaves" scene is a beautiful sequence where Uma takes on the Crazy 88 in silhouette against a blue background. Anyone who's seen SAMURAI FICTION will agree this scene looks strikingly familiar to the SAMURAI FICTION poster art and opening sequence, with a blue background instead of red. Just before this sequence in "Kill Bill" is a very quick bit where Uma slices a guy across the mouth...remind anyone else of Kakihara from ICHI THE KILLER?
--------------------------------------------
#7: LADY SNOWBLOOD
Perhaps the most striking of all the references in "Kill Bill" are the liberal imitations of the 1973 Japanese film LADY SNOWBLOOD. The story centers around a female child whose mother dies in jail, who then goes on to receive martial arts training to avenge her mother's death. Replete with blood sprays a plenty, titled chapters, a wide variety of musical styles, and even some animated sequences, the similarities are far too many to go into. But suffice it to say that LADY SNOWBLOOD seems to have been Tarantino's primary influence for "Kill Bill".
It's an excellent film, too, very highly recommended viewing for "Kill Bill" fans and anyone else who can dig a classic vicious revenge flick. It's no wonder Quentin Tarantino took such an apparent liking to it--we have, too! (By the way, the UK DVD even features the same exact multi-colored subtitles (yellow and green) as "Kill Bill"!)
----------------------------------------------
#8: THE VIEWERS SPEAK!
The verdict is in! You love "Kill Bill"! You saw it three times during the opening weekend, and you've noticed a hell of a lot of references that we didn't even mention! Here's your chance to share...
--------------------------------------------
Another Bruce Lee reference: House Of Blue Leaves fight scene where the Bride is on the floor slicing off legs is dead on to nunchaku scene in FIST OF FURY right down to looking back and seeing groaning victims (even though the Bride has a fight with O-Ren Ishii before going back to look at her handiwork).
Perhaps a rather obscure reference to "Francis": Scene where Buck brings in a customer to rape the comatose Bride is real close to the rape scene in "Francis" were Farncis Farmer is in a mental institution and an orderly brings in men to gang bang her.
Submitted By: John A. (10/12/2003)
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The movie "They Call Her One Eye" (aka: "Thriller") is a Swedish film about a girl whose life is ruined--her "pimp" even goes so far as to remove one of her eyes (a la Daryl Hannah) before she studies to seek revenge on them all. In the "Cinescape" with "Kill Bill" on the cover, Tarantino mentions this as one of his favorite films, and it shows in Kill Bill. Thought I would mention this, the movie is VERY hard to find, I know its not an HK film, but very influential nonetheless.
Submitted By: Nathan H. (10/13/2003)
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You forgot DUEL TO THE DEATH. Check out the last 10 minutes of that movie. QT basically took the main parts of "The Bride Wore Black" and "Thriller: A Grim Picture" (AKA "They Called Her One Eye").
"The Bride Wore Black" has the same concept:
A woman's life is shattered when her husband is murdered on their wedding day. She tracks down the five men responsible and she kills them in five different ways wearing five different outfits. She even writes their names in a notebook and crosses them off after she kills them. She's even called "The Bride" throughout the picture.
"Thriller: A Grim Picture" is about a woman who is brutally beaten and left for dead by her pimp/boyfriend and his cronies. She recooperates and learns how to kill people by using her bed money to track down and kill her ex-pimp.
Submitted By: Joseph U. (10/14/2003)
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Not really a reference, more like a kudos if you will. The Anime sequence in "Kill Bill: Volume 1" was done by none other than Production-IG. To most, that name means nothing, but to the anime fan like me, it means a lot.
Production-IG is responsible for such huge hits as: BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, JIN-ROH, PATLABOR 1 + 2, FLCL, and Ghost in the Shell, to name just a few. Selecting this group is a major nod to one of the studios that helped make modern anime what it is today, and shows that Quentin Tarantino is a true anime fan.
Submitted By: Marcel A. (10/13/2003)
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While Uma is riding the motorcycle across the bridge in Japan, the night lights are green while the GREEN HORNET music is playing.
The music from FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (AKA "King Boxer") plays all through this film.
Submitted By: June D. (10/14/2003)
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Another TV theme that even I didn't catch (but a friend did) is the theme to "Ironside". The theme was by Quincy Jones and is most memorable for the rapid up-down, up-down slide at the beginning.
The theme is particularly interesting in that the series featured Raymond Burr ("Perry Mason") as a retired police commissioner who, as the victim of a snpier attack, was paralyzed from the waist down. There is definitely a connection, with "The Bride" initially being similarly affected.
