Episode 109: Pulp Fiction (1994)

[Interior shot, an old model Dodge Dart. Max, Mike sitting side by side, wearing black suits. Mike is driving. The radio is playing Ray Stevens’ “The Streak”]
Max: Hey, there’s a Jack-in-the-Box. You wanna get some drive-through?
Mike: You know what they call a Jack-in-the-Box in France?
Max: They don’t call it Jack-in-the-Box?
Mike: No, man, they call it Jacques-in-Le-Box.
Max: Huh. Interesting. Let’s talk about that for twenty minutes and then get involved in a seriously violent action sequence.
Mike: Ok, but take your shoes and socks off first.

Yes, for this week’s entry in “In Ancient Times: the 90’s” is Quentin Tarantino’s breakout, Oscar-nominated picture “Pulp Fiction,” the movie that lives on in ten thousand internet memes. Maybe you love Tarantino, maybe you hate him, but you certainly remember him. How do we feel about him? Give a listen and find out!

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3 thoughts on “Episode 109: Pulp Fiction (1994)”

  1. Great episode! I have MANY issues with this movie, but Mike, you really nailed it when you said “he’s trying really really hard to be cool.” That is EXACTLY what’s going on. I can’t stand this movie. My biggest issue with it is that there isn’t a single character I care about. I need to connect with at least one, or I’m taken out of the whole thing. I do appreciate, though, you guys talking it through and pointing out parts that are actually interesting.

    By the way, I think you need to do a series on Rom Coms now…

    1. As always, thanks for listening, Val! And you are totally right that Mike is right and Max is wrong. As it should be. And this is totally Max typing this and not Mike because he wouldn’t do such a thing. That being said, we don’t always agree and that’s totally fine. Sometimes those are the movies most worth discussing and honestly, we could have made this episode twice as long; there really is that much to talk about it, which is a point in its favor. One. Point.

      Also, as to the Rom Coms idea, I think we might have batted this around before. It’s a good one and it’s one we will definitely consider. It’s not our usual choice of subject, so if we were to do some, what might be some that you would recommend?

      1. Rom Com is a very wide genre, probably wider than you’d think. I think it starts with the screwball comedies of the ’30s – Bringing Up Baby, My Man Godfrey, etc. The “golden age” is the ’80s and ’90s – When Harry Met Sally, Meet Me in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, Notting Hill, etc. They kind of lost favor but are making a comeback, most notably with Crazy Rich Asians and Always Be My Maybe. Any or all of these I would be interested in hearing your take on.

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