That's a mouth full..

Here's the DVD Talk review of V1 (R1)...

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=10230

Well, it is too bad that the movie itself could not give the DVD a higher rating, high recommend, perhaps, but so be it. I will be going on my 3rd viewing since its theatrical release on opening day and "imminently re-watchable" is an
understatement.

"Kill Bill Vol. 1" is just one of those movies that stick with you long after the movie is over. Perhaps it is the intense imagery and the cornucopia of visual stimuli or the unrelenting stylized brutality. "KBV1" is just so damn brilliant on its own merit. The rational that it is not a complete movie or rather incomplete and therefore detracts from it I think has been much ado about absolutely nothing...

...if we (the public) never heard about the problems with Miramax and the length of the final cut and then the final decision to edit the film in two to be shown at two different points in time, I don't think we would have ever been the wiser. It would have been simply a serial with part two eagerly anticipated. V1 had beginning, middle and a climatic end for a first part..the formula that all great part 1's incur. This past decade has seen films made back to back simply to relinquish production costs...Matrix and LOTR being the forbearers and no one had a problem with how those were dealt with (not the movies themselves, but the way they were made). Sure there was wide eyed speculation as the risk involved with making 2 or 3 features without knowing the previous' results, but I think they and we all knew the profit was expected. Just because "KBV1" and "KBV2" weren't shot that way intentionally I don't think they should be judged any more harshly.

It is too bad that the first incarnation of the DVD could not produce the same visual pageantry as the film, but I really am not one to look at all the specs and flecks or soft images or what have you. Sure I like a clean, crisp, and detailed image on DVD, but frankly if it isn't there I don't miss it.
I do like a kick a** audio and thankfully this has DTS which my system will pump out with grandiose magnificence. Either way, the R1 I got for free and I have the R2 LE Japan Box Set coming and will dip in the future incarnations because it is all worth it.

But honestly, for me, the "collector's series" rating comes from the movie itself, a first part, chapter 1, Volume 1 in what will be an achievement in modern cinema if it isn't already. No one brings it to you like QT and no one makes you swallow it and gulp it down with ease then his fantastic eye and ability to make a film...

"Kill Bill Vol. 1" is a complete movie. A worthy opening to a dualogy that will complete in equal or grander fashion next Friday. And as Jason Bovberg said "Kill Bill Volume 1 is, in the end, an unapologetic orgy of gore and style, of indulgence and fun." This is a movie that will just plain entertain while it douses you with spectacle and a pleasant, overwhelming melee of characters that are just plain FUN! This is what wild rides are bred on and you leave the theater with that giddy, nervous, almost giggling-type laugh that ruminates hours and hours later.

Finally, if the DVD doesn't have all the extras: the making of's, the behind the scenes, the deleted outtakes of bloopers from alternate scenes right now that's absolutely fine because it does have the one thing that truly causes the body to shutter with glee...it has the movie, "Kill Bill Vol. 1"...and you know something? that's alright by me.

Well said, Scott. I agree with you 100%! Not too many movies entertain me as well as Kill Bill did, and I cannot wait until Tuesday to have the dvd of the movie in my hands! Nor can I wait until Friday to see the conclusion. Next week will be a stellar movie week for me.

thanks...you're absolutely right "entertain". that is exactly what the movie does and what it was intended to do.
i have R1 queued to watch sometime this weekend, teaching all week, then a wedding on sat and off the whole week after..i plan on seeing "KBV2"..then my R2 Japan box set should arrive that week and will view that glorious set as well. I will have "Kill Bill" overload and I'll be lovin every minute of it!

Just finished watching the film...this is my 4th time...3 times in theaters and god damn do I just love it more each time...and a pretty excellent DVD in terms of production...the picture and sound was excellent...the colors and sharpness were right on and the DTS 5.1 track blew me away! Best Surround moment is when you hear all the bikes outside of the House of Blue Leaves...just sweet!

I've got the R1 on order. Provided the subtitles are in the appropriate spots (and not through the entire movie), I might spring for the R2 Japan disc for the full-color version and extra footage.

Actually, the Pulp Fiction CE came out over four years after the first Pulp Fiction disc.

The U.S. videotape had 3 of the 5 deleted scenes from the laserdisc version - why it didn't have all of them is beyond me.

And the 2002 CE has many additional extra features not found on any other version.