Submitted By: Terry O. (10/14/2003)
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When Uma spanks the boy it reminded me of the scene in YOJIMBO when he sends the young boy back to his mother after nearly getting killed for working for gangsters (yakuza).
Submitted By: Kent L. (10/14/2003)
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The shots of Daryl Hannah walking down the hospital corridor with a big purse are right out of the beginning of HITCHCOCK's "Marnie" with Tippi Hedren. (Also DePalma who was quoting Hitchcock.)
Inside the pickup truck, Uma concentrating and talking to her big toe reminds me of John Wayne as the real life character Frank "Spig" Weed in John Ford's "Wings Of Eagles."
Another reference: the overhead shots of Uma at Vernita Green's house are similar to the final shot of Claude Chabrol's "The Champagne Murders".
Submitted By: Elizabeth (10/14/2003)
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The Sheriff (Michael Parks) drives up to the wedding massacre with a line of sunglasses on his dashboard--a definite homage to H. B. "Toby" Halicki and "Gone In 60 Seconds".
Submitted By: Brian T. (10/15/2003)
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Two scenes and shots are very similar to the classic American version of SHOGUN ASSASSIN:
1) During the fight in the House of Blue Leaves, The Bride slices one of the Crazy 88 in two with a sword strike to the top of thee head. Ogami Itto does the same to one of the Masters of Death in the final fight in the desert.
2) **SPOILER** When The Bride scalps O-Ren Ishii, she has a death speech that sounds just like the final Master of Death's lines after Ogami Itto nicks his jugular, seconds before full blood spewing.
Submitted By: Gaijin84 (10/15/2003)
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Not sure if this was covered, but in GAME OF DEATH, BRUCE LEE has to acsend five floors and defeat five different enemies. I believe that The Bride having to kill five different, dangerous villans is an homage to GAME OF DEATH.
Submitted By: Daniel B. (10/15/2003)
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Someone already mentioned the HITCHCOCK/"Marnie" reference with Daryl Hannah, but there's something else there, too.
Hannah, in the nurse's uniform, is whistling the score to Brian De Palma's "Dressed to Kill", and the film's score eventually accompanies her, referencing the evil MICHAEL CAINE nurse at the end of De Palma's movie. In the same scene, there was a split screen, which De Palma frequently employed in his films, including, of course, "Dressed to Kill".
Submitted By: Kent A. (10/15/2003)
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Pardon me if anyone has already mentioned this, but in the film SONNY CHIBA plays Hanzo, which is a reference to Hattori Hanzo, the leading character he played on the Japanese 4-season ninja TV series "Kage No Gunden" ("Shadow Warriors"). .
In Vol. 1, GORDON LIU plays Johnny Mo, which may be a play on the name of THE MISSION and PTU director JOHNNIE TO. Of course, in Vol. 2, Gordon plays Pai Mei, who is the Shaolin traitor in LIU CHIA LIANG's classic EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN, and essentially the character Gordon kills in the LO LIEH-directed sequel FIST OF THE WHITE LOTUS.
Submitted By: Ric Meyers (10/15/2003)
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MEIKO KAJI, who played the lead Yuki in LADY SNOWBLOOD sings "The Flower Of Carnage" used during the credits of "Kill Bill Volume 1" Also, Julie Manase, the first female Crazy 88 to be killed by The Bride, is SONNY CHIBA's daughter and trained all the female actresses in the film.
Submitted By: John P. (10/15/2003)
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When then The Bride and Gogo are table-hopping during their fight, you can make out a sort of organ/synthesizer "wave" sound effect, which I remember hearing in a couple of English-dubbed SHAW BROS. movies. I remember it was in FIVE DEADLY VENOMS during some of the more crazy acrobatics, and in SHAOLIN CHALLENGES NINJA (AKA "Challenge Of The Ninja") when the ninja was onscreen.
Submitted By: Erick K. (10/16/2003)
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Another name that crops up in the film is the name Vernita Green is using in her current life: Jeannie Bell. In real life, JEANNIE BELL was a former Playboy Playmate who appeared in several blaxploitation films in the 70s including "Black Gunn", "Three The Hard Way", and had the starring role as a kick-ass karate instructor looking for her brother's killer in TNT JACKSON.
