hopefully the next version released will be the NC-17 version rather than the watered down current releases (although they are still great films ).

Isn't the SE of both films supposed to be out by Christmas?

Yeah that's how I figured too when that marketing ass from Miramax made that statement a while back.

That's what I thought. I'm waiting for that one.

I'm not waiting.....I loved them both and have no deisre to be at the mercy of QT or the company deciding to hold off and delay and hold off again......hell, who's to say he won't hold off a few years between now and coming back around to the Uber edition?

You'll be waiting a while. The current plan for QT is to get it edited together and then do a limited release of the two films together. After that then you will see it be released like that.

So you are looking at I would say a december or early 2005 THEATER release of the two combined and then a mid 2005 release of the dvd.

That's some time to wait if you ask me.

Tarantino said, and I can't remember which show he was on, that he was gonna release the whole thing as 1 film on DVD but he made it seem like it wasn't going to be for at least a year.

Sounds like Fall of 2005.

So for 20 bucks a movie, I got Vol 1 and gonna get Vol 2 Tuesday. Who cares. 20 bucks. =/

No. It was a stylistic decision that Tarantino made very early on.

Wow. You're pretty much wrong on all counts.

Julie Walker is hardly wrong on any count. I assume that you're basing your understanding on the old screenplay which can be found on the net. Well, if you read carefully, you'll notice that the Crazy 88 scene is described as having pounding metal music, and the blood in the black and white sequence is supposed to be jet black.

They use different stage blood when filming for black and white--look at the blood in the opening of the movie--and Tarantino did NOT use this blood when filming the Crazy 88 fight scene, indicating that regardless of what he wrote in the script, he wanted to have that scene in color in some version of the movie.

Now considering that the Japanese cut is apparently edited in such a way that the choreography is easier to follow in some sections, it seems rather logical that that was the earlier cut, and that the changes made to the US version were for ratings purposes, just as Tarantino has said in the past. ("The MPAA doesn't like red," etc.)

This doesn't mean that the MPAA viewed that version of the film and THEN he decided to change it; it merely means that Tarantino was anticipating the MPAA's reaction all along, and so planned for alternate versions of that scene (though I'd argue that it looks poor in b&w, due to the milk-like desaturated blood as opposed to proper jet-black b&w blood).

Julie Walker is definitely not wrong. I have the Japanese version and have watched it many times.

In the House of Blue Leaves scene in question, there are jokes among some of the action (a slight continuation of the sequence when she pulled out that guy's eye, a first appearance by the very young Yakuza boy) in the Japanese version that is not present in the U.S. version and many extra beats of fighting. The editing and extra footage does help the overall understanding and appreciation of the scene, I think.

After watching both versions many times, I cannot imagine Tarantino wanted the scene in B&W. He did it as a compromise for the censors. I will admit that he worked out a stylish way to make it B&W that served its purpose well.

I guess the next thing you'll be telling me is that Tarantino really didn't want the last scene between Sophie and the Bride extended like in the Japanese version. That was another scene that must have been cut for the rating.

And one last point that I forgot to mention. If Tarantino truly wanted the scene in B&W, I don't see why Japan would have got the scene in color and with extra footage. If his stylistic intention was B&W, why would you realize it in any other version? It's not like he colorized the other B&W scenes in the Japanese version.

^^^Because QT has a hard on for making stuff special for Japan.

Now the B&W is in question. I'm in the camp that thing he just pulled it out of his ass as it went along. early script was one way, then he didn't use the screen blood to make it stand out in B&W so perhaps he was just on the fence on it all. who knows, who cares.. The guy has come out and said both sides of this thing so you really can't quote him on anything he might have said since he says something different elsewhere.

Now for the scene with Sophie... I'm not sure it was suppose to be in there. Do you know why? Take a look at your dvd at that scene. Sophie gets the other arm cut off right.. Well then why is it in the scene following when she is rolling down the hill do you see her STILL WITH THAT ARM THAT WAS CUT OFF

yeah, doesn't make sense to pull that error if you already planned to have the actor lose the arm.

My take on the whole situation... QT is just making it happen as he goes along.

Wait, so you are saying that the tons of continuity errors in the two films aren't just some kind of homage???

There has always been a debate as to whether QT's true vision of the House of Blue Leaves scene includes the one fight scene in B&W or not, so I'm not going to argue that point, because maybe only QT knows for sure, but I do stand by my opinion that the scene plays out MUCH better in the Japanese cut (both in the absence of B&W and in the editing/added scenes).

I agree with that. the color version also includes a couple of flips and moves that really lets the scene flow a whole lot better.

I'll have to rewatch the scene where Sophie falls down the hill, but I don't think it necessarily rules out her getting the other arm cut off.

The first arm that was chopped off was much higher on the arm if I remember correctly; the second arm that was chopped off was about at the elbow. So there would be some arm flapping around when she falls down the hill.

Again, I'll have to rewatch the scene to get a better idea.

no no no. I have had this debate in great detail and if I could track down those images again it clearly shows... a full second arm. I could understand a stump... but no, this was the full freak'n arm.

There was a full arm as she's rolling down the hill. First time I watched the Japanese version my friends stated hacking off the second arm was a new scene. (I had only seen the J version in a theater in Japan so didn't know all the cuts/changes) Next we see Sophie going down the hill with an arm. Many rewinds later, it was determined to be a "full freak'n arm." Quite a few "homages" in this one.

I am also going to wait until the definitive edition comes out... I liked the movie (both chapters) but not enough to buy it twice. Besides I want to see how the whole thing comes together. (Peter Jackson - you spoil me, you bastard!)