My pre-order of R1 Kill Bill shipped this morning from DeepDiscountDVD.

there was two versions of the VHS I believe. One was released and then later on down the road they double dipped and offered the deleted scenes in the end. This might have been after the first dvd came out. Either way, DVD was in it's early stages, it doesn't surprise me that it was treated with such little extras and time invested into it.

The first VHS was released in I *believe* March 1995 (it was either Feb. or March '95) and I bought both the Standard and Widescreen versions - both had the three deleted scenes at the end, hosted by Tarantino.

The first DVD, which was out at least as early as Spring 1998 (when I bought it), didn't contain any special features except a couple of trailers (and of course, Scene Selections and Animated Menus).

Anyway, it could be awhile before Kill Bill: The Complete Saga is released - so I'm totally going to be picking up Vol. 1.

I mean, I'll probably watch it at least ten times before the souped-up version is released - and since it'll only be $14.88 at WalMart, why would I wait for the double-dip?

how bout some more discussion or viewer reviews of this fine movie...

I picked up the Region 1 disc Thursday and I have watched it twice after seeing it twice in the theater. The movie really does get better with each viewing, especially the House of Blue Leaves sequence. I must say, however, that I'm looking forward to seeing it in full color. I know some people don't think it will make a big difference but that scene is pretty messy and in full color there will be a ton of the red stuff flowing.

Question -
Is the Japanese version totally exclusive? What I mean is, which version was in the theater in the US? Is the version that played in US theaters and the R1 dvd exactly the same?
Thanks

The R1 release is the version that played in the US... there might've been a special screening of the Japanese version here but that's a moot point.

I'm not positive the Japanese version is TOTALLY exclusive to R2 but I think it is...

Ya know, I actually had 4 at first but thought I had to be wrong.

Tom, to my knowledge, the R2 is the only one that is Uncut. My Boxset should be shipping on the 16th. This IS a blind buy for me.

What about the Bride/O-Ren battle?

FYI, I watched the R1 edition of Kill Bill Vol. 1 last night and I rate the soundtrack as among the finest multi-channel film soundtracks I have ever heard. Ever. Easily in the top five.

And, no, I didn't bother with the half-bitrate DTS track. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is phenominal.

I listened to the DTS 5.1 track and I am so with Robert here...def. one of my favorite tracks ever!

And ReduxGuy...the Bride/O-Ren battle sounds excellent and looks goregous!

that is such excellent news..DVD's with incredible audio go even further to being masterpieces as DVD's. I am so looking forward to watching this again and again and again. I so want to find time to watch in comfort this weekend, but so much to do that I fear the time may get away from me. I am def watching it before "KBV2" which I plan the week after opening. And then hopefully have the R2 Japanese version and then watch again and again and again....again!

"KB" overload! Ain't no better wya to go!!

I'm going to be cramming in a lot of Kill Bill fun this upcoming week...I'm obtaining Vol. 1 on Tuesday when it comes out, and then I scored a free pass to see Vol. 2 the following day (Wed!)...so I'll be watching Vol. 1 the same day I get it...at least once, perhaps twice!

It will defffffinitely be a Kill Bill week for me.....all these months laying in wait will finally come to an end. Grab the movie on tuesday and watch over and over, then head for the big screen for V2. Life is good

Well I guess I will have to drool and buy the Region 1 kill bill and Resevoir for 20$ @ bestbuy. Man, now only if I had a player that could play multiple regions...

from http://www.davisdvd.com/news/rumors.html

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has some major plans for his latest opus, Kill Bill. While promoting the second volume of the series, opening theatrically on April 16th, Tarantino revealed that he plans to recut both films together for a special theatrical release later in the year. "We did a special version [of Volume 1] for Japan that's only been shown in Japan and Hong Kong, and I kept the rights to that," Tarantino said. "I'll put the Japanese version together [with Volume 2] like I would if it was one complete movie, and then I'll release that throughout America and Europe in arthouse engagements."

Tarantino also promises more extensive DVD plans for the revenge films. "I'm going to do a special collector's edition of both of them once I'm finished with both of them," he said. Also in the talking phase, Tarantino is considering the possibility of releasing stand-alone supplemental discs. "One of the things that I saw that I liked... was what the American Pie guys did with their 'Beneath the Crust' documentaries. I want to do the same thing [for Kill Bill]." Thanks to Tom for the scoop.