Submitted By: Rick L. (10/17/2003)
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Alert Reader MPM pointed out this INTERVIEW WITH QUENTIN TARANTINO, in which he goes into detail about many of the references (and mistaken references!) from "Kill Bill". Movies and people discussed include:
MOVIES / TV SHOWS:
Battle Royale
Black Lizard
Black Sunday
The Bride Wore Black
Chinese Boxer
Dead And Buried
The Doll Squad
Fudoh
Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell
Green Hornet
Hannie Caulder
Honey West
Ichi The Killer
Lady Snowblood
Master Of The Flying Guillotine
Modesty Blaise
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Shaolin Master Killer
Shogun Assassin
Silent Flute
They Call Her One Eye
War Of The Gargantuas
PEOPLE:
Lisa Blount
David Carradine
Sonny Chiba
Robert Culp
Alexander Fu Sheng
Kenta Fuaksaku
Kinji Fukasaku
Katsuhito Ishii
Sogo Ishii
Takashi Ishii
Teruo Ishii
Chiaki Kuriyama
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Bruce Lee
Christina Lindberg
Gordon Liu
Takashi Miike
Uma Thurman
Francois Truffaut
Jimmy Wang Yu
Raquel Welch
Simon Yuen
Yuen Wo Ping
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If you go to Kill-Bill.com (the official site) and click on PRESS NOTES you will be able to print out a 42 page document giving the complete history of the shoot, references to past films that influenced Tarantino and complete cast and crew biographies all in printable format.
Submitted By: John P. (10/17/2003)
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Well, that just about wraps up our Kill Bill Study Guide for now! Hopefully you've found some of this information interesting! If you'd like to add any thoughts or additional references to the list, DROP US A LINE, we'd love to hear from you!
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Great stuff 'eh? Now I have a question...Was that really Sonny Chiba's Daughter as that one member of the crazy '88?
Is that also Gordon Liu that we see in the Vol.2 trailer who is sparring with Uma and jumps on top of her sword?
Another TV theme that even I didn't catch (but a friend did) is the theme to "Ironside". The theme was by Quincy Jones and is most memorable for the rapid up-down, up-down slide at the beginning.
10-30-03, 04:18 PM
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Re: The *ULTIMATE* Kill Bill referrence guide!!!!
Originally posted by isamu
Great stuff 'eh? Now I have a question...Was that really Sonny Chiba's Daughter as that one member of the crazy '88?
Is that also Gordon Liu that we see in the Vol.2 trailer who is sparring with Uma and jumps on top of her sword?
Woah...is this true? Is this Ironside theme the same as the siren theme in 5 Fingers of death? Does this mean Quincy created that infamous siren sound we hear in 5FoD? Whcih came first...Ironside or 5FoD?
Great stuff 'eh? Now I have a question...Was that really Sonny Chiba's Daughter as that one member of the crazy '88?
Is that also Gordon Liu that we see in the Vol.2 trailer who is sparring with Uma and jumps on top of her sword?
Woah...is this true? Is this Ironside theme the same as the siren theme in 5 Fingers of death? Does this mean Quincy created that infamous siren sound we hear in 5FoD? Whcih came first...Ironside or 5FoD?
2. Yes
3. Ironside was first, 5 Fingers of Death used the music without permission.
10-30-03, 05:03 PM
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Originally posted by DonnachaOne
Is this any different from the "Kill Bill Study Guide"? Or the big thread about Kill Bill references?
Is this any different from the "Kill Bill Study Guide"? Or the big thread about Kill Bill references?
http://pub65.ezboard.com/fcooljapane...cID=1238.topic
10-30-03, 08:38 PM
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That's a good one cultshock. Here's one...
The music that is played during the shot of the anime O-ren all grown up and standing on top of the building holding her weapon and getting ready to assassinate that one poor bastard...what film is this music from? It's a direct rip!
The music that is played during the shot of the anime O-ren all grown up and standing on top of the building holding her weapon and getting ready to assassinate that one poor bastard...what film is this music from? It's a direct rip!
10-30-03, 09:18 PM
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Hmmm, the first part of the anime sequence uses Luis Bacalov's "The Grand Duel", but I really can't remember what music was playing in the sequence you mention. Oh oh, you know what that means. That's right, I'll just have to see the film again. 
10-30-03, 09:47 PM
#10
Originally posted by isamu
The music that is played during the shot of the anime O-ren all grown up and standing on top of the building holding her weapon and getting ready to assassinate that one poor bastard...what film is this music from? It's a direct rip!
The music that is played during the shot of the anime O-ren all grown up and standing on top of the building holding her weapon and getting ready to assassinate that one poor bastard...what film is this music from? It's a direct rip